She drew in a deep breath. It took them too long, longer than time itself allowed, but their business in Golheim was finally complete. It was time they were back on the road. Time to go back to Dhalia.
“Are you coming with us?” she asked Olga.
Olga shook her head. “No, there is still unfinished business for me in Golheim.”
Alissa had no idea what Olga was referring to, so she didn’t say anything. As she looked at the woman who had been a great friend during the most difficult time of her life, her eyes filled with tears. She wished to give her a goodbye hug, but she knew Olga would hate it, so she offered her hand instead. When their hands touched, Alissa was taken by an unexpected feeling, almost a certainty, that she would see Olga again.
She smiled.
After their farewells, the horses galloped through the city streets, carrying Eldric and Alissa on their backs, racing toward the outskirts of the capital.
Alissa glanced back at the city that had caused her so much pain, where her friend’s bones lay hidden somewhere beneath the earth. She pushed the sorrow aside and focused on the next chapter of their journey, hoping it would finally lead to a happy ending.
Bryniard, here we come.
Chapter 36
Death of Pride
62 DAYS UNTIL DHALIA’S DEATH DATE.
The only thing that usually made his heart race was the thrill of the battlefield. The chaos, the smell of burned flesh and blood, the screams of courage and pain, and the clattering of swords. The power of facing an enemy almost equally skilled, the doubt lingering in the air, whether you’ll survive the madness.
That was why it felt so unnatural to Ranier now, the frantic pounding in his chest as he climbed the marbled staircase of the palace. It wasn’t the heavily armed men of the king’s personal guard escorting him with death-promising stares that caused his heart to hammer. It was the looming encounter, the one that could only bring bad news, that sent his pulse spiraling out of control.
The king never invited generals to meetings in the throne room. Communication with high-ranking officers was handled through assistants and coded messages, carried by trusted emissaries of the Crown. In all his years of service, Ranier had only set foot in the throne room twice. The first was to witness an execution, the king himself beheading a captain accused of treason. The second, a more personal affair, was when KingLuwrel demanded Keilan join the Iron Claw battalion as his assistant. Both encounters were a tragedy of their own, of course, but the general did not have a reason to fear then.
His situation this time, however, ensured that the king did not summon him for casual conversation or tea. Alissa Kriegen was once again missing, and the Royal Guard who had been under his custody escaped, leaving twelve of his strongest Iron Claws murdered. The Kingdom of Heldraine continued to be at risk because the general had failed to complete his mission. Ranier did not know what punishment awaited him behind the fifteen-foot-high door, but he felt that if his life was spared, it meant whatever the king had in store was worse than death itself.
Massive black doors creaked open, snapping Ranier out of his thoughts. He took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and rubbed his sweaty palms against the fabric of his cloak. As one of the king’s advisors announced his entrance, Ranier listened to his numerous victories and significant contributions to Heldraine being recited, and he stepped forward with the confidence of a decorated general.
The throne room was almost unrecognizable from his last visit. The rich crimson curtains had been replaced with soft white ones, embroidered with golden roses. The altar, once draped in tapestry, now featured an entirely black velvet covering. The steps leading up to the thrones were adorned with solid gold chains, matching those that adorned the armrests of the thrones where the king and queen sat, while the rest of the room featured a black-and-white checkered tile pattern.
There was a rumor that Queen Gianna allocated twenty percent of the Crown’s annual tax revenue to redecorating the palace each year. Given the dramatic transformations he had witnessed on each visit, this rumor seemed more fact than fiction.
Ranier dropped to the floor, bowing his head in reverence, his fist pressed against the armor over the left side of his chest.
“You may rise,” the king demanded.
If the power of the couple seated on the thrones did not come from their status as royalty, it could have easily come from their beauty. Though not young, their appearances belied their age. The king’s golden hair grazed his shoulders. He was not muscular; in fact, a slight paunch was evident under his garments. Still, the man was undeniably attractive. His merciless hazel eyes settled on Ranier.
Feeling the unease he had felt as he entered the room, the general’s gaze instinctively sought the queen for reassurance. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her dark curls cascaded down her back, complementing her warm, green eyes. Her delicate figure and full lips were so alluring that it made it difficult for him to look away. Were it not for his fear of the consequences, Ranier might have been tempted to grasp her face in his hands and kiss her passionately. Instead, he stepped closer, turning his attention to greeting the king.
“It is a great pleasure to see you again, Your Majesty.”
“General Uldor, it’s been a while. Perhaps if you had done the job you were assigned to do, this would have been a ceremony in your honor.”
Ranier cleared his throat; the king’s gentle tone did nothing to hide the sharpness of his message. “I understand the current status of my mission may be a little concerning to you, my king, but everything is under control.”
“Under… control?” The king’s words emerged slowly, each syllable drawn out as if he were struggling to believe he had heard them correctly.
“Yes, my king,” Ranier replied firmly. “We have sent extra reinforcements to Wifdaz and Avren. We believe they will attempt to flee the kingdom, and the ports in those cities are themost likely escape routes. My soldiers will be ready to annihilate the threat without hesitation.”
“I think. I believe. That is all I hear you say, Ranier, but what is it that youknow?” The king shifted in his throne, attempting to mask his impatience with a casual, crossed-leg stance. Yet the subtle flaring of his nostrils betrayed him. “We cannot stake the safety of our realm on your guesses, General Uldor. We needfacts.”
“Unfortunately, my king, we did not have much cooperation from the people of Bryniard, and since searches became hidden from the public, it has been rather difficult to uncover any further clues on our targets.”
“What about your interrogations? Did you not have the Royal Guard in custody under your personal care for an entire month?” The king’s voice grew sharper, the weight of his expectations evident in every word.