Startled by the abruptness, I didn’t say anything at first. Then I nodded slowly and turned to leave Ridley standing alone in his room, wondering if I had failed him so much that we would never be able to reconcile again.

FORTY-SEVEN

offense

That’s not good enough!” Tilda barked, standing over a sweaty Skojare guard.

I’d been sparring with a different guard, but I stopped what I was doing to look over at her. For training today, she’d done her best to look every bit the part of a captain. Her hair was pulled back in a smooth ponytail, and she’d even gotten her hands on a frosty blue Skojare uniform. It fit her well, except that the jacket had to be left open to compensate for her growing belly.

Baltsar had set us up in the ballroom of the palace, since it had the most space. It was an opulent round room with white marble floors. Above us, the ceiling was domed glass, making this one of the few places I’d seen in the Storvatten palace that let in natural light.

The wallpaper had this magical quality, with a pale bluish sheen and a silver design etched into it, but when you looked at it, it seemed to move, like waves on the water. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Every twenty feet or so, the wallpaper was broken up with a marble half pillar.

Baltsar and Ridley had organized the training today, separating the guards into groups based on their experience. Since taking his position a few weeks ago, Baltsar had already begun to rework the guard and hired thirty new recruits. On top of that, with the threat of war, many commoners and even a few of the royals had volunteered to join the makeshift army being built.

Tilda had been tasked with commanding the group of new recruits and volunteers, and she was running them through their paces like a drill sergeant. When they’d first been assigned to her, I’d heard the recruits snickering about how easy they’d gotten it because she was pregnant and a girl. None of them were snickering now.

At the back of the room, Baltsar was commanding his troop. While Tilda focused on more basic endurance and strength training, just trying to get them into proper physical condition, Baltsar was working on sword skills, while Ridley focused on hand-to-hand fighting.

For the most part, Konstantin and I just floated around, sparring with people and helping to show them proper form as needed. Right now Konstantin was standing with Ridley, discussing what to work on next, while Ridley’s group ran laps around the ballroom.

Ridley had asked for Konstantin’s opinion on several things today in regard to training, and that made sense since Konstantin had a lot of experience as a tracker, a guard, and practical application in real life. Since Förening, the two had seemed to get along well, and Ridley appeared to trust Konstantin’s judgment.

I’d had no input on what was happening today. Konstantin, Ridley, and Tilda actually all outranked me (discounting the fact that Konstantin and I had been exiled, of course). But that meant that while Ridley, Tilda, and Baltsar had to dress in uniforms like commanding officers, and the four of them had to worry and decide what everyone needed to focus on, I just got to get down and dirty.

I was in my tank top and yoga pants, sweating and fighting with whomever I could. And honestly, it felt amazing. In the chaos of everything around me, training in the gym was the one area I could always count on. This was the first time in a long time I’d had a chance to really work off all the aggression I had about feeling so powerless against Mina and Viktor Dålig.

So today, as I punched another one of Tilda’s recruits in the jaw, I couldn’t help but smile. It felt great to be back.

“Bryn!” Tilda shouted. “You’re not supposed to be making contact, remember? This is just training. You don’t want to break all the soldiers before they go to battle.”

“Right. Sorry. I got a little overzealous.” I waved at her, but by the look in her eyes, I knew that wasn’t good enough.

She walked over to me, the trainees parting around her. “That’s the fourth time I’ve called you out on it. We’ve been going at this all day. Why don’t you take five?”

“No, I’m good. I don’t need it.”

“Bryn.” She looked at me severely, and I realized it wasn’t a suggestion. “Take a break.”

“Fine,” I said because there was no point in arguing with her.

I apologized to the guy I’d hit, then I turned and walked away. I tried not to storm off, despite my irritation. But both Konstantin and Ridley turned to look back at me, their eyes questioning. I just forced a smile and hurried on my way.

At the end of the ballroom were two large doors, and I pushed them both with my hands as hard as I could, blowing off a bit of steam. They flew open, and I heard a deep voice rumble in pain.

As the doors swung closed, I looked over to see that I had hit someone with the door. He straightened up, looking down at me with dazzling blue eyes, the thin gills under his jawline flaring when he exhaled. The chandelier directly above us was out, and his broad shoulders cast an ominous shadow over me from the light at the end of the hall.

It was the newly reappointed King, Mikko Biâelse. This was the first time I’d seen him since I’d been implicated in his younger brother’s death, and he did not look happy to see me.

FORTY-EIGHT

confrontation

Bryn Aven,” Mikko said in a voice that rumbled like thunder. Linnea had once told me that Mikko was painfully shy, and I found that so strange. With his striking good looks, rather imposing size, and a voice like Odin, I’d never met anybody else who had a presence like his. He looked like he’d been created to be King.

I swallowed hard before replying with, “Your Highness,” and bowing.

“There’s no need for that.” He looked uncomfortable for a moment, then folded his arms over his chest. “I heard that I have you to thank for my freedom.”

“I . . . I, uh, that was more Marksinna Lisbet,” I stammered in surprise. His words sounded kind, but he looked like he wouldn’t mind snacking on my bones for breakfast.

“She said that you swayed Baltsar into action,” he said. “While I was incarcerated, Linnea told me that you never stopped believing in me and fighting for my innocence. She insisted that you were our greatest ally.”

“I . . .” I didn’t know how to reply to that. It was an exaggeration, but there was some truth to it, so I said simply, “I just did what I thought was right, sire.”

“It’s unfortunate how rare it is to find someone who will do what’s right.”

He turned his attention toward the ballroom doors. A sliver of bright light spilled through the thin gap between the doors into the darkness of the hall, making a line across Mikko’s face as he peered inside. Even out in the hall, Tilda could easily be heard, shouting her commands.

The King had apparently come to watch his new army training, and with his attention back on that and off me, now would be a perfect time for me to slip away. I could go down the hall, get a drink of water, and cool off.

But I hesitated, and it caused him to look back at me. “Is there something I can do for you, Bryn?”

“I wanted to say that I’m sorry about your brother,” I said finally.

He sighed heavily. “So am I.” His normally hard expression softened, disillusionment and sadness wearing down on his features. “And I’m sorry that you got pulled into that mess. Linnea filled me in on what happened, and I appreciate you acting as honorably as you did.”

“Thank you,” I said, stunned to hear Mikko actually thanking me for my involvement in his brother’s death.

“I do wish that Kennet had been able to come to me with his concerns instead of taking matters to into his own hands.” He turned his eyes to the ceiling, and his exasperation gave way to anger. “But that’s my father’s doing. He always said that a real man would take what he wanted. Kennet was kinder than that, or at least he would’ve been without Father’s influence.”

From what I understood, Mikko and Kennet’s father, the late King Rune, was not a good man. My mom had bordered on calling him a sadist. He had hoarded sapphires and let the palace and the kingdom fall into disrepair. He’d been more focused on maintaining his wealth than the welfare of anyone, including his own children.

Even after his father’s death, Mikko had seemed afraid to undo his proclamations. The continuing policies of Rune had led to an inept guard and rifts in the kingdom. It was also one of the motivations for Kennet’s attempt at overthrowing Mikko.

“Despite everything Kennet did, I do believe that he loved you,” I said.

Mikko lowered his eyes. “I know he did. That’s what makes it harder.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“No. In an awful way, this has all been good for me.” He looked up at me, making eye contact for one of the first times since I’d met him. “I’ve realized that I need to step out of my father’s shadow and lead in my own right.”

“Queen Linnea has talked about the greatness she sees in you,” I said. “They need a strong leader, and I think you’re the one to do it.”