Chapter 93

CHARLES

There was a small hill near the encampment we were staying in, large enough for me to see my army, but small enough that we couldn’t be seen by any approaching enemies. I climbed to the top of it shortly after we broke ground so that I could survey everything that I’d built.

The army spanned miles. Men, horses, dragons, cannons, weapons. We had been careful to avoid heavily populated areas on our trek to the Fresonian border, but I would be a fool to think that my brother wouldn’t be preparing for our arrival. The Fresonian army was impressive, but paled in comparison to my own.

Abernathy had really followed through on their promises, and the arrival of their men had been a large morale boost for mine. There was not a doubt in my mind that Felix and the Fresonians were not ready for the sheer size of my army.

My family had spent so long underestimating me that I had grown to underestimate myself. Who would have thought that I was capable of raising an entire army and uniting magical beings from across the great kingdoms for a common cause?

Felix had certainly never done such a thing.

I knew tomorrow’s battle would be the most important day of my life. My army would bulldoze its way into Fresonia at first light and eventually, I could only assume, face my brother and the Fresonian army. He might have had my father’s backing, but I had something even more powerful on my side–rage.

For a moment, I allowed myself to consider what life might have been like without Felix’s curse. Would my parents have paid more attention to me? Would Felix have gotten away with being less than perfect?

Would we be fighting now?

I shook my head, clearing my brain of those pesky thoughts. We were long past the time to contemplate my actions. I had tried to do things cleanly, by taking care of Mila. But cleanliness was no longer an option.

I retreated to my tent, reviewing the maps of the southern part of Fresonia in preparation for the next day. I silently cursed myself for not paying closer attention to my geography tutor when I was younger. I was poring over a map of the southern counties when I heard the sound of someone entering my tent.

I looked up to see Isabella, wearing an oversized sweater as a dress and no pants. I tried not to stare at her legs. Her hair was loose and unbound around her shoulders, and there was a look of slight determination on her face.

“I was wondering if we could talk,” she said, looking me up and down.

I did not know if she meant “talk” as a euphemism or if she actually was craving conversation. I took a step towards her, just in case.

“Is there something wrong?” I asked, keeping my voice at a low volume. No need for the whole army to overhear.

She hesitated. “I needed to confirm something with you.”

Great. This could be anything.

But the words that came out of her mouth were the last thing I expected.

“Are you planning on killing Felix tomorrow?” she asked.

For a moment, I could only stare at her, blinking.

“I mean, that is my plan,” I said slowly. “There is no other path to the throne.”

Isabella nodded once. “You must take the throne, Charles. We cannot allow Felix and Mila to rule any longer.”

I had no idea that her own thirst for vengeance ran so deep. I was almost impressed.

“You will be an excellent queen,” I said. Isabella’s head snapped up.

“Is that your goal still?” she asked. There was a tentativeness in her voice, as if she had been doubting her own place.

The truth was that I did not have real, romantic feelings for Isabella. She was a beautiful girl, and she had proved her usefulness on more than one occasion. We would have a satisfactory life, and she would produce a few more heirs for the line. She would be a fine queen, and had given up enough to dedicate to me that she would never stray. She had destroyed enough of her life to not have anything left to run to.

All she had was me. And I intended to keep it that way.

“Of course it is,” I purred.

Isabella grinned and threw her arms around my neck, tugging me closer. It was a rare moment of affection for me, something I was rather unused to. I allowed her to hug me for a moment before pulling back slightly.

“I missed you,” Isabella said breathlessly. “It was so awful when you were away. The men don’t respect me, not like you do.”

That meant things were particularly bad, considering that I actually had very little respect for her, but I appreciated the sentiment.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you,” I lied.

Isabella blushed. “I’m just glad you’re back. And that I can be at your service once more.”

We both knew what she really meant by that.

“Well, as much as I’d love to, I don’t have time for servicing right now,” I explained. “There are some maps that desperately need my attention. I need to figure out our best path into Fresonia.”

Isabella tilted her head, looking at the maps.

“There’s a large bridge that leads into Barlow,” she offered. “They do a lot of trade with the southern kingdoms and have a fairly easy path into Fresonia since it’s usually a place of business.”

I looked at her, surprised. I should not have been so shocked–as a noblewoman, Isabella would have had the same access to fine tutors that Felix and I did. It seemed that she just paid a bit more attention.

“I didn’t realize,” I said. “But that’s brilliant. It’s the perfect place to begin the siege. Fresonia will not know what’s coming. The kingdom will crumble at our feet.”

For a moment, there was a slight shadow that crossed her face, as if she was doubting herself–or me. But she quickly smiled, and the darkness disappeared.

“You are a wonderful leader,” she said. “The people of Fresonia will be lucky to have you on the throne. I’ll leave you to it.”

She made for the exit of the tent, ducking down to avoid some of the poles. As she did, the sweater rode up on her legs a bit, revealing smooth, pale skin underneath. My mouth watered as I saw the sight of it. It had been many days since I’d last had release, and I was feeling… restless.

“You can stay if you’d like,” I offered. “I could use someone to keep my bed warm.” Might as well let off some steam before the big day. I could not afford any type of distractions before the battle.

She dutifully tied the tent back shut and headed over to the bed.

“Your Majesty,” she murmured, lifting the sweater over her head. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath, and her breasts perked in the cold.

I smirked. “That’s my good girl. Now be nice and patient for me while I finish out our plan of attack.”