18. Fifteen

The searing pain in my side slowly ebbed as the healer's magic knitted flesh and bone, yet the sting of betrayal lingered. I lay on the makeshift cot, the chaos of the recent battle still ringing in my ears.

I shifted, wincing as the movement pulled at my freshly healed wound. The assassin's blade had come perilously close to ending my life, but the pain of that paled in comparison to the look in Elindir's eyes as he paced the room, arms crossed.

Messengers came and went while the mages tended to me, and Elindir dealt with them all, giving orders to prepare for the march south. The reports he was receiving were grim. Our scouts said Klaus and his army were headed west, likely to join up with the Runecleaver host. Once they united, we stood little chance of besting them if we were not safely behind the walls of Calibarra.

All this because I loved him instead of Taelyn , I thought. It was a foolish thing, pursuing Elindir when I'd been forced to wed Taelyn to win Klaus's army. I knew what it would cost me if we were found out, and yet in my arrogance, I thought myself too clever to be discovered. I had not counted on Senna's betrayal. The bitter old overseer never had much love for Elindir, but I had thought freeing him would smooth out some of his anger. Instead, it only made him more vengeful.

Senna's betrayal cut deeper than any blade, for it was a stark reminder of the precarious nature of my position. I had gambled everything on this rebellion, on the hope that I could unite the elven and human factions against my father's tyranny. But now, with Klaus's army marching to join the Runecleavers, the fragile alliances I had forged were crumbling. I needed more allies, more support, more supplies…More of everything.

I watched Elindir as he paced, his fiery hair catching the flickering torchlight. Even in his anger, he was beautiful, a wild and untamed force that I yearned to possess. But I had been foolish to think I could claim him without consequence. My heart warred with my head, duty and desire locked in an endless battle.

"We must reach Calibarra before they do," Elindir said, his voice tight with tension. "Should we be preparing for a siege?"

I shook my head. "Elven clans do not have the means or machines for a siege. It is more likely they will seek to cut off our supply lines north. But if we make it to Calibarra and manage to forge an alliance with the Craiggybottoms, then we can bring supplies in by sea."

"Until the Seashores set up an offshore blockade," Ieduin pointed out. He leaned against a pole at the center of the tent.

"The Craiggybottoms are a resourceful lot," I said, closing my eyes. "We just have to make it worth their while."

The pain in my side had dulled to a persistent throb, but my mind raced, calculating and recalculating our dwindling options. I pushed myself up on the cot, ignoring the healer's protests. There was no time for rest, not when everything I had worked for teetered on the brink of collapse.

"Send word to the Craiggybottoms," I commanded, my voice steady despite the weariness that settled deep in my bones. "Offer them exclusive trading rights to the Yeutlands by sea."

"That is a dangerous promise to make," Ieduin said. "You do not yet have an agreement in place with King Kudai in the north. If he refuses your offer when the emissary from the Yeutlands arrives—"

"We must continue as if it is already done," I said firmly.

I met Ieduin's gaze, willing him to understand the precariousness of our position. We had no choice but to press forward, to act as if the pieces were already in place, even as the game board shifted beneath our feet.

Elindir ceased his pacing and turned to face me, his expression unreadable. "And what of Taelyn? Will she support this plan of yours?"

I held his gaze, refusing to look away even as guilt churned in my gut. "Taelyn knows what is at stake. She will do what is necessary for the good of our people."

It was a half-truth at best. Taelyn had made it clear that she would not stand in the way of my affair with Elindir, but I knew her support was conditional. She expected me to secure greater rights and influence for elvish women in return for her cooperation. It was a delicate balance, one I feared might topple at any moment.

Elindir's eyes narrowed slightly, but he did not press the issue. Instead, he turned to Ieduin. "Send the messengers. Let me know the moment we're ready to march. We will depart at once."

Ieduin nodded and ducked out of the tent, leaving me alone with Elindir. The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken words and tangled emotions.

I pushed myself to my feet, ignoring the twinge of pain in my side. "Elindir, I..."

"I warned you," he said. "I knew what we were doing was foolish, and I told you so, but you wouldn't listen."

"If you expect me to regret it, don't. I regret nothing."

Elindir's lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes flashing with a mix of frustration and something softer, more vulnerable. "You're a damned fool, Ruith Starfall. You've risked everything—your throne, your people, this entire rebellion—for what? A few stolen moments with me?"

I closed the distance between us, my hand coming up to cup his cheek. His skin was warm beneath my touch, his pulse thrumming with barely contained emotion. "I risked everything because it is the only path that feels true. My heart knows no other way."

Elindir let out a harsh laugh, but he did not pull away from my touch. "Your heart will get us all killed. Klaus' army marches to join the Runecleavers as we speak. You've thrown away our best chance at victory, and for what?"

"For love," I replied quietly.

The word hung in the air between us, a fragile and powerful thing. Elindir's eyes widened, a flicker of something raw and unguarded passing across his face before he shuttered his expression once more.

"Love has no place in war," he replied simply.

I held his gaze steadily, my thumb brushing along the sharp line of his cheekbone. "Of course it does. What have we to fight for at all if not love?"

"And what of your duty?" he asked, his voice low and strained. "What of your marriage to Taelyn, the alliance that holds this fragile rebellion together?"

