Chapter Seven

Anew, more ominous life is breathed into the council with the weeks that follow. From morning to night, servants bustle about the castle. Their strong arms, accustomed to carrying fragrant dishes, are now filled with supplies for battle. Bandages and potions, tourniquets and saws, anything that will be of use when battle ensues.

The men, women, and children housed in the barracks at the back of the castle grounds train longer and harder, a longsword thrust into their hands at the break of each dawn. The intensity in which they train has increased tenfold, stretching far beyond mere defensive maneuvers to include offensive attacks. With the men under Alexander's command acting as their instructors, the citizens who meet the requirements train well into the night. Or until they collapse from exhaustion. Whichever comes first, I give little care.

I feel the enemy's stare upon me with each breath I take, transfixing on every move I make. Oftentimes, when I'm alone in my bedchamber, and the glow of the stars stretches the wide expanse of the night sky, I catch shadows moving out of the corner of my eye.

At first, I dismissed the sight, believing it to be a bend of moonlight tricking my eye into seeing something that wasn't there. I soon came to realize that this wasn't the truth. Each time I make my way through the castle, the same inky shadows follow me, fading into dimly lit corners anytime I whirl around. I feel him even when I'm surrounded by others, gooseflesh rising on my arms as the phantom touch of fingers dance along the back of my neck amidst conversation.

Those on my council beg me to see reason and put an end to this so-called madness. I refuse them all.

Things move along rather quickly as I remain firm in my position. In the weeks following the meeting where I declared my intention to step onto the battlefield, my days are consumed with talks of death. I take no issue with the bloodshed that is to come, as this day has always been promised.

Those who made a spectacle at my addressment are tried and convicted of treason by myself and the council. With his thirst for revenge, Alexander is the one who swings the sword and ensures that the blood of those who carried such foolish beliefs paints the stone floor of the throne room red.

Commander Lathing writes once more to confirm that the brunt of Risian's forces remain on the outskirts of the Carborough Pass. With my men surrounded on each side for a mile, they're forced to lie in wait for aid in the abandoned ruins of a town that once thrived in the Pass.

The crushing weight on my chest lessens when I learn the Risian forces have been forced to retreat an additional two miles as King Alardin makes good on his promise and his men ambush them from behind.

Ever faithful, Alexander stands stoically by my side as any fae of importance gathers around the war table twice a week. Talks of my stepping onto the battlefield ensue. In an interesting turn of events, Warwick proves himself further useful as it's revealed he's well-learned in the art of drawing.

Seeing that the man was raised an orphan and can barely write his own name, my brows inch up and threaten to disappear into my hairline when he draws a map identifying an approximate location of Risian's forces.

Pawns carved from the wood of an Evodia tree are placed on the table to provide a visual representation of the enemy's movements. While the final count is yet to be known, the scroll the General receives places the Risian King's numbers in the range of thirty-five thousand men. This news is especially troublesome, seeing that even with the combined forces of Brealan and Minalis, our side only reaches twenty-five thousand men. It doesn't take a master of arithmetic to see the clear difference.

Understanding the intimacies of warfare, I heed Alexander's counsel on several matters, my safety included. Given his protective nature of me, he's thorough in his plans to ensure I'm kept as far from the battlefield as possible. The council agrees that Alexander and I will remain on the parapet of the abandoned town in the Carborough Pass when Risian forces close the distance and the battle begins.

I have no qualms with this, seeing that standing atop the parapet will provide me with an elevated view of the battlefield and reveal the most appropriate place to unleash my powers. The council breathes a sigh of relief with this news, as it's the best chance our own men will not be injured.

Warwick, however, is quick to point out that the height of the parapets will be a beacon to my precise location for the King of Risian. Though his thoughts are of sound reason, I dismiss him with a wave of my hand. Should Felix decide to show his face, it's likely the bond we share will alert him to my whereabouts the moment we're in proximity of one another. Besides, if I'm to ensure he meets his end, I'll need his full attention.

With nods of understanding that signal the matter settled, Alexander moves on to finer details. His plans are thorough, mapping out everything from the positioning of our men to the placement of my tent. Though his tawny eyes fill with silent apology each time he glances at me, annoyance pricks at my skin when he swears not to leave my side.

I understand it's the most logical decision to ensure my safety. I agree to his terms, knowing that the sight of Alexander beside me will make my mirror soul see red. With any luck, the King of Risian's shadows will strangle him in his sleep when he realizes I've taken the General as my lover.

