All Chapters of They Should Have Killed Me: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"A disgrace to this house!" my father snarled. "I raised a daughter without honor.""Father!" I caught at his sleeve. "I didn't do it. I swear I didn't. Please believe me."He tore himself free, turned toward Crown Prince Cedric and the king, and dropped to his knees. "My household failed in discipline and produced this shame. I accept whatever punishment the Crown commands."Crown Prince Cedric looked at me once, his expression cool with displeasure."Elowen Fairfax has deceived the court and disgraced the selection. Remove her from the hall at once.""Your Highness!" I cried. "I'm innocent. Those letters are forged. I don't even know that scholar."No one listened.A quarter hour earlier, Cedric had appeared pleased with me and named me a junior consort of his future household.I had thought that appointment might finally lift me above the rank I had been born into. I never imagined Rosamund, my own elder half sister, would destroy me like this.With only a few carefully cho

I stepped out from the ranks and bowed at the center of the hall. "Your Majesty, I ask leave to question Corveth's envoys."There was a brief silence behind the screen. "Granted."I turned toward the delegation. "Why does Corveth's tribute register omit the three frontier cities it seized from Thalenor five years ago?"Halden Rook went pale. "Lord Marshal... I was charged only with delivering tribute. The question of cities is beyond my authority.""Beyond your authority?" I smiled. "Then carry this message home. Thalenor will have those cities back. Return them willingly, and we will reduce the tribute by one third. Refuse, and I will come for them myself.""Elowen!" Cedric shot to his feet, face livid. "This is a diplomatic settlement. What place does one woman have threatening war in the middle of court?"I looked at him with a faint smile. "When I broke your frontier army, one of your commanders asked much the same question. He died on my blade before he got an answer."The

Lucan nodded, gathered the bowl and dishes, and left.I was alone in the study.Candlelight trembled against the mirror, and the harder face looking back at me pulled my thoughts toward the rain-soaked night five years earlier.After I put the hairpin through Corbin Ash's throat, I ran without stopping.I fled Corveth's capital and kept moving until I reached the barren march between Corveth and Thalenor.The journey had emptied me of strength, and there I encountered several armed drifters working the border roads.They saw a young woman alone and decided I would be easy prey.My hand closed on a jagged stone in the mud, and I fought like something rabid. By the time the last of them turned and ran, three men lay unmoving in the water and I collapsed beside them, barely conscious.That was when Dowager Empress Seraphine's inspection convoy passed through the region.She lifted the curtain of her carriage, looked at me covered in mud and blood with the stone still locked in my

The campaign was set to begin ten days later.For those ten days, I barely slept.Troop assignments, supply trains, marching schedules, reserve forces, and coordination with General Garrick Thorne all passed across my desk. I refused to leave any major decision unattended.Lucan remained beside me through most of it, taking the smaller burdens before they could reach me.With him there, the work became lighter.Then the morning came, and the army moved.Thirty thousand cavalry formed beneath the rising sun, armor flashing silver above a thicket of raised spears.I sat at the head of the column in pale battle armor, the sword the Dowager Empress had given me at my hip.High on the city wall, Emperor Finnian waved both arms at me.His tiny imperial mantle made him easy to find among the ministers surrounding him.I raised my spