Then he's moving, setting me aside gently, reaching for his clothes.
"They're not finished," I say.
"No." He buckles on his sword belt, checks his knives. "They're not."
I'm already climbing out of bed, reaching for my dress.
"You should stay here—" he starts.
"Don't." I yank the dress over my head. "We're in this together. Remember?"
He looks at me for a long moment.
Then nods.
"Together," he agrees.
We head for the door.
Whatever's coming, we'll face it.
Together.
THE BROKEN CHAIN
Vorak's POV
The message arrives at dawn.
I'm in the war room when Captain Rurik brings it, still sealed in red wax stamped with the crown's sigil—a lion rampant over crossed swords. The kind of symbol that's supposed to inspire loyalty and fear in equal measure.
It just makes me tired.
I don't need to open it to know what it says. Three days since the attack. Three days since Annora pushed back my curse with light that shouldn't exist. Three days since the crown forces retreated and reported back to their masters.
They know what she can do now.
And they want her back.
"My lord." Rurik's voice is carefully neutral. He's been my captain for eight years. Fought beside me in the Border Wars. Watched me survive the curse when everyone else bet I'd be dead within a year.
He knows how to read the violence in my silences.
I break the seal.
The parchment is expensive—thick vellum, gold-leafed edges. Someone spent money on this. Wanted it to look official. Important.
To Lord Vorak of Blackwood Fortress,
In accordance with the terms of the Crimson Compact and the sacred oaths sworn over the Pact Stone, we hereby demand proof of your intent to honor the return clause regarding the treaty bride Annora Vale.
You are required to present said bride to Crown Representatives at the Southern Gate no later than three days hence, along with documentation proving her health and untainted bloodline.
Failure to comply will result in immediate sanctions, seizure of territorial assets, and the issuance of execution warrants for all parties deemed complicit in breach of the Compact.
Blackwood Fortress and its surrounding territories will be considered in open rebellion against the Crown.
By order of His Majesty King Aldric III, Defender of the Realm, etc., etc.