Fear and paranoia slither into my bones with each day that draws closer to our departure. We're to travel with a small party on horseback, carrying no banners or sigils that will draw attention to the Queen of Minalis. The men who will travel with us are all men that have fought alongside the General early in my mother's reign. I'll exchange my lavish gowns and jewelry for simple day dresses and forgo the ruby-studded crown. This will ensure my identity is hidden.

"It will not be a pleasant journey, love," the General says as I remove the pins from my hair, following yet another meeting with the council. "I think it would be advisable for you to ride with me, given the rough terrain."

My hands still as I twist to glance at him over my shoulder. Although he's righted his wrong with a vehement apology, I can't believe he would suggest such a thing. I haven't ridden since I was a girl. Wheelhouses are the primary transportation for a queen, after all. The thought of being jostled about on my own horse is horrifying enough. I can't imagine that settling into the narrow space between his thighs and having his chest press against my back will be any more comfortable.

Each lean and delicious inch of him sprawled out across the featherbed and the lopsided grin that plays across his lips are the only reasons I manage to hold my tongue. "Fine."

Nefarious thoughts turn over in my mind as I resume the lengthy process of freeing my curls. The General's life is in far more danger than mine. Though he'll be atop the parapets with me if we manage a stronghold in the Dorston Keep, he'll still be in harm's way.

Alexander is a great warrior, but the unease that courses through my veins questions if he'll be a match for the King of Risian on the battlefield. Felix begrudgingly earned the title of a great warrior the moment a longsword was placed in his hand. Others, whose skills have been revered throughout the kingdoms, have met their end by his blade when he stepped onto the battlefield, my former husband among them. Holding the title of the King of Minalis hadn't been enough to save Calor.

While I had been deeply troubled when Calor was called to battle three hundred years into our reign, it was nothing in comparison to the rage that had flowed freely through my veins when I learned of his death. Many surely attributed my anger to grief, but it was the manner in which Calor met his end that had blinded me with fury.

Upon seeing his mangled corpse, I knew that my husband hadn't met a quick death. The deep, clean slash that stretched from his abdomen down to his cock was a clear punishment for a choice I'd made long ago. A twisted declaration of the King of Risian's affection for me. What was worse was the neatly rolled piece of parchment lying beneath his tongue, my mirror soul's letter to me for that moon.

Sensing my wandering mind, Alexander pins me through the mirror with his honey eyes. They soften as the last pin is freed and a mass of raven curls tumbles down my back.

"If it did not happen before my eyes, I'd say it was impossible how you grow more beautiful each day," he murmurs.

I hum in response and set the pins down on the vanity. Seeing that war is just on the horizon, I have no intention of taking the joining of our bodies for granted any longer. A night weasel chirps from outside the window as I stand and loosen the tie of the black velvet robe wrapped around me. Gooseflesh pricks at my skin as I shrug the robe from my shoulders and the night breeze coasts over my skin.

A faint whisper of displeasure rises from my soul with the movement. This is not the mirror of our soul, it hisses as Alexander's gaze touches the ruby necklace resting on my collarbone.

While I don't need him to tell me I'm beautiful, there's a certain gratification in the way his eyes roam hungrily over my naked form. A sense of power not born from wearing the crown washes over me as his generous cock stiffens.

"Come here," he growls.

I do so enjoy a man who isn't afraid to command me in the bedroom.

Need pulses between my legs as his tongue darts out to sweep over his bottom lip in a promise of what is to come. It's likely the entire castle will awaken, but I don't mind. He does have a glorious tongue, after all.

My hips sway sensually as I saunter toward him, each step long and drawn out. The head of his cock turns an angry shade of red, weeping with need.

The moment I reach the side of the bed, his fingers dig into the skin of my waist and he jerks me forward. Pine and cinnamon fill my senses as he pins me beneath him, bracketing his thighs on either side of my hips.

Wetness pools between my thighs when his hand wraps around my wrists and he stretches my arms above my head.

"Don't move," he murmurs, releasing his hold on me.

I shiver as Alexander rains kisses upon the side of my neck, and his smooth palms skate down my body, exploring every inch of my curves. A soft moan escapes me as his fingertips ghost over the pebbled peaks of my breasts, rolling them between his thumb and forefinger in reverent, featherlight touches.

His breathing is little more than pants on the side of my neck. "Fuck, you're perfect," he rasps.

