Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 156907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 785(@200wpm)___ 628(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 785(@200wpm)___ 628(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
For the first time in their marriage…
Nay.
For the first time of their acquaintance, True Axelsson, King of Wodell, and Farah Magos Axelsson, Queen of Wodell, stood staring at each other, locked in a battle of wills.
“True!” a voice could be heard through the wind and angry rustling of leaves that swirled about he and his wife’s bodies. It was Wallace. “We don’t have time for this.”
“This is the dawn of the end, mia vita,” she said. “And whatever shape that end takes, I will face it at your side.”
True frowned at her.
Then he said, “Gods dammit,” before he yelled, “We ride!”
The leaves about them instantly stopped swirling.
And they floated to the ground.
King Mars
On the Journey to the Great Wohd
WODELL
“Not good,” Basil grunted, handing Mars a ribbon from a raven.
Mars unwound it and read in Firenzii,
Ambush planned. Night Heights. 12,000. They’re clearing skies. No way in for scouts. Orders?
Mars let the ribbon fall to the ground and looked to Basil.
“Send a raven to the Airenzian border. They ride. Another to Lorenz, I want Firenz warriors guarding The Enchantments. Tell him to send more to the Bay. Another raven to Aramus. He must engage. Find Kyril. He will take some men and escort my queen back to the palace.”
Basil nodded and asked, “Ride or ship?”
“I cannot control the passage of a ship, but I can control the hooves of Hephaestus.”
Basil appeared relieved.
Not a surprise. Firenz were not seamen.
Not a one of them, including Mars, had been looking forward to the journey up the Wohd to the Bay.
“Go,” Mars commanded, turned on his boot and moved to the tent where his wife was dressing.
When he slapped aside the flaps and entered, he saw her sitting a stool, Tril dressing her hair.
“May I have a moment with my wife, Tril?” he requested.
The maid took in his face, bobbed a curtsy, touched her queen’s shoulder and scuttled out.
Silence slowly rose, her gaze riveted to him, and when she had her feet, she asked, “Oh no, my love, what new is amiss?”
“The war begins in Airen. In earnest. I am certain Cassius knows this could happen at any time. I am not certain he knows it is going to happen imminently. My scouts have seen the traitors preparing for an ambush, but there is no way to get word to Cass to warn him, and they’re clearing birds from the sky in his direction. He’s outnumbered. Significantly.”
“Oh no,” she said again, this time in a whisper.
“I have but scouts in that land, no help to him and he needs reinforcements. I ride to him. You ride back to Fire City.”
Her head twitched as if this idea confused her.
“I must go with you,” she declared.
Had she gone mad?
“Silence, I ride to war. You will not be going with me.”
“But, I must,” she returned.
“This is not the Beast, my queen. There is naught you can do but be in danger. We are declaring our intentions, meaning our allegiance. When we set foot on Airen soil, for some there, we are the enemy.”
“I can’t leave you.”
He loved her very much, thus he loved she did not think she could leave his side.
But in this instance, that was not happening.
“I adore you, and as I do, I will have you safe,” he told her.
“And I adore you, and as I do, I will have you safe,” she told him.
His patience was waning.
Quickly.
“I will not belittle your work with your dagger, with Kyril, the strength of your will, the intelligence of your mind, but Silence, this is war.”
“And I will ride with you.”
“You will be naught but a blight on my mind.”
It was not the right thing to say, but it was true.
She did not get angry at his words.
She remained true to her theme.
“I cannot leave you.”
“You will not be going with me.”
“I will not leave you.”
“Why?” he bit.
“I do not know, but I cannot, Mars. I just simply cannot,” she returned.
“This is wasting time we do not have,” he ground out. “Cass and Elena are in danger and we’re bloody weeks away.”
“Then we should ride. Immediately.”
“We will. Me northeast, and you south.”
“Mars, I—”
“This conversation is over.”
“Mars! I—”
He was done.
“This conversation is over!” he roared.
“It is not!” she thundered back, lifting both fists over her head and thrusting them forward, her hands opening, and from them fired two balls of flame that made him duck, even if they sailed well over his head and would not have hit him.
They dissipated before they struck the wall of the tent, as if she had willed their vanishing before they caused destruction.
Mars straightened slowly, all the while gazing at his wife in disbelief.
But she was gazing where the flames had disappeared and doing it in wonder.
Before he could say another word, her attention jumped to him.
“I ride with you,” she decreed. And then she bustled to her trunk, yelling, “Tril! I need a saddlebag, my warmest cloak and a sturdy gown! And my dagger!”