The Heir Boxed Set Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Book 1: Adolescent

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Book 2: Adept

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Book 3: Acceded

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Books In this Universe

  Contact

  The Heir Series

  Books 1 - 3

  Kyra Gregory

  Other Books by Kyra Gregory:

  Secrets Clad in Light

  Grieving Liberty

  The Ascendant Series

  Ascendant

  Accustomed

  Atoned

  Allied

  The Vagabond Series

  Grounded

  Fugitive

  Conspirator

  The Heir Series

  Adolescent

  Adept

  Acceded

  First Kindle Edition of 2020

  Copyright © Kyra Gregory

  Cover Designed by Covers by Combs

  All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without written permission from the author.

  Dedication

  To all those people who supported and believed in me.

  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  Book 1: Adolescent

  Chapter 1

  THE SCORCHING SUN SHONE bright above the island of Azura, prominent in the clear blue skies. Riffin sat at one end of a long table, admiring the view from the large windows of the fort on the coast of his mother’s island kingdom. He could hear the merchants around him prattle on and on in the distance, their voices faint, as though he lingered beneath the surface of the ocean waves that rocked against the shore.

  The desire to pace and relieve himself of his nervous energy persisted within him, taking all of his strength to resist the urge to rise to his feet. He had to do better than this, he told himself.

  But enough was enough—there was only so much he could take. He raked his fingers through his dark hair, heaving a heavy sigh. “My mother and I so very rarely agree,” he declared, cutting the men off, “though I cannot help but concur that the matters which you discuss are both tedious and a waste of time.”

  Both the Azurian secretary, as well as Riffin’s best friend, stifled their abrupt laughter behind him, bowing their heads in their effort to hide it. The rest of the room went silent and the merchants put an end to their bickering, if only for a moment.

  They lowered their gazes. Though each and every one of them had the desire to blame someone else, none of them dared do so in front of the heir to the throne.

  Riffin brushed the back of his fingers against his neck, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, “Deal with it amongst yourselves,” he said. Gone was the lighthearted whine of his voice that came with his complaint, now dark and foreboding instead. “You have a week before we take matters into our own hands. After which, my mother will send her instructions—absent consideration towards your own desires.”

  They all bowed their heads curtly, a moment of silence weighing itself upon the room as they were given a chance to counter his decision. When nobody made a move to speak, a quick gesture of his hand dismissed them all—the ease of which, he reminded himself, couldn’t be abused of, however much they bored him.

  The merchants rose to their feet, glaring between them as they left, blaming one another in silence for the ineffectiveness of their meeting.

  Riffin stared on after them as they left, his amber eyes burning holes into their parting forms.

  “They’re not happy with this arrangement,” Thane remarked.

  “Naturally,” Riffin replied. “But if we involve ourselves in every single matter then nobody will deal with their business themselves.” Scoffing, he waved his hand dismissively, “Besides, they will fail,” he said. “And, when they do, we will have every reason to intervene.”

  Thane smirked, “Never to be seen as overstepping,” he declared.

  “Never to be seen as overstepping,” Riffin agreed. Everything he’d learnt, he’d learnt from his father—a man without much of a title, married to a Queen, having to pave his own way and play the game of politics in order to have a say. “Are we finished here?” he asked, cocking his head back.

  The Azurian secretary half-smiled, struggling to contain himself when faced with the young Prince’s enthusiasm, “Yes, your Royal Highness,” he said.

  “Good,” he said, clapping his hands against the armrests. “I trust that my uncle is here,” he remarked.

  “If not here already I am sure he is on the way,” he replied, following him out into the courtyard.

  Riffin smirked. No sooner than when he had stepped out the main door, he caught sight of Gyles approaching. He rushed towards him with all the enthusiasm of a little boy. Before Gyles’s knee could even touch the ground as a sign of respect, Riffin’s arms slipped under his and he pulled him into an embrace. “It’s good to see you,” he said.

  Gyles’s arms wrapped tightly around him, “And good to see you,” he said.

  “You look well,” Riffin said, holding him out at arm’s length. His uncle looked no older than he had a couple of months ago, lingering on the cusp of forty but hardly looking a day older than thirty. He looked upon him with that same, cheer
ful glimmer in his eye, a touch of cheek and amusement that he’d grown used to in his childhood.

  “As do you,” Gyles chuckled, looking him up and down.

  “How is Lukas?” Riffin asked. “Is he not here?”

