Page 11 of Red Queen

“We need her,” I say.

In the end, the war is not just for power or survival—it is for her, the queen who once held my heart, even if I dare not admit it aloud.

Chapter

Three

Eleanna

As I approach Alexandru’s fortress, the imposing structure looms like a sentinel guarding the threshold between worlds. Its ancient stones, weathered by centuries, stand tribute to a legacy of power and dominion. Towering battlements pierce the sky while the heavy portcullis looms silently, both welcoming and a warning.

The snow falls as we approach the closed gate on horseback. Nadia huddles beside me, teeth chattering like skeletal fingers on a tomb.

Either we will be turned away or welcomed.

One of the two guards behind the frost-laden gate approaches us. “Announce yourself.”

“Eleanna Cordon of the Sagori.” My voice betrays none of the turmoil gnawing my insides.

A bitter laugh almost escapes me. Here I stand, once the feared queen, now begging for shelter at the gates of a man I both despise and still lust after.

There’s a heavy pause before the massive gates creak open. The iron’s groan tears strips from my pride, but desperation is a crueler master than vanity.

We cross the threshold, and the familiar scent of the fortress—stone, metal, and the subtle trace of ancient blood—assaults my senses. The courtyard is a glaring expanse of white, the snow untouched but for the path leading to the main entrance. Lanterns, hung at intervals along the walls, flicker like fireflies in the twilight.

My heart clenches, an echo of something raw and unbidden, as I prepare to face him again. I get off the horse and turn.

Alexandru stands as if carved from the stones of his stronghold.

My heart hammers against my ribs, a wild, relentless rhythm. His silver eyes are ice as they fix on me and his black hair frames his face like the dark wings of a raven.

The military lines of his clothing speak of power and command, the crest upon his chest a reminder of his authority. And next to him, silent and loyal, is Ivan.

“Eleanna.” Alexandru’s low voice is terse. “What do you want?”

I plant my feet more firmly on the frozen ground. “Help.”

The word tastes like ash on my tongue. I never thought I’d seek anything from General Alexandru Amanar ever again, yet here I am, driven by a need greater than my hatred.

His eyes are intense as he takes his time cataloguing me. My skin prickles, every nerve lit with the tension that always simmers between us.

The magnetic pull of him is dangerous. I try and ignore it, stay steady in my cause.

“You don’t think it’s too late for help?” he asks.

I lift my chin. “No.”

“Your kingdom’s fall changes the landscape of our world, Eleanna,” Alexandru says. “Catarina’s greed is insatiable. If she conquered you, she will set her sights on me next.”

Tension tightens the corners of his eyes, as if his fortress, normally a guiding light of invulnerability, now feels like the line drawn between peace and war.

But I know him better than that. Alexandru’s fortress is an epicenter, a sanctuary to those who need it as our world teeters.

Catarina may come and attempt siege, but he’ll hold that at bay. There’s more here than Catarina and war. There’s us. Which is exactly like war, too. A different and far more deadly war.

The air around us thickens with the weight of our past and the uncertainty of our future.

A tremor passes through me as emotions surge and clash within. But I keep that down deep. My gaze on him never falters and I cling to the fierce determination that has carried me through my darkest nights.

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