Sacrifice (The Snow Queen #2)(37)

“We must thank you, Princess, for all you have done for us,” the first representative—an icicle-thin man named Hròarr—said.

Rakel forced herself to smile, though she quite frankly found their good will a little overwhelming. “Thank you, but I could not have done this alone.”

“No, but you have such a pure and generous heart—to fight on our behalf, when we as a people trembled in fear of you?” Hròarr said. One of the other representatives elbowed him.

“That is no way to talk to royalty,” the elbower hissed.

“It is I who must thank you for your loyalty and bravery,” Rakel said, eager to get their attention off her. “I have heard of what you have done—how you have freed villages farther south. Thank you for your courage and sacrifice.”

“Of course, Princess. We are honored by your words,” the third representative chimed.

Hròarr nodded emphatically. “We are!” he insisted.

Rakel exhaled with relief when she saw Oskar and Steinar taking their seats—leaving a space between them for her. “If you’ll excuse me, I wish to sit with my beloved brother for the duration of the meeting.”

The elbower tilted her head. “Beloved?” She then ducked and blushed furiously, catching her blunder. “Begging your pardon, Princess.”

Rakel jumped on the reaction, anxious to prove how highly she thought of Steinar. “Yes. It is unfortunate our lives have been a misery of misunderstandings, but I can now say with confidence that I implicitly trust my brother. Verglas is lucky to have him as its King.”

Hròarr studied Steinar. “As you say, Princess.”

“Thank you. If you’ll excuse me.”

“Of course, Princess!”

Rakel offered the trio another small smile and began to make her way towards Oskar and her brother. “May I?” she asked, indicating to the seat between the two men.

Oskar’s green eyes twinkled. “Of course, Princess. It would be our greatest pleasure.”

Steinar offered her a tepid smile and adjusted the chair so it wasn’t crooked.

“There are more in attendance than I thought there would be,” she said. They’d been forced to commandeer the mess hall.

“It is to be expected. It will be the first real battle we’ll have since Tenebris’s arrival,” Oskar said.

“What about the villages we’ve freed?” Rakel asked.

“Those skirmishes hardly count. We faced nothing but mercenary troops—and only two of the villages had a magic user posted in them.” Oskar said.

Rakel leaned back in her chair with relief when she saw Phile enter. She hadn’t counted on suggesting her plan of action—recruiting Farrin—in front of so many. The support Phile would give would hearten her.

“I believe the talks are about to begin,” Steinar said.

In the front of the room, General Halvor stood with Snorri at his back. The scout fussed with the block model he had constructed of the area where they were hoping to make their stand. Halvor—his arms folded across his chest—watched the gathering with his usual guarded expression. When he caught Rakel’s gaze, he bowed to her and to Steinar.

“If we might begin,” General Halvor started.

The occupants of the room quieted and sat on benches and chairs or leaned against the walls.

“I am pleased to announce that we will have more troops than originally estimated. The southern resistance has sent a considerable number of archers to aid us,” Halvor said. “They make a welcome addition. After speaking with their leaders, I hope to keep them hidden in the crevices of the hills on either side of the battlefield, allowing us to attack the Chosen army on three sides.”

Some of Halvor’s officers nodded and took notes. Ragnar raised his hand. “If you don’t mind my asking, sir, will they be hiding using forestry methods, or do you plan for the princess to shield ’em?”

“Members of the resistance are particularly skilled at attacking Chosen troops and disappearing into the landscape. They will employ this technique to limit their losses and continue to aid us,” Halvor said.

“I could build ice walls—like the ones I made around Tana—to shield them,” Rakel said. “It’s just a matter of making slits for arrows and lookout holes.”

“It is a good idea,” General Halvor said, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. “But unfortunately, we will not be able to carry it out.”

Phile moved to stand across the room from Rakel and tilted her head. “Why not?”

“The princess is the only magic user we have that can defend against Tenebris. We are extremely fortunate to have Liv in our ranks, which means the curses are deadly, but not the instant kills as they were for our troops in the south,” General Halvor said. “We cannot risk dividing the princess’s attention between Tenebris and elsewhere.”

Rakel raised an eyebrow. “I made a glacier and rammed an entire army into Ostfold in a matter of minutes. I am capable of keeping a wall-structure up and occupying Tenebris. Tenebris is powerful, so he most assuredly has a price as I do. He will be limited in some way.”

“You are capable, but if you are unconscious for a number of days, the Chosen will likely trample us. We must assume they know your price, as Colonel Graydim witnessed it. Additionally, if Tenebris has a price or limit on his magic, we have not discovered it—though we have some suspicions,” General Halvor said.