Free The Iron Locket (The Risen King) by Samantha Warren

a very long time, testing his strength of will. At last, Deklen caved. He gave a curt nod and settled back into his chair. "What is the plan, then?"
    "Do we have a map of the battle area?"
    Deklen reached into his armor and withdrew a rolled piece of parchment. He laid it out on the table in front of Arthur. "The major force is here," he said, pointing to the paper. “We will be coming from over here.”
    "What do we know of Leanansidhe's army, aside from its size? Are they well-trained?"
    The western general, Norin, laughed. "No. The witch is more about numbers and strength than she is about skill. She will throw everything at us as fast as she can without a care in the world for her soldiers."
    Arthur nodded. "So we hit them hard and fast and take as many out as we can." He nodded at the man who just spoke. "You will take your forces down to the right if possible, flank them and swing them in toward us. Deklen, you will take half of yours to the left. We have the skill and the drive. If they are as untrained as you claim, we should be more than capable of winning this battle, and many more to come."
    "We will be sacrificing a lot of fine men and women for this." Drakka sat behind her brother with her arms crossed. Her glare was locked on Arthur.
    The king met it without flinching. "That is war, princess. Many will die so that we may succeed. If you have trained them well, they have a better chance. We cannot wait any longer than you already have."
    She pressed her lips together in a tight line, but her stare never left him.
    "Any other questions or concerns?" Arthur stood at the table with his hands on his map as he let his gaze wander around the room. No one spoke. "Very well. We will leave in an hour's time. Be ready." With that, he pushed back from the table and strode to the door.
    Arthur emerged from the council room flanked by the sons of North and West. Deklen turned to Arthur and gave him a half bow. "The Four Queens were wise in their decision, knight. You and your men are of sound mind and strong heart. Backed by your new strength and the powers of Faery, I fully believe you can rid us of this threat."
    Arthur tilted his head toward Deklen. "Thank you for your trust. I only hope I can live up to your expectations."
    Deklen bowed once more before striding down the hall to the main entrance, trailed by his silent twin.
    Norin, Isobel's son, clapped a hand on the knight's shoulder. He had the muted strength of character that his mother exhibited and Arthur was looking forward to doing battle alongside the man. "You are a strange one, Arthur Pendragon." The man's voice was deep, but gentle and kind. He exhibited an empathy toward others that most of the other faeries seemed to lack. "You will either prove yourself to be a great ally, or a great disappointment. I sincerely hope it is the former." Without another word, he turned and followed Deklen outside.
    "Interesting bunch." Lancelot stood beside Arthur, his dark eyes watching the faery generals as they retreated.
    "Indeed." Arthur nodded thoughtfully, then he snorted a laugh as he turned to look sidelong as his friend. "The next few weeks are either going to be very entertaining or absolute hell."
    "Likely both." Lancelot clapped Arthur on the shoulder and turned to leave. "I will have the servants prepare the horses. We should get going as soon as possible."
    As Lancelot headed out the side door to the stables, Arthur ascended the stairs to his chambers. Rogan was there waiting. He rose from a chair beside the door as the king entered. "Sire," he said, offering a half bow. "I have packed your things."
    Arthur gave him a sidelong glance. "Thank you. How did you know we would be leaving?"
    Rogan's smile was a brief flash of light across his face. "I am your servant, your highness. It is my job to know and answer your every need without question." Seeing Arthur's raised eyebrows, he added, "Servants in Faery are a bit different from those in the human world, sire. We