I let out a heavy sigh. "There is no reason to hide behind that pretense any longer. Klaus's betrayal now means that everyone likely knows the truth of things between us. Taelyn will be queen, but you have my heart. You always have."

"You're a damn fool, Ruith," he said again. "People died tonight because of our deception. Does that not weigh upon you?"

Of course it weighed upon me. Each life lost was a searing brand upon my conscience, a reminder of the cost of my selfish desires. And yet, even as guilt gnawed at my insides, I could not bring myself to regret the choices that had led me to this moment, standing before the man I loved.

"It weighs upon me more than you can know," I replied. "But I cannot change the past, Elindir. I can only move forward and try to forge a future worthy of their sacrifice."

"And what future do you see for us, Ruith? I can never rule beside you. I can never be your equal. Even were I to stay in this strange, mad land, I could never be more than your paramour."

I frowned. How could I make him understand that he was already my equal, my partner in every way that truly mattered? The politics of the court, the rigid hierarchies that had shaped our world for generations—they seemed so small and insignificant in the face of what we shared.

"You speak as if I am not the king," I said lightly. "As if my word isn't law. As if it were impossible. Have you not considered that I might grant Taelyn and her people their own land to rule over once this is done? Or perhaps that with a single decree, I can make it so that king and queen may rule together even if they are not wed. I could make it so, and then elevate you to be my consort."

"Not if you keep your word to help me win in Ostovan," he pointed out coldly.

"Do you care more for vengeance than me?" I tried not to let it show how much the thought wounded me.

Elindir's eyes flashed with a myriad of emotions—anger, pain, longing—before settling into a guarded mask. "You know it's not that simple, Ruith. My duty to Ostovan, my need for revenge against Michail… These things are part of who I am. Do not ask me to choose between my vengeance and you."

My chest tightened. How could I make him understand that he didn't have to choose? That together, we could reshape the very foundations of our world?

"Elindir, listen to me. We stand at the precipice of a new era. The old ways, the rigid hierarchies and outdated traditions—they're crumbling before our eyes. Why should we be bound by them?"

I took a step closer, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his body, to see the flecks of gold in his eyes. "Imagine a world where the barriers between elf and human, between noble and commoner, no longer exist. Where a former slave can rise to become a king's consort, where a woman can rule in her own right. That's the future I see for us, for all our people."

"Let us first survive the coming battles," Elindir suggested, "and then we can talk of changing the world."

There was a soft sound on the tent wall and I called for the newcomer to enter. The tent flaps moved aside and Taelyn stepped in, falling quickly into a curtsey. "My king. Your Highness. I trust you have recovered, King Ruith?"

"Well enough," I replied tightly.

Taelyn's sharp eyes flicked between Elindir and me. "The men are ready to march, Your Grace. We await only your command."

I nodded, straightening my shoulders despite the lingering ache in my side. "Thank you, Taelyn. We will depart immediately."

"As you wish, my king." She inclined her head, silver-white hair gleaming in the torchlight.

As Taelyn turned to leave, I called out to her. "Wait. There is something we must discuss."

She paused, glancing back at me with a guarded expression. "Yes, my king?"

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation to come. "About your father's betrayal..."

Taelyn's eyes widened slightly before her face settled into a mask of calm resolve. "I assure you, King Ruith, I had no part in it. My father's actions were his own. I found out only moments before you came down the mountain when my personal guard prevented me from leaving the tent on my father's orders."

Elindir's gaze flicked to me, a silent question in his eyes. I held up a hand, signaling for him to wait. "I believe you, Taelyn. But I must know where you stand in all of this. Your father's army marches to join our enemies as we speak."

Taelyn's lips pressed into a thin line. For a moment, I thought she might refuse to answer. But then she squared her shoulders, meeting my gaze head-on. "I stand with you, King Ruith. And with Prince Elindir. Love is a rare and precious thing in this world, and I will not condemn it. Who am I to stand in its way?"

I felt a rush of relief, followed quickly by a pang of guilt. I had underestimated Taelyn, had assumed her loyalty to her father might outweigh the agreement we had struck on our wedding night.

"Thank you, Taelyn," I said sincerely. "Your support means more than you know."

She inclined her head graciously. "I made a vow to you, King Ruith, and I intend to keep it. But we must move quickly if we are to outmaneuver my father. His betrayal has cost us dearly."

"Agreed," Elindir interjected, his voice tight with tension. "We should leave at once."

I nodded, turning to face him fully. "Elindir, I need you to lead the vanguard. Take our swiftest riders and scout ahead. We must reach Calibarra before Klaus's forces can cut us off."

Elindir's eyes met mine, a silent understanding passing between us. "It will be done."

As he turned to leave, I caught his arm, pulling him into a brief kiss. His lips were warm and insistent against mine. When we parted, Elindir's eyes were dark with desire and unspoken emotion.

"Be safe," I murmured, my fingers lingering on his arm. "Come back to me."

"Always," he replied, his voice rough. With a final, searing look, he turned and strode out of the tent, calling for his men to mount up.

I turned back to Taelyn. "Ride with me at the head of the column. Let them see us as united in purpose."

"Of course, my king," she replied and took my outstretched hand.