Chapter 33
“You. Two. Are. Going. To. Be. The. Death. Of. Me,” Conalle said, panting between words.
“You’re getting soft, Connie,” Solveig jeered, doing nothing to hide her smirk as she and the prince loomed over him. Conalle opened his eyes and groaned.
“Seriously, you might as well leave me here. Mark me for a watery grave when the tide comes in.” He brought the back of his hand to his forehead. Solveig chuckled softly, and the prince’s attention snapped to her. She met his gaze, her smile vanishing, guarding her thoughts. Neither looked away.
“Are you two going to stand there gawking at each other, or can one of you help me up?” The prince broke eye contact first, putting his hand out to Conalle. He heaved him to his feet and Conalle brushed the dirt from his clothes.
“Shall we let His Highness in on your plan?” Solveig said, getting straight to business. She didn’t want to be here any longer than necessary.
“Just Westley is fine,” the prince corrected. She ignored him and his long-suffering sigh.
Conalle took this as his sign to jump right in.
“Yes, right. So we’re here under unfortunate circumstances.
Though in my mind, Sol, your return renders us useless.
But the queens have concerns, and because we were already on our way, here we are.
Since you were captured, forgive my insensitivity, but I assume you were also tortured?
” Solveig stiffened in response. Conalle continued, his tone softening.
“I thought so. The queens have the mind to bring you home to rest and recover.”
Home.
The Southern Wilds was her home. While the queens were her family, she didn’t belong in Asgard.
“Why have I not been informed of this?” she asked Conalle.
“Because they know you. They know you wouldn’t come willingly unless you lost your place here,” he said sombrely.
She nodded. “And they love you. They want to make sure you’re okay.
” He waited for her to argue but she stayed silent.
That in itself was a testament to how not okay she was.
“But I’ve also known you for a long time and while I’m certainly not a motherly figure, I’d like to think I’m somewhat like a big brother.
” He reached forward and tilted her chin up.
He gave her a soft smile that she returned.
“What am I doing here?” the prince said, interrupting the sweet moment. Solveig’s face immediately hardened and Conalle let out a soft sigh.
“I’m getting there, West,” Conalle said before Solveig could respond. “Latham was Solveig’s second in command and automatically took over the role as general when she was taken.”
Surprise crossed the prince’s face. “You chose Arlanson as your second?”
“I offered it to Gerrie first, but she declined,” was the only explanation she gave. The prince looked like he was about to ask who Gerrie was, but Conalle cut in.
“Gerrie is Solveig’s chief shieldmaiden. Now, for all his faults, Latham has done an adequate job in your stead, Sol. But we cannot let him continue. I know you’ve held him in high regard, but Latham was never fit to lead. You know that.
“He’s too spineless, and the Southern Wilds will be left to the dark whims of those who walk all over him—it’s already happening.
Which will not be good for any realm in the end, except maybe Jotunheim.
His ego will not allow him to see this.” He paused, waiting for one of them to comment.
When they stayed silent, he continued, his attention on Solveig.
“The easiest way to ensure you keep your position is to officially challenge him.”
“No,” Solveig said before Conalle had barely finished speaking.
The prince turned to her, his brow raised. “Is your pride too great? Will he defeat you?”
She levelled an icy stare at him. “Do not speak of what you do not know.”
Conalle cut in. “Latham would not beat Solveig. Even if she’s not at full strength, she could beat him with her eyes closed.”
The prince’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Then why is this an issue? We don’t have to be here for this.”
“The queens know this won’t happen,” Conalle said, looking at Solveig again. But she was staring into the distance.
A soft breeze blew her hair across her face, fluttering against her cheek but she made no move to brush it away.
Her gaze was on the distant horizon. Her only movement was the deliberate rise and fall of her chest. Conalle reached out to put his hand on her shoulder.
She flinched as her eyes returned to the present.
Tension coiled her body and ready to strike.
“Solveig,” he said softly.
“No,” she said again. The prince bounced his head between the two.
“It’s the best option,” Conalle tried again.
“It’s not an option. He deserves no such honour.” Venom coated her words, tension still straining her body.
“I know,” Conalle said, resigned.
“Wait, that’s it? You’re accepting that as a valid reason?” the prince asked, appearing stunned. “Conalle, you must be the voice of reason here.”
“Not that it is any of your business, Your Highness”—she spat his title at him like an insult—“but the last time Latham challenged me, he broke the terms of the deal, put himself and our entire legion in danger, and was responsible for my capture. All because of his ego.
“A challenge is a sacred ritual, and he dishonoured that. I no longer trust his vow. Challenging him will mean nothing because he will not honour it. I will not give him the satisfaction of even recognizing his position.”
“Be that as it may, Solveig, he holds sway over the people now,” Conalle said to her.
She raised her voice, some of her control slipping. “Don’t you think I know that?”
“I know you know, Solveig, and that’s why we’re here. We have a plan and it’ll work,” he told her calmly. She inhaled and gestured for him to continue. “This is where you come in,” he said to the prince.
“Finally,” he muttered under his breath. Conalle ignored him.
