The scent of blood and ash still lingered in the air as the last echoes of battle faded. The fires burning across the battlefield were being extinguished, but the weight of war remained heavy on Eric’s shoulders. King Harold was dead. His father—the tyrant he had spent his life resenting—was gone by his own hand. And now, the kingdom, its throne, and all the burdens that came with it, lay at Eric’s feet.
Yet, as he stood at the edge of the rebel camp, staring out at the bodies of fallen soldiers, he felt only unease. He had killed Harold to end his reign of terror, but now what? His father’s death didn’t mean their fight was over.
“Eric.”
Evelynn’s voice was soft, but it cut through the haze of his thoughts. He turned to see her sitting up in the medical tent, her face pale, her body wr
