The maids gasped.Solveig gave them a secretive smile.“Lord Kaedric prefers to keep his personal affairs quiet. You should not question it further.”“Of course, my Lady,” one maid replied quickly.Another maid smiled. “Lord Kaedric certainly has good eyes for women. First Lady Liv, and now Lady Solveig.”Liv felt a vein in her forehead throb. “I beg your pardon?”Solveig jumped and quickly turned around.The four maids bowed.“Lady Liv!”Liv walked toward them, her eyes fixed on Solveig.“Did you just tell these women that you are Kaedric’s mistress?”Solveig forced a small smile. “It was the easiest answer.”“The easiest answer?”“If I told them the truth, they would ask more questions.”“So you decided to claim my man?”The maids looked at one another and slowly moved backward.One of them tried to help.“We meant no disrespect, Lady Liv. We only said Lord Kaedric has good eyes. Both you and Lady Solveig are very beautiful.”“Do not compare me to her,” Liv snapped. “We are nothing

“I can open it,” Sigrid said.For a moment, the command hall went quiet. Then the First Warden slammed one hand against the broken table.“Nonsense! That road was sealed after the last Svartheim attack. It will remain sealed.”General Bronn turned toward him. “Five hundred soldiers are trapped outside, and you want to throw away the only road that can reach them?”“And what do you suggest?” the First Warden snapped. “Should we open a hidden passage beneath Stormwall and invite Svartheim into the fortress? There are more than ten thousand people behind these walls.”“Those men outside have protected them for years!”“And I will not place the whole fortress in danger to save one battalion.”“They are still alive!” Bronn struck the table so hard that the carved markers jumped. “Stop speaking about them as if we have already buried them!”The First Warden stepped closer, showing no fear. “I am speaking as the man responsible for everyone inside Stormwall. You command soldiers, General. Yo

Kaedric stopped suddenly inside the Rootway, and Sigrid nearly walked into his back.“What is wrong?”The tunnel had divided into three paths. The roots inside the left passage were dry and grey, while thick black thorns blocked the middle road. The final path disappeared into darkness.Bronn turned toward Sigrid. “Which one?”She looked between the three paths before shaking her head. “I do not know.”Bronn’s eyes widened. “You brought us down here, and now you do not know?”“The roots have moved!”“My men do not have time for moving roots!”Sigrid turned on him. “Then return upstairs and shout at the mountain until it obeys you!”Bronn stepped closer. “Woman—”“Enough,” Kaedric said.The single word silenced both of them.Kaedric closed his eyes and tried to ignore the tiredness pressing against his body. He had already fought, crossed realms, and used more power than he should have. Every part of him wanted to stop.But five hundred soldiers did not have time for him to rest.At fi

The mercenaries stared at the dead man who had promised to protect them.Their Svartheim officers were gone. Their commander was dead. Now the Guardian of Midgard stood before them with blood running down his blade.Everyone understood what would happen next.One captain threw down his sword and fell to his knees.“Mercy, Lord Guardian!”Weapons dropped across the snow.“We surrender!”“Please spare us!”“We will never serve Svartheim again!”Another man dropped so quickly that his knees struck the frozen ground with a painful crack. “Accept us as your men! We will fight for you!”The mercenary captain pressed his forehead into the snow. “We will do anything you command. Please, my lord. Allow us to serve you.”Kaedric looked at the wounded soldiers behind him. Then he looked toward the broken bridge and the ruined ward-stones.“My men?”The disgust in his voice made the captain tremble.“No,” Kaedric said. “You have not earned that honour.”The captain pressed his face even lower. “F

Liv stood beside her sky-rift glider, pretending that she was calm.Inside her head, she was boiling.What rubbish!Solveig had appeared from nowhere, entered Kaedric’s home, dressed herself like a princess, and then told the maids that she was his mistress.His mistress!Liv had waited six years for Kaedric to return. She had raised their daughter alone. She had cried over him, prayed for him, and wondered every night whether he was still alive.Now this silver-haired woman thought she could simply smile at a few servants and take her place?A small voice inside Liv’s mind told her that she was being ridiculous. Solveig had already explained why she lied. They both knew she was hiding from her father and did not want the servants asking questions.Liv ignored that voice.If she remained quiet, the maids would remember this. They would whisper about it later. The next time another beautiful woman arrived at the estate, they might welcome her inside and forget to tell Liv.No.Liv was