  “He had business to attend to,” Gyles replied. Brief as it may have been, Riffin wasn’t blind to the glimmer of sadness in Gyles’s eyes. There was a darkness that surrounded Lukas on some days; he wasn’t always like that, Riffin was told, but it seemed as though today was one of those days.

  “Still busy in the stables?” Riffin asked, acting as though he hadn’t seen it.

  Gyles chuckled, nodding, “He always preferred horses over people,” he said. He blinked as he looked him up and down, shaking his head with a smile of amusement never leaving his face, “I swear you’re a few inches taller every time I see you.”

  He might’ve been right—Riffin had grown tall enough to rival Gyles in height. He clapped his hand on his shoulder, cocking his head to one side as he instructed him to follow as he walked. They made their way across the courtyard, approaching the horses. “I’m seventeen now, uncle,” he said, brushing his hand across his palfrey’s mane. “Far from the child you once knew.”

  Gyles chuckled, following. “Perhaps,” he said. “Though I wouldn’t let that get to your head if I were you.”

  Riffin smirked, taking his cape from Thane and swinging it over his shoulders, having it clasped in the front as he overlooked the guards tying his belongings to his horse. Gyles’s smirk caught his attention and Riffin struggled to stifle his own. “Some things never change,” he said, a reply to his uncle’s silent accusation.

  “You read my mind,” Gyles retorted.

  Riffin shrugged his shoulders, mounting his horse with a groan, “It’s never stopped for you,” he retorted. “Lukas,” he elaborated, faced with his uncle’s momentary confusion. “You’ve never stopped loving him and that is a love that has lasted far longer than mine.” Much like that of his parents, it was a love Riffin treasured—a symbol of greatness in the dark world they lived in.

  The temptation for Gyles to roll his eyes was strong. Nonetheless, he didn’t relent, smiling instead. “You will be returning home tonight? Or will you be staying with me?” he asked.

  “I will return tonight, unfortunately,” Riffin replied, gesturing for the guards to lift the gate. “My stay is cut short by matters back at home.”

  “Urgent matters?” Gyles asked, brows furrowing together.

  Riffin shrugged, shaking his head, “Mother has become stricter in my schooling,” he said. “As though seventeen years of my father’s rigorous training hasn’t been enough, my mother’s become more insistent that I stand beside her in all matters of discussion.”

  Gyles broke out into a smirk, holding his hands out at his sides, “Sounds like nothing’s changed,” he said. “You would be wise to take note. Your mother has grown a fair bit from being that young girl on a throne.” Before Riffin could reply, he clapped the horse on the rump, cocking his head towards the rising gate. “Go,” he said, “be safe.”

  Gripping the reins, Riffin kicked his horse into a gallop and sped through the gates. Down the hill and away from the shores of Azura, he made his way through the narrow side streets and moved further inland. He knew the path like the back of his hand and his horse knew it just as well. He’d made this journey hundreds of thousands of times before.

  What few crowds he came across knew better than to linger where they stood, dispersing as he cut through them. Nobody saw the figure that was hidden beneath the dark cloak, though many had their suspicions.

  At the end, he slowed when the manor house came into view. It was of a modest size, not far from where his uncle also lived, on a piece of land gifted to the family by his mother for their efforts. The walls were high, the heavy wooden doors robust. They had made as many enemies as they had made friends and his mother had chosen a worthy structure for them to call home. It was a place that afforded them both luxury and safety, all the while humble—it needn’t attract anymore attention, other than being the home of pirates.

  Even so, the habitants weren’t worried about safety in the slightest. Unfazed by Riffin’s quick approach, Jared continued to sharpen his sword with barely a glance in his direction, one leg thrown up onto the bench he’d been lounging on beneath a tree. He looked up only when his horse’s shadow loomed over him, a smile growing on his lips.

  “Planning to get into a fight?” Riffin asked, dismounting before his horse could come to a complete stop.

  “Not if I can help it,” Jared replied, sheathing his sword and rising to his feet. “Welcome back, Your Royal Highness,” he greeted.

  Beautiful as always, Kara stepped out of the manor and into the sunlight. She put on her best smile, bowing her head in much the same way as her husband as she tucked a strand of fiery red hair behind her ear.

  Riffin untied a cloth bag from the horse’s side, taking it to Kara and placing it in her hands, “Sweet bread from your favourite bakery in Lionessa,” he said. He snatched a book from inside the saddle bag, handing it to Jared before Kara could even open her mouth in thanks, “My—and my father’s—latest read,” he said. “I look forward to your thoughts on it.” Before Jared could mutter a word of thanks, Riffin glanced around, hoping his eyes would fall on their captivating daughter. “Where’s Malia?” he asked.

