Golden shafts of morning light pried my eyes open. I looked around to find Laira gone. The faint smell of roses still lingered; her blend of softness and steel.

  I dressed and found my men.

  “We’re departing today. Ready yourselves,” I told them. They nodded crisply, glad to be leaving politics behind.

  I found Reshma waiting at Laira’s favorite balcony, the breakfast table already set. Beyond, the sea stretched toward the horizon, fishing boats already on the move.

  “Good morning, gorgeous,” I greeted her.

  She turned, expression veiled. “Morning, handsome. How was your night?”

  “You’ve already gotten everything out of Laira, haven’t you?”

  “She said it was nice.”

  “It was. What about you, though? You left us alone. Were you fine with that?”

  She exhaled, slow and deep. “I’m not a complete pervert like our dear Queen, but I knew she would have to marry a man sooner or later. I had made my peace with it. I would have considered myself lucky if he just allowed me to remain by her side, without… demanding anything. But,” her voice turned sultry as she put a finger on my chest.

  “I did not imagine I would fall for the same man myself. I was watching through the grate as you smashed those ambushers like brittle gourds.” She bit her lip. “I don’t mind sharing you with her and your Aprilia, as long as I get some smashing myself.”

  I raised a brow. “That’s what gets you going? And you call her a pervert?”

  “Your strength, not the gore, you savage!” she corrected, as I pulled her toward me.

  Our lips almost touched, when someone cleared their throat behind us. We turned to look at a Queen looking at us, expression halfway between jealousy and amusement.

  “Save it for later,” she said dryly. “You will have plenty of time to misbehave.”

  “Upset you won’t be there to watch?” I said reflexively, then quieted down under her stare.

  We settled at the table.

  As silver cutlery chimed against porcelain, Reshma looked at me. “You’re not eating much. Something on your mind, or just afraid of redecorating the ship’s deck?”

  “I liked you better when you were polite,” I said, annoyed.

  “You couldn’t touch me, though. So?”

  “Both,” I replied honestly. “I don’t know how I will deal with the mess in Nobart.”

  I was pretty sure Jack’s mother won’t be too mad about Zock’s death. Theirs was a marriage of convenience. I doubted anyone alive truly loved the man. But he wasn’t the only one who had died at the Battle of the Bog.

  “I would have to face the family members of the hundreds I have killed, or at least the higher ranked ones.” And lie to the face of the woman who thought I was her son.

  Laira placed a steady hand on my leg. “You will manage. That’s why I’m sending Reshma with you,” her face paled, “but promise me, that both of you will come back to me.”

  “We will,” Reshma and I said at the same time, and broke into chuckles.

  We finished our breakfast and headed for the courtyard. My men stood ready.

  “Everything accounted for?” I asked Theo.

  “Everything, Sire, or should I say, Your Highness?” he said cheekily.

  “Not married yet. Nobody was alone?”

  “No one. We stayed in pairs. All weapons, all ‘vases’ accounted for. The men did worry when you were missing from your chambers.”

  “I was making alliances.”

  He struggled to hide a smirk, despite my glare.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  I pointed to my carriage, and Laira hopped inside, followed by our ‘chaperon,’ Reshma.

  As the wheels rolled over cobblestone, I put my arms around Laira, Reshma caressing her hand from the other side.

  Looking at her, I could tell, Laira was not handling the prospect of being alone well.

  I exhaled. “You need Reshma more than me. Keep her here.”

  She pulled away. “No. You are an atrocious diplomat. You will need her help. I will be fine.”

  I fixed her with a stare.

  “Fine!” she spat. “I will be miserable, wondering whether you two are alive or not, but I will live. Just come back to me as soon as possible.”

  “We will,” we both said at the same time, and broke into smiles.

  “Don’t forget to send letters,” the Queen looked at us threateningly.

  We nodded in response.

  As the carriage stopped, I bent down to plant a kiss on Laira’s lips. She grabbed me by the neck and deepened it. Then she turned to Reshma and mauled her face, with more desperation.

  As they lost themselves to time, I cleared my throat.

  “I didn’t disturb you two, ass.” Reshma glowered at me.

  “The coach has been standing for a while. People will talk.”

  The girls gave each other pecks, fixed their makeup and opened the door.

  As I helped Laira out of the carriage, my men were already at the docks, along with the Royal Guard.

