Page 61 of Autumn Queens & Shadows

“From one father killer to another, you should know that the names we were given as children only serve us as leashes that tie us down to servitude.”

“How very sad of you to make fatherhood a flaw of your father’s considering that uncle Sigurd’s biggest flaw was you being his child to begin with.”

“I’m certain Silas Krigborn bones haven’t been resting well with you on the throne either.”

“My father created a god, your father simply raised a greedy little girl who doesn’t know how to pick her fights.”

It was either hard for her to hide her displeasure and anger, or no one had ever shown her spoiled self how. “I’ve come to give you a wedding gift.”

“How kind.”

“A deal.”

“Ah, but of course. Only you’d think of a deal as a gift.”

“Is that supposed to offend me?”

“No, but what you just said did. Lacking comprehension is rather unfortunate.” I waved my hand. “You were to hand me a gift.”

“My soldiers will retreat from Modr and Hanai, if you hand over to me the Isline villages.”

I snorted. “Sure, I will hand them to you.”

Her brows hiked up. “You…will?”

Bones cracked and she screamed as her hands shot forwards, shaking as blood rushed to the end of the limbs, turning her pale skin an angry red.

“Yes,” I said. “Sure. If you have no hands, I don’t think I can hand anything back to you though.”

Her laughter was almost maniacal as she searched around the empty throne room for what I presume either a Crafter or an Umbra. “Everyone saw me enter here with both of them. They will call you cowardly to turn a friendly meeting into a bloody match.”

“Match?” I asked, standing. “You’re no match to me, Isa. If you thought yourself to be a match to me, you wouldn’t rely on deals. You’d simply take them from me.”

She wore the grin of a sick minded fool. “Aren’t I already doing that?”

She let out a grunt when her knees banged against the floor, kneeling before me, her whole body locking tight as I made my way to her. Groaning and moaning, unable to speak, she looked around as if my walls would get feet and come to her aid. “I asked we meet alone,” she bellowed as if her requests even had any power in my kingdom. “But I should have known you’d play this dirty. Tell your Umbra to show their face!”

“We are alone, Isa. Just me and you.”

Confusion tinted her red splotchy face as she looked back and forth her locked limbs, groaning as she tried to move them and failed.

“You were not able to rule like a queen," I said, bending down to her. “But look at the bright side. I can let you die as one. Crown you for a day and kill you to claim my throne back.”

“You kill me and more will follow,” Iskyla snarled. “Angrier. More powerful. Born and bred to take you down. Queen and Kings with more worth than you will ever have.”

“Then I will kill those, too. Maybe I’ll kill you all. Perhaps you are right. Maybe it is time old Isea becomes one again. No Isjordians and no Isliners. Just Isjordians.”

She let out a broken wicked laugh. “No army of man will be led to that.”

“Funny you think I need an army of the living.”

“Your husband will not be aid to your madness, that much I know.”

“Husband? No, Isa, I meant me. I’m the army.” I grabbed her nape harder and I put my brow to hers, her pale yellow eyes clashing with mine. “My wolves will tear through your young and old without feel, without tire, without rest. It will be quick. So quick that history will brand me a merciful queen.” Leaning in, I whispered in her ear, “I will make sure that everyone knows it was because of you. That their fate was your doing.”

Pulling back, I straightened my dress. “But it would be so wasteful. At the end of the day, they are people of Isea, too. People I am trying to protect. From you.” A gust of wind blew inside the empty room and pieces of snow and ice materialised behind me. Two massive ice wolves growled at her. “You have five seconds to get out of my sight.”

She collapsed forward, finally in control of her limbs. Breathing hard, she snarled up at me. “You think I’ve not learnt your little tricks?”