Page 118 of North Queen
“He’s most necessary,” Mikael replied stiffly, and he clapped a hand on the neck of the commander’s horse. “He’s yours to command, but he’ll not leave your side.”
Norah severely doubted that Soren—no, not Soren,the lord commander—would follow anything she commanded of him. She shot him a steely gaze. With one last look at the king, she urged her mare forward, down the narrow path leading to the trenches of the canyon.
“Your Alexander is the Bear,” he snarled when they were out of earshot.
“We agreed not to speak of it again,” she said over her shoulder.
“That was before I knew who he was.” The path widened, and he brought his horse alongside hers. His eyes burned into her, but she refused to look at him.
“The Bear is your lover,” he pressed.
“No.” She shook her head. “Whatever was between us, it was a long time ago.” A time she couldn’t even remember.
They rode down farther, passing into the shadows of the canyons.
“Will you weep when I kill him?” he asked.
The question sent a tremor down her spine and caught her breath in her chest. A rage rippled through her. She snapped her head to catch his stare, her teeth bared and eyes blazing. “If he dies, so does this marriage, and my alliance with Aleon will be certain. Will your king forgive you for that?”
He grabbed her arm, jerking her close as he pulled them to a stop. “I don’t give a fuck about Aleon. It’s the Bear that brings Salar’s fate, and I’ll take his head no matter the consequence.” His eyes smiled cruelly. “Perhaps it won’t be today.” He paused. “Or perhaps it will. But make no mistake, I am going to kill him.”
“Take your hands off me,” she said between her teeth.
The commander snarled, but for the first time did as she’d told him and released his hold. He pushed his mount forward again, continuing through the dark labyrinth of the canyon walls.
She had no choice but to follow. Panic swelled inside her. He’d come to kill Alexander, and there was nothing she could do. The Shadow army watched from the top of the canyon, and Japheth waited just to the east. If her men killed the commander, the Shadowmen and Japheth would attack the Mercian army and easily overwhelm them. If the commander killed Alexander, her army would counter, leading to the same end. She needed to keep the peace, keep the commander from Alexander, and send her Northmen back home.
Light returned as they neared the end of the canyon’s break, and the commander paused and looked back at her. His eyes brimmed with dark fire through the split in his head wrap. He sat larger than a fully armored man, yet he wore no armor, save the pauldron on the shoulder of his sword arm and the black poleyns above his boots. He’d forgone his winter tunic, showing off the inked markings across his chest and arms, and carried his massive battle-axe. His horse wore crested armor, and red war paint ran down the beast’s chest like blood. She rolled her eyes at the display. No doubt her army would be uneasy, though.
They emerged from the depths of the canyon, toward her army waiting beyond.
A cry rang out: “The Queen!”
They drew closer to the Mercian army, and she knew Alexander would have recognized her by now. While she wore Horsemen clothes from Tahla, there was no mistaking her hair, especially in contrast to the darkness of the commander beside her. She combed the ranks for him, and then she stopped.
A large mounted man waited at the front of the army, with the crown head of a white Northern bear as a pauldron on his shoulder.The Bear. His helm gleamed under the sun, and his horse pawed the earth at his rider’s impatience.Alexander.
She cast the commander a stern look. “Will you really be the cause of a war your king works to avoid?”
He gave a malicious chuckle. “Are you sureIwill be the cause?”
She glanced back to see Alexander break from the Mercian army, racing toward her with a cavalry behind him. Her heart leapt to her throat. He wasn’t coming simply to meet them—he was coming to free her.
He was attacking.
Surely his eyes deceived him. Alexander stared with his heart racing, watching as two riders emerged from the canyons and rode toward the Mercian army.
He knew them instantly.
Norah. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword.And the Destroyer.
His enemy was taunting him. He didn’t know what nefarious plan was at work, but he had come for Norah, to save her. And that is what he’d do, no matter the consequence. No matter the sacrifice.
His archers along the front line drew back their bows. They were the best in the world, and right now, they had one target. At this range, they wouldn’t miss the Destroyer, but Norah was too close.
“Hold!” he called. He scanned the top of the canyons where the Shadow army looked down at them. What was this trickery? No doubt the Shadow King was using her to draw the Mercian army closer, to draw Alexander closer.
But it didn’t matter if it was a trap. He’d come.
