Page 112 of War Queen
She paused, and her eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you have to think of the future, and about your strategy.”
She only stared at him. Where was he going with this?
“You have to fortify yourself in the North,” he said, “and continue to grow your friendship with Aleon and Osan.” Then he paused and swallowed. “And you have to marry Soren after I’m gone.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Have you lost your mind?” she hissed.
“He has claim to the throne. The nobles will support him.”
She shook her head. “No. We’ve been through this. I won’t bed him, and I certainly won’t marry him.”
“You’d have the same relationship you have now. He’ll give you freedom. He’ll protect you.”
“He protects me now.”
“You know what I mean!” His voice came thick with frustration. “I’m not talking about his strength or his fortitude. When I’m gone, you’ll need his name.”
His frustration fueled her own. “Because you don’t think I’m strong enough without you?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“But it’s what you meant. You think I’m weak. Because I’m a woman? Because I love? Because I grieve?” She stepped closer, seething. “I’m queen of Mercia and salara of Kharav, with or without a husband. If someone wants my crown, they’ll have to pry it from my dead fingers, if they still have a head to wear it.”
A deep horn sounded through the air, and Norah looked through the window from where she sat at her vanity.
“The lord commander must be returning,” her maid Amara said as she finished pinning back a lock in Norah’s hair.
Norah knew what the horn meant. She’d been waiting for it. “Send for him,” she said. “Tell him I need to speak to him immediately.”
Amara nodded and left to do as she was bid.
No doubt Mikael would be eager to speak to Soren too. But Norah couldn’t wait. She hoped Soren would seek her out first.
Not long after, two knocks on the door gave her answer, and it swung open before she could even rise.
“What?” Soren said as he stepped inside. He looked like he’d been riding for weeks. And he smelled like he’d been riding for weeks. But Norah didn’t care about his look or his smell, she was just grateful he was there.
“Is there still a king of Aleon?” she asked him. While she trusted Soren implicitly, she also knew he was confined to few boundaries, and wanted to make sure their new ally still had his head.
“He lives.”
That was a miracle in itself. She nodded appreciatively. “I was surprised you called Adrian to go.” And she was surprised Soren had left him there. Not that she worried for Adrian in Aleon, he was just still so young, and to be serving on his own in another kingdom…
Soren shifted slightly. “You wanted me to have asked you first?”
She shook her head. “No, you’re making decisions for all our armies now, and I trust those decisions. I’m just saying I’m surprised, that’s all.”
He seemed to mull over her words, then he said, “The Aleon king has no commander.”
Her brows drew together. Was that an explanation? “Adrian isn’t a commander.” Gods, he wasn’t even a captain. He had no status, other than a Crest sword entitlement.
“Not yet. But he doesn’t need to be. The Aleon king is a smart man, but he needs someone to challenge his thinking, someone who doesn’t have his own agenda. And yes, surprisingly, this Aleon king is accepting of Kharav, but some of those around him are still wary.”
She understood. “You couldn’t send a Kharavian.”
“So I sent him a Kharavian Northman.” His eyes smiled.
