Free King Callie: Callie's Saga, Book One by B Lynch

when it comes to matters of war. I only wish he felt the same way towards me, on matters of the kingdom… but I fear when King Rionn dies, our dear Marrol will only tighten his grip on Barra, until he chokes the very life from us. Short of the Kersikki, the Silenians, or…” Fenwyn gestured to Royth, with a bleak smirk, “Your unbeatable countrymen, the Amanire, coming to our rescue - it’d take a miracle.”
    “Or a new King,” Royth said. The words weighed on him, and Fenwyn sadly nodded at hearing them; Royth wasn’t fully ready to see a world without Rionn, but it was approaching fast. “If things become too bleak, perhaps Josske still has friends in Kersik,” Royth said. “They’re stable, after all.”
    Fenwyn’s eyes flashed with insult. “I don’t give up so easily,” Fenwyn replied, fiery – animated and passionate, a side of him that Royth hadn’t seen in some time. “Not for Barra’s sake. They’d have to force me out with spears at my neck, if they wanted me gone. I may not be a soldier, Royth, but this is my homeland. I bleed for these green hills, these mountains, these streams - this proud castle. I know I’ve not much blood to give, but this is my land. And yours, too,” Fenwyn said. “You’ve lived here twenty years. You’ve just as much right to it as I. Would you run?”
    “Not a chance, friend,” Royth said, shaking his head as he clapped a hand Fenwyn’s shoulder. “Not ever.” He paused. “A toast?” he said, raising the bottle in his other hand.
    “No,” Fenwyn said, as he waved the bottle away. “I’ll be needing to go home. My dear husband won’t be happy that dinner’s gotten cold.”
    Royth smirked. “I’d never thought a mercenary would be happier with pots and pans than swords and spears,” he said.
    “You don’t believe me? Come by for dinner tomorrow,” Fenwyn said, friendly. “You’re looking too thin as it is.”
    Royth nodded. “Yes,” he said. “See you then.” Fenwyn smiled, and walked away - leaving him alone in the halls.
     
    I could always leave, he thought. Zstraki would.
    But he’d gotten soft.
    His fingers traced the stones in the walls as he walked back to his room; he wondered how long they’d stood strong, protecting the precious things within. The people who’d helped to keep them safe. How the stones would stand, long after he’d died, and after his body rotted away. One day, they might even fall.
    But Royth wouldn’t be the reason why. He knew that much.
    The Seer found his room, and thought of what to do in the coming days. Valric will be coming back - in one form or another, he thought. He glanced at the bottle from the King’s cellar in his hand, and opened it. The bitter wine flowed down his throat, and some time later, lulled him to sleep.

CHAPTER TEN
     
    It was afternoon on the third day, when the trumpets sounded. Caliandra’s heart skipped a beat. He’s returned , she thought. She ran out of her bedroom, with wings on her feet.
    She darted through half a dozen rooms on her way to the courtyard, rushing past maids and servants and guards and local dignitaries, dressed like brightly colored flowers. Caliandra felt the cool breeze on her face, and called to the approaching party of horses, waving excitedly – regretting everything she said to him before she left. In the back of her mind, she thought maybe – maybe, he’d succeeded. Maybe, their father would live. Maybe, Hanne would be completely wrong.
    But as the horses approached, and she saw Kells’ solemn expression, her heart sank – her breath caught in her chest – and all her hopes were replaced with a single thought:
    Oh, no.
     

CHAPTER ELEVEN
     
    It seemed like her whole world had fallen away in a moment.
     
    Caliandra had hoped it was a cruel joke; that was quickly proven not to be the case. Kells bore fresh scars in solemnity, and offered her a guilty sadness as she approached. “I’m sorry, Princess,” he said. “We did all that we