Page 49 of Return of the Nutcracker Prince

“Klaus?”She rubbed her eyes.

“Get dressed.Invaders!”

She popped out of bed and they pulled their clothes on.The servants had moved his magically shielded jacket and pants to the guest suite, as well as his sword.He was ready in a flash.

Poor Clara had too many layers.“My stays, quickly!”

“Why bother?”

“You would have me fightunbound, husband?”

Klaus considered the implications.While pleasant for him, he’d have to rip out the eyes of every soldier.“I’m coming, love.”

He tightened the laces and tied them for her, then she threw her mage robes over her head and slipped into her Caster boots.She brushed out her hair as he belted his scabbard to his waist.

“Klaus… I’m scared.”

His stomach churned as he held her close.He’d only just found her!“Let me call Uncle Ludwig to take you home.”

“No!I just… I wanted you to know.”She buried her face in his shoulder.“No secrets, remember?”

“Right.”

Her arms tightened around him.“I chose this.I choseyou.”

His brave, fierce Caster.As much as he wanted to ensure her safety, he couldn’t deny her anything, even something dangerous.“I love you.”Klaus pressed a kiss to her temple.

“And I love you.”

As much as he’d like to stand here and hold her, their kingdom was under attack.“We don’t have much time.My parents will be in the war room.”

“Let’s go.”

They ran for the sitting room, where Klaus grabbed her hand.Panicked voices echoed from the hallway.What would they find outside these doors?

Servants and panicked chaos met them in the hall.He held onto Clara, and they bolted to the stairs, jockeying for position among terrified citizens.There was no time to figure out what others were supposed to be doing now.Klaus’s mission was to get to the war room.

Guilt swamped him as he witnessed the quiet fear and determination in the eyes of his citizens.This was his fault.He’d failed them in the Land of Flowers and now they would pay the price.

His head down, he let her pull him along the corridor as servants pulled tapestries down from the wall, rolling them up for safekeeping.Slipping inside the door, Klaus found his mother and father, as well as the spy from earlier, in the war room.

“You!”Anger rose in him, and he jumped ahead of his wife.It wasthisman’s fault that the mice had known about their ambush!“The mice thwarted our attack in Blumenland!”

The dwarf, Heinrich, winced.“My apologies, Your Highness.They knew more than I realized.”

“We have more pressing matters, son,” Galiena chastised him.

“But how can we trust his information?”

“It’s corroborated by the information sent by the border guards,” Father answered.

Klaus still eyed Heinrich warily.

“I swear by the Goddess Asteria, My Prince, I did not betray my country.”The dark-haired dwarf’s gaze didn’t falter.

Klaus clenched his jaw.Ultimately, blame didn’t matter; the enemy had breached the wall.Failure was not an option.

“What do we know?”Clara’s voice was timid.Klaus moved back to bring her forward.“What’s the plan, Your Majesties?”

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