“Found her while scouting the castle,” Gilead replies, pushing me forward and releasing his hold on me. “Said she wanted to talk to you.”
I stumble a few steps but manage to remain upright. Straightening my spine, I stand with a level of poise that I spent my entire life crafting. My hands shake with fear, but I clasp them together into stillness and keep my head high.
“All right. Speak,” Wrath orders.
“A trade offer—” Before I can say anything else, a cacophony of laughter echoes through the camp.
“And if I don’t like your offer?”
“Then I’ll meet Wrath's Blade.” I hold firm, unyielding among the crowd.
Several Elvarrans invade my space, inching closer with a feral prowl. Some jump at me, trying to get me to flinch, while others pull at the lace of my dress, ripping off small pieces of it to take for themselves. I try not to let fear show on my face as I hold Wrath’s gaze, clenching my jaw tightly.
“I don’t have all day, human,” he continues, unfazed by the antics surrounding us.
“A kingdom conquered?—”
He cuts me off. “And how would you accomplish that?”
“I’m to wed King Olav Friedrich. Upon entering Avelisar, you can disguise your forces as my guard to enter the castle,” I say confidently. “And expunge them.”
It’s us or them. If I must trade Avelisar for Cathros, so be it. It is despicable to trade an entire human’s kingdom life for my own freedom, but it is precisely the kind of bait Wrath can’t resist. He’s conquered one human kingdom before, and I believe he’ll want to make it two.
Wrath’s brows draw together. “Who are you?”
“Princess Raelys Valantis of Cathros.”
The camp goes deadly silent.
Wrath takes a few slow steps toward me. The Elvarrans around me scatter like flies on a carcass. A black leather-gloved hand shoots out. He pulls the necklace from the inside of my dress, and the chain yanks my head forward. Bewilderment crosses Wrath’s gaze as he traces his thumb over the crest embedded in the metal—a sword with two wings on either side. It's all I have left of my mother, and I pray he won’t take it from me.
He releases the pendant and steps away. “A few questions, Raelys.”
My name is a hymn on his lips, one that’s his to claim. Itsends a chill down my spine. His inquiry feels suspicious, a misdirection to gain something from me. Perhaps he doesn’t believe my identity and wants to test me.
I play along, stunned that I made it this far. “All right.”
“Why did King Olav Friedrich and his court travel to Cathros?”
“To ease tensions.” I keep my answer vague. Wrath did not say I have to give detailed answers. He will likely use what I say against the humans, which will lead to more conflict between the North and South.
“The motive?”
“Olav skipped sending winter rations to the villages on our shared borders last snowfall,” I explain. “He used the guise of coming here to make amends, but I believe it is to hide the fact that he has no winter rations once more.”
“Why are you in a marriage arrangement with a king who has a wife?” he asks.
“He has no heir,” I tell him truthfully. “I think they are weaker than they appear on the surface.”
For this to work, I need him to believe Avelisar is an easy target. I want him to give up on his conquest of Cathros and set his sights on a different kingdom. It’s the only path that lets me slip past Olav and safeguard my home in one maneuver.
“Your people will view you as a traitor,” Wrath counters.
“I see it as joining the winning side.” I boost his ego, wondering if flattery will sway him.
He remains irritatingly placid. “You’re aware of the tales surrounding my name, and yet you’re brainless enough to seek me out…”
The Warlord always said that the enemy of my enemy is my ally.
