Captain Halvor inclined his head.
“Very well. If you can haul my old bones up the mountain, I have no objections—though I still insist you let me gather food.”
Captain Halvor turned expectantly to Rakel.
Rakel blanched when a villager shifted his grip on the sword he had swiped from one of the fleeing invaders. “If you wish. I will wait for you at the sleighs,” she said, moving to get her back to a wall.
“I’ll see to Granny and the children. You’ll go with the princess, Captain?”
Captain Halvor nodded. “If you will follow me, Princess.”
Rakel trailed the captain out of Vefsna with relief, glancing over her shoulder. The villagers said nothing in parting, and they watched her go with grim mouths and lowered brows.
Sadness threatened to stab her heart, but Rakel shook it off.I should be used to it by now, after all these years.Perhaps, for once, the terror everyone beholds me with will work to my advantage, and the invaders will leave Ensom alone.
Farrin Graydim tappedhis fingers on his desk as he listened to a soldier repeat his report of the attack on Vefsna.
“She’s like, like an avalanche, sir,” the soldier reported, shivering. “She’s wild…andpowerful. I ain’t never seen raw power like hers.”
“She killed no one?” Farrin asked, struggling with the idea.
“Yes, sir. Our only casualty was Major Efisco, and one of her guards killed ’im.”
Farrin narrowed his slate-colored eyes.What sort of powerful magic user doesn’t kill their enemy?
“Did you know Verglas had a pet magic user, sir?”
Farrin made a note on a scroll. “No, though I heard rumors.”
The soldier hesitated a moment when he didn’t continue. “About what, sir?”
“The Princess of Verglas locked in a tower of ice on a mountain peak,” Farrin said.Was King Steinar hiding her from us? Though my scouts returned with stories and local legends, they never collected a solid report of her.
“Sounds like a fairy story, sir, but…”
Farrin, sensing his soldier’s unease, leaned forward. “Yes?”
“But…shewasbeautiful, sir. The most beautiful,ever. And she held herself like a queen.”
Farrin leaned back into his chair. “If the rumors are right, she should have been.”
“Sir?”
“Thank you, Ensign. You’re dismissed.”
“Yes, sir!” He saluted and left, leaving Farrin to his musings.
A powerful magic user and possibly the rightful heir. I wonder…would she join us?
CHAPTER 4
THE ALLEGIANCE OF THE CHOSEN
“Princess, there is a request for you,” Oskar said, cornering her when he and Captain Halvor delivered her dinner—a steaming bowl of stew and fresh bread.
“I’m not rescuing another village.” Rakel stared at her dinner, thankful that her stomach didn’t choose to embarrass her with an inopportune growl.
“Yes. Unfortunately this request does not come from anyone of Verglas.”
