Page 84 of The Broken Elf King
“Hello, gentlemen.” I smiled.
They all greeted me, and I settled into my day, only thinking about Raife every minute or so. Was he in Embergate yet? Did Drae say yes? Would they go right to Thorngate, or come back here for a few days?
I broke for lunch after the Winter Ball planning meeting, and then stepped right into the Bow Men meeting. Raife’s top six commanders were there. I nodded to Cahal, Ares, and a few of the others I knew well.
“Hey, guys, I’m taking notes for Raife so I can fill him in when he gets back.”
Cahal nodded. “Alright, let’s get started. We left off last week talking about preparing for the big war with the queen. His Highness wanted a thousand arrowheads forged per month, but we’ve had a shortage in metals.”
I scrawled down the notes. “Can we melt down impractical items like sculptures and use that metal?”
Cahal inclined his head. “That was going to be my suggestion, but it will have to be by royal decree, and then we’ll have to compensate—”
The door flung open and Haig burst inside with a messenger who was panting, dirt caked in his hair like he’d fallen off a horse.
“Queen Zaphira rides with her army to the east wall,” Haig said in alarm.
Chills rose up on my arms, and I knew that Raife would never forgive me for urging him to leave. Because in the worst possible time, the queen of Nightfall was attacking. Had she been watching? Waiting until he left?
The messenger had finally caught his breath. “Over five hundred men march this way. Half on horseback, some ride on fast machines, like horseless carriages. The queen leads them.”
My heart hammered in my chest as every single commander stood and looked from Haig to me.
Haig stepped into the room and sat beside me, leaning in to lower his voice. “Elvin law states that you are in charge in the absence of your husband. You must call an emergency war meeting with the council.”
Holy Hades. Was this seriously happening?
“I’d like to call an emergency war meeting with the council. Bow Men, ready the troops for battle,” I told them.
They saluted me and left. Haig ran out as well, presumably to get the other councilmen, and I sat there in absolute shock.
What the Hades was I going to do? Lead a war on our border? How? This was too much. I couldn’t think.
It was in that moment that a line inTheNature of Warcame to me.
In times of war, staying calm is one of the most important things you can do. Others will look to you to lead, and the less nervous you are, the more faith they will have in your ability.
I inhaled deeply through my nose and shook out my limbs, rolling my neck.
I got this.Just a little skirmish at the east border with the witch I was just plotting to kill. If this went my way I might even be able to put her out of her misery and Raife wouldn’t need to assemble all of these other kings.
The four councilmen burst into the room then and Aron looked right at me. “Zaphira was clearly spying on King Raife and saw that he left. She’s choosing now to attack because she knows we are weak without our king,” Aron said.
“No we’re not,” I said calmly. “Raife is an amazing leader and healer, but a single person being gone does not weaken an entire realm.”
Haig stared at me, impressed, but Foxworth shook his head. “We can’t let her get deep into the borders. Her army is larger and can conquer the entire realm before the king even gets back. He’ll come back to burning fields, dead men, and enslaved women.”
His words were sobering. I thought better on my feet, so I stood.
Stay calm, I told myself, taking in a deep breath as the council rolled out a parchment map on the table. I knew Nightfall and its people better than anyone here. I didn’t exactly know the queen’s battle plans or anything, but plenty of my friends had dated men in her army since every male above the age of sixteen was forced to join the reserves. I knew that they were heavily dependent on their machines.
The council was arguing about evacuating the highborns into Thorngate and begging the fae king for help when I cleared my throat and stepped up to the map.
“Bring the people from these outer fields into the safety of the palace walls.” I pointed to the area on the map with the highest population of our farmers. Their knowledge of growing food was invaluable. We could afford to lose some crops but not the farmers themselves. “Then we set bear traps at the perimeter of the East wall to capture their horses. And we flood the field with as much wine and liquor as we can find.”
The men frowned, staring at me perplexed. “Liquor?”
I nodded. “The queen’s machines are all electric and electricity and fire don’t mix.”
