“Yes, your highness!” The guards spoke as one, and Eldin commanded them to salute.
“Now what we need is a general.” I paused to think. “We need someone with enough fighting experience, someone who has expertise in leading Elvish soldiers. It can’t be just anyone.”
“Princess. I am here to serve you in whatever way I can.”
A voice that was strange to me caught my attention. I turned— and immediately felt my guts twist. Drea was standing across from me, a fist placed on her chest as she waited for me to address her.
I set on doing damage control. “You can’t be here. Whatever you think you saw today, it was nothing, and you’re not to tell the Emperor about this. That’s an order, understand?”
“You have nothing to fear from me, princess. I am here to help.” Drea let her fist drop and came closer. “I see what you’re doing here, and it’s a noble cause. I want to join the Firebirds in any way I can.”
“How can I trust that you’ll be loyal to us?” I argued. “You’re Cameron’s personal guard first. Not to mention his wife. Your allegiance is always going to lie with him.”
“There are ways around a bond, as you are well aware, and I’ve found my service to be of better use elsewhere.” Drea knelt before me. “I no longer wish to serve the Emperor. My duty lies with keeping this empire alive, and I will not allow the Majestica family to fall unless my blood is spilt first. Allow me to serve you, and you alone, princess.”
Even his wife was tired of him. I glanced at Abigail, signaling she should advise.
“You are the mother of the Elvish race,” Abigail stated. “Cameron holds power over you, but you are far from being his puppet. Drea is a knowledgeable guard with many years of experience leading soldiers. She is at the top of the Elvish army— no other is qualified enough to guard the Emperor himself. She would be an excellent choice.”
“But can we trust her? If Cameron orders her to tell him everything about the Firebirds, she has no choice but to do so,” I argued. “He hasn’t broken their bond, so she’s obligated to serve him before anyone else.”
“I beg your pardon, princess, but I would like to make it clear that I cannot continue to stand by and do nothing,” Drea said. “If I must put my marriage at risk for the future of our people, I will. I can avert Cameron’s gaze and make it so he knows nothing of the Firebirds, buying you time.”
“Are you okay with keeping secrets from your husband, especially when it comes to the fate of the empire?”
Drea’s visage darkened. “I don’t wish to lie to Cameron. But I also know that he is no leader, and this empire will fall if nothing is done. You are taking the action which is needed to save the Elves, while he fails to make the decrees he needs to. I believe it is best in this situation to act first, and ask for forgiveness later.”
Hiring Drea into my service was dangerous, but it was better to have someone close to Cameron, to mislead and keep an eye on him. I turned to Abigail. “I want Drea to be my general. She can command the Firebirds and lead them as a fighting force.”
Abigail nodded. “It is a risky choice, but I think a wise one.”
“Thank you, princess,” Drea said, dipping her head before rising to stand. “I will not let you down.”
“I believe that you won’t. This will become the greatest army in Ilamanthe, and perhaps even the world. The Firebirds will grow so strong The Mission won’t be able to stand against us.”
“I completely agree.” Abigail nodded. “The women Eldin has gathered are excellent fighters, and Drea will be an excellent general. The Firebirds will be a great asset in keeping our people alive.”
My words were dry as I replied, “Yeah, well, nothing’s more terrifying than a woman scorned, and we have a whole army of them working toward one goal. The Warden needs to be shaking in his panties.”
I looked toward Drea. “The Firebirds need to be ready to move on my orders. Once it’s time to go into battle against the Warden, even if that means marching tonight, we have to be ready.”
“I’ll get these warriors up to speed,” Drea promised. “Do not worry about us being adequately prepared, princess. We shall follow you anywhere.”
I was confident in the ability of the Firebirds to counter The Mission, or at least buy us time. Maybe my friends would open the Elven Gate, or maybe they wouldn’t, but the Firebirds would be ready to fly either way. We wouldn’t go down cowering like mice. If I couldn’t kill the Warden outright, I wanted to be a thorn in his side.
My Firebirds would deliver flames that would long scar him after he put our fire out.
The night passed, stars blinking violently overhead. I waited until the early hours of morning, when darkness had long settled over the land. I approached as a curse upon this palace, moving within the shadows toward the Emperor’s quarters.
The guards were making their nightly patrols. I’d asked Drea to make sure Cameron’s room was unprotected. She’d obeyed, not knowing what I was up to but not asking questions. She would do well in her role as a loyal Firebird.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep that night unless I did something about Charlie’s bruise. I was still biding my time until the others got back. More prevalent than waiting for the Elven Gate to open was the memory of the dark blotch across Charlie’s cheek, and the sight of the missing finger that Cameron had carved free from his body.
This ended, and it ended now. Cameron was a spineless cockroach scuttering around leaving disasters behind him, and when I saw cockroaches, I crushed them.
Ilamanthe was in danger due to the actions Cameron took. I was the mother of the Elvish race, but I’d have to be their father figure, too.
Cameron’s Familiar wasn’t around, which meant I had full access to Cameron’s suite. Cameron had sent his alicorn away to patrol the skies day and night without rest, paranoid the Warden would somehow sneak in here. He expected the poor creature to spot— and stop— a potential attack by himself before anyone else did, though he put no effort in safeguarding Ilamanthe himself.
