Vhalla pressed her eyes closed. Her mortality stared down at her from the other side of an abyss. But his arm around her firmly kept her in place, kept her from tumbling down that dark chasm.
She relinquished doubt and embraced hope. Her hand snaked around his waist, and Vhalla listened to his heartbeat while feeling the slow rise and fall of his chest, perfectly in time with hers. They would fight together now.
“Stay with me today.” Aldrik pressed his lips against her hair. “I don’t know if your father ...”
“After the clerics have done their dance, I’ll command that you be brought to me. My father won’t dare reveal our family rift to the world by objecting, not after I’ve made a public command. He won’t undermine me before the subjects he intends I rule,” Aldrik stated with confidence.
“For how long?” she asked.
“All day today, tomorrow.” There were the makings of a deeper current powering his words. There was a plan formulating in his puppet-master mind. “I want the men, women, majors, and nobles alike to continue to see you are under my protection. I want them to see me value your brilliant thoughts. And,” Aldrik paused, as if bracing himself, “I want them to see my compassion for you. Most of all, my father will see that he will not take you from me with mere threats.”
“This is an awful idea.” Vhalla shook her head, pressing closer.
“It is brilliant,” he insisted. “Will you?”
Vhalla’s hand drifted up over the blankets to his exposed collarbone, running her fingers across the firm line in his skin. “I will,” she breathed in reply.
His arm tightened around her, and he hooked a finger under her chin. Aldrik tugged her mouth toward his once more, and Vhalla gripped his shoulder tightly. The world blissfully faded away as his lips parted.
Vhalla could have laughed, she could have cried, as each kiss reaffirmed their madness. A bundle of nerves began to tangle in her stomach. Each kiss undid a knot, each breath added two. Today, they would draw a line in the sand. On one side, they would stand, on the other, the Emperor and her death.
As true as it had ever been, dawn came too soon. Vhalla peeled herself away after they had both reassured themselves of their plans. His arms were hesitant to relinquish her, and Vhalla was reluctant to plunge herself into the suddenly cold world again.
After slipping out of his room, she drifted through camp, not paying attention to where her feet carried her. Doubt traded places with hope, and her thoughts ranged from horror, to cautionary urges, to elation. Somehow, she navigated back to Fritz’s tent.
“What in the sun?” Elecia exclaimed as Vhalla practically collapsed atop her.
She couldn’t say anything; the magical toll of Joining was mixing with lack of sleep, resulting in a potent exhaustion. Vhalla rolled off Fritz and onto her back, staring up at the lightening canvas with a small grin. No matter what happened, he lived.
“You two are so annoying,” Fritz mumbled from Vhalla’s right, still half asleep.
“He’s awake,” she intoned.
“What?” Elecia sat upright.
“He’s awake,” Vhalla repeated, sitting with a foolish grin. She grabbed the other woman’s hands, beaming. “Aldrik’s awake.”
“You ...” Elecia didn’t even pull away. “You actually did it?” Vhalla nodded and let out a small yelp in surprise as Elecia pulled her in for a bone-crushing hug.
“You’re so infuriating, Vhalla Yarl,” she laughed.
“You’re pretty annoying yourself,” Vhalla responded lightly, and both women shared a moment of sincere elation.
Vhalla had just turned to Fritz, beginning to share with them the broad strokes of what had occurred, when Jax’s voice carried through camp.
“Lady Ci’Dan! Lady Yarl!”
Vhalla exited the tent behind Elecia. “We’re here.”
“Why am I not surprised to find you both together?” the Westerner asked with a smirk.
“You should be.” Elecia placed a fist on her hip, shifting her weight with a familiar grin. “I can’t stand this woman.”
“A new development then?” Jax cocked his head to the side. Elecia hummed, starting in the direction of the camp palace without needing to be told. “I assume our prince has summoned me?”
The Western man nodded. “I’m surprised he brought you out here.”
Vhalla walked curiously behind the two. They spoke like old friends.
“He clearly needs me.” Elecia’s haughty voice sounded hollow to Vhalla’s ears. There was a sense of sorrow there. Elecia didn’t want Aldrik to need her to be there, Vhalla realized. Elecia would rather if he was in a position that didn’t require her expertise as a healer.
“So what is your grandfather up to with this one and her duchessness?” Jax nodded in Vhalla’s direction.
“Far be it from me to know.” Elecia glanced over her shoulder at Vhalla. “I found out after he’d decided to issue the first Crimson Proclamation since the West fell.”
Vhalla avoided the woman’s stare. She really didn’t want to know about the Crimson Proclamation any more than necessary. It made for unwanted attention.
“I doubt he got the Emperor’s permission first,” Jax’s voice dropped.
“He shouldn’t have to.” There was a bite to Elecia’s words that Vhalla liked. “He’s the Lord of the West; he can give them out as he pleases.”
Jax caught Vhalla’s shifting eyes. “Told you some people took it seriously.” He grinned.
All conversation ended as they entered the camp palace. Thirteen men and women surrounded a tall-standing table in the far left corner. They stopped studying the maps before them and turned to the people who entered. At the head of the table was the Emperor, Baldair to his left, and a much stronger-looking Aldrik to his right.
Vhalla’s eyes didn’t miss anything. She saw the slight sway to his movements just from turning to look at her. She saw the way Aldrik’s hands gripped the table for balance. She had to bite her lip to keep from scolding him for leaving his bed.
“My apologies for my delay.” Jax walked straighter, shifting into his role as head major. “I was on an errand for our prince fetching Lady Yarl and Lady Ci’Dan.”
Aldrik gave Jax a nod as the head major fit into the table. Elecia immediately started for Aldrik, her mission clear. Vhalla’s feet stilled a few steps from the table, trapped in the Emperor’s glare.
“Vhalla, to my right,” Aldrik announced, and all heads turned.
Vhalla took a deep breath, gripping her hands over her abdomen. She kept her head as high as possible and walked with purpose. But, even knowing Aldrik’s plans, her breath had a soft tremble to it.
Elecia glanced at Vhalla as she switched which of Aldrik’s hands she was holding. But the Western woman didn’t say anything as Vhalla assumed the place of honor at the prince’s right hand, nudging out a familiar old and grizzled-looking man.
“Aldrik,” the Emperor began ominously, “do you not think the girl would be better served elsewhere?”
“No.” Aldrik brushed off his father’s words as if they were nothing more than a half-hearted musing. “I think it wise to keep her informed on our preparations as the Lady Yarl’s knowledge of our forces will likely prove essential to her success.”
“Do you?” Emperor Solaris’s words practically dripped malice.
“The Lady Yarl?” Raylynn asked from Baldair’s left. Vhalla realized the whole of the Golden Guard was there, including a wide-eyed Daniel.
Time seemed to hold its breath as she met the other Easterner’s eyes. He was just diagonal to her right, not more than a few arm’s length away, but she felt like he was on the other end of the world. His hazel eyes drifted over to Aldrik at her side, clouding darkly before he averted his stare, making Vhalla’s chest tighten uncomfortably.
The rest of the table seemed oblivious to the silent conversation between the two Easterners. They focused on what Aldrik was saying, “... gave her a Crimson Proclamation.” “A hollow title,” the Emperor scoffed with a shake of his head.