Yes, we’d have to change the way we live, but we had paid servants, as well. Fae of lower status needing work were given tasks my parents didn’t trust the humans with. We could pay the humans just as easily. It’s not like we lacked gold.
And from what Calix had said, introducing humans into their economy had only boosted it, not hurt it.
But first, I had to ensure my father didn’t win. Starting with these assholes.
I swooped down once more, fire spitting out onto the first row of soldiers who didn’t move in time. My army charged in, and since I couldn’t risk burning my men, I flew over to shift back quickly. I pulled my sword from my sheath and charged into the thick of the battle.
A soldier I recognized from training spotted me immediately, snarling, “Traitor!”
I smirked back at him. “I’m loyal to my queen and kingdom. It’s the king who betrays the gods.”
I deflected his swing with my sword and swung to block his next move before feinting left and using the opportunity to get inside his guard, my elbow hitting his chin as I kicked his legs out. He fell to the ground like a sack of grain, and I took his head before he could even look up to say goodbye to the sky above.
I glanced around to see blood spraying and men falling. I could only hope it was mainly our enemies falling and not my own men, but there was no time to check. I met the next man with a jab of my sword that he parried, and we traded several blows before he tried to pull the same trick I just did, feinting a movement right. But I didn’t fall for it and instead met him as he swung, surprising him enough to knock the blade from his hand.
The fighting was thick and fast around me. I’d fought in minor battles before, and plenty of mock ones, but nothing prepared me for this kind of scale. It was why many had resented my placement as General. I was too young, too green—but I was determined to prove them all wrong. I’d trained harder than anyone else and proved that I knew what I was doing in the training yard just as much as I did strategizing in the war room.
Still, this was new, and a tingle of fear ran through me—but fear would get me killed, I knew that. I brushed it away and instead channeled my rage. I let my dragon side come to the fore as much as I could without letting any part of my body shift.
I met the next man with a shout of rage that clearly threw him off, and he struggled to fight back. I rammed my sword through his sternum before he knew what had happened. As I pulled my bloody sword back out, his body slumped to the ground.
I ran to the next and the next. Eventually, I felt sweat dripping down my back under the heavy golden plate as the fighting began to seem endless. Soldier after soldier met their end at my blade, but still more remained.
Tiredness crept up on me, and it made me sloppy enough to miss the man sneaking up on me. I was knocked to the ground from behind, and when I looked up, a blonde-haired man who resembled Kem stood over me, smirking.
“Oh, I’m going to enjoy this.” He laughed cruelly, leaning down to grab me.
I grasped my blade, determined to attempt a defense even in this awful position, but the man suddenly cried out. I jolted back as the point of a blade came out through his chest and nearly got my eye in the process.
I looked up as his gurgling body fell to the side, only to find Soren standing above me. He reached his hand out, and I took it, letting him help me up. He nodded at me, and I nodded back, thankful he had stepped in even if I was embarrassed at being saved by a human.
“I’m sure you had him, my Prince,” Soren stated as he looked around grimly. “But I didn’t want to be the one to have to tell Asteria if I was wrong.” He smirked slightly before throwing himself back into the fray.
It was beyond aggravating to hear him call my sister by name and not her proper title. It was uncouth to refer to her in such a personal manner.
But I had to admit I was surprised by his courage as he ran straight into a fight against Fae so much stronger than himself. He was cunning, using sneak attacks to persevere with such a clear disadvantage.
I focused on my rage at his familiarity with his queen instead as I went back into the fight. I took down as many as I could until I looked up, covered in blood and sweat, and realized there was no one waiting to fight. Instead, I saw the men opposing us were either dead or were now kneeling in surrender.
“By Hyperion.” Elden, one of my loyal warriors, slapped a hand on my shoulder. “This is just a taste, isn’t it?” He ran a hand through his blondish-red hair, making it more red than normal with the blood now raked through it.
I shook my head, looking at the dead bodies surrounding us. It was so pointless. They could have lived had they not sided with the king, all because they were afraid of a little girl ruling them. But that little girl would show them all by the end.
I had zero doubt about that.
“Seems that way.” I put my hand on his plated shoulder, shaking it slightly. “They’ll only get bigger from here.”
It was a joke, but it was too grim to really land.
“Prince Arien!”The call echoed down the street, and I looked around for where it was coming from.
“Prince Arien!”Whoever it was called again. I finally spied a Fae running down the road, panting. I ran over to meet them, and realized this was one of Lord Aydun’s men, one of my father’s loyal lords.
My soldiers clearly realized the same, as swords were suddenly pointed at him from every direction.
The dark-haired Fae looked nervous, swallowing hard, shaking his head, and closing his eyes as he seemed to talk himself into something. He opened orange eyes to meet mine. “Lord Aydun is marching here, my Prince. He’s hoping to be able to take the palace while you’re recovering from the first fight. He knew your father’s men were attacking. It was all a distraction.”
“Why would you tell me this?” I raised a skeptical brow at him. “For all I know, you’re telling me so I attack him first, leading me into a trap.”
