Page 193 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
"Real comforting," Moris mumbled, coming up from behind them.
"I wasn’t done," Graeson said, rolling his eyes at the interruption. "They may be untrained, but even a trained soldier has no hope of winning a battle if they have no reason to fight. But these people? They’re not fighting because we are paying them. They’re not fighting because we have threatened them. They’re putting their lives on the line because this is their home. Some of them could likely not care less about which Dronias brother rules as long as they have a home to return to. We arenot forcing any of them to fight. They have chosen to, and it would be foolish of us to ignore their desire to fight. Their loyalty is to their family and their home, and that above everything else will be the sole reason that we stand a fighting chance against whatever waits for us in the capital."
Kallie nodded in agreement. Those gathered weren’t soldiers, but they were fighters. She could see that in their narrowed gazes, in the curling fists, in the anger that oozed off them.
She wiped the sweat from her hands on the back of her Tetrian leather trousers.
"Are you ready?" Graeson asked, turning to Kallie.
She gathered her hair in her hand and tied a red ribbon Phaia had given her around it. She wore the armored corset that Medenia had gifted her before parting Tetria, the same one she wore when she faced Domitius. Although this time there was no hesitancy in her stance, no questioning whether she was ready for the fight.
"Ready," she said, her voice unwavering.
The three of them joined the small army standing in front of Rian. As Kallie observed the king, she wondered if he had slept at all. The bags under his eyes were heavy, and she could see the apprehension pouring from him as he scanned the crowd.
After a moment, he cleared his throat and addressed the crowd. "I know that I have failed you as a king."
Kallie and Graeson winced at Rian’s start. Admitting his mistakes was admirable, but did he not see what the people needed? Kallie had attended court enough to read a crowd. Right now, the people needed to be encouraged, not reminded of past failures.
Rian licked his lips. "I know that some of you do not trust me and that your reasoning for joining the fight is purely to protect your home. No matter your reasoning, though, I want you to know that your aid will not be in vain. The lives we have lost willnot have been in vain. Today, Sebastian’s reign will end. Today, we will take back our city!"
Scattered claps sounded across the crowd, but as Kallie locked eyes with Myra, she could see it in her frown and the curve of her brows that the people were still afraid.
Rian’s proclamation wasn’t enough.
Before Kallie knew what she was doing, she was stepping beside Rian. He looked at her with a questioning gaze. But to her surprise, he did not stop her when she addressed the army.
"Today, we are not only fighting for Frenzia, we are fighting for peace. We are fighting for the future. Most of you were not trained to be soldiers." She looked at every person gathered, giving each of them the same attention as if she knew them, as if she had dined with them and met their children. As if they were friends and not merely strangers.
She was all too familiar with what it felt like to lose power, to lose one’s home. She refused to let that persist today. And for a split second, she thought her mind was playing tricks on her because she could have sworn they immediately straightened when her attention fell on them. Shoulders rolled back, chins lifted, jaws flexed.
Kallie might have believed she no longer had power because of her lack of a crown, but the sight before her suggested otherwise. The surge she felt wasn’t from her gift or lineage but because of who she was at her core. "You are bakers, carpenters, blacksmiths, merchants, dancers, mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers.Youare the foundation of this kingdom.
"Many of you are probably scared right now. Some of you, like myself, might have even been told that your emotions are a weakness, that to succeed you must squash your fear and anxiety." Kallie’s fingers flexed over the hilt of her dagger, the words ingrained into it bolstering her courage. "But a wise person once told me that our fear reminds us we are human. Useyour fear. Use your anger and rage and sadness. Useeverythingat your disposal when you enter the city. Whether you are entering the city to fight or to retrieve the wounded, keep going, keep running, keep fighting."
She scanned the crowd, seeing the strength surge within the people. Her gaze fell upon Graeson, and a proud smile flickered at the corner of his lips.
For her entire life, she had been fighting for a crown because she thought it would give her power. In reality, she only needed to use the power she already had.
She looked beside her, and Rian shook the surprise from his face. Their engagement might have been a ruse and a failure, but that did not mean Kallie could not support him, that a friendship could not one day bloom between them.
As though sharing the same thought, Rian put his hand on his sword and nodded at her in encouragement.
With as much vigor as Kallie could muster, she lifted her dagger, pointing it at the sky. "Today, we fight for our tomorrow! We fight for Frenzia!"
"For Frenzia!" the crowd shouted back, and Rian’s voice was among the loudest, his sword joining the throng of fists, branches, and weapons.
Together. They would do this together.
Rian leaned over and whispered, "I had it covered, you know."
Kallie’s smile widened at his light tone. "That’s a funny way of saying thank you."
Rian snorted and wove through the army. People patted him on the shoulder, shaking him gently. The energy in the camp was rising. There was hope yet.
Kallie hung back as the people followed him.
Nearby, Laurince pulled Myra into an embrace. Over his shoulder, Myra’s eyes locked onto Kallie’s. Myra offered Kallie a sad smile.
