Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
The seamstress had created my wardrobe, long-sleeved dresses with the Rolfe crest on the sleeves. There was a discreet belt loop at the waist for my weapons if I chose to wear them. The fabric was soft but strong, and the garments were beautiful. Far more beautiful than the ball gowns I used to wear in the Capital.
But I refused to wear them.
I was still in my breeches, tunic, and boots, my sword at my hip.
Huntley continued to command the room. “We should assume that King Rutherford is aware of the conquest and the dragons. We should also assume he’s preparing for war—whether it’s at his border or ours.” He turned to me. “The dragons secured Delacroix by their appearance only. But for the battles to come, they’ll need to be prepared to fight. Storm is more malleable, but Pyre is far too skittish.”
“Just because they’re dragons doesn’t mean it’s in their nature to be killing machines.”
Huntley kept a straight face, but his eyes gave away his anger. “King Rutherford will prepare for the dragons. Wouldn’t be surprised if he constructed enormous crossbows to shoot them out of the sky. If you want your dragons to live, they need to be prepared. That’s all I’m saying.”
“And you want me to prepare them?”
His eyes drilled into me. “You’re the only one I trust for the job.”
I looked away, severing his attempt at intimacy.
Huntley stared at me for a moment longer before he continued. “We’ll organize the Delacroix army and march on the Capital. If they come to us, we’re backed against a cliff. Nowhere to retreat. No walls to hide behind. Offense is our only chance of success.”
“And of the other Kingdoms?” I asked. “Delacroix can’t take on everyone to the north.”
“She’s right,” Commander Dawson said. “I don’t know the sizes of their armies, but combined together, it’s guaranteed to be larger than ours.”
“We’ll need to defeat the other Kingdoms before marching on the Capital,” I said. “And we’ll need to do it quickly. Our closest neighbor is Minora. Nearly the same size as Delacroix, so it could be a swift defeat with the dragons.”
“What of Delacroix?” Huntley asked. “How will we defend it if we’re invading other Kingdoms?”
“If our armies aren’t here, there’s no reason to attack,” I said. “King Rutherford is an asshole, but he’s not going to kill the innocent citizens who have nothing to do with us. And if their armies are in Delacroix, it’ll be that much easier to take the Capital.”
Huntley gave a slight nod. “Can Minora be defeated as swiftly as Delacroix with just the dragons? We wouldn’t need to bring an army at all if that’s the case.”
“Possibly,” I said.
Ryker spoke next. “I can flee to the Capital. Tell them I ran once my father was slain. Can feed them false information about us and our numbers.” He turned to me. “And I can send you information as I receive it.”
Huntley was quiet.
“I don’t know,” I said. “It’s risky.”
“In what way?” Ryker asked.
“They could assume you’re a spy,” I said. “That’s what I would assume.”
“If my kingdom was just taken and my father killed, why would I betray them? King Rutherford is unaware of my ideological opinions. If I didn’t support your cause and was just a victim in this conquest, that’s exactly what I would do. I would take a horse and ride straight there. He wouldn’t question it.”
But I would. “How will you communicate with us?”
“By crow, like we always do.”
“Those letters could be intercepted.”
“Not if I send my missives before daybreak.”
The last thing I wanted was to lose my brother, not after losing my father. I turned to Huntley at the head of the table.
He stared in stony silence and didn’t grant permission or denial.
“I’d have to give King Rutherford—”
“There is one king now—King Rolfe.” Huntley sat with his arms on the table, that stony stare terrifying. “King of Kingdoms.”
Ryker hesitated before he continued. “I’ll have to share information with Rutherford. Otherwise, he’ll be suspicious. And the information has to be correct. If it’s not and I get caught, I’m dead.”
Huntley commanded the room with his silence, his eyes glued to my brother’s face, deep in thought. “Queen Rolfe, I appoint you to train the dragons. Prepare them for the war that’s to come.”
Queen Rolfe. No one had ever called me that before.
“Ryker, I will consider your suggestion,” he said. “You will have my answer tomorrow.” He turned to Commander Dawson. “We’ll orchestrate our attack on Minora and prepare our soldiers to defend Delacroix in my absence. This meeting is dismissed.”
SEVEN
Huntley
I occupied the study that once belonged to my father.
He used to work at his desk, poring over old maps, drinking his whiskey straight out of the bottle and forgetting the glass. The fire had burned in the hearth, the curtains drawn shut because it was distracting, and I’d sharpened my knife as I’d sat there. My mother had warned that I was too young to handle weapons, to sharpen them with my small hands, but my father always insisted on raising a man—not a boy.