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"Your actions have saved quite a few lives from Helvig's cruelty," Sigurd said softly, his tone at odds with his features.

"There are many vitki here who have been working with me in the fighting pits for years, Finn included.

Their families are all lovely and caring people, always seeing to it that everyone is safe and fed and cared for.

A big reason we've survived under the radar has been because of Finn and his family.

In the Creators Guild, as a blacksmith, he can get word to us sooner than most that a raid is coming.

He may be a stubborn bastard, but he'll do more good for us in the war to come with his skill for metal work and strategy. "

"You sound so certain that this will all end in another war."

Sigurd was quiet a moment before he spoke again, his words a heavy blow as they landed.

"We have been destined for war since the last one ended.

We, as a species, failed to be better. Now, we have to suffer the consequences of that stagnation.

There will be loss of life, just as there will be tough decisions to make in the face of our morality.

But we have a chance to become better versions of ourselves if we succeed, our legacies can be one of kindness and compassion.

That hope is all we have to hold on to, it has to be enough. "

But what if it isn't? Baldr thought, but didn't voice.

He only inclined his head to the pit keeper so much wiser than his years as he wished him safe travels and turned back to disappear into the dry heat of Logi's streets.

We have a chance to become better versions of ourselves if we succeed, our legacies can be one of kindness and compassion.

Would his legacy be one of kindness or would the stains of his choices made in the name of duty be all that was left of him when he left this earth? Baldr didn't bother finishing the thought, he already knew the answer.

All night, Baldr had been circling the ballroom, trying to disguise his distaste for the celebration as he warred with himself over whether he had made the right choice earlier that day.

The mob had dispersed quickly after their meeting ended, the risk of exposing his position worth the effort it took to get those innocent people to safety.

Sigurd and Finn would be long gone by now, their families and hope for a brighter future driving them toward the safety of their allies in the north. Already, Logi seemed to be a bit dimmer without their hope shining in the undercurrent of society.

As his thoughts turned to what Sigurd would find in Nida, Baldr tried to avoid thinking of her again.

In the time they were separated, they agreed that they would not even think of their names until they were reunited.

But during a celebration like this, it was impossible not to think of her.

The bountiful violet flowers summoned the memory of her eyes, taunting him every direction he looked while the delicate scent of chamomile floated around them physically pained him .

They agreed to no ties while separated. They were each free to be with someone else if they so chose. But Baldr would never be able to look at someone else again the way he looked at her. She had ruined him.

"General? Did you hear me?" Lord Torben asked, his voice sounding far away to Baldr.

He cleared his throat. "Apologies, my lord, what were you saying?"

"I only asked if you felt the King was making the right choice in planning to overtake the Kingdom of Rivers?"

It was treason to speak about this so openly. Two paths lie before Baldr now— only which was the right one?

"I trust that the High King has made the correct choice for all of us," Baldr said slowly as he held Lord Torben's eye. The lord nodded once, but before he could speak, Baldr continued. "I would recommend you keep your hesitations to yourself, my lord. Excuse me."

As Baldr walked away to lap around the dancers again, he nodded to one of his soldiers positioned in the shadows of the ballroom across a sea of twirling orange and yellow.

As discreetly as an arrest could happen, the soldier escorted Lord Torben out of the ballroom with almost no disturbance to the festivities.

If the lord was going to drunkenly reveal Baldr's intentions to plant seeds of doubt in Helvig's advisors, he needed to be silenced.

Just as he was about to disappear through one of the servant's corridors, his duty to report to the Midsommar celebration complete, the King's steward stopped him.

"His Majesty requests a word with you, General," Jonas muttered in his nasal voice that grated on Baldr's nerves.

Without another word, he headed for the podium.

The stairs that brought him to the King were behind the platform, but Baldr wanted to be rid of those who drank and ate without a care as the rest of their city starved as quickly as possible, so he launched himself up onto the podium with a burst of his air galder when no one was looking.

Reckless of him to use his hidden galder so conspicuously .

If his skill with air galder was revealed, he would be executed on the spot.

Over the years, since it had manifested, Baldr had managed to discreetly use it in ways that did not go noticed by the observant eye: unlocking chains for vitki to escape on the street so they could get lost in the crowd, aiding in his fighting so that he landed his hits harder and faster, sending notes and missives to known rebels in Logi with information on raids or patrols that would lead to more vitki being rounded up.

But he had been living on that fine edge of recklessness and caution for too long now. He couldn't find it in him to care if he was caught—maybe a swift death would be a mercy compared to what would happen to him if his role as spy was uncovered.

