“You won’t.” Emma releases her, then gives the others a final look, regret filtering down the bond.
“You didn’t harm them, Emma. Caroldon did that. It had nothing to do with you.”
“My mind knows that, but my heart is going to need some more time.”
Lunarie leads her wayward charges along the side of the palace toward a waiting carriage. I send a prayer to the Ancestors that she can salve their wounds, inside and out.
I lead Emma to her horse and lift her onto the saddle.
“I could fly instead.” She looks at the cloudy sky.
“You could, but we have to conserve our energy. Save it for the fight.” I squeeze her hip, then turn and mount my own horse.
There’s a small column of soldiers riding with me. Charen and Tristano are already trading barbs, and Brock is wearing his usual intense glare.
This is it. My final, harrowing test.
If I intend to be king of the realm, this is a battle I must win. Not only for myself and my queen, but for the entire future of all the peoples under my rule. If Eraldon prevails, he will enslave them all, bending them to his will to rule all of Arin. More realms would fall, countless would die. But we can stop him here. Wemuststop him here.
“We will,” Emma whispers.
39
Emma
The road to the border is long, but Solano and I lead the column on our march. Plenty of villages along the way add to our numbers, sending out fighters armed with axes and kitchen knives, some of them wearing armor from battles that must’ve happened in the last great war.
There isn’t much fanfare, just an ever-steady march toward conflict. In the peach groves, a contingent stops to collect the fruits to hand out down the line.
We continue, making our way south and only stopping to make quick camps for eating and to rest the horses.
At one of the camps, a group of redcaps joins, one of them heading straight for Solano. His soldiers form a wall, but he tells them to stand down.
“You again?” Solano stands and holds his hand out.
“Yeltin.” The redcap introduces himself with a dip of his chin. “I’ve brought my brothers, and more will be waiting along the road.”
“Ready for the fight?”
Yeltin grins, some of his teeth missing. “Fighting is what we’re good at, what we love.” He reaches down and touches the red cap at his side.
I always thought they were a grisly part of the folk, but at least they’re consistent. I’ve never seen a redcap who didn’t love a good fight.
“Fill your bellies before we break camp.” Solano gestures to the vast pots filled with thick stews.
“See you on the field.” Yeltin turns and rejoins his brothers, Solano’s guards eyeing them with suspicion.
“You’ve turned the uprising into a solid branch of your army.” I marvel at him.
“Why so surprised, my queen?” He drops a kiss on my lips. “Did you think your king a fool?”
“A fool? No. Hotheaded and arrogant? Absol—”
He stops me with another kiss, this one rougher than the first. “If we survive this war, I’m going to tan your backside with my hand for all your impertinence.”
“Looking forward to it.” I nip at his lip, then lick the taste of his blood.
Brock clears his throat. “Best get moving.”
