Page 12 of Soul Forge

“Can’t I just decline now that I’ve been chosen?” she complained.

“And risk upsetting the entire continent and the man keeping it safe from Lord Malakai and his monsters? No.”

The mention of Malakai sent a prickle of fear over her scalp. The demon lord had been sequestered in the blackened lands of Darkhold for centuries, sending his twisted monsters over the border to cause chaos. Eden was the hardest hit since it bordered Darkhold on its eastern side. His creatures were the reason her kingdom had no army to defend it. If he was the thing she was being forced to face, the entire continent was doomed.

She didn’t have the energy to be angry with her father anymore. He’d put her in this situation to protect his people out of desperation – a monarch first and a father second. If Falkryn declared war, there would be no way for Eden to stand against the shifters and the demons. An entire kingdom depended on him for safety, and Elda was the last weapon in his arsenal. She’d known all her life that the crown came first.

She exhaled, sending her bitterness with it, and tried to think like a future monarch instead of a frightened woman. She thought back through the things she’d heard in her shortinteractions with the men, trying to pick out anything important that might make them a better choice than Sypher.

She had no trouble placing Horthan at the bottom of the list after his assault in the corridor. Even if he had the biggest army and the strongest soldiers, she hated him with every fibre of her being.

Thurla, the successor from Bratus, came next. His kingdom was small and poorly armed. They would be no help in a war, and she didn’t want to force the pacifist wood elves to take up arms and die for her if Horthan’s forces invaded.

Prince Runiel of Cenet had been perfectly pleasant, but Elda knew his father was mad, and his allegiance still skewed towards Falkryn. King Crixus had been on a slow decline for a decade and still had a heavy influence on his son. She couldn’t guarantee she’d be safe with him while his father whispered poison in his ear.

Artan had been at the top of the list before Sypher made her hesitate. She’d been charmed by him, never suspicious of his motives for showing her so much attention. The question of her safety was one she couldn’t answer with certainty where he was concerned. It was disconcerting to know so little about a person when they knew so much about her. She’d been naïve to think it meant he was simply being kind.

Which left the Soul Forge. He’d saved her in the hallway, tried to stop her forced engagement, and healed her even though her injuries were minor. He’d used his power to close her wounds, knowing the cost. Healing magic like his reflected back on the user, and while her injuries were shallow, it was unnecessary pain he’d put himself through for her.

He was handsome, exceedingly so, and he possessed a unique magic capable of killing the ancient creatures that sometimes woke from their long hibernation to terrorise the people of Valerus. Behemoths ravaged the land, and Leviathans controlledthe oceans. The presence of the formidable beasts in the seas left Valerus isolated, its people confined to the land they were born on unless they were brave enough to challenge death. Sypher took those horrifying creatures on alone, and he had bested every single one he crossed.

But he was also immortal – a complete stranger – and she didn’t knowwhathe was. Elda didn’t know how he became the Soul Forge or which kingdom he called home. She only knew what she’d read about him in the limited number of books she’d gotten her hands on or the stories she’d heard from Reiner.

“Princess.” Elda lifted her head to find the captain still standing there, hands on her hips, violet-ringed eyes fixed on the Soul Forge leaning against a pillar at the edge of the room. His gaze tracked every move Horthan made. Despite her nerves, Elda knew she was safe from the shifter’s advances as long as Sypher stuck around.

“All of them have fancy words to offer,” Reiner reminded her. “Only one of them has the evidence to back them up.”

“Are you talking about the legends of Sypher?” Elda asked.

“I’m talking about how none of the others came looking for you when they saw the Falkrynian follow you out. Your ownparentswatched him stalk after you and didn’t follow.” A muscle in Reiner’s jaw ticked. Elda swallowed the bitter hurt at the knowledge that even her mother hadn’t bothered to make sure she was safe.

“I didn’t know they saw us leave,” she mumbled. Her parents had to know what Horthan planned to do to her. It was written all over his face even before he found her in the hallways. And they’d justsatthere, waiting for it to happen.

“Who would you want close by if you were caught alone with someone who wanted to hurt you again?” Reiner asked quietly.

Elda blinked at the captain. With the truth of her parents’ callousness revealed, her choice was clear. And it hadn’t beenher mother who helped her through it as she’d expected, but the sullen valkyrie.

The princess stood and pushed her shoulders back, faking the confidence of a future queen. An empty pit yawned in her chest, betrayal encasing her heart when her parents turned to face her. Looking at them, an outsider would have no idea what they’d done to her. They were smiling, hands clasped in a parody of the love the rest of the world believed they felt for one another.

Elda wanted to scream at them, but she held it in and cleared her throat. The room fell silent, all five suitors returning to their line at the foot of the dais.

“Lord Rhydian Horthan of Falkryn,” she began, addressing them in order of their pledges, using their full names just like her mother had taught her. “Prince Runiel Falmyr of Cenet. Heir Rhea Thurla of Bratus. King Bartholomew Artan of Saeryn. Sypher, Soul Forge to the Spirits and saviour of Valerus. Each of your pledges is an honour to receive, and you have my thanks to take home to your people.”

“Thank you, Your Grace,” came the customary reply from all but Horthan. She watched the muscle in his jaw flex when he ground his teeth together, golden eyes burning with hatred.

“I must choose only one of you today, and I have made my decision.” Her palms were clammy, but she let her eyes drift across all of them, finally settling her sights on her future husband. She swallowed hard and lifted her chin. “Soul Forge, it’s an honour to accept your pledge.”

Elda sat beside Sypher to watch the festivities, noticing that he kept his eyes on King Hrothgar chatting with Artan. He hadn’t said a word since they’d taken their seats beside the thrones, and Elda had no idea what to say to him. Nerves were starting to get the better of her again, welling up until she felt ready to burst.

She distracted herself by watching Queen Meridia flit between the rejected suitors, expertly smoothing any ruffled feathers. She even attempted it with Horthan, though it was clear he would hold a grudge for a long time. His entourage stuck close by, their reflective eyes scanning the room constantly. Meridia seemed undeterred even when the largest of the group glared at her.

Captain Reiner shadowed her every step, glaring back at the shifter until he scowled and turned away. The valkyrie shot glances back at Elda whenever she got the chance, and it left a warmth in her chest to know there was someone looking out for her. Reiner’s presence was a small comfort amid the chaos… until she arched an eyebrow and inclined her head toward the Soul Forge suggestively.

The princess knew what that meant.Talk to him.The very thought of speaking to the saviour of the continent closed her throat up and set her heart racing, but she swallowed and turned to face him. Questions zipped through her thoughts, too frantic to put in order, so she plucked one free and blurted it out before the anxiety could overpower her.

“Are you going to say anything?” she asked, daring to look her new betrothed in the eye. He cocked his head, shifting to rest his elbow on the table so he was facing her. There was something different in his demeanour. A coldness poured from him that hadn’t been present during their dance.

“I assumed you weren’t in the mood for talking.” His tone was flat, bored. Almostrude. For a moment, she was stunned until indignation reared its head.

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