Page 23 of Vows of Sacrifice

“Which is normal. Just know that I received this order from King Elendur on the very day the castle was taken.”

At this memory, my heart clenched painfully in my chest.

“Wasn’t it planned from the start?” I asked nonetheless.

“No, it wasn’t. I’m still curious to know what made him want me to marry you, although I already have my suspicions.”

“Oh? And why do you think he forced your hand?”

Dovah didn’t respond right away, and when he did, he remained evasive.

“If I’m right, I’ll explain later. Otherwise, it’s not worth it.”

Suddenly, Massim came galloping towards us on his gray horse speckled with white. Dovah had assigned him a beautiful mount. He must have really liked this boy.

“My lord, we have a problem. It seems that there are thieves waiting for us at the crossroads ahead. Your scouts have counted ten.”

Dovah appeared to think for a moment.

“I see. Let’s carry on as if nothing is wrong,” he then proposed.

I turned in his direction, at least as far as I could in that position.

“You don’t seem irritated by their presence,” I remarked.

“Why should I be? I’d rather thank them for offering me a bit of action.”

Wonderful. My husband was a hothead. Really. Won-der-ful.

4

DOVAH

I dismounted from Vulcan in a fluid movement. Because I knew the return journey home would be easier, I wore only my right arm of armour over a black buckled gambeson. I drew my sword from its sheath.

“Cyrian, Olba. Come with me.”

They were two Osacanians of Elendur’s royal guard, the ones I trusted most and whom I had stationed outside our room last night. They were accomplished warriors. Three of us against a dozen thieves was more than enough. Cyrian was nearly as tall as I, bald and unshaven. Olba was younger, with childish chestnut curls framing his face and cheerful blue eyes.

“Do . . . My lord!” cried Ashana.

I immediately turned to her. How lovely she looked, my wife, all dressed in black—like me—on my Friesian stallion. Dignified even in her posture, with the aura of a humble princess and captivating green eyes to die for. I smiled at her. It was quite unreal, the power this woman had over me. All I had to do was look at her and I’d grin like a fool.

“Yes, my lady?”

Ashana cleared her throat.

“Are you really going with just three?”

I immediately understood what she was getting at. How could I explain to her, without hurting her feelings, that while the Muvarians were sadly bad in combat, the Osacanians were formidable, and that it was for this reason that her country had lost the war? That this was also why three of our men were more than enough to beat ten Muvarian thieves? I opened my mouth without a clue as to how to phrase my response.

“Yes.”

That’s the best I could do. Sincerely.

“Massim spoke of ten thieves. Ten,” she insisted.

I nodded as I felt my men on the verge of bursting into laughter. They were holding back so hard that their bodies were beginning to tremble with spasms.

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