"You summoned me, Your Majesty," Baldr said as he bowed low, his fist over his heart.

"General," Helvig nodded to him. "Tell me why Lord Torben was just escorted out of the festivities."

Without missing a beat, "The lord was spreading doubt amongst other patrons. I had him moved to a cell until your duty is fulfilled, and you can speak with him yourself."

Except, Lord Torben would be silenced before Helvig got anywhere near him.

Helvig chuckled darkly while Vilde smiled sharply as she brushed a loose, white curl from her face.

Around her wrist was a delicate black iron chain that Baldr had not noticed before.

It was a testament to her strength that she wore the metal without any discomfort.

Some charms seemed to hang from a few of the links— small iron-wrought runes that Baldr did not recognize.

"My thanks, General," Helvig continued.

"If I have your permission, I'd like to retire for the evening," he continued, pouring every ounce of respect he didn't have into his words in the hopes the King wouldn't notice.

The moon had long since crested over the open ceiling of the ballroom, meaning those who had been guzzling mead all day were going to take a turn for the ugly soon.

The King only nodded dismissively and waved a hand at him to leave. Thank the Allfather .

Just as Baldr was about to turn, Vilde sucked in a large breath.

It was so sudden, like she had been hit in the stomach with the force of Thor's hammer.

Doubled over in front of her, the Elven went rigid.

The lively music stopped as every pair of eyes in the ballroom turned to see what was happening to the chosen Queen Consort.

The ballroom's silence was deafening compared to the sounds that had filled it previously.

It was quiet enough for Baldr to hear the soft clink of metal hitting the marble floor.

Crouching to see what had fallen, Baldr found one of the metal rune charms from her bracelet.

As soon as he picked it up, he had to drop it because it burned like the hottest embers in a fire.

Instinct pricked at the back of his neck, forcing him to look up.

Under Vilde's pearlescent skin, dark shadows churned and pulsed rapidly in time with her heavy breaths.

Baldr only had enough time to throw an air shield around himself, and most of the guests near him before Vilde exploded in a violent column of shadows.

The silence that had appeared when Vilde reacted to whatever was happening inside of her was now filled with the screams of the dying as the shadows that had exploded out of her ripped servants, nobles, and soldiers too close to her into pieces.

Anyone within a few hundred yards of her had been in her blast range— their last moments on this earth filled with terror as the icy shadows she controlled shredded through them.

Where the ballroom had been filled with multicolored flowers, now the walls and florals were stained red. A mist of gore hung in the air as the temperature plummeted enough for it to freeze in the air.

Baldr gagged as he took in what was left of those Vilde had killed in her violent rage. Screams erupted as the haze cleared to reveal the carnage. Chaos ensued as the nobles tried to flee, their bodies cramming into the narrow doorways in an attempt to leave the bloodied ballroom.

Paralyzed, he didn't know how help anyone escape the murderous rampage Vilde had begun.

"It's gone!" Vilde shrieked through her teeth. "He's gone!"

"Who is gone? What's happened?" Helvig demanded from behind his air shield. Of course, the prick didn't think of shielding his people .

"The band has been removed," she panted between words. "My shadow draugr has been forced from the Kolbeck prince's body."

Helvig only paused for a beat before turning to Baldr. "There is no more time for planning. We've lost our connection to the Kolbecks; it's time to march on Veter."

Baldr gave a shaky nod, trying to find his General persona amidst all the death and confusion.

" NOW , General," Helvig roared.

Finally, Baldr found his legs beneath him, and he took off for the servant's corridor he had tried to escape to before. As soon as he closed the door on the pandemonium still wreaking havoc through the ballroom, he wasted no time trying to catch his breath.

He needed to tell her, to warn her that Helvig's plans had just been sped up since he couldn't spy on the Kolbecks anymore.

He had never reached out to her directly all this time, only ever going through the channels set up by the King of Shadow to protect their anonymity in case their messages were intercepted.

But this was the exception— she needed to know this information immediately .

When he reached his office, he hastily penned out a message for her. He didn't include all the things he wanted to say, as much as it pained him. For now, he could only try to give them a head start. At the bottom, he wrote that he would send word again as soon as he knew more.

Folding up the note into the shape of a single petal dahlia, Baldr closed his eyes and pulled on his air galder .

With one gentle blow, he directed his galder to float the folded note into the air until it disappeared into the dark sky.

The note to find her wherever she was; it was something she had taught him when they had been together in Finniskali.

He only hoped the words would reach her in time to make a difference.