This war. This life. It was not something that happened. It was my choice. No matter what lay ahead, I knew I'd choose Young every time.
I didn't have time to explain it all. I stood and leaned in. My lips brushed his, sending chills through my body. I wrapped my arms around him and slid my fingers into his hair. He stepped back in surprise, but I didn't let go. He wrapped his arms tightly around my body, pulling me off my feet. I wrapped my legs around him. He turned, walked us back to the throne and sat, pulling me onto his lap. He deepened the kiss, separating only to kiss my neck or my jaw. I held him close, willing the ecstasy he'd given me back into his body with every delicious kiss. I needed him to know. Our child would be loved. He bit down on my shoulder, sending a gasp through my lips. My body temperature rose as Young did as he'd always done—turned the arrows and the armies outside the walls to fine, golden dust. There was no war. Only love. Just my husband, our child, and a world of glittering gold.
The doors to the throne room swung open. "Your Majesties!" a guard said, rushing into the hall. "They've penetrated the outer wall.” I pulled my lips away from Young, but not my gaze. He smiled at me softly, and with that smile my life's purpose had been completed. I was ready to die. I stood, drew my dragon dagger, and turned toward the open door. The sunlight streamed into the throne room, spilling on the floor. Young took my hand and kissed my palm. This was not goodbye. My recent losses had taught me something that I believed to my core: love was immortal.
Chapter 48
King Young
AS I WALKED WITH CHARLOTTE toward our certain death, I’d never felt more alive or more in control of my destiny. My time was almost over, but I had two things left to accomplish before I died. One, find Minseo and say goodbye, and two, somehow sneak Charlotte out of here.
The roar of battle echoed off the walls of the corridor, along with the clang of sharpened blades against steel armor. Besmian soldiers rushed through the hallways toward the western entrance.
"They're in the castle!" a bloodied soldier cried, his eyes wide as he toppled and gasped his final breath. I drew my dragon sword and headed toward the direction he'd come from, making sure to keep Charlotte close behind me.
I heard footsteps approaching from around the corner. This was it. I raised my blade, ready to strike. A figure turned the corner, the gleam of his armor refracting light around the room. I brought my sword down but he blocked it, leaving me vulnerable for counter strike. I braced myself. "Brother," he gasped.
I stumbled back. "Minseo?"
He was so covered in blood that if he hadn't spoken, I might not have known it was him. "They're in the castle," he said, out of breath. "They—" He stopped, his gaze drifting past me to Charlotte. His voice softened. "They killed Charlotte's mother. Princess Mina too."
Despite his breathlessness and the blood splattered all over him, Minseo didn't appear to be injured, but if the castle was as lost as he said, we had less time than I thought. There was no time for grief. My mind locked on my last remaining goal. Charlotte. I couldn't let her die here. I couldn't let our baby die. "Help me get her out, Minseo," I pleaded. Given what I learned the last few hours, I was certain he'd agree. I reached my hand back and felt the warmth of Charlotte's hand as she took mine.
"Where?" he asked. "The castle is overrun."
My heart ricocheted off my ribs as I ran through every possibility. Finally, the answer hit me. "The atrium."
Minseo's eyes brightened with hope and the three of us hurried through the corridors, stopping only to cut down an enemy soldier in our path. Step. Step. Step. Slice. Step. Step. Slice. As I fought in sync with my brother, I recalled how we used to imagine battles just like this. Our swords pierced a soldier's armor and the battle began to feel as make-believe as it was when Minseo and I were kids. We were untouchable. Each move created in the imaginations of innocent children practiced in adolescence and mastered at this moment.
We reached the door to the atrium, yanked on the handle, and hurled ourselves inside.
"Quick," I called to Minseo. "Help me pry loose one of the drainage bars." I leaped into the water, the current pulling at my knees. "She can swim across to the other side and escape." Minseo and I gripped the iron pole. We put our feet against the stone wall and strained to bend it. It curved slightly. "That's it," I called. "Let's go again."
As I pushed the bar, my mind turned to a memory I had from a few months ago, where I lay with Charlotte beneath the oak tree in the courtyard.
"Do you ever wish you were just normal?" Charlotte asked.
I liked the weight of her head on my arm. "What do you mean?"
"Like, not royalty. Just an ordinary person."
"I wish I was taller," I joked.
She rolled toward me, her gaze meeting mine—urging me for a real answer.
"I guess I never thought about it," I said. "It's like wishing to be a bird or a fish. You are what you are." Her gaze drifted up to the tree. I pulled her close. "I would never have met you if I wasn't born a prince."
She smiled. "If we were commoners, we could have peace. We'd only have our own lives in our hands. We could spend every day like this."
Every ounce of my life energy poured into moving that bar. Please. The bar gave way, bending enough for Charlotte to easily fit through. Relief shot through me. She was going to be alright; they both were. I turned to Charlotte but shot Minseo a quick look. He smirked and pulled himself onto the bridge, to give me a moment to say goodbye to her.
