Rendall hesitated. His jaw worked as though chewing on words he didn't want to speak. Then, slowly, reluctantly, he nodded his head. "Yeah."Lyanna's lips curved into a smirk, sharp, cruel, and utterly unlike the warm smiles she'd been giving Kael moments before. "Good. I'm tired of playing the doting girlfriend. Three months of this charade have been exhausting."Rendall said nothing. He turned and walked away, his shoulders heavy with something that might have been guilt.Lyanna watched him go, then looked down at her hands, the same hands that had just been lovingly running through Kael's hair. She flexed her fingers experimentally, as if testing their strength. "Sorry, darling." She whispered to the empty air. "But business is business."Kael ran through the castle corridors like his life depended on it, which, given his father's notorious impatience, it very well might. His boots echoed loudly against the polished marble floors, the sound reverberating off the stone walls hu

The throne room had transformed in the hour Kael had been waiting. What was once an empty, echoing chamber now thrummed with life and anticipation. Guild members from across the kingdom filled the space, warriors in polished armour, mages in flowing robes, scouts in leather gear that bore the marks of countless journeys. They stood in organised rows, their faces turned expectantly toward the grand entrance where the monarchs would appear.Kael stood among them now, positioned near the front with the other inductees. His heart hammered against his ribs like a caged bird desperate for freedom. He wiped his sweaty palms against his ceremonial tunic, the formal attire that had been delivered to his quarters that morning, deep blue with silver threading that caught the light.Guild Master Torin stood at the base of the dais, his weathered face impassive as always. Marcus Valen was positioned to his right, the Elite Squad captain's red hair like a flame in the afternoon light streaming thr

"Before we move to the celebration feast, I find myself compelled to share a story. You see, looking at these young faces, these eager warriors ready to prove themselves, I'm reminded of my own induction into the Elite Squad many, many years ago."This was unexpected. The king rarely spoke of his own days as a warrior. Kael leaned forward with a fascinated look on his face."I was, oh, about twenty years old.” Aldric began, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Young, arrogant, absolutely convinced I was the greatest swordsman who'd ever lived. My father, Kael's grandfather, god rest his soul, had finally agreed to let me join the Elite Squad, though I suspect it was partly to humble me."A few knowing chuckles rippled through the older guild members who'd served under the previous king."My first mission." Aldric continued, a smile playing at his lips.“Was supposed to be simple. A group of bandits had been harassing merchants on the eastern road. Six bandits, they said. Maybe seven.

Morning light crept through the window like a thief, golden rays stretching across the floor and climbing onto the bed where Kael lay. The brightness pressed against his closed eyelids, pulling him gradually from the deep, dreamless sleep he'd fallen into.He groaned softly, his body heavy and sore in unfamiliar ways. His muscles ached,a pleasant ache that reminded him of last night, of Lyanna, of everything they'd shared. A smile tugged at his lips before his eyes even opened.Last night…The memories flooded back in vivid detail: her skin under his hands, her voice calling his name, the overwhelming pleasure that had consumed them both. His smile widened. Today was the beginning of everything. His first official day as an Elite Squad member. His first day truly begins with Lyanna as equals in the same squad.Still half-asleep, Kael rolled over on the bed, his arm reaching out instinctively for her warmth. His hand patted the space beside him, expecting to find her soft curves, her g

He stopped as he began to sense something was wrong.The squad, seven figures in identical uniforms, stood in a line, perfectly still. Too still. They weren't talking, weren't moving, weren't doing anything a group of warriors on an active monster hunt should be doing.They were just... standing there. Watching him."Sir?" Kael's voice came out smaller than he intended. "What's going on? Why aren't they…""Kael."The voice came from the line of squad members. A woman's voice. Familiar and beloved and currently devoid of all warmth.Lyanna stepped forward from the group.She looked different in the Elite Squad uniform. More dangerous. Her golden hair was pulled back in a practical braid, and her sky-blue eyes, those eyes he'd stared into last night while making love, regarded him with the cold assessment of a butcher examining meat."Lyanna!" Relief and confusion warred in Kael's chest. "Thank gods you're here. Something's wrong, I think we need to…""Nothing's wrong, darling." The