Page 90 of A War of Three Kings

I kiss his lips lightly, but he pulls me back. “Do you mean it, Keira? Will you become my queen?” There is a note of desperation in his voice, and gods, I wish I could see every expression that passes over his face.

“Yes, Aldrin. I want to marry you. I think I fell in love with you the moment I stepped out of a portal and saw you dripping with someone else’s blood. My need for you has only grown with each day since.”

The words are hardly past my lips when he drags me into a crushing embrace, his arms shaking slightly, his cheek pressedagainst mine. There is a wetness between our faces, and I don’t know if the tears are mine or his.

Every muscle in his body turns tight. “There have been so many times when I thought I would not get to keep you. Keira, I am never letting you go again. Do you understand me? Never.”

I kiss the side of his head. “Never let me go, Aldrin. After the first battle, when the North is truly committed to this war, I am not keeping our love a secret any longer.”

Chapter 23

Aldrin

We destroyed six catapults out of twenty on that first raid. It was a cause for celebration, until the enemy assembled and dragged out replacements within a day.

The next raid a few nights later was less successful. They had buckets of water and sand ready to douse Edmund’s flames, and guards on alert at each catapult to cut down my attack with roots before they could reach a reasonable size. Despite this, we destroyed two more catapults. Our latest raid was at the crack of dawn this morning, and the timing caught them out.

I grip the edge of the battlements and smirk down at the sight of those catapults lying in ruins behind the enemy’s wall of shields. Smoke curls out from two of them, and another three are piles of rubble, half engulfed by the earth.

It is a shame that Keira’s family isn’t skilled enough with autumn magic to quickly pulverize wood that has been long dead. It is easier for Edmund to use his fire.

Cyprien stops by my side.“Only you would look upon an enemy army and smile.”

“We did good work out there this morning.” I examine his stern features and the rigid straightness of his back. “Thank you for joining me in this war. You don’t have to, considering I am no longer your king.”

Cyprien glances at me, annoyance deepening his frown. “You are still my king. More than that, you are my brother, and I would not stand by and allow anyone to mistreat my future queen.”

A hard lump forms in my throat at the title he gives Keira. It is everything I have ever wanted.

“It’s a shame people must die before you can claim her,” Cyprien mutters, then frowns and leans further over the battlement. “There. Do you see it?” He points.

Large columns of the enemy move like ants within their camp, but it’s the slow crawl of their four siege towers that catches our attention. Many of the soldiers collect not far behind their shield wall, and teams come together to lift the ladders and bridges they have been building for the last week.

Icy claws run down my spine. I spin on my heel and race for where Edmund and Caitlin are speaking with their heads together.

“Edmund!” I call out, and he looks up immediately. I tip my head to the army beyond. “You need to see this.”

“The enemy is mobilizing.” Cyprien strides over to us. “You need to call your forces to their stations now.”

Both father and daughter pull out spyglasses and examine the host beyond.

“So, the first battle will be today. Get your people ready, Aldrin. I will work out the rest.” Edmund says.

“And Keira?” I ask, but I am afraid of the answer. It feels like a wild animal is clawing out of my chest.

Edmund runs a hand through his unruly hair. “You know my daughters, Aldrin. There is no keeping them away fromthe fighting, and it’s not right to. Keira will be an asset on the battlements. She will be with me, with our personal guard around us. You know I will do everything in my power to protect her.”

I am incapable of words as my throat dries out.

Edmund and Caitlin turn and bark orders at the surrounding guards. Horns blow in short blasts, ringing throughout Fort Blackrock.

“I estimate we have an hour before the battle begins,” Cyprien mutters.

The fortress falls into ordered chaos as hundreds of soldiers funnel up the stairs to join those already on the battlements. I search for Keira, wanting a few last words before I part with her, but she is nowhere to be seen.

I push through the crowd of bodies moving in different directions along the wall, struggling through the onslaught. I grab people by their collars and pull them from my path.

A man with a black beard poking out of his helmet is more intent on staring at the army in the distance than where he is going, and I shove him aside before he can slam into me. Another swings around so quickly that her quiver of arrows smacks into my chest.

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