I ran my fingers through Charlotte's hair and put my forehead to hers.
Tears dripped from her chin. "If I could go back, I'd do it all again the same way," she said.
"So would I," I breathed.
She pulled away. "I-I can't leave you here."
I brushed away her tears, memorizing every detail of her face. "You have to. You need to protect our child."
She nodded, wiping her face, her dark eyelashes sprinkled with droplets. "Have you thought of a name?"
"Morgan, like your father."
She nodded. "And if it's a girl?"
I shrugged. "Morgan-a?"
She laughed and sniffled, "That's terrible."
"I kind of like it."
Minseo cleared his throat. "Young, why don't you go on ahead with her. I'll meet you later."
I smiled. "Nah, if the King of Besmium doesn't die, they'll keep looking for us. It's better if I stay."
He kicked a small stone off the bridge. "You really think they can tell us apart?" He smiled widely. "Consider it a wedding present."
The door to the atrium swung open. Out of instinct, I pushed Charlotte into the drainage tunnel, hoping to conceal her. I leaped up to the bridge beside Minseo.
Milly stood in the doorway, her icy gaze transfixed on Minseo. "Emmett," she called, "I found them."
My stomach dropped.
Minseo's eyes widened. "Wh-whose side are you on?"
She smiled. "Not yours, Minseo. It'll never be yours."
A sword shot through Milly from the back. Her face whitened. Her eyes dimmed before she even fell to the ground. Emmett stood behind her and, with difficulty, wrenched the sword out of her fresh corpse. "Well, I hope she didn't think she was on my side," Emmett said with a smile.
Chapter 49
Queen Charlotte
THREE STRIDES. THAT was how far I made it through the pipe’s rushing water before I turned back. The clash of weapons echoed through the drainage pipe as I forced my way against the current back toward the atrium. Young, stay alive, I pleaded as if he could hear me. Baby or not, I couldn't walk away from this. I peered into the dusky atrium, only to watch Minseo and Young fly back at the swing of Emmett's broadsword. They got to their feet and lunged at Emmett only to be knocked back again.
I crouched down, concealing my body in the frigid water, before venturing out of the pipe. I didn't have the courage to fully submerge; I needed to keep an eye on Emmett. The battle drew all his attention, giving me a window to reach the bridge wit
hout anyone noticing. I gripped my dagger, now wet, but I knew it would never slip from my determined grasp. Emmett was going down. He'd taken enough from me. I was going to make him pay for all of it. I waited for the fight to bring him close enough, running through the dagger training Minseo had given me.
Finally, above, I felt the heavy stomp of Emmett's boots on the bridge. This was it. I took a deep breath. Readied my attack. Clang. A cry of agony rattled my bones. It was unmistakably Young. My body shredded as if punctured by an ocean of needles. I had to get in there, now! I thrust myself onto the bridge. I rushed at Emmett, slashing at his face with my blade. He hadn't seen me but moved in time to escape the full force of the blow. He turned to me, his expression changing from surprise to amusement.
"This day just keeps getting better," he said with a smile. I wasn't in the mood to talk. I leaped forward waiting for his blade to descend on me.
"No, Charlotte!" Young screamed.
Like clockwork, Emmett swung his blade down. Instead of jumping back to avoid it, I pushed my dagger into Emmett's chest.
In astonishment, Emmett dropped his sword and wrapped his arms gently around me. I took a slow breath in as my frozen body began to feel the warmth of Emmett's blood run down my right arm, where my dragon dagger still remained buried in his breached chainmail. The blood dripped steadily from my elbow, but I was too afraid to let go. My gaze crept up from the bottom of Emmett's chin to his lips, and finally his pale blue eyes. He stood and held me, a kind warmth in his eyes as they faded. Enraged, I pulled out the dagger and plunged it into a new spot on his chest. He toppled forward, spitting blood as his weight fell on me. I snatched my dagger and jumped back, allowing Emmett's body to land with a thud in front of me. His lifeless body lay face down in front of me, but I couldn't stop. I wanted the pain he’d caused me to stop. I stabbed his corpse for my father. Again. Again. My mother. A warm hand gripped my wrist, gently pulling the dagger from my hand. I balled up my fist and punched Emmett. Again and again. Minseo kicked my dagger off the bridge and into the water then pulled me off of Emmett.
"Charlotte, it's okay," he breathed. "You saved us."
I turned to see Young, kneeling, both hands pressed against his leg. "Young," I called, stumbling to my feet only to fall again in front of him.
"You were so brave," he said, attempting to hide his pain. My gaze went to his leg, blood gushing through his fingers.
"Young, oh God," I cried, reaching out to help him apply pressure.
"Charlotte, listen," he said, his voice low and even, "I can't go with you."
"N-no," I sobbed. "We've done it. Emmett's gone."
"Yes, Charlotte," he said with a smile. "You made sure of that. Listen, you need to get out of here. Go through the pipe with Minseo. If I die here, they might not pursue you."
