Training For War: The Bond Once Severed Book 2 (Updating)

Preparations

"The preparations are nearly complete. We are ready to begin the next phase." Her captain explained. The Queen frowned at his words but didn't reply, merely waving her hand to dismiss him. He wasn't useless, but he had nothing useful to tell her. Until the snow melted, they could only go through the motions; they would know how ready they were soon.

She stood on the highest balcony of Castle Miritis, her gaze sweeping across the overly bright horizon. The sun was just beginning its descent, with long shadows floating over the training fields and city beyond. Below her, the sound of her armies preparing for war echoed through the stone fortress. The distant clatter of swords being sharpened and armor being fitted was a constant reminder that the battle was coming. And this time, there would be no mercy.

Her eyes narrowed as she thought of the one who had eluded her time and time again.

Lukas.

His name ignited a cold fire within her. He had escaped her grasp too many times. He had defied her, slipping away just when victory seemed inevitable. He remained unwilling to accept his fate, pushing her patience to its limits. Her head pounded with anger. She would not let him get away again. This time, she would finish it.

Her fingers tightened, disrupting the soft dusting of snow that had appeared earlier that day on the stone railing. She breathed in the cold winter air, letting it fill her with determination. Lukas had been hiding in the Kingdom for too long, protected by its fading monarchy and weakened nobility. She had infiltrated their ranks, sown chaos among their advisors, and manipulated their court. It had taken years of careful planning, but now, the Kingdom was on the brink of collapse. All that was left was to tear it apart—and to find Lukas before he could escape again. She needed the season to change and the snow to melt along the inland passages to the Kingdom. Her Navy could arrive any time, but she also wanted a land attack.

Lukas still hid in the youngest prince's chambers. But she could no longer track his movements precisely. She could not risk any avenues of escape. He was a master at evasion, constantly slipping through her traps, always one step ahead. But she had caught him twice before and would do it again.

She turned as the soft sound of footsteps approached behind her. Lucius, her cousin and the Assassin for her Queendom, stepped onto the balcony, his black leathers making him nearly invisible in the shadows. His presence was always quiet and calculated, but when he dressed his role, it sent a shiver of excitement down the Queen's spine. She would have loved to see how his skills translated into the bedroom if he had not been her closest living kin.

"My Queen," Lucius greeted her with a slight bow, though his voice carried the same casual tone it always did.

The Queen didn't turn to face him. Instead, she fixed her gaze on the horizon, where the Kingdom lay waiting to be devoured. "What of Lukas and the troublesome Prince?" she asked, her voice cold and steady.

Lucius stepped closer, his hooded face still hidden in the darkness. "Theodore has returned. He must have met with a powerful healer because he has been seen walking without assistance outside his chambers once or twice. There are rumors that Lukas has been injured. Neither has been seen much in the court, and we no longer have anyone in Theodore's staff." Wariness filled his words as he referenced the night he had lost four of his best spy assassins to an unknown Water Mage working with Lukas in a botched effort to capture her prize.

The Queen's lips curled into a snarl—the thought of a Water Mage working against her flared hatred in her stomach.

The Queen thrummed her fingers against her arms impatiently, her gaze cold as she turned to her cousin, studying him closely. Shadow swallowed half his face, and the other illuminated just enough to highlight the deep lines etched into his skin—a face hardened by years of calculated decisions and unspoken burdens. His steely blue eyes reflected a quiet but unmistakable power, their intensity sharp as they met hers.