The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom, #1)

The storm carries on for days, and Aren and Lara spend time together and trade stories. When Aren asks about her sisters, she tells him that they are “dead” for their own safety. She also admits to killing the Amaridians on Serrith Island. She offers to fake her own death in order to uncomplicate his life, but Aren swears to protect her instead. As they discuss the future of Ithicanians and Maridrinians, Aren convinces Lara to help him build a better world for both countries. He gives her his mother’s necklace, which maps out Ithicana. As they eat a meal together, Jor finds them and teases Lara for finally opening her heart to Aren. Aren announces that it’s time to go “home” now that the skies have cleared.

After packing and sailing for an hour, Lara, Aren, and the others arrive at a volcano that hides Eranahl: the only city in Ithicana, and its greatest secret.

Throughout the storm season, Aren and Lara enjoy their time together, and Aren watches as Lara is accepted by his people and grows into her role as queen. She sets up a school, teaches children, and learns how to swim.

Now, Aren is waiting for Ahnna to arrive for the War Tides council meeting. When she arrives, she is offended that Aren would give their mother’s necklace away and invite Lara as his second-in-command at the meeting instead of Jor. Before the meeting, Lara doubts whether her attendance will be beneficial, but Aren insists that he needs her by his side because she knows, more than anyone, what is at stake.

Many of the Watch Commanders are disconcerted by Lara’s presence at their meeting, but after some squabbling, Aren and his commanders finally discuss Amarid’s movements. Rumors abound that Amarid is financing its new fleet with gemstones, specifically rubies. The Amaridians have been importing more Maridrinian goods, specifically wine. Lara remembers the ruby they found in the safe house and realizes that Maridrina is financing Amarid’s new ships. She recalls that the Amaridians did not attack her when they attempted to invade Serrith Island. Then, Emra, the new commander replacing Aster, reports on an Amaridian ship carrying a Maridrinian woman. This makes Lara think of her sisters. Ahnna reports that Maridrina has suddenly bought food instead of steel and weapons, as the Maridrinians are rioting and blaming Ithicana for their troubles. Lara pretends to faint so that she can get a chance to speak to Aren alone.

Once secluded, Lara tells Aren that Maridrina has allied with Amarid. She states that her father is deliberately starving his people so that they will blame Ithicana. Although Aren initially doubts this, he sees the logic of her thoughts. She suggests telling his Watch Commanders the truth about her previous role as a spy, but Aren knows that they will kill her if they learn of this. When they return to the meeting, he proposes demanding that Valcotta drop the blockade in order to prove Ithicana’s commitment to their alliance with Maridrina. They put the matter to a vote. With eight votes in favor and eight against, Ahnna is the deciding vote, and she agrees with Aren.

Eight weeks later, Ithicana has driven back Valcotta’s ships. Maridrina now has access to Southwatch’s market, and Aren has arranged for supplies to be given to Maridrinian cities, with Ithicana bearing all of the costs.

Lara and Aren return to Midwatch to find Vitex harmed and Eli missing. While Aren is busy preparing for a bath, Lara finds the ceremonial knife that she lost in the dash to escape Vencia. It is accompanied by a letter from her father, in which he threatens that she will only have a short future with Aren. When she goes to the bedroom, she finds Aren at the mercy of her sister, Marylyn. Eli is dead.

Marylyn tells Aren that Lara chose to become his queen and betray him, then displays the letter that Aren recently sent to Silas, which contains Lara’s invasion plan. Lara tries to explain and tells Aren that she loves him, but he no longer believes her. Horns calling for aid resound all over Ithicana, and Marylyn states that Lara’s plan is now being employed to allow Maridrina to capture the islands. She tells Lara that she was never deceived by the stories their teachers told them and always aimed to earn Silas’s approval and a position as his heir. Marylyn did not care if this goal required burning Ithicana to the ground or watching their sisters die.

Suddenly, Lara notices a snake in the bed and throws a knife to agitate it. Aren shoves Marylyn onto the bed, and the snake bites her. Marylyn kills the snake, but Lara snaps her sister’s neck. Aren drags Lara with him, no longer trusting her, and they witness the catastrophic consequences of her invasion plan as both Maridrina and Amarid invade Ithicana. As dawn arrives, Lara is alone with Aren. He tells her that Taryn died trying to warn Southwatch. He blames himself for his people’s deaths and for trusting Lara. She tries to convince him that she didn’t betray him. Although he declares that he should kill her, he banishes her instead. He shoots arrows at her, forcing her to flee.

Lara gets drunk in a vain attempt to escape the misery she caused in Harendell. For months, she has gone from bar to bar to hear news of Ithicana. One night, she learns that Silas has captured Aren and his holding him prisoner at Vencia. Knowing that her father is using Aren as bait, Lara uses the map on Aren’s mother’s necklace to find Eranahl. After three weeks, she arrives at the city’s entrance and begs Ahnna to let her through. When she finally faces Ahnna, Jor, and the rest of Aren’s guard, Lara offers to help them get Aren back. They doubt her abilities, as even their best men cannot breach Vencia, but Lara demonstrates her skills. When she defeats them all within moments, this act proves that she was raised to be her father’s greatest weapon. She tells them that they need her because she knows the Maridrinians and is determined to defeat her father.

As Aren, Ahnna, Jor, and the other Ithicanians wait for Silas to dock at Southwatch with Aren’s promised bride, they trade jokes over the bets they’ve made on Silas’s family. Ahnna can sense Aren’s apprehension and tries once again to dissuade him from going through with the wedding. However, Aren is resolved, and Ahnna is left to stew in her worries about Aren and Ithicana’s future as she herself contemplates her own upcoming marriage. When Silas and Lara arrive, Ahnna is stunned by Lara’s beauty but promises to protect Aren and Ithicana from Lara and Silas.

In the aftermath of Silas’s invasion, Jor is hiding with Aren in the jungle, ashamed that he too had begun to believe in Lara. He regrets not having listened to Ahnna, who never trusted Lara and mentioned that Lara might have drugged her upon her arrival. Ahnna had asked Jor to protect Aren, but Jor hadn’t truly listened. He now regrets not having killed Lara. When he tries to shake Aren out of his guilt, they argue. Although they know that Lara wrote the invasion plans, Jor finds himself defending her. He demands to see the letter that holds Lara’s plan from Aren, but when he lunges for it, Aren punches him, then falls to his knees in remorse and cries. As Jor takes Aren into his arms, he is reminded of the time when Aren was a baby and the previous king entrusted Jor with his safety. Jor was charged with becoming Aren’s father in a way that the previous king could not be. Now, Maridrinian soldiers overhear them, and Aren attacks them although he is outnumbered.