Each nerve ending in my body is set alight with need as his hand moves lower and his fingers graze my clit. My back arches off the bed when he applies the perfect amount of pressure, the movement serving to align the head of his cock with my entrance. My moan is louder this time as he swirls his fingertips clockwise, then counter-clockwise.

"Shall we see how beautiful the Queen of Minalis is when she shatters on my cock?" he whispers into the shell of my ear.

His pupils are blown wide with lust as he raises his head and pushes into me with a grunt. The breath is stolen from my lungs when he seats himself inside of me, stretching me further. His neck cranes in ecstasy as he thrusts in and out of me with slow, steady strokes.

I close my eyes and flashes of the brightest blue irises filter into the darkness. I moan as I thread my fingers through the softest raven—No.

My eyes fly open. "Faster," I hiss.

The pressure simmering between my legs increases twofold when he grabs the back of my calf and hooks my leg around his waist. His fingernails dig into the curve of my waist to the point of pain, and his hips snap faster, setting a punishing pace.

The sound of skin slapping against skin fills the chamber. I open my eyes once more and find his honey eyes ablaze with need. His gaze caresses every inch of my face before falling to my lips. A thin sheen of sweat slicks his brow as he leans down, bringing his mouth mere inches from mine. I turn my head. Despite his efforts, I've never allowed our lips to brush. It's far too intimate of an act.

Alexander pays the action no mind. "Come for me, My Queen," he rasps, dropping his head and burying his nose into the crook of my neck.

Sliding his hand between us to the place where our bodies joined, my body flushes hot and then cold when he rocks the heel of his palm against my swollen clit.

A crack of thunder booms in the distance as I throw my head back and cry out, shattering beneath waves of fiery pleasure. With a curse falling from his lips, Alexander groans and follows.

The haze lifts the moment he spills his seed. There is no blissful oblivion, no shimmering glow to bask in.

Instead, the thread in my chest recoils when my eyelids flutter open to find Alexander smiling at me. It smothers the peace of the moment with shadows, the bond's thirst for its mate unrelenting as the General raises his hand to sweep a stray curl from my temple.

Sticky dampness coats the inside of my thighs when he withdraws himself and collapses onto the bed beside me.

With rain lashing against the window panes, I stare up at the canopy of the featherbed through the darkness, ignoring the discontented cry that echoes through my soul.

"Please, Ella," Sianna whines the following morning, sounding more like a petulant child than a grown fae. "My own flesh and blood will not allow harm to come to me."

"You cannot, Sianna. Who else is to oversee the affairs of the kingdom while I'm away?"

Though Nuelle swirls about my bedchamber like a madwoman, her arms filled with almost every tunic and pair of breeches I own, I take no issue with her presence for this conversation. While she doesn't hold an official seat on my council, my lady's maid advises me on several matters. With or without my permission. Though she's quiet by nature, she's one of the only people who isn't afraid to speak their mind when before me.

While I know she holds the best interest for myself and the kingdom in her heart, there's little that escapes her attention. A cup of tea with honey is set at my bedside when the weather changes and my body is weakened due to my human blood. She is tender and caring in a way that is reminiscent of my mother. Having watched me grow from a princess into a queen, she understands my temperament.

We clash in matters that concern the King of Risian, however. Similar to others in my court, she's a devout woman who can't quite grasp the rage I feel toward the mirror of my soul.

Although she prefers to make her feelings known through narrowed eyes and pinched lips, I learned the depths of her disapproval when a trunk was pulled down from the top of my closet for my bedchamber to be remodeled. I was furious when I found that all of the letters the Risian King had sent me, which I'd shredded each moon, had been stitched back together and stored inside the trunk.

When I demanded to know why the letters weren't reduced to ash and scattered to the wind, Nuelle shrugged. "You'll wish you'd read these words someday. May not be today or even a fortnight from now, but one day you'll be grateful for them."

I rolled my eyes and called her a fool, but the box was tucked back onto the shelf after remodels were finished.

While I allow Nuelle to oversee the garments that will be included in my trunk, I choose which shoes will accompany me. Footwear remains of the utmost importance, even in times of war. Seeing that Alexander and I are to return to Minalis after our impending victory, I imagine that three pairs of shoes will do.

With a long sigh, Sianna mumbles under her breath and resumes folding one of my chemises. The satin skirts of my midnight gown brush across the stone flooring as I turn my back to the fae women.

