AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes,” he replied easily.
“For them to be effective spies, they can’t have undergone the change. How did you recruit them if they’re not from Wind and Wild? I’ve seen the babies and children here. The curse takes them young.”
“Most are enemies of your kings.” Alisdair crossed something out on his parchment. “They offer their services to the enemy of their enemy in exchange for equal compensation.”
“Paid informants.” I nodded, turning that over in my head. “But are any of them Lumenfellians? As in loyal to you and the kingdom?”
“Some.”
“Among those some, are any of them women? Unbound women,” I clarified.
“Fewer still.” Alisdair gave me his back, crossing to the bookshelf. “Even if their magic isn’t bound, they have to spend every day pretending it is. If they’re discovered, they’re forcibly bound, then imprisoned. It’s the choice between living free as a beast, or a secret in the shadows.”
Sighing, I deflated—flopping back in my chair. “Yeah, you’re right. It wasn’t a very good idea. I was thinking why go through the horror of slaughtering every man in Elva, when we could simply embed unchanged Lumenfell women in key places in the kingdoms, waiting for the perfect time to strike. But if—”
“Stop,” he sliced, making me jump. Alisdair spun and advanced on me so fast, I backed up against the wall. “Say that again.”
I blinked owlishly at him. “I... I said there’s no need for mass slaughter if we could surround our enemies with silent, innocent-looking assassins. No one would ever suspect a woman.” I scoffed. “Especially not a woman who still wields magic. They believe they ended that threat hundreds of years ago.”
I shrunk under his intense stare. “What? Why are you looking at me like that? If you think it’s a bad idea, just say so. I’ve had enough of your teasing for one day—”
“That’s brilliant,” he breathed. “Genius.”
What did he say?
“Fuck’s sake, why didn’t I think of that?” Alisdair crossed to the door and stuck his head out. “Foalan, get in here!
“Continue, Princess,” he said, turning back to me.
“You’re serious? You really think it’s a good idea?”
“I think words that I once said sarcastically were in actuality the truest thing I’ve ever said, or has ever been said,” Alisdair replied, tone serious. “Everyone in your life who dared underestimate you is a damn fool. Including me.”
Alisdair took my hand, drawing me away from my rune practice to the maps he was poring over. “Where?” He pierced the parchment tapping the map with his claws. “Where would you embed our assassins?”
I heard him sayour, but the issue was, I heard myself sayourtoo. I didn’t want war. I was sick to death of the pain and sorrow war had brought to Elva for longer than anyone’s living memory could recall. But what I did want... was to keep my promise to my faywens.
I told Meliora and Gisela they would grow to be anything they wanted to be. I swore to Mama I wouldn’t stop searching for a cure to ease her suffering, and give our mother back to us. I told my sweet, dreamy Jaclan that no one would ever steal his fanciful dreams, and shove a soldier’s armor in their place.
Maybe it was the curse secretly working on me, turning me into the most animalistic version of myself. Maybe it was merely Alisdair’s bad influence. But he was right. One could shout all the live long day that they don’t want war, but if they want things that only war will achieve, what’s the fucking difference?
If asking nicely could’ve ended the forced bindings and death sentences placed on women, we wouldn’t still be here centuries later with pleas on our lips.
Power isn’t given. It’s wrested away from cold, dead fingers, and when again in my life would I have a great and terrible man willing to wrest away said power... and give it to me.
“The Crystal Palace,” I said, signing the seal of treason. “My father has an army of female servants, because of course changing sheets and scrubbing toilets islowlywork only fit for women. He even has two perch over his bed at night, fanning and keeping him cool while he snores away,” I said. “They wouldn’t need magic to slit his sleeping throat, but magic would certainly help them slip away without a trace.”
Alisdair leaned over me, enveloping me in that heady scent of jasmine and pine. “And you would be okay with this? Ordering the death of your father?”
“I hate that man.” Emiana’s truth fell from her lips, fired by the hatred etched into her bones. “Why shouldn’t I order his death? He ordered mine when he had me bound. He ordered it again when he sold me to a man who had every intention of killing me.” I gave him a wry grin. Alisdair grinned back. “That man never showed an ounce of loyalty or care for me. Even less for the women of Lyrica. They suffer while he grows fat and rich, gorging himself on sex and looted coin.”
I scoffed, lips curling. “Let him die. I’ll stand on his corpse to sit upon a throne that was never his and always mine, and rise higher than a son of his ever could. He’ll burn for the restof eternity, wishing he hadn’t underestimated the princess of Lyrica— No...” I smirked. “The queen of Wind and Wild.”
“You are magnificent,” Alisdair gruffed, heat pouring off him and setting my skin ablaze. “I would have you right here.”
I laughed. “Huh, so that’s all it takes to seduce you.”
I don’t know who moved first—him or me—but in a flash, we were tearing at each other, ripping off any piece of clothing we got our hands on.