"You're crazy if you think I'm going to leave you here."
Young's gaze moved to Minseo, but they didn't speak.
"No!" I screamed as Minseo pulled me away. "No!" I thrashed my body around to break free, but it was no use. "Wait!" I yelled. "Wait! Young, I love you."
"I love you too," I thought I heard him say.
Minseo dragged me through the water and into the pipe. He pushed me against the wall, covering my mouth. I heard the slam of the door opening as my screams brought several soldiers to the atrium. I listened, my heart bursting from its cage, my eyes blurred with tears.
"King Emmett's dead," I heard someone say.
“Where’s the Queen of Besmium?” a soldier shouted.
Minseo started pulling me down the pipe.
“Long gone,” Young said.
An unfamiliar voice laughed. “She’s here. Check the pipes.”
Minseo pulled me faster now, trying to get us deep enough not to be seen.
A cry of pain rang through the pipes and the clash of metal echoed. “Get him!” a soldier shouted.
As Minseo pulled me farther, the sounds grew fainter.
“I said get him!”
The commotion stopped. “Good, now kill him.”
“Wait, check the pipe first.”
Minseo covered my mouth and stopped breathing as the soldier peered into the dark pipe.
A voice rang out so clearly through the blackness, it was as if the soldier stood beside us. “I don’t see a thing, sir.”
“Forget it. She probably is long gone. Why are you smiling? You’re about to die.”
No. I thrashed, but I couldn't get enough leverage in the water and Minseo was prepared. “Because I’m happy,” Young said, his voice carrying through the pipe and to my ears like a soft whisper. With one final clang of the sword, my heart stopped. Young was gone.
Why had I survived? All the strength I'd built over my lifetime melted away. After the soldiers cleared from the atrium, Minseo carried me through the pipe to the lake where it let out.
Young was gone. Besmium had fallen. I walked beyond the walls of the castle with a title I never wanted: widow.
Minseo got us safely out of the kingdom and asked me to join him in Vires, but I'd had my fair share of kingdoms and castles. When he was certain that I'd never agree, we went our separate ways.
The pain I’d caused remained fresh and my mind became an endless cycle of the same question: What was it all for?
Until the day I found my answer.
Chapter 50
Prince Minseo
Little brother,
It's been five years since I last saw your face and nearly the same since I've seen your Charlotte. I know this letter is an exercise in futility, but it helps to quell the near constant need I have to speak with you again.
I take comfort in knowing you died without regrets – a death that has taught me much about how to appreciate life and its fleeting moments.
After I lost you, I was as broken as Charlotte and quickly realized that I was not whole enough to console her. I offered her refuge in Vires and, when she refused, I regrettably took my leave without regard for her safety or the cold of the winter that followed.
When I'd finally accepted your passing, I sought her out—though I must admit, I never expected to find her. I found it difficult to gather information about her whereabouts without revealing her former identity. My travels brought much news. What was once the land of Besmium had been swallowed by Drethen, only to be renamed Camelot and ruled by a teenage tyrant named Arthur.
After weeks of fruitless searching, I finally found Charlotte. I was relieved to find that she was not the dead-eyed widow I'd abandoned, but a woman of grace and silent strength. She sang while she cooked and spent long stretches of time in her garden. She picked wild flowers and gazed up at the stars. When she speaks of you, she smiles to herself then looks off into the distance, as if she’s waiting for you to arrive at any moment. Or perhaps she’s waiting for her time to come so that she can be reunited with you in the next life. Through all the loss she suffered, she somehow became more.
Your young daughter, Morgana, glitters with all the charisma and poise of royalty and all the mischievousness that you and I possessed in youth. When Charlotte's gaze fell upon her, I saw in her eyes the glimmer of love that I'd only ever seen when she looked upon you. Though Charlotte prefers to remain tied to the simple life she's grown accustomed to, I will return to visit your daughter as often as time allows. And if Charlotte permits me, I'll bring her lavish gifts and toys from Vires. Though she was born untitled, she'll remain a princess in my eyes.
Morgana is true joy embodied, and it seems her most treasured moments are spent telling magical tales. Can you believe it—she has your smile.
With all my love,
Minseo
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Author’s Note
HELLO READERS,
Thank you so much for reading Kingdom Cold. I’m sure you’re feeling a swirl of emotion right now but rest assured, this is only the beginning. I’d planned for this novel to standalone but I’m happy to announce
that you’ve only completed PART ONE of THREE. There are plenty of twists and turns waiting for you in the next book. Kingdom Soul (Book 2) is now available for Pre-Order.
If you enjoyed this story, please don’t forget to leave it a review. Each review means so much to me and I’ve read them all so many times that I have some memorized. I feel like I’m slinging stories out into the world and when you leave a review, you whisper “I hear you.” Each time it’s a dream come true and I celebrate every single one.
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Sincerely,
Brittni
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