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Rune huffed “Don’t be ridiculous. You all know how this would end,” he said. “It wouldn’t go well,” he added, his gaze turning and fixing on Alrick.
I walked around Alrick to step in front of Rune. “Then I’m relieved to see you here as an ally, not an enemy.”
Rune cocked a brow. “You think me an ally?”
What I said next could well be the only chance to unite us before Algar and Gunther finally succeeded in their plans. My hand started to tremble but I clenched it quickly into a fist. Rune’s gaze flickered to that hand. Did he notice? I gathered my strength, thought of my mother and father, and exhaled loudly to indicate annoyance, then I raised my chin high.
“Now you all listen to me very carefully,” I said, stepping into the middle of the group next to the fire. “The North and the South need to unite. When I said that we all share a common enemy, I meantallof us. Even King Algar and his men; they just don’t know it. While we all have been playing cat and mouse with King Algar and his allies, someone has already set the foundation for claiming your kingdom and mine. He has managed to plant his line into the North Kingdom already, and now he is trying to do the same with mine.”
“My Queen,” Lord Buschnick interrupted me with a small bow. “Who would possibly hold such power?”
“King Louis The Great,” I said. “Just think about this ridiculous marriage between Yutrik and his daughter Gabrielle. Why would he agree to such a bond? Yutrik has nothing to offer. The kingdom he will inherit lays in shambles as it is.”
“With an heir from his lineage,” Wimfred added, “King Louis could dispose of Yutrik and Algar and seize the North for himself. Who would stop him? Another rebellion is out of the question. Your people are starving, your men dead in the ground.”
I looked at Alrick, who was being confronted with these new developments just as much as the other lords were. He had a pinched look on his face as he took in the news.
“This war has to end, and we have to form a strong alliance between the North and South,” I said, feeling my heart begin to tap against my ribs. I was close to announcing a marriage between Alrick and myself.
“Which is why you want to turn me against my father,” Rune said, crossing his muscular arms.
“Not by sword,” I said.
“What other way is there?” His tone was cold, detached.
“The truth,” I said.
A flicker of curiosity and surprise flashed in his eyes. Without knowing what I was doing, I stepped even closer and was now right in front of him.
“Tell your people that King Algar tried to kill me and that he killed my father with ever-sleep. Tell them that there is a threat coming, and that the war with the rebels has to end to stand a chance against the mighty West Kingdom.”
Rune didn’t protest nor defend the monster he called father; he just held my gaze calmly.
“I was informed you went to see Malick the physician. So, by now you must know what I’m saying is the truth.”
Rune narrowed his eyes at me. Unlike Alrick, I couldn’t read him. I had no clue what was going on in his mind.
“It was never an issue of the truth,” Rune finally said. “But what it would unleash. If I agree to this insane request, what do you think would happen? My father would think he can outsmart King Louis and continue with the marriage. Then he will turn his sword against me. I would have to die or kill him.”
“You have many loyal men who would stand with you,” Alrick said. “Some say even more than the king has now. Algar is no fool. He wouldn’t fight you and the rebels at the same time.”
“I would be fine with sparing King Algar’s life to have him imprisoned,” I spat out the words like they were poison. “You don’t have to kill him.”
A heavy silence filled the air.
Rune forced out a laugh. “If any of you think I have a problem with killing my father, then you are fools.” Some of the men shifted uncomfortably. “But if what you say is really true and King Louis is plotting to take both of our kingdoms, why wouldn’t he come after me next? I would be more of a threat to him if I discarded my father.”
“Not if we demonstrate a strong alliance between the North and South,” I said.
Rune laughed again, genuinely amused this time. I fought down my annoyance.
“Let me guess. By a marriage between you and Alrick von Wilbrandt?”
It seemed as if everyone spoke at once as Alrick and I exchanged glances.
“Is that true?” one of the rebels asked, his voice rising above the others.
“Truly the monster is mistaken,” Lord Otter said.