  The Royal ship was moored at the pier, its bright blue and white mast snapping in the morning breeze. A hundred soldiers lined the gangplank, immaculate and silent. They looked ready for travel.

  “That entire retinue is for us?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Laira replied. “I’m not taking any chances this time. You will also be accompanied by two knights of Royal Guard.”

  “How will all of us fit on that ship? It will be cramped.”

  She sighed. “Look ahead.”

  I did. A slightly smaller ship, plain but new, was moored at the next pier, its deck piled with lumber.

  Oberstein, lanky and bald, approached silently and bowed lightly.

  “We managed to prepare a ship’s worth of lumber and some trustworthy craftsmen in time. They should be enough to begin building a proper dock,” he said in his expressionless voice. “The other three ships will follow as soon as they are ready.”

  “Thank you, Master Procurer. The other items?”

  He looked at a sharp eyed young man standing next to him.

  “Everything bought and loaded. Spices, tableware, thread, and… chicks. A thousand of them,” he said in a hesitant voice.

  I just smiled in return. Their chickens weren’t as productive compared to modern breeds, either as a meat or egg bird, but it would be a good start to adding more protein in my people’s diet.

  I turned to Laira and held her hands, as the men boarded the ships.

  “Take care of yourself, short stack.”

  “You too, blabbermouth.”

  As I turned to board the Royal ship, She and Reshma held each other’s gazes. Reshma soon followed me aboard. We waved at Laira as the ship set sail and left the harbor. She shrank further, heartbreakingly small against the expanse of the sea.

  I had come to the capital, wondering whether I would survive or not, but I was leaving with an alliance, a future assured, and responsibilities.

  A better future for Chadom; Aprilia, Lothar, the Ducklings, Elder Erickson and others.

  Nobart’s future was still up in the air, and so was Nanon’s.

  Looking at the shrinking capital, I vowed to myself that both would flourish.

  ──────── ??? ────────

  In a mansion, not too far away from the stout gray castle of Grauberg, a young man with fiery red hair and an even more fiery temper was pacing about in his luxuriously appointed chambers, like a caged animal.

  “What is taking so long? I’ve been locked in this place for weeks!” Linus roared at Grauberg’s man, who shrank under his gaze.

  “Unforeseen complications, Your Highness,” he said, eyes downcast.

  “It’s Majesty,” Linus narrowed his eyes, his voice venom. “I’m the rightful ruler of Nanon, not my simpering sister! Why are the servants whispering like frightened hens?”

  The man hesitated, “Her- your sister has announced her engagement to Count Jack Nobart.”

  “Nobart?” Linus paused. “The border county? That clown?”

  “You know him?”

  “I had the misfortune of visiting his backwater county once. He’s an arrogant peasant in noble clothes. Their engagement is confirmed?”

  “Yes, Your Hi- Majesty.”

  “It’s been mere weeks since our father died and the whore couldn't keep her legs together for even that long!” he spat.

  All his plans were unraveling, despite the sacrifices he had to make. Terrible, necessary ones.

  “Still, how does that change our plans?”

  “At the betrothal ceremony, Count Nobart unveiled a powerful weapon. One that would give defenders a big advantage over lightly armored men. We fear our forces won’t fare well against it.”

  “How many of these weapons?”

  “We do not know.”

  “Then find out! If they are few, nothing changes We just had a harvest, raise the levies if you have to.” He waved it aside as trivia. “I don’t see why I have to do all this; if the other nobles have any sense like Grauberg, they will bow to their rightful ruler the moment their eyes fall upon me.”

  The steward shifted. “We fear your uncle, Duke Schwan, may intervene. He can muster a force that matches the Crown’s.”

  Linus’s spine prickled. His uncle watched people like a hawk gazing at mice.

  “He is not a sentimental fool like my late father. He will acknowledge my rightful claim to the throne and support it, and definitely support my plan to marry off Laira to a Sindhu prince for an alliance.”

  Frustration welled up in him. What made his father think little Laira would make a good ruler? Who would respect her?

  If he had to do things the hard way, he would do that as well. He would crush her forces and take his place as the rightful ruler of Nanon through blood and iron.

  If she married before that, her position would harden like stone. He would have to do something about it, but what?

  An idea came to him. Bright, wicked, perfect.

  His last visit to that miserable county hadn’t been entirely bleak. There had been a nice distraction there.

  And she would make a very useful pawn.

  Aaand scene! Book 1 finished at almost 100k words!

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