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“As you command, My Queen,” he mumbled from behind me. I didn’t even have to turn to make sure he was following. Even though I barely knew this man, I knew he would accompany me back to the castle to ensure my safety. But why? Why was he still here? Had he agreed to meet with the rebels?
I was grateful to Rune. In many ways. He’d saved my life from the attackers and was saving my reputation by making me return to the castle. And yet, there was a part of me that resented this man. The war he had waged for the monster he called father. All the people he had killed to protect an evil man. But even beyond that, there was a strange hate I felt for him deep in my chest.
No, not hate.
It was more guilt and worry. Something about him made me feel like I was betraying Alrick. Which was absurd, considering I had done nothing wrong, and it was Alrick who had sent him here in the first place. But still...something didn’t feel right. The way my hand had lingered on his. The way Rune had dared to say my name with the soft tone of a lover. Then there were the questions about his motives. What did Rune want to get out of all of this? End the war? Did he suddenly care? Or had he always hated the war? Maybe he was a victim of circumstance. Like me.
As I made my way up the stairs and out of the small church, I kept glancing back at Rune when he wasn’t looking. He was still smeared in blood but didn’t seem bothered enough to wipe it away, not even on his face. Unemotional and detached, he walked up to an enormous warhorse, one of those muscular beasts almost twice the size of a normal horse. It was pitch black, its mane wild and long.
With an elegant, smooth motion, he mounted the beast and petted it on its shimmering neck. It was the first tender movement I had ever seen from this war machine of a man. Then he caught me staring at him. I instantly looked away.
“Fear not, My Queen,” he said in that cold tone of his. “I shall look presentable once we reach your castle.”
With that, he gave his gigantic horse his heels and rode off back onto the path that led to the castle. For a moment, I stared after him, my brows pinched together. By God, I wished this man would leave my castle soon so I’d never have to see him again. But as much as I hated it, I still needed him. I needed him to end this war, which in turn would finally allow me to marry Alrick.
With a sigh, I mounted my horse and rode after Rune. The plays at my castle would come to an end any minute now, and then all hell would break loose if I was missing.
As my horse galloped through the woods, drenched in the evening sun’s warm, orange light, I couldn’t help but think of Dieter and Alrick. I prayed Dieter would recover and that the monks would keep their word and free Alrick on time to attend the rest of my ball and the fireworks. If the rebels weren’t seen tonight, my people would blame the rebels for my father's death.
I would end up all alone again—with a heart as dark as the night itself.
