Chapter 2

[Gideon's POV]

I narrowed my eyes slightly. Of course I'd kept the paperweight—it was a constant reminder that Winona still owed me a blood debt.

If the empress weren't coming to inspect the city tomorrow and had banned all blades in advance, my first instinct would've been to cut Winona down the moment I saw her.

At my silence, Winona assumed she'd hit the mark. She smiled to herself, looking smug and satisfied. "You're only being so harsh because you're mad I haven't visited you in five years, but I know you still think about me and love me. I bet you can't wait to crawl into my bed tonight.

"I'm beautiful enough to bring kingdoms to their knees and practically a goddess in the flesh, yet I still ended up in your hands. You really are blessed, Gideon."

"Get out!" I snapped, my voice cracking like a whip. I shoved her straight out of my tent.

"That armor looks surprisingly good on you," she said. Her smile turned playful, almost teasing. "If you really miss me that badly, I can give you the chance to share my bed tonight."

My gaze turned cold as I watched her saunter off with her guards, completely unbothered. I turned to Tom and said, "If she dares to come here again, deal with her under military law. It doesn't matter if she lives or dies."

…

That night, I sent my most trusted officers out to keep a close watch on the movements of the Horindean forces. I had to make sure nothing would go wrong during the empress' city inspection.

Only a few newly reassigned sentries were left standing guard outside my tent.

When Winona arrived with Shane in tow, I was in the middle of reviewing the border defense map. She let out a smug little laugh, wearing a look that practically said, "I knew it."

"Gideon, you left your lamp burning late to lure me here in the middle of the night. Is it because you're trying to cozy up to me?" She sighed in mock helplessness. "You really don't have to scheme this hard. Since I've already agreed to marry you, I won't go back on my word."

I ignored her. That probably made her feel embarrassed, because her tone turned sharp and impatient. "Gideon! Enough with this act. You were so cold to me in the day, yet here you are, leaving a light on late into the night to draw me in.

"It's all because you want my body, right? You think that once you've had me and the deed is done, you can use that to lock down my heart."

My stomach lurched, and I nearly gagged from disgust. I was just about to call for someone to drag her out when I remembered I'd already sent all my confidants out.

"You're the princess of a county, yet your brain is filled with nothing but filth. You must be sick in the head," I said, sneering. Then, in an ice-cold voice, I snapped, "Get out!"

"How dare you!" Winona's face flushed red, and her chest heaved with rage. "I was kind enough to bring Shane to meet you, yet you don't appreciate it at all. You two will be the people I rely on most in the future. Aren't you going to give your brother-in-arms a proper greeting?"

She wanted me, a border general, to give a musician from an enemy nation a proper greeting?

How absurd!

When I didn't move, Shane Lodge strolled forward, bringing a five-year-old boy with him. He drawled, "So you're Gideon? You really do have a fine face."

His gaze, carrying a faint, vicious edge, swept over me. "No wonder Her Highness loses sleep over you."

As he spoke, he stepped closer, reaching out to clap a hand on my shoulder.

I caught a glimpse of a blade hidden up his sleeve. On instinct, I pulled back. Before I could do anything else, Shane dropped to the ground ahead of me with a thud.

He cried out in pain and looked up at me. "Gideon, if you don't like me, I can just leave Her Highness. But why draw a knife on me and cut my hand?"

Winona's face turned pale. She hurried to cradle his injured hand, then lifted his head to glare at me, her eyes blazing with rage. "How dare you, Gideon! I'll have your head if Shane's hand is ruined!"

I let out a cold laugh and didn't bother answering.

The young boy suddenly burst into loud sobs and rushed over, pummeling my leg with his fists. "You nasty man! You stole my mother and hurt my father! I'll beat you to death! Just die already!"

"Enough of this!" I flung him aside.