Page 17 of Tree of Ash (The Runic Saga #2)

“The Jotnar will stand with the Princess, of course,” Speaker Skaei’s voice added serenely.

“As will we all.” King Torsten’s voice was tight, silencing any of Aiko’s protestations.

Anara didn’t doubt Torsten would have upheld his end of the bargain, but it was clear he did not appreciate the corner Larissa had backed him into.

“That is my final decision. All we have left to discuss is how.”

“Shiko’s neglect of Lystheim will work to our advantage,” Halvor said, pulling the map toward him and scratching out the numbers and locations of the sentries within the three rings of the cities. “The Outer Wall is our biggest obstacle.”

“Explosives?” General Soren asked.

Halvor shook his head. “We don’t have enough. We could blast through the Second Wall, but the Outer Wall is thicker and made of stronger material.”

“So a small team, then?” Darien asked.

The king’s advisor smiled at him. “Exactly, Prince. A small team would be able to get within the Wall unnoticed. They would need to disable the main gates before any of the sentries could trigger a lockdown, which would fortify the city and prolong any attack. With the gates open, the next wave could march in without resistance.”

“The goal is a swift battle,” Torsten added. “We can’t waste time or men on a drawn-out siege.”

General Aiko nodded. “But how will they get in?”

“Produce Day,” Anara, Larissa, and Darien answered in unison.

Darien leaned back, waving for Larissa to continue. “The gates will already be opened. Trucks will be coming and going from the walls. We might even contact some farmers and stow away beneath their produce.”

“We?” Torsten asked.

“We,” Anara confirmed, already loving the idea.

Her skin itched with excitement. “Lovisa, Darien, and I have experience entering Perle unnoticed. No one else has our level of galdr . We would need an additional three or four members to help us subdue the sentries at the Wall, but it could be done as long as a first wave was waiting to join us at our signal.”

The generals did not respond, but rather waited for the King’s reaction. Torsten tugged at his beard, his eyes lingering on his son. “This is a job that could be done by many in the Vienám without risking three lines of Ancestral Blood.”

“Your Majesty,” General Aiko spoke in measured tones. “Surely, if Princess Lovisa is meant to kill Empress Shiko, this will not be an impossibility for her.”

“It would give the people hope to see their lost Princess leading the charge,” General Sture added, smoothing the tips of his mustache.

Anara scoffed, but quietly enough that she was not heard. Subtlety was not the generals’ strong suit. Their support of Larissa’s plan was nothing less than a test of her courage and skill. While worry seeped out of the lines on Soren’s face, Ishaan watched with mild interest.

“They are my people, Your Majesty.” Larissa’s voice was calm, gentle even, but there was no mistaking the certainty with which she spoke. “This is my responsibility.”

Anara nearly howled in delight. This was the Princess she had always known Lovisa could be.

“Where the Princess goes, I go,” Darien continued.

“As do I,” Anara finished, before Torsten could speak the words that so clearly burned the tip of his tongue.

Torsten’s hand fell from his beard. “And should the Empress have her War Dog waiting for you to return?”

Anara’s hand involuntarily splayed over the scar that stretched across her abdomen–a result of the last time they’d fought against Calder.

Darien’s voice was unyielding. “He won’t stand in our way.”

“Your armies will be right behind them, Your Majesty.” Speaker Skaei folded her long, manicured fingers on the table.

“The risk is minimal. When the people hear that their Princesses and Prince are leading the path for them, it will only embolden them for the fight. I believe this is an acceptable choice.”

Torsten dipped his head. “It’s decided then, but you’re not going alone. Halvor, you will accompany them and serve as advisor and ambassador, particularly to the farmers we will try and recruit along the way.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Might I recommend Haki and Jari?” Halvor asked. “They have run more trucks in and out of Perle without suspicion than anyone else.”

“An excellent idea.”

For once, Anara agreed with Torsten. The twins had acted as double agents within Lystheim, posing as sentries while helping runaways leave the city.

Anara hadn’t seen Haki since he’d led Darien, Larissa, and herself through the tunnels into the Vienám.

He and his brother had been instrumental in getting them out of Perle—though Anara struggled to remember most of it, having been unconscious for the majority of their rescue.

They would be helpful, particularly Haki, who looked nearly giant himself.

In her peripheral vision, Anara caught Ishaan’s shift in posture too late. He lifted his hand. “I volunteer myself, Your Majesty. If my Queen is going, I must go to protect her.”

Anara didn’t hide the growl that rumbled in her chest. “You’re not needed.”

Anara caught the shared glance of confusion between Larissa and Darien but didn’t bother to address it.

Her gaze hardened on her old advisor, who glared at her in return.

No doubt, he too was replaying the conversation they’d had before she’d left the Vienám.

Anara’s stomach twisted as she remembered his accusations.

Torsten eyed them in contemplation. “General Ishaan is not as powerful as you, Princess Anara, but he is still strong. We can’t afford any personal bias to affect the success of this mission. General Ishaan will join your team.”

Anara’s fingers transformed into claws that scraped into the underside of the table before she could restrain herself.

Loki’s Knot , she thought.