“Latham has, unfortunately, garnered the respect of some of the Southern Wilds citizens. Given that he has no backbone, he has made a lot of people happy very quickly. He doesn’t understand that this will turn from good to bad at the drop of a pin.
“He has also spent time wooing, for lack of a better word, each of the Fae parties that have come through. And, as you know, the Fae are pretty peacocks who love having their feathers stroked.”
Solveig smirked. “You say that like you’re immune to feather-stroking, Connie.”
“Who, me? Never!” Conalle cried in mock outrage.
“I would hope, feather stroking aside, that our people would choose the logical choice,” the prince said.
Solveig raised a brow. “I have only been around for a day and already I know you are more suited to the role. Idavoll will tire quickly of Arlanson,” he told her matter-of-factly.
“Plus, you’ll find that my feathers take a lot more than stroking to get ruffled. ”
The prince clamped his mouth shut with a snap. Solveig would bet he hadn’t meant it to sound so sexual. Conalle laughed.
“Exactly. That and the fact that you lead the Riddari—the Fae respect you and your opinions. If you throw your support behind Solveig, they are more than likely to side with her, regardless of feather stroking.”
Solveig bristled but didn’t argue.
“I have no problem making a speech in her favour.”
“As grand as that would be, it wouldn’t be enough. Latham has spent over a month with some of these Fae—one speech will not do. Actions speak louder,” Conalle told him.
“So what am I to do? How will this decision be made?”
“It’s less formal than a court decision,” Conalle continued.
“There will be a vote of the council since this legion not only serves Asgard but also the other realms in the Trifold. We are here to observe the camp, observe Latham and Solveig, and then present our findings to the queens who will then make their final decision. They, of course, favour Solveig, but they’re also blinded by their concern for her. ” He gave Solveig a knowing look.
“Okay,” the prince said tentatively, apparently still not quite sure what his role was. “What’s the plan then?”
This time it was Solveig who spoke. “Since I did not die,” she started bluntly, “our rules state that Latham was an acting general and his position is no longer needed. The queens did not swear him in, so it is my position still. I will perform my usual duties with the warriors and with our jarl—Latham will do the same, given the following he’s created for himself.
The Fae will be tasked to work within the camp to get a better sense of our leadership skills.
You and your people will participate in training and contribute to camp duties.
I assume that since you are a war prince you are not useless. ”
Conalle continued for her before the prince could retort. “This is Solveig’s position to lose. She will have to prove she is of sound mind and body and able to do her duties. Latham’s job will be proving that she cannot.”
“Where do I fit in?”
“You have to be willing to follow my lead. Do as I say—be my new number two, as it were,” she said, a challenge in her eyes.
“I know this will be difficult for you since, unlike Latham, you are not a snivelling piece of shit with no real opinions to speak of, only there to suck the teat of—” Conalle ranted.
“Okay, we get it,” Solveig cut in. “The prince is capable of his own mind.” She faced the prince. “Which is why you are perfect for this. I already know you’re going to be a pain in my ass, but being able to lead you will only make me more impressive to the Fae.”
“So you want me to be a pain in your ass but also do whatever you say,” he said cautiously.
“Hel no. I refuse to have anyone following me who does not respect me. I plan to earn your respect, and you will have to earn mine,” she said defiantly.
“Your soldiers will not believe it if it’s staged, so feel free to challenge me in front of them.
Feel free to be a pain in my ass openly. This has to be real.”
“If it has to be real then why are you telling me? Shouldn’t you just go about your business, garnering genuine reactions from me?”
“Ah. You see, that’s what she wanted to do, but I advised against it,” Conalle said, with a sheepish expression.
“You need to know because regardless of how difficult she is on you, you need to stand by her, for the sake of Idavoll. The only way to ensure your pride does not get hurt, Your Highness, is to include you.”
“You think I’d run from her with my tail between my legs if she was hard on me?” the prince asked, sounding genuinely offended.
“That reaction is exactly why you need to be aware of what’s happening. If you’re so easily ruffled, I can’t be sure you won’t get your feelings hurt and ignore me,” she said, smirking as he took her bait.
The prince took a step towards her but she held her ground, as immovable as the ancient trees in the forest. He stood a head taller than her, but she focused on trying to make him feel small under the weight of her stare. He glared, challenging her with his aggressive stance. She did not balk.
He lowered his voice, practically growling at her, “Does it look like I’m scared of you, witch?”
Though Solveig tried not to show how he affected her, the slight hitch in her breath at his sudden nearness betrayed her. But she didn’t lean away or take a step back. She angled herself in, meeting his fierce gaze with her own.
“You may not fear me now, Your Highness, but I vow that someday soon, you will.” She held his eyes prisoner, locked in the depths of her broken soul despite the screaming current in her veins that wished to blast him across the fjord.
Despite the urge to close the distance and use her bare hands to strangle the life from him, she did not move.
Instead, she used the pain of her magic to keep her rooted to the ground.
Tension swirled around them. The prince’s hand flexed at his side.
She smirked, cold humour replacing the hatred in her eyes.
Conalle clapped his hands together and they jerked back from each other, the spell broken. Solveig had completely forgotten he was there.
“Well, this will be fun!” Conalle said, a conspiratorial smile stretching across his face.