“Bring him to me!” A shrill, wild voice cracked over the forest, and the battle hushed.

I realized the last of the Ruby Legionnaires had been defeated, apart from one. The Legionnaire was wrestled through the woods toward the queen and tossed into the snow at her feet.

“Your king is a coward,” she rasped. The Legionnaire climbed to his knees, and a slow, wicked smile found his face. The queen ignored him and addressed her soldiers. “The Crimson King means to tire me out before the Silver Jubilee Renewal. He thinks sending a division of his Ruby elites to our castle doors will give him an advantage. But he’s wrong, and when I kill him in a few days’ time, his armies will be forced back, and his heir will cower at my name.” She slammed her fist against the bells at her chest, and the Evergreen Host growled and shouted in agreement. Energy buzzed through the woods. But I’d met Tegan, the first Red Prince. And I had a feeling he wouldn’t be afraid at all.

I caught the Ruby Legionnaire looking at me. His brows tilted in, recognition flickering across his eyes. Warmth touched my cheeks, and I slid an inch behind Kaley, but his eyes darted to Zane padding over to me, and I knew the sight of Zane would confirm his suspicion.

“Do you know who she is?” the Ruby Legionnaire nodded toward me, grabbing the queen’s attention. The Legionnaire’s smile returned, and I sprang forward to yell over him, to deny whatever he was about to say next, but a gust brushed past my shoulder—an arrow spiralled through the wind and plunged into the Ruby Legionnaire’s copper armour.

I stifled a squawk. The Legionnaire gasped as silence crushed the clearing. A heartbeat later, the man burst into a flurry of snow.

Evergreen Host soldiers erupted with noise; the queen’s eyes fired to where the arrow had come from. But I stared at the empty crimson cape floating to the ground, snow trickling away like shaken salt.

“Emissary.” The queen’s voice was cold. “You’ve killed my prisoner.”

I turned, glassy eyes landing on Eliot. The bow was still raised in his hands. “Maybe I didn’t like the way he threatened my wife.” His large lips were tipped down.

The queen stared at him several seconds too long. But she hardened her jaw and shouted, “Soldiers, station yourselves around the castle grounds. No one leaves. Anyone who attempts to will be executed as a deserter.”

My hands had trembled for hours. Eliot never came up to our room.

I paced until Kaley came in carrying two dresses. There were cuts on her knuckles. “The elves are cleaning up downstairs,” she said. “There was a wedding scheduled for tonight. The queen wants to go ahead with it.”

And since we can’t leave, we have to attend, was what she didn’t say.