Return of the Queen by Samantha Hastings & Samantha Larsen

Author:Samantha Hastings & Samantha Larsen [Hastings, Samantha & Larsen, Samantha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scribbling Pens
Published: 2023-10-01T16:00:00+00:00

23

MATTEO

His horse and his cavalry soldiers were tired. He had not seen the main part of his army in nearly three days. They were somewhere on the road behind them. Matteo had met little resistance since the siege of Nance Château. If they kept their current pace, by the end of the day they would reach Château de Cruese. The last Kaulish military stronghold before the capital city and Haute-Rhône Palace, where Nora was being held.

Tortured.

Matteo prayed to his ancestors that he would arrive in time to save her.

He led the slow trot through a small city. There was no sign to indicate its name. His cavalry was not met by cheers or crowds. In fact, there was not a soul to be found on the streets. The doors were closed and the windows dark and shuttered. They were in the heart of Kaul. The peasants here would not speak any Sanian or even the high tongue known by the wealthy of the continent.

The hair on his arms stood up, and he felt a shiver start at his toes and run through his entire body. It was like riding through a ghost town, except he knew that it wasn’t vacant. Behind the closed doors and windows were people who hated him and his country. Unconsciously, he picked up the speed of the march. They needed to get out of this village as soon as possible.

A shriek filled the air.

Glancing up, Matteo saw a black bird circling above them, cawing mournfully. The bird continued to fly over them before landing on General de Flores’s shoulder. She caught the bird with one hand, her other still on the reins of her horse. She dropped the reins and untied a message from the bird’s leg before grabbing them again. Once the message was delivered, the bird flew away, cawing loudly.

“The creature must have been looking for Lord Xavier,” she said, unfurling the message. Her eyes scanned the note and he watched the blood drain from her face. The news from Kaul must be bad, for he’d never seen the general express so much emotion in his life.

Gripping his reins tighter so that he wouldn’t tear it from her grasp, he asked, “What news from our spies, General?”

“You were right, Your Majesty,” she said slowly. “Our informer is asking for our position and size. The spymaster was selling our information to the Kauls.”

Matteo bent forward slightly. “Anything else?”

General de Flores lowered her chin until it rested on her chest. “Princess Nora was killed by King Pierre.”

“No! No! No!”

She offered the note to him with a shaking hand. “My deepest condolences, Your Majesty. Nora was the most incredible swordswoman I have ever met.”

He took the letter and quickly read through its short contents, swallowing frequently. His throat felt constricted and his limbs weak. Matteo swallowed again, unable to clear his throat. She was gone. The woman he’d gone to war for was dead. He would never again feel her lips on his mouth or her steel at his throat.

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