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I turn to face him fully and he smiles at me.

“I, Erik Cadmar, offer you my sword for as long as I shall live. My blade is your blood, my blood and life yours to do with as you wish. My shield shall be your shield and my war cry will echo yours. On this, I promise.” He falls to his knees, his sword dug into the ground in front of him, and his bowed head resting against the handle.

“Tazanna Worth, Queen of The Berserkers, I ask for you accept my warrior’s oath. ”

“Erik,” I snap, but he refuses to look at me. “Why?” is all I can ask. I saw warriors do this to Ivar a long time ago, but not much since he went all bat shit. His life would quite literally be in my hands, a warrior’s oath is binding and forever, to break one would mean death.

“Because it is the right thing to do, because we are family, because I spot a cause worth fighting for when I see it. I always did. Everyone else saw a little slave girl. I saw the woman you could be, and so did Noah.”

Swallowing, I look away, blinking back wetness I won’t let fall.

“I accept your oath. Rise,” I order, remembering Ivar’s words from so long ago.

Back then, it was amazing when it happened, to have people respect you that much.

He had droves offering their swords and it slowly dwindled over the years.

To do anything other than accept it would be a punishment, a way of saying I didn’t trust him as a warrior.

The flap opens then and Bern, Henry, Archel, Dray, and Evan all peek in.

“Ah, fuck this, I dinnie know she was accepting oaths,” the big man booms, before dropping to his knees, his axe in front of him. Henry mirrors him silently, his blades in front of him.

Archel hesitates and then looks at me. “You always have my blades, but my oaths are for someone else.”

Dray moves past them all, getting to his knees in front of me and I gasp, trying to stop him. “You can’t,” I hiss.

“Can and will. Soulmate, my swords, blood, and life have been yours since the first time I saw you. This just makes it official, I’m no king without my queen, and my life and heart are already yours. Do you accept my oath?”

I nod. “I accept,” I whisper, and he gets to his feet, grinning.

Bern and Henry repeat Erik’s oath, changing it slightly to match them, and I accept again, letting them rise.

I look around at the gathered men and pride fills me.

I must be doing okay. I must be a good enough person for so many to be willing to fight with me.

I might have made it this far building myself back up, but my men helped me on the way, they showed me the path, and right now, I notice their absence most of all.

I wish they were here to witness it. Drax would make some joke.

Maxen would stare at me intently like he could see my soul.

Thorn would smile, the one just for me, and Jax my silent Jax, would bare his soul in front of everyone if that is what I asked.

I have lived a hard life, but they made it worth it, and these men right here just gave me another reason to keep fighting, because now it’s not just me that lives and dies by my choices, but them as well. The weight bows my shoulders, but I know I can survive it. After all, I have survived worse.

After I accepted their oaths, I let them gather around as I open the maps. “Is that…the Cities?” Erik asks, his eyes widening.

“Yes, I saw them the first time I visited Paradise. I don’t know how they got them, but they are the most accurate maps we are going to get, and they will help us plan our battle strategy, and Dray’s and my entrance and exit plans.

” I shrug, looking over the map. It’s incredibly detailed, showing the three cities linked together and the wall separating them from the North.

“It seems the middle one is where we need to be. That’s where they have holdings and where they will keep my men.

We could sneak in, I’m not sure how high the walls are, but I can see a sewer pipe entrance right here we could get through,” I theorize, but it doesn’t feel right.

How are we going to sneak through the Cities, find my men, and get them out without being detected?

We even dress and look Northern. “They will notice us,” I finally admit.

“So let them,” Archel responds, and I blink up at him.

“You are a queen, you’re a fighter, and no offence, but you aren’t a sneaky person—more a knock the front door down and stab person.

They will expect a sneak attack. They won’t be expecting you to come through the front door. You’re a queen, act like one.”

A slow grin crawls across my face. “It could work. Go in there and demand my people back, show them who we are. They committed an act of war. We can show that we aren’t just barbarians and we know what that means.

We can hint we know what they want from Paradise, let them know not to mess with us.

If they kill us, then so be it, because that means war and they will have to come north for you to slaughter them.

We offer them a choice, they think we are weak, so let’s show them how strong we are. ”

“You’re going into their strong hold, they have the advantage,” Erik reminds me.