Striding toward the large closet adjacent to my featherbed, I tug on the gilded wrought iron handle. A sea of gowns in various shades and materials is revealed when the smooth mahogany doors swing open. I study each of them with a longing sigh, a wistful smile stretching across my lips as I drag the tips of my fingers along the skirts of my favorite crimson gown. Though I know gowns don't define a woman's character, I'll miss such luxury. There's something about a beautiful gown that makes a woman feel more complete.

My gaze flickers to the sable-colored shelf above. Shoes of every kind are aligned in neat rows, stretching down the length of the closet. My preferred cloth slippers sit in the center of the shelf, making them more easily accessible. Begrudgingly, I come to understand that the cloth material of the slippers will be ruined the moment I step a toe on the battlefield. With a final yearn-filled glance at the slippers, I stand on the tip of my toes and reach into the shadowed corner for the sole pair of leather boots I own.

A grin plays on my lips as I throw them over my shoulder in silent command to include them in my trunk and Sianna yelps. When I glance behind me, I see the Risian princess narrow her eyes.

Tossing her silken tresses over her shoulder, she stoops down to retrieve them off the floor. "I'm confident you'll see the error of your ways soon enough. Who will smooth your curls in the middle of a warzone?" Her nose wrinkles as she contemplates the matter. "Alexander will certainly do a poor job."

I roll my eyes, but a soft chuckle escapes my throat. While it's not recognized as a formal position, I've tasked Sianna with aiding the council in my stead. Any matters of official business regarding the kingdom will be managed by them, but Sianna will take charge on less well-known matters.

Whether it's ensuring that grain is delivered to the palace in a timely fashion, or reviewing the financial ledger in my stead, she will be regent in all but name. In its most basic form, the idea is that the council will be no more than a beautiful, shining jewel the people of Minalis can appreciate in my absence.

Turning back to pull a simple, cream day dress from a golden, metal hanger, I allow the doors of the closet to close behind me as I whirl around. When I find Sianna's lips sitting in a thin line of displeasure, I roll my eyes.

"You're wasting your breath," I mutter as she opens her mouth to refute me once more.

After placing the rubied crown in the trunk, Nuelle rushes over. "I'll have this freshly laundered," she says, taking the gown from my arms.

With a slight nod of her head, she disappears through the chamber door, leaving Sianna and I alone.

One of my brows arches upward as the Risian princess sighs and shuts the lid of the trunk. A seriousness I don't recognize settles over her usually playful and animated features as she closes the distance between us. Shadows are cast over her bright emerald eyes as she comes to a stop before me and reaches for the hand that rests at my side.

"Ella," she begins, the smooth skin of her palm gently clasping the back of my hand. "I know you struggle greatly to put your trust in others, and I'm honored, truly. Nothing would make me happier than to help ensure the kingdoms run smoothly while you're away. But—"

She falls silent as I raise my free hand. Her strange mannerisms aside, I've never appreciated being made to decipher riddles. I have no patience for such things.

"For the love of the stars, Sianna, say whatever it is you wish to say."

With a deep inhale, she nods curtly. "Although this may be a hard truth to hear, my brother is not a man of ignorance nor impulse." The mere mention of the despicable Risian King grates against my nerves. "Whatever it is you and the council have planned, know that he has likely already thought of the outcome."

She stuns me into silence when I open my mouth to argue and she mimics my previous motion with an open palm in my direction.

"Stars forgive me for saying this, but my brother loves you. He has remained an unwed king to the second wealthiest kingdom in all of Norweth for over five hundred years. In wait of you." Warmth cocoons around the thread in my chest with her words. "And the only reason I'm saying such things is because I know he will not allow harm to come to you, or the people of Minalis. Because they, too, are a part of you. Hurting them would be irrevocably the same in his mind. It's the only advantage you may have."

I still. Thick tension settles around us as my gaze flickers between her sea-green eyes. In all the years Sianna has been a guest of my court, she's never spoken her thoughts so freely. In truth, it takes a moment for my mind to process the finality behind her words. After a long moment of silence, Sianna gently removes her hand from mine and steps to the side.

While I wish to deny what she's said, I know there's truth behind her words. Although using the King of Risian's affection for me is my plan of action when I become one with the battlefield, a mournful cry resounds from the bond with the Risian princess' truth.

My head whips around as the door creaks open and her light footsteps come to a pause.

"No matter how much you may wish it is not true, you and my brother are two sides of the same coin. The stars fated you to one another for a reason."