  Kara’s features fell, “She’s out with friends,” she replied. “She wasn’t here when word of your arrival came.”

  “You can go and find her if you like,” Jared offered. “I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you.”

  Riffin shook his head, “Let her enjoy herself,” he said. Disappointed as he may have been, he didn’t expect her to put her life on hold whenever he decided to turn up. “Would you mind if I waited?” he asked, looking from Jared to Kara.

  Kara cocked her head to their home behind her, “Come inside,” she said.

  He followed the couple into their sitting room and dining hall. Kara made her way to a cabinet, reaching for a couple of bottles and drawing out some glasses, and Jared placed the book he had given him onto a mahogany table.

  Riffin shifted where he stood. He had known the couple his whole life. He had grown up with their presence in the palace, joining Gyles and Lukas there for festive occasions. Nonetheless, ever since he reached the age of thirteen, his affections for their daughter only growing, he stood a lot more reserved within their company than he once did.

  There was friendship but, above all, there was love between their two families. Even so, that unease within them never faltered when faced with their royal blood. They joked and laughed with his mother and father, they schemed and they shed blood with them, but that lingering sense of duty and respect never wavered.

  It was much the same for him. He was the heir to a throne—the future ruler of three sizeable, profitable kingdoms—but he was never to be seen as greedy or as capable of taking whatever it was that he wished. He learnt at a young age that so much as opening his mouth and declaring that something was beautiful had it thrust into his hands by those most eager to please him. So he learned to keep his mouth shut, to keep such desires to himself. He had withdrawn from Malia, keeping to himself during her visits, seeing to it that he was out of the palace as much as it was reasonably possible to do so.

  Kara seemed relieved by it. He never knew of her life before piracy, never knew of her circumstances, how she found herself at sea, eventually wedded to a pirate. But he knew that the reason she was so protective of her daughter was something in her past; his mother had alluded to that much.

  Even then, withdrawing had only caused Malia more heartbreak. Feelings for him that he thought to have been out of duty were revealed to be more genuine than that, to be a love like that of her parents, of his own, and that of his uncle and the tortured Evradian. Foolish as he may have seemed, declaring their love as strong as those that had stood the test of agony, war and bloodshed, they both knew it was true. It
was real.

  “Are you well?” he asked, casting a short glance around. “It has been a while since I last visited.”

  Jared hummed in agreement, passing him a drink, “Not much has changed,” he said. “Though I reckon the nobles’ bickering only intensifies the longer I listen to it.”

  “I cannot say I don’t tire of it either,” Riffin said, holding his cup out in a toast, clinking it with that of Jared and Kara before taking a sip. “They have a very...narrow-minded view of what life should be.” There was a flash of agreement in Jared’s eyes and Kara turned away, hiding her own feelings on the matter in the way she did so well. “And you, Kara?” he asked. He smiled when she hung her head at his attention, his gaze softening, “You look as though you’ve been on land for too long,” he remarked.

  She lowered herself into her seat beside the window, placing her chalice onto the table, “Haven’t been at sea in some time,” she said. “I can’t seem to help it.”

  Tried as they might to live a life on land, living the sense of luxury they had earned by working for his family, neither of them ever fully took to it. Jared busied himself with the nobles, acting as an informant to Gyles and to the Queen. Kara did much of the same when she could but dealing with the pettiness of the people had her wanting to keep her distance from them more often than not.

  “Are you in Azura long?” Jared asked, beckoning him over to the couch.

  “No,” Riffin said, disappointment evident in his voice. “I cannot stay. I leave tonight,” he added.

  “You may not be able to see Malia this time then,” Jared declared, shoulders dropping. “Don’t you want to go and look for her? Perhaps you could manage a few hours?”

  Riffin withdrew into his seat, shaking his head, “She’s out with friends, is she not? Let her enjoy herself.”

  “She would enjoy your company just as much,” Kara said.

  Riffin met her gaze, ascertaining her truthfulness. It meant a lot to hear those words from her. From anyone else, from the mother of any other girl, they would’ve been the words of a woman who intended to marry her daughter off to the Prince—to make her daughter as pleasing to be around as she could manage. From Kara, however, they were words of truth, a matter-of-fact statement, not intended to sway his heart or push forth a political marriage. It was a relief.