“True, but who just walks right into an enemy lair? They are going to think we have backups in place. I will encourage them to think that as well of course. Kill us and they trigger a war, one they can’t win.”

“I don’t like it, it’s too risky,” he grumbles, studying the maps.

“It’s the only way,” I reply, but then a thought hits me. “Chaos, we cause chaos.”

Dray looks at me then. “You have a plan, don’t you?”

I nod. “I’ll tell you when it’s time, but for now I need you to trust me to handle this. The rest of you will be waiting here.” I point to a spot on the map in a stretch of the Wastes just before The Rim. “We will meet you there.”

“I hope it’s a fookin’ good plan.” Erik sighs, but nods. “I trust ya.”

“Good.” I roll up the maps and place them in my bag before standing and stretching. “Now, let’s eat. Hopefully the guards will clear Paradise tonight and we can be on our way tomorrow. I will meet up with the other leaders at The Ring and get them involved before heading to the Cities.”

They nod and stand, all filing out, except for Dray. He steps close and I tilt my head back to look into his eyes. “We go in together, we come out together, or we die together. These are your options,” he tells me.

“Don’t worry, I don’t plan on dying, but I need you to trust me. I’m relying on you for this plan to work. I will explain everything, I promise, but Dray, there is a chance we aren’t getting out. I’m taking that chance for my men, for my family, you don’t have to.”

He growls before grabbing me and pinning me to his chest. “You forget, where you go, I go. We will take that chance together. If anyone can survive, it’s us. The Champion and the killer. We fight together, we die together. There are no other futures for us. Whatever it takes, we face it.”

Sighing, I lean up and kiss him, letting him know how much that means.

I will feel better with him at my back. This plan is not great, it has its risks, but I can’t do anything else.

Even fighting a lost cause, I would do it for my men, facing the Cities and a threat I might not be able to win.

They would do it for me. It’s time I showed them I would do it for them.

Dray’s right. Whether we live or die together, at least I will be with them.

“Let’s go eat,” I murmur, pulling away. I twine my hand with his and head out through the tent.

The sun is now lower in the sky and fires are already started, with Berserkers gathered around and cooking meat.

I grin and head for the table where Evan and Archel are arm wrestling.

I haven’t asked them if they sorted their shit out, since they are adults, but they must have come to some sort of peace, even if they are still rubbing against each other, testing each other.

I can’t wait to meet the woman who has to put up with Evan’s moods and Archel’s crazy though.

She must be a fucking better woman than most.

I sit next to Evan with Dray taking the seat next to me, and Bern and Henry join us. I spot Erik with his rebels, speaking in low tones, obviously telling them the plan, but I ignore them. It’s a problem for tomorrow. “I bet a dagger on Evan,” I remark.

Archel throws me a glare and Evan grins. “I’ll take that,” Henry offers.

“Don’t fucking lose now, Doc,” I demand, watching them both.

I never noticed all of Evan’s muscles before, but he’s quite strong, and within a minute he smacks Archel’s hand to the table, making me grin and offer my hand to Henry who groans and hands over a dagger. “What the fuck? Aren’t you some kind of assassin? You let a doc beat you! ”

I throw the dagger in the air, grinning. “Nice blade. Here.” I pass it to Evan. “Keep it, you earned it.” Then I turn to the assassin. “Evan’s going to steal your girl,” I tease Archel who narrows his eyes on me.

“Me and you, let’s go unless you’re scared of being shown up in front of your warriors?” he taunts.

“Move over, Evan, I’m about to make this assassin my bitch.

” Evan laughs and slides over, so I scoot until I face Archel.

“Let’s make it fair. Ever played Russian Roulette?

” I nearly suggest the knife game from The Rim, but honestly, I’m running out of room for scars and I might need my arm to fight with.

“You’re on. First to give up?” he asks.

“Yes, Bern, find me a gun and load it with only one bullet,” I order.

Evan groans. “Fuck, I’m going to be patching people up again, aren’t I?”

“Better get used to it, Doc,” I reply, winking at him before staring down Archel. “I’ll let your girl know you died trying to be a hero, I’m sure Evan will help her through her grief.”