Page 6 of The War of Four Winters

Elindir's face was still unnaturally pale, shadows lingering beneath his eyes that hadn't been there before the ritual. He ran a hand through his hair, a rare gesture of discomfort. "Is that what it was like? When you..." He trailed off, unable to finish.

"No," I said softly. "My death sleep was quiet. Peaceful, even. This was something else entirely." I didn't add that watching the messenger's body convulse on that stone table had stirred memories I'd rather forget, brought back the copper taste of my own blood in my mouth. Some burdens weren't meant to be shared, not even with him.

Elindir moved to the nearest window, pressing his palms against the cold stone of the sill. He closed his eyes briefly, seeming to ground himself in the solid reality of the fortress around us. When he opened them again, I could see him pulling his tactical mind forward, burying whatever emotions the ritual had stirred.

Somewhere outside, I could hear the clash of steel on steel as the training yard came back to life. The normal sounds of a fortress at war felt like an anchor, pulling us back to the world of the living. I drew a deep breath, tasting the sweet winter air instead of the musty smell of the undercroft.

"Three thousand men," he said quietly, his voice carefully controlled. "And that's just the first wave. More will come. He also brought siege engines. He means to stay."

"His intentions trouble me more than his numbers," I said.

Elindir frowned. "The Michail I knew never showed interest in any gods or beliefs. He cared only for power."

"You think he's using your people's faith as a shield?"

"A shield and sword," Elindir muttered, pacing in front of me.

"We need more information." I pushed away from the wall. "I will call the war council. We need to know exactly what we face before we commit our forces."

Elindir's pacing stopped abruptly. "While we sit in council, he fortifies his position. Every day we wait gives him time to spread whatever lies he wishes."

"And charging in blind gives him exactly what he wants. A quick victory over an unprepared enemy." I kept my voice level, though his frustration was understandable. "We need to understand what's happening in Homeshore."

"You don't know him like I do, Ruith. He murdered our father. Andrej. Everyone who stood in his way. Then he had me collared and sold. Michail is a snake. He will not stop until he gets what he wants, and he will pursue that at any price."

"What do you want me to do?" I pushed off the wall with a hip. "Vinolia's army is still camped at Valdrenn, and that's to say nothing of my father's forces. Holding Vinolia off here decimated our forces. We are still trying to rebuild. We don't have the resources to fight a two front war. Not until Khulan returns with his Yeutlanders. Not until we grow our forces."

"The Redrock clan hasn't declared for either side," Elindir said, his tactical mind finally engaging with the larger problem. "And Turtlefall might be persuaded after Michail's forces invaded their lands."

"If there's anything left of Turtlefall to persuade." I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated by the weight of what we faced.

"How solid are the other clans supporting Taratheil?" he asked. "Do you think we could sway some of them?"

"I don't know." I sighed and shook my head. This was not at all what I had envisioned when I decided to become king. "We have too little information, and our spy network is not large enough to have that kind of detailed information."

Elindir was quiet for a long moment, his gaze fixed on something in the distance. When he turned back to me, his expression had changed.

"Aryn," he said simply. "This is his domain. He knows things, has ways of gathering information that we don't."

I nodded slowly. "My brother has always moved in shadows. Even before he joined our cause."

"He’ll want to stay with Daraith as he rests after today's ritual," Elindir said, "but at tomorrow's council, we should ask him to deploy his resources. If anyone can get more information, it's Aryn."

We fell silent, each lost in our own thoughts. Outside, the training yard grew quiet as soldiers sought warmth and rest. Night was falling, the last light fading from the clouds. The snow continued to fall beyond the window, transforming our fortress into something out of legend.

I reached a decision. "We'll speak with him first thing tomorrow. Before the council."

Elindir's hand found mine in the darkness. We stood at the window together until the torches were lit in the yard below, thinking of the war to come.

Thenextmorningfoundthe fortress in motion. After the grim revelations in the undercroft, Ruith had called the full war council. The council chamber felt different now that I sat here as Ruith's consort. Though I'd earned my place at this table moons ago, the weight of my new title still felt strange.

Smoke from dozens of candles caught in my throat, familiar and bitter. The scent mixed with the sharp pine and leather smell of the Spine warriors, the delicate perfumes favored by Taelyn, the ritual incense that clung to the Empress of Bones' robes. So many factions gathered in one room, their very scents declaring allegiance and status.

The seating told its own story of power and politics. Ruith at the head of the table, of course, with me at his right and Taelyn at his left. The queen wore her silver hair in a single warrior's braid today, the mark of her first victory stark against her court fashion gown. Her storm gray eyes met mine briefly, an acknowledgment passing between us. We had our own understanding, she and I, built on pragmatism and shared goals rather than jealousy.

The Empress of Bones sat halfway down the table, her presence a calculated insult to the more traditional nobles. Her bone white hair and ritual scars marked her as something other, and the empty chairs on either side of her spoke volumes about how the other factions viewed her people. Only Katyr seemed comfortable near her.

Victorin Stoneriver and his allies clustered at the far end, their rich robes and careful manners a stark contrast to the Spine warriors who lounged against the walls. General Niro stood behind Ruith's chair, his position both honor guard and declaration of the Broken Blades' absolute loyalty to their king.

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