Page 178 of Settle Down, Princess

The new Duke of Fallspire slid to the ground beside us, his eyes wide, his hands hovering as he took in his father’s state.

“Father… Father…” James’ head whipped up. “A healer! We need a healer!”

“You need to be ready for war,” the duke said, starting to tremble. His life blood was filling his lungs, his heart struggling to keep pumping. “War, son. Send ravens to all of the bannermen, rally the troops.”

“I’ll kill that fucking bastard before it comes to that,” James snarled.

I wanted to tell him to get in line, but when we turned around to face our collective enemy, we found Magnus was now astride his horse, his men behind him and more besides. Guards came melting out of the shadows, obviously a little late to the party, but still, they stood with the king.

“Threatening to kill your liege lord?” Magnus said, tilting his head sideways. “That’s treason, you all heard it.”

The courtiers seemed to have recovered from their previous bout of indecision, massing around the king who would let them preserve their land holdings, because one look at me made clear that I would give them nothing. Their mumbling agreements were shoved aside as I stepped forward.

“Treason, war, I care nothing for any of it,” I announced. “I don’t even lust after the golden crown you stole from my father’s head, still coated with his blood. What I want is you, Magnus.” I raised my sword, its shine covering one of my eyes as the other bore into his. “My blade has had a taste of you, false king. It won’t rest until it has drunk you dry. Feel it, monster, that twinge in your bowels, that pain in your side.” Magnus shifted uncomfortably as if just by describing that pain, he felt the ghost of it. “Because I will drive my sword into all your soft points, just as you have many of your hapless victims.”

Magnus sucked in a breath, ready to retaliate, but one of the guards stepped forward, holding out a piece of paper.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but we came as soon as we got word. A raven arrived from the capital alerting us to the fact that there is an army approaching the gates.”

“An army…?” That had the fools by Magnus’ side twittering.

“The land rejects you,” I told him. “That’s why the only way you’ve been able to get within ten feet of the stag was when it was drugged out of its mind, then driven right into your arms. The land does, and so do the wolf shifters. They’ve deserted en masse from every post on the border.” The twittering got louder now, because with no drugs, no diversions to hide behind, reality hit them hard. “Our enemies are readying their troops to invade, dragging their forces away from the border between Lanzene and Matteau and bringing them here, but you won’t get to see them.”

I turned then, searching the crowd for Jessalyn and then finding her. Something clenched hard in my chest at the sight of her, her face too pale, her eyes burning brightly.

“We thought we just had to win some games on a field on the packlands to prove ourselves worthy of you, Princess, but that was never going to be enough for you. Creed has made clear he will tear the world apart to prove he is your mate, bringing an army to destroy your enemies.”

“Some girls like roses, some like pearls,” she said, her lips twisting as we both remembered the handful of sea water gems she’d held when I met her. “But I must say, I prefer a practical gift.” Her eyes found the king’s. “One I can use to strike against a monster who doesn’t deserve to take another breath. One that can be used to make sure he doesn’t.”

“We need to go if we’re to make it back to the capital, Sire,” the guard insisted. “They’re closing the gates, readying for a siege.”

“Your Majesty, we need—” one courtier spluttered.

“Enough.” Magnus held up a hand, obviously having recovered some of his imperious manner, even as blood seeped from the cut on his face. “You wanted to tear the country apart in a war before. It comes as no great surprise that you would stoop to this again, threatening the security of the entirety of Khean. So be it, brother.” He sneered at that last word. “I will meet you on the battlefield, and we’ll see who survives.”

“Father…”

Magnus no doubt wanted to throw more threats at me once his guards had arrived, but the urgings of his men, his toadies, had him turning tail and running back to the capital, freeing my attention. I sank down beside the Duke, but by the look of James’ face, the tears streaming down his cheeks, I knew.

“He killed my sister,” James snarled. “Then he killed my father. How many more have to die before this monster’s reign ends?”

A lot more, I thought silently, but didn’t tell him that. It was no comfort to a grieving man, one who now had to take on the mantle of duke.

“Let us help you bring your father home,” I told him, nodding to the others as Silas and Roan came closer. “Then, as the women tend to his body, we’ll make plans for this war.”

Chapter 101

Creed

“We’ll be at the capital within a day, maybe two,” Herald, a wolf shifter commander from the largest garrison told me as we stood around the cook fire. Humans and wolf shifters alike were there for the news, to have a say in what we decided to do next. “What do you propose, Creed? Do we attack the capital?”

There was a warning, a call for caution in his voice. The thick wall that had been built around the capital had been erected many years ago, when incursions from our enemies were more common. There hadn’t been an attack in recent memory or the last hundred years, so whether it would withstand a full-frontal assault was still to be determined.

“We wait for a sign,” I replied as I had each time I was asked.

“What sign?” one of the human officers asked, trying to keep his tone even and failing. “If you could give us some sort of indication of what we are looking for, we could send some scouts out—”

“No.”

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