Page 131 of What Fury Brings
“You want us to go inside their walls with naught but a handful of guards?”
“We’re the ones who showed up with an army at their gates.”
“To rescue you!”
“And I’m fine. Thank you. Now, am I the next king of Brutus or am I not?”
“You are,” they agreed.
“Then do as I said. I can’t linger.” To the rest of his brothers, he said, “Return home with the troops, but I will see you all soon. Await my orders.”
And then, without seeing if anyone was doing as they were told, he ran back to Olerra. She was still conscious. Still bleeding. He couldn’t carry her and the Kingsword at the same time, so he dropped the weapon and scooped her up into his arms, smearing blood on his bare chest. He didn’t care.
“We need to get you to a healer.”
It was as if she’d had only enough strength to hold on until he’d come to her, for she passed out as he brought her back through the gate.
When Olerra came to, she was washed and dressed, and her wounds had been tended. Her aunt sat beside her bed, one of her hands clasped around one of hers.
“How do you feel?” the queen asked when she noticed she was awake.
“Like a pincushion.”
Lemya nodded, as though she suspected nothing less. As a warrior in her younger days, she knew acutely the injuries caused by Brutish steel.
“At what point did you make your own plan to keep your prince and challenge the king?”
“About ten seconds before I suggested it.”
“He almost killed you,” the queen said, voice accusatory.
“I could have beaten him at any time by drawing the whipblade.”
“But you didn’t draw it until the very end. You were meant to trade one prince for another. Get Atalius to admit Glen’s treachery while standing safely on the wall beside me. Instead, you risked yourself again for the sake of Atalius’s heir.”
Olerra tested her side, the deepest of her wounds. It was sore, and she couldn’t possibly sit up with the state of it. She’d have to say the words lying on her back, then.
“I love him.”
The queen raised a brow. She’d surprised her. “How can you trust him? After all that has happened?”
“One day at a time, I suppose. If he’ll have me.”
Her aunt crossed one leg over another. “Oh, he’ll have you. I’ve beenin negotiations with the new king of Brutus and his advisers, brokering for peace and new terms regarding Shamire.”
Olerra was surprised by this.
The queen continued. “You accidentally stole the crown prince and made him fall in love with you. Now there’s talk of combining Brutus and Amarra into one country. Olerra, you singlehandedly gave us Brutus, and it couldn’t have worked better if we’d planned it in advance.”
Olerra laughed, but it hurt. She moaned as she put her hands over her stomach.
Lemya stood and leaned over the bed to kiss her cheek. “Rest well. There is much work ahead of you. You have until the anniversary of the Goddess’s Gift to be well. Then you need to be seen as the nobles officially declare you crown princess.”
Olerra swallowed. “Do you really think they’ll choose me?”
“After your cousin’s betrayal and with you dangling Brutus over their heads? Do you really have to ask?”
Something had changed over the last few days. Olerra’s soldiers had followed her without question, despite knowing she didn’t have the Goddess’s Gift. Olerra had defeated the most feared man in the world without it. She had prevented war and brought two countries together.
