Chapter 214 - An Olive branch

Chapter 214 - An Olive branch
CASSIAN 

The war had become a living nightmare.

I stood at the edge of the rocky plateau, staring down at the valley below, where the remnants of Sargon's army were regrouping. The smoke from the battlefield still hung in the air, thick and acrid, stinging my eyes and burning my throat. The ground was littered with bodies, Norwyn soldiers, Aurelian soldiers, and the massive forms of dragons that had fallen from the sky.

Two dragons had been felled that morning.

Unbonded dragons, wild ones that had answered the call to defend the kingdom. They had flown into battle with fierce determination, their roars shaking the very mountains. But Sargon's forces were prepared. The cursed spears had found their marks, and the great beasts had come crashing down, their bodies carving deep furrows into the earth.

I had watched them fall.

I had felt their pain through the bond that connected all dragons, a ripple of agony that had nearly brought me to my knees. Taheer had roared in fury, his grief echoing through my mind like a thunderclap.

And then there was Evander's dragon.

She had been struck in the wing, the spear tearing through the delicate membrane and sending her spiraling toward the ground. Evander had managed to guide her down, but she was badly wounded. The healers were working on her now, but I could see the fear in my brother's eyes.

We were losing.

Not the war, not yet, but the battle. Sargon's forces were relentless, their numbers seemingly inexhaustible. Reinforcements poured in from Norwyn daily, fresh soldiers eager to claim the glory of conquest. And while we had dragons, we did not have enough riders to control them. The unbonded dragons were brave, but they were also reckless. They did not understand strategy. They did not understand the danger of the spears.

We were stretched thin.

And then the letter came.

\-————————————

I was in my tent, hunched over a map, trying to devise a new strategy, when Rennick entered. His face was pale, his hands trembling slightly as he held out a sealed parchment.

"Your Majesty," he said. "A letter from the palace."

I took it, my heart already sinking. I recognized the seal, my mother's seal.

I broke it open and read.

My dear son,

I have discovered the truth about Lady Lira of the Vale. She is not who she claims to be. Her name is Lirael Sutton, daughter of the traitor Aidan Sutton. She has confessed to everything, her impersonation, her conspiracy with Norway, her role in freeing the dragon that attacked our kingdom.

She has been arrested and will be executed for treason. The execution will take place in three days.

I know you may have feelings for this woman, but you must understand that she has betrayed us all. She has betrayed you. The kingdom must come first.

I trust you will see reason.

Your mother,
The Queen Dowager

I read the letter three times.

Each time, the words burned deeper into my soul.
Lita arrested and to be executed in three days. 

I crumpled the letter in my fist.

"Your Majesty?" Rennick's voice was careful. "Is something wrong?"

"First, send word to my mother. Tell her she is not to carry out any orders without me. Halt the execution. I have to leave," I said. "I have to go back to the palace."

"Your Majesty..." 

"I have to go."

I was already moving, already reaching for my sword, already calling for Taheer through the bond.

But before I could reach the entrance of the tent, a messenger burst through.

"Your Majesty!" He was breathless, his face flushed with exertion. "A messenger from King Sargon of Norwyn. He is under a flag of truce. He requests a parley with you."

I stopped.

"A parley?"

"He wishes to meet with you personally. He says... he says he wants to end the war. Hand to hand combat. You and him. The winner takes all."

I stared at the messenger.

Hand to hand combat.

Sargon wants to fight me.

He wants to kill me himself. I didn't know if he was stupid or just foolish 

"Your Majesty," Rennick said, his voice urgent. "You cannot possibly agree to this. It is clearly a trap."

"Perhaps," I said. "Or perhaps it is the only way to end this war without more bloodshed."

"Your Majesty..." 

I held up a hand.

"Send word to Sargon," I said to the messenger. "Tell him I will meet him. Tell him I accept his terms."

The messenger bowed and left.

Rennick stepped forward, his face pale.

"Your Majesty, you cannot..." 

"I have to, Rennick." My voice was quiet. "If I can end this war by facing Sargon myself, I will do it. I will not let more of my people or the dragons die."

"Prepare the men," I said. "And send word to Evander. I want him ready with our forces and Taheer as backup. If I give the signal..." 

"If I give the signal, he is to attack."

Rennick hesitated.

Then he bowed.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

\---

I found Evander in the healers' tent.

His dragon was lying on a large bed of straw, her wing wrapped in bandages, her breathing labored. Evander sat beside her, his hand resting on her snout, his face etched with worry.

"Evander," I said.

He looked up.

"Cassian."

"I need to speak with you."

He rose, his eyes searching my face. "What is it?"

"I have accepted Sargon's offer of a parley. Hand to hand combat. The winner takes all."

Evander's eyes widened.

"Cassian, is that wise..." 

"I have no choice."

"You have a choice. You can say no. You can..." 

"If I say no, the war continues. More people die. More dragons die." I looked at his wounded dragon. "More of our family dies."

Evander was silent.

"I need you to be ready," I continued. "I need you to have our men and Taheer prepared as backup in case it's a trap. If I give the signal, you attack."

"Cassian..." 

"If something happens to me..." 

"Nothing will happen to you."

"If something happens to me," I repeated, "you are to take command. You are to protect the kingdom. You are to make sure Lira stays safe and alive." 

Evander grabbed my arm.

"Nothing will happen to you," he said again. "Do you hear me? Nothing. You are going to meet Sargon, you are going to defeat him, and you are going to come back alive."

"Thank you. I leave now, I should arrive there before sundown and hopefully all this would be over tomorrow morning," I said.

Evander nodded.

\---

I walked out of the tent. My men watching me solemnly behind me. Evander followed behind. He would follow me and stay close enough to see me give my signal, close enough to rein in reinforcements if Sargon decided he was going to attack me with the weight of his army instead. 

I thought about Lira.

About her face, her voice, the way she looked at me like I was the only person in the world.

Three days, I thought. She has three days before she is executed. I had to go back. 

I have to save her. 

"Your Majesty."

I turned.

Taheer stood behind me, his massive form silhouetted against the darkening sky.

You are troubled, he said.

"Yes. It is unfortunate. I can't help it."

'I can feel your fear. It is unlike anything I've ever felt before.'

I was silent for a long moment.

"I am afraid," I admitted. "I am afraid that this won't work. That I won't make it back in time... this has to work..." 

You are afraid of losing her.

"Yes. More than anything. I would fly back to the palace right now, but if there's a slight chance I can save the kingdom before I do so, I shall." 

Taheer lowered his head, his golden eyes meeting mine.

'Do not worry. You won't lose her' he said. 'I shall also make sure of it' 

I almost smiled.

"Thank you."