Page 4 of The Wolf Queen

Axe stepped up, going toe to toe with his brother and I watched it all unfold with a jaundiced eye. People had died—so very many people—and many more would again if we didn’t get things right. When you considered everything on the grand scale, I didn’t matter. Couldn’t they see that? Kings and queens could rule from a gilt throne one day, and be worm food the next. What difference did someone’s title or position in society make?

I heard the far-off chuckle of the Morrigan inside my head, and I shook myself, needing to be rid of her noxious commentary.

“If Iamqueen here, then I command the two of you to stop arguing: all of you to stop arguing. If you have energy to burn, then find us more meat, because there are many mouths to feed and more likely to arrive today.”

Gael and Axe stepped back from each other, which was what I’d wanted. But their stricken expressions, quickly smothered, pricked at me. But before I could think of how to go about approaching the issue, it became clear that I would not get to dwell on the matter for long.

“Darcy!”

I knew who called my name as soon as I heard their voices and I fixed a warm smile on my face, even while I felt cold and dead inside. I opened my arms as Weyland smiled, escorting Jan and Del as the children came pelting towards me.

“You weren’t there in the morning,” Del murmured against my ribs after he had flung his arms around me. The realisation that I had left him to worry that I might have met the same fate as his parents cut deep. “The lords didn’t know where you were.”

“One did.” I nodded to Axe, then smoothed a hand down Del’s face while I ruffled Jan’s hair. “We went hunting.” I stooped to pick Jan up, the weight of her comforting as she locked her legs around my waist. I found myself wanting to hold her tight, cradle her in my arms, as if that would keep her safe. “We wanted to make sure we had a breakfast fit for a princess,” I told her. She giggled as I tapped her nose.

“I’ll come with you, next time,” Del insisted. “I have my sword.” His hand strayed to the hilt.

“And you’ll need to practise with it with the other boys.” Every lad in the camp over the age of eight had been conscripted into a militia of sorts and my men worked with them, and what was left of the army, to try and train them. Nordred had done the same with me when I had been a child but, to my eyes, Del looked so much younger than I ever could have been. “Now, if you’re looking for jobs, you can start peeling some root vegetables.”

The two of them groaned, but as I moved to sit down on a log beside the fire and pulled out a knife, Del did too. Jan scrambled out of my lap to go and fetch the mealy specimens we’d been able to find in the dormant fields of abandoned farms, and we worked to peel them together.

“We’ll need to eat well, because we must move again,” I told them.

“Again?” Jan whined, flumping down in a heap at my feet.

“Again.” I saw it superimposed over her, a glittering castle, complete with its court and within it? A man with the strangest amber eyes. “There’s a grand castle we must take in your honour, Princess Jan.”

“We’re going into Grania?” Del asked, eyes wide.

“We’re going into Grania,” I confirmed.

Chapter4

This was what was left of Strelae’s military commanders and aristocracy.

I walked into the hall of the ancient farmhouse we were using as a council chamber while we were camped on the surrounding land. Each man jumped to his feet, waiting until I was seated. It should’ve been intimidating. When my father had held such meetings, I’d been supposed to make myself scarce or sit there, quietly playing music on my lyre as the men spoke. But as I felt my mates cluster around me, I knew I was the one that had to make the decisions now.

“Please, sit,” I said, looking around at those who were gathered.

They all resumed their seats, on old boxes or logs that had been dragged inside. Some were more grateful than others not to remain standing. Many were carrying wounds, still healing, and that was what made this so important.

“We have to cross the border in Grania,” I announced.

I heard a series of mumbles around the room, and while there was suspicion, concern and even fear in their voices, there was no note of surprise.

“My queen,” the general said, doing his best to school his expression and tone into an attitude of respect. “If you’d asked this of us before the fall of Snowmere, I’d have gone so willingly and with a joyful heart.” His eyes met mine all too keenly. “We all were raised on tales that when a queen returned to the throne of Strelae, a true queen, our country would become whole again, but…”

He glanced around the room and I saw several men nodding along to his words. The general was their spokesperson obviously.

“Our army is decimated. We are training young lads, not in swordplay, but in how to fight on a battlefield. We are weak. You are…”

He’d overstepped, he knew it, and he stopped himself from uttering anything more. My back was already stiffening before I even thought about it consciously.

“Determined.” I bit that word off, then softened it with a smile. “Because we have no other options. The borderlands between the two countries were never especially fertile.” I glanced out the open window. “Too much stone, and slate, not enough good soil.” Then my focus shifted back to them. “But Grania has all of that and more.”

“And a fucking army thousands strong.” This was Lord Berrick, one of the more useful noblemen that had joined us. He was famously blunt in his manner, but I could cope with that, welcome it even. I had no time for the endless dancing around that everyone seemed to want to do at court.

“An army we need,” I said. “If we can convince my former countrymen—”

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