The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles 3)

“I also need to talk to you about Natiya,” she said. “She thinks she’s coming with us.”

I rubbed my forehead, not wanting to get into another match of wills with Natiya, fearing she would follow behind anyway. “She can come,” I said. “She speaks Vendan. I’ll have a task for her.” I saw the concern in Pauline’s eyes. “I’ll do my best to keep her safe,” I said, though my best hadn’t been good enough yet. I was telling her my plans for Natiya when a loud voice boomed behind us.

“Well, if it isn’t the smart-mouthed tavern maid and her pretty friend! Looks like I got here at just the right time. They have you servicing the soldiers now?”

I whirled to see a soldier—a familiar one. It took me a few seconds to place him, but then I remembered. His swagger and arrogant smile hadn’t changed. He was the soldier from the tavern I had soaked with ale and then had threatened with a knife at the festival. It was obvious he hadn’t forgotten me.

“You claimed that you’d be the one surprising me next time we met,” he said, drawing closer. “I guess it didn’t work out that way.”

I stepped forward to meet him. “You just arrived last night, soldier?”

“That’s right,” he said.

“And you’re not familiar with my role here?”

“Easy enough to see what you’re good for. And you promised that when we met again that we’d settle things between us once and for all.”

I smiled. “Yes, I did say that, didn’t I? And I must admit, you did take me by surprise. Good for you, soldier. But I might have a surprise for you.”

He reached out and grabbed my wrist. “You’re not pulling any knives on me this time.”

I looked at his fingers gripping my wrist and then back at his leering face. “Oh, I would never do that,” I said sweetly. “Why pull a knife when I have a whole army at my disposal?”

And before he could blink, Natiya, Pauline, Gwyneth, and Berdi were pressing swords to his back.

Kaden and Rafe stood a few feet away, taking note of the sudden activity. Their arms folded across their chests.

“Think we should help them?” Kaden asked.

Rafe shook his head. “Nah. I think they have it covered.”

The soldier froze, knowing the feel of steel on his spine.

I smiled at him again. “Well, look at that. I guess I managed to surprise you after all.”

He released my wrist, not sure what had just happened.

My smile vanished. “Now, go join your ranks, soldier, and wait for me to address your company. This will be my very last warning for you to behave as an honorable member of the king’s army. The next time I will be cutting you from your position like a rotten dimple on an apple.”

“You’re the one who’s addressing the—”

“Yes.”

He seemed to notice Walther’s baldrick across my chest for the first time—along with its royal crest.

“You’re the—”

“Yes.”

He paled, blustering with apologies and began to drop to one knee, “Your Highness—”

I stopped him, pushing him to his feet again by the tip of my sword. “It shouldn’t matter if I am a tavern maid or a princess. When I see you treating others with respect without regard to their station—or anatomy—then your apology will mean something.”

I turned and walked away as he still blustered, weary that this was a battle I had to fight over and over again.

* * *

The trek to Sentinel Valley took two weeks. Two very long weeks with rain, hail, and wind dampening spirits and hampering every mile. We began with fifteen thousand soldiers and picked up additional troops along the way. By the time we camped just outside of the mouth of the valley, we numbered twenty-eight thousand. It was nearly every soldier we had in Morrighan. I’d never seen so many in one place. I couldn’t see the end of our encampment. Our supplies were abundant. Food. Weapons. Raw supplies of lumber to build barricades and defenses. Tents to protect against the weather as our final plans were laid in place. A vast impressive city. But it was still dwarfed by what the Komizar had rolling our way.