Page 144 of Promises to Keep

Magnus shook his head, “I daena ken, Madame Hayley, Fraoch is there. There are also prisoners of war in the cells on the castle grounds. I hae loyalists embedded in Ian’s cabinet. If I attack the castle, I would be attacking men who fought for me, who hae been feeding me information. How is that a way tae repay their steadfastness? We need Ian tae accept my demand he surrender.”

Quentin scowled. “There is a chance he won’t accept.”

“Aye, I agree, even though I hae taken the borderlands, the eastern provinces, the western fields, the industrial section, and the ports — there is a chance he winna surrender, because he is an arse.”

I asked, “What happens if he doesn’t?”

“Then we hae tae continue through the city, with a growing path of destruction, and lay siege on the castle, and I daena want tae hae tae do that. I am half in jest, but I just rebuilt that castle. I daena want tae destroy it if I daena hae tae.”

Magnus pounded his fist against a post of the command tent, setting it to shaking. He grasped it to stop it. “Och nae, I wish I had strong walls.”

His eyes scanned a video of the front lines. I could hear the battle raging in the distance and the repetitive incantation:Lay down your arms... if you surrender you will receive amnesty... lay down your arms.

He said, “I see these men, at the end of long months of battle, and I am asking them to continue on, tae fight more. We have been facin’ down the kingdom’s war machine, it has been brutal. I ken it looks like we hae won, but it has been verra difficult tae get here tae this point.”

Quentin stood beside him. “I can see it, it looks like it’s been a bitch, but remember, the darkest time usually happens when the goal is within reach.”

Magnus said, “Aye, I agree with the sentiment, though much of war is dark, tis hard tae judge the contrast, there haena been a lot of light.”

I threw my arms around Magnus’s shoulder in a big hug. “I’m really sorry about earlier.”

“Aye, Madame Hayley, I am as well.”

“I get that the promise you made to me might be impossible to keep. I just... you know.”

“I ken, we need Fraoch tae survive this. I will do m’best tae that end, thank ye for not keepin’ me tae the promise.”

“This is all so hard.”

“Aye, tis a verra hard thing, but we will figure it out.”

Quentin said, “Something happened...?”

Magnus said, “She was considerin’ all options and things got heated between us. We are good now, aye, Madame Hayley?”He put out his fist.

I said, “Aye,” and we fist-bumped.

Nightfall was coming on. I was shown into the barracks, assigned a cot, and I fell into a fitful sleep. You might think that being near Fraoch would help, but frankly, it made it worse.

CHAPTER 69 - MAGNUS

We met inside the command tent in front of a video projection, a map of the kingdom, with my troop movements shown in symbols and arrows. A messenger had arrived carrying a letter from Ian the Troublesome: the usurper calling himself Ian I.

He had declared that he wouldna surrender.

I was exhausted and had a great deal of worry weighin’ on me, and Lady Mairead was in a rant that I had tuned out, until I heard her say, “…and now Ian is refusing tae surrender...”

“Aye, he is goin’ tae make me destroy everything.” I tossed the letter from the pretend king tae the table and dismissed the messenger who had delivered the news.

I looked off, my eyes resting on a pile of rubble, a city building reduced tae dust. We had been destroying the city street by street. The people were becoming refugees — but yet, he refused tae surrender.

General Wallace entered and changed the video tae one focused on the battlefield before us. “We have news from our reconnaissance team, Your Highness. Our men have surveyed the city between here and here.” He pointed at our front line and then at the castle. He said, “Do you see these markers, King Magnus?”

“Aye, the red and blue ones?”

“The reds are the schools, the blues are the hospitals. Most of them are new.”

“Och nae, are they full of...?”

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