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A disillusioned soldier. A spoiled, untried prince. A coup that threatens the country they love.
When retired soldier Kemen finds the young prince Hakan fleeing an attempted assassination, he reluctantly takes the role of mentor and guardian. Keeping the prince alive is challenging enough. Making him a man is harder.
As usurper Vidar tightens his grip on power, Kemen wrestles with questions of duty and honor. What if the prince isn’t the best ruler after all?
Invasion looms, and Kemen’s decisions will shape the fate of a nation. What will he sacrifice for friendship and honor?
Excerpt:
“I’m
out in four months. I’ve done my time. I want to see my children. Every
day, not just for a week twice a year.” Mikoto speaks to me quietly.
“That’s understandable.” I try to push down my envy. A wife. Children. I would give almost anything for those joys.
Yuudai
is the first to realize we have a problem. He shouts to warn us. The
scouts must have been killed already. There are Tarvil everywhere. They
are among us before we can organize. Our
formation is ragged, but we are well trained, and we pincer the Tarvil
among us as we close ranks.
They have archers. They outnumber us. Badly.
We make them pay dearly for their victory, but we are lost.
Blood
spatters across my chest, Yuudai’s blood. His throat is open, but even
fallen to his knees, he brings up his sword with his last strength to
block a blow meant for me.
Sword brothers.
We will die together.
My chest blooms into brilliant pain, searing. I am staring along the length of a javelin at the sun-streaked sky.
I
woke with a jerk. My chest hurt, a heavy ache, and I sat up, hunching
forward to rub the scar with my left hand. The pain was in my mind more
than my chest. I tried to calm my breathing.
“Are you well?” Hakan was up on one elbow looking at me.
“Fine.”
I closed my eyes again. Phraa. It still felt like the shaft of the
javelin was grinding against my ribs with each breath.
“Do you want a drink or something?” He sounded a little frightened.
“I’m
fine.” I lay back down and stared up at the stars. Out of the corner of
my eye I saw him stare at me a minute longer before settling down again.
It took a long time for my shoulders to
relax and to sleep again.
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