Chapter 22
One Week Later
In centaur form, Gisela stood with the whole of Dash’s army at the border of her mother’s lands.
This had been the last thing she wanted. But Dash had been right. Meara would never stop.
Not until she was forced from her throne.
I hate war.
Yet here she stood, side-by-side with men and women ready to lay down their lives to end her mother’s bloody reign.
Her mother’s army was ready. They were in the valley below, waiting for the cry to begin killing.
Dash’s army was primarily unicorns, but he had a number of soldiers from other races, including two dragons who were friends of his wife.
Because she was pregnant, Tanis had stayed at home where it was safest for the baby she carried.
As the war drums pounded a rhythm that went all the way through her body, the fetid wind blew through their ranks, ruffling the banners of their army and her hair and tail.
She’d never fought in her centaur form before. But it seemed somehow right. Natural even.
How she hated to think of the number of their soldiers who’d die today. The number of centaurs who’d pay for her mother’s greed and cruelty.
And for what? A hollow crown?
She’d never cared less for it. Never dreamt she could be queen, yet here she was, willing to die to make sure no more innocent centaurs suffered.
Xaydin stood at her side in his full black metal armor. He was a troll of great power and beauty.
He took her hand and kissed it. “Don’t die today, my love.”
“Nor you. I’d much rather have you than a crown, because I can definitely live without it. And the last thing I want is to find out if I can live again without you.”
“Same. I would tell you to stay behind me, but I know you better. Just watch for arrows.”
“And swords and spears.”
“Indeed.” As soon as he said that word, the drumming stopped and a shriek ran through the enemy ranks.
En masse, they attacked.
“Hold position!” Dash’s criers warned.
The plan was to let Meara’s forces exhaust themselves by running uphill.
At least it was the plan until Meara’s squadron of wizards portaled into the midst and started hurling fireballs. Damn it! They’d forgotten about Meara’s Wizard Brigade.
Dash’s wizards returned that assault as the dragons launched and laid down their own fire over Meara’s army.
Utter chaos exploded.
She followed Xaydin down the hill, toward the enemy, taking care to make sure nothing and no one harmed him. She was used to fighting from the shadows and striking unseen.
This was a whole new way to fight, and honestly, it scared her. There was so much noise, and the ground quickly became slick with blood and other things she didn’t want to think about.
Her heart pounded so loudly that she could no longer hear the drums. And she was grateful she stood on four legs instead of two. She needed the extra stability. It was also awkward to have arms with hooves. Her entire center of gravity was different and she didn’t like it.
Even so, Gisela ducked a blow before she came up and stabbed the attacking centaur through the throat. His dying scream rang out, losing itself among all the others who were screaming in pain while they died.
She felt completely nauseated. Was this really the only way to remove her mother from power?
A queen who stayed back from her army to watch them die in her name, from a safe distance.
It made her sick that her mother would ask so many to die horribly on her behalf while refusing to fight with the rest of them. At least Dash was in the thick of it.
And Xaydin didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, he cut through the centaurs with an ease that was frightening. It was obvious that he was a creature of battle. At home here, like many of them.
But that didn’t mean that they should be so comfortable slaughtering others.
And for what? To keep a vain woman in power. One who so obviously cared nothing for those around her.
Meara was in this for her own glory. For her own needs and wants.
Gisela was ashamed that they were related. She didn’t want to watch soldiers die for her.
No. She wanted the blood of only one creature.
Meara.
“Candara!” she shouted, trying to find the mystic among the fighters.
Scanning those throwing fireballs, she finally spotted her between Masakage and Ryper, who’d chosen to fight as a human and not a unicorn.
Gisela made straight for her. But it wasn’t easy to reach her. It seemed like half the army used it to try to attack her.
She was almost there when four attackers surrounded her. She was fighting two at once when the third went to slice her legs. She felt a slight sting before the centaur was sent reeling.
Gisela smiled at the sight of Xaydin protecting her as he moved past her shoulder to take on the two she’d been fighting.
That left her able to deal with the fourth one. With two sword strokes, she was finally able to move forward again.
“What are you planning?” Xaydin asked.
“Get to my mother and end this. I need Candara to open a portal to where she’s standing.”
Xaydin wasn’t sure he approved of her plan, but if they could reach the queen, it would stop the fight and end the war.
It was a bold move.
If anyone could carry it off, it would be Gisela.
Still, he wasn’t keen on putting her in that kind of danger. Especially since they were winning. In time, they’d take this field and have the queen on the run.
But he understood Gisela’s desire to save as many lives as they could. He wasn’t thrilled with the losses they were taking on either side.
While he didn’t mind a good brawl every now and again, battles had never been the thing he craved as he was well aware of the cost. What monarchs asked their citizens to bear when they marched to war.
It was brutal. It was bloody.
And in the end, no one ever really won.
If only there were another way to settle things. But unreasonable creatures forced them to do what they must to protect their people and to keep the real monsters at bay.
He protected Gisela from the centaurs who were bent on killing her until they reached his sister.
Candara had a cut along her brow but otherwise seemed unhurt. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Gisela gestured in the direction she’d last seen her mother. “Can you teleport me to where Meara is?”
“Us,” Xaydin added. He had no intention of letting her go after her mother without backup.
“Are you sure about this?”
“I am.”
Candara looked at him and nodded. “All right. Stand back for a second.”
Masakage and Ryper covered her while she conjured her portal and made it large enough for them to pass through.
Gisela considered changing forms, then thought better of it. The Thassalians needed to see her in this form. It would make it easier for them to tolerate what she had to do to protect them.
She and Xaydin left the portal and appeared behind her mother whose attention was on the battle below.
Gisela angled her sword toward the guards who stood on each side of her mother while Xaydin did the same. “Enough, Mother. End this.”
The queen turned around, wide-eyed. “You’re attempting to overthrow me?”
“I’m taking you prisoner.”
Her mother laughed, then ran for the battle. Her two guards rushed them.
Normally, Gisela would have engaged them, but she left them to Xaydin so that she could pursue her mother into battle.
Because she was still in centaur form, the rear troops didn’t realize she was after Meara.
Not until her mother spun around.
“Kill her!” her mother roared, shoving the centaur closest to her toward Gisela.
Gisela froze as she realized this might not have been the brightest plan. Her heart pounded as she glanced toward her allies. She was a far cry from Dash’s army, and she had no way to cast a portal and escape.
I’m an idiot.
Gisela stepped back and felt a strong hand on her spine.
I’m with you, love, to the bitter end. You’re not alone. I’m right here, by your side. Xaydin’s words meant more to her than she could even begin to express. This was more than she’d ever expected or could hope for.
“I don’t want to hurt your soldiers, Mother. You need to answer for all you’ve done.”
Instead of attacking Gisela, the soldiers glanced about nervously.
“Did you not hear my orders?” Meara roared. “Kill her or die in her stead.”
That didn’t have the effect Meara had hoped. Instead of prompting them to do her bidding, they turned their swords on their queen.
Obviously, they were as tired of taking her threats and orders as everyone else.
“What is this?” Meara roared. “I’m your queen!”
“Are you really her daughter?” the soldier closest to Gisela asked.
“She is,” Xaydin said. “It’s why Meara has kept her in secret. Unlike her brothers, Gisela is fair-minded and decent.”
There was suspicion in their eyes, not that she blamed them, given all the decades of torment they’d suffered under her mother’s brutal fist. She couldn’t blame them for thinking she’d be the same.
“I may be of my mother’s blood, but I’m not of her ilk. Detain her for King Dash, and I’ll establish an elder council of noblemen and generals to vote in the next ruler of Thassalia…as they did in the old days.”
That swayed their minds instantly.
Her mother started to run, but her own soldiers kept her in place. “I’ll have all your heads!”
Gisela snorted. “Your days of threatening others are over.” She looked to the highest-ranking soldier, a colonel. “Tell the centaurs to retreat before we lose any more lives.”
He ran to obey.
Two soldiers took her mother by the arms.
She saw the defiance in Meara’s gaze, but she knew better than to try anything. Her army had betrayed her.
So had her daughter.
Queen Meara was finished.
“You did it, my love.” Xaydin gave her a hug that meant everything to her.
It was over, and as word spread to the army, the centaurs withdrew from battle.
As soon as their retreat was seen by Dash, he recalled his own warriors from the field. The two dragons circled over their heads, eyeing everyone below.
With Xaydin by her side, Gisela and the guards walked her mother through the army, toward Dash.