Page 108 of Of Kings and Thieves

Col’s eyes softened. “What did I do to deserve you?”

“You didn’t have to do anything,” I said. “You earned my faith, and my love, just by being yourself. The king Iron Deep needs.”

“And the man who doesn’t deserve you,” he said, pulling me close. Our lips met, a sweet and tender kiss full of unspoken emotion.

Soon after, I found Killian in the armory, carefully packing the alicorn powder into a warded chest. His brow was furrowed in concentration, magic swirling around his hands as he wove protection spells over the container.

“Will that be enough to contain it?” I asked.

Killian glanced up, offering me a grim smile. “It’ll have to be. The chest is warded to detect any attempts at opening it, and will unleash a defensive spell to incapacitate the intruder. I’ve also placed wards throughout the castle to detect the powder, should it somehow escape.”

“You’ve thought of everything.”

“One can never be too careful when it comes to dark magic.” Killian secured the lid on the chest with a sharp click.

I watched as Killian and Silvius transported the chest deep into the tunnels beneath the castle, a weight of unease settling in my chest. There were few guards left who weren’t in The Harrow’s employ, and we didn’t yet trust anyone within the castle to know of this important secret. However thorough Killian’s precautions, darker forces had a way of prevailing when you least expected them. But we had no other choice, and could only do our best to ensure the weapon would remain undisturbed.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

With the chest secured, Killian joined the broader effort to repair damage from the battle. Through magic, he mended cracks in the castle walls and cleared passages of rubble, while others set to work clearing the courtyard and patching holes in rooftops. An air of determination prevailed as people came together, united in their desire to restore Iron Deep to its former glory.

There was still a long road ahead, but gazing at the workers, hope blossomed within me. Our people were resilient, and under Col’s rule, I knew we could rise from the ashes of this tragedy stronger than before. The coronation ceremony would be a turning point, a promise of a new beginning free from oppression.

And when the time came for Col and I to wed, it would be a celebration to lift the spirits of all who witnessed it. A reminder of the power of love, and good triumphing over evil.

The future was ours to shape, and for the first time since The Harrow’s fall, I allowed myself to feel optimistic about what was to come.

As days turned into weeks, and then months, the city began to transform under the Ironguard’s relentless efforts. Each captured soldier or guard was imprisoned, awaiting trial for their crimes against the people of Iron Deep. It was a painstaking and arduous process, but with every traitor apprehended, the kingdom grew stronger.

One evening, the sun dipped low in the sky, painting the horizon a fiery orange as I stood beside Col on a balcony overlooking the bustling courtyard of Iron Deep.

“Killian has done an incredible job,” I remarked, watching him direct workers in setting up an area for the stonemasons, who were expected to arrive any day to oversee the rebuilding. Killian’s intricate spells wove throughout the stone walls, reinforcing their strength and sealing ancient wards against potential enemies, and he had patched and repurposed much of what had been destroyed. But he was no architect, and we needed him more than ever to focus on finding a way to destroy the weapon. So far, all his searching of Iron Deep’s libraries had been fruitless. “So he’s going to Arcanfell, then?”

Col nodded. “Right after the coronation.”

“Look at them, Samara,” he said after a few minutes. “Despite all they’ve been through, they’ve come together to repair the city and the castle.”

“They believe in you, in the future you’re creating for this kingdom.” In fact, the uprising had ended the day The Harrow fled. As soon as Iron Deep discovered that their king was an ancient legend come to life, the people of Iron Deep had begun putting the city of Ironset back together.

In the days that followed, preparations began for a grand coronation ceremony, one that would officially crown Col as the rightful king of Iron Deep. The air buzzed with excitement, and I couldn’t help but feel the anticipation build within me as well.

“Are you nervous?” I asked Col one evening as we walked through the castle gardens, arm in arm.

“Of course,” he admitted, his hazel eyes reflecting the warm glow of the lanterns that illuminated our path. “But I’m also ready, I think.”

“I think you are, too,” I whispered, leaning in to share a tender kiss beneath the moonlit sky.

But as the kingdom continued to mend, I couldn’t shake a growing sense of unease in my chest. Thoughts circled restlessly in my mind, like birds trapped in a cage, unable to escape.

I found myself standing on a balcony overlooking the bustling courtyard below, where I often enjoyed a few moments of solitude in the mornings. But this morning, my hands gripped the stone railing with a desperation that surprised me. I grappled with my upcoming role as queen, a title that seemed ill-fitting for a half-breed like me. Try as I might, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being an imposter undeserving of such prestige.

I loved Col, and nothing made me happier than to see him so full of life and energy, and to see him come into his own as king. I worried, though, that I would fail him. I knew nothing of ruling, of leadership. The idea of being queen terrified me.

Unable to shake my bout of insecurity, I retreated to my chambers. Laney was there, playing with a doll Col had given her. Upon seeing me, she dropped the toy and threw her arms around my waist.

“Samara?” Laney’s small voice pulled me from my thoughts, her large eyes filled with concern. “Are you okay?”

I drew in a deep breath. “Yes, sweetling, I’m fine. Just... thinking.”

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