Page 110 of War Queen
That reminded him… “Where’s your commander?” he asked Phillip as they stood at the table.
Phillip shifted back, hesitating before he answered. “I lost him when I took Tarsus. But I have my generals.”
Wait…“You have the largest empire in the world, and you have no commander?”
“Iam commander.”
Soren could only stare at him in surprise. Was this man mad? “Who devises your strategies?”
Phillip frowned with a shrug. “I devise my own strategies.”
“Who executes them?”
“As I said, I have my generals.”
Even with generals, being both king and commander was too much for one person. “Do you not have a trusted man?”
Phillip sighed. “I’m working to dissolve the absolute power of an empire. As you can imagine, for those who reap the benefits of status, it’s an unpopular plan.” He looked back to the table. “I trust my enemies more than I trust my own heads of state.” He raised his eyes to Soren’s again. “Am I making a mistake by trustingyou, Lord Commander?”
Absolutely.Soren would just as soon run him through than… he cursed himself silently. He hated the North gods more than he ever had. Because he wouldn’t harm this man. “Maybe,” he said simply.
Phillip nodded. “Yet I find myself doing just that.” His voice dropped. “Perhaps because I see you, Soren.”
Soren shifted back on his heel. For the king to so boldly call him by his name…
And the way he’d said it—all play gone, stripped and open, completely genuine. Soren’s breath seized in his chest. He searched his mind for something—anything—to redirect the conversation. “You need a commander. You can’t do this on your own.”
A hint of a smile returned to Phillip’s lips. “You sound… concerned for me.”
“If you fail, we all fail.”
Phillip nodded as he stepped closer. “Is that all?”
Was that all? What kind of question was that? What answer did he want? Soren shifted. It wasn’t all. His heart hammered faster at the answer he didn’t dare give.
The king gave a small chuckle. Did he notice? “Have I improved my standing with you, Lord Commander? Or do you still think of killing me?” Phillip stepped even closer. “I know you’ve thought about it. Killing me, that is. I’ve seen it in your eyes.”
Soren swallowed. He wouldn’t deny it, although it wasn’t exactly true now—butthathe would deny.
“Strange it doesn’t make me wary of you.” The king was so close now, close enough to touch. Too close. “Perhaps that’s foolish of me,” he added.
It was.
Phillip reached up and brought his hand to Soren’s wrap. Soren didn’t move to stop him. Perhaps it was the shock of it. Or perhaps he didn’t want to. Ever so carefully, Phillip pulled the cloth down to reveal his face. No one had ever been so bold before.
“Am I foolish, Soren?”
Only a foolish man would touch him. “Very.” But perhaps Soren was foolish for letting him.
Phillip leaned forward, lifting his face. His lips parted slightly. He was a beautiful man—a beautiful and powerful man. And something told Soren he was a very dangerous man…
Soren leaned forward, an invisible force drawing him closer. Then closer still. He couldn’t breathe as the air conspired against him.
But suddenly his will broke through and something splintered within, freeing him. He jerked back.
The king drew back with a start as well.
Soren shook his head, but more at himself than Phillip. Had he lost his mind completely? The heat of embarrassment flushed across his skin, then a rush of anger. What was he doing? His hand wrapped around the dagger at his waist. His focus should be on the war at hand. Not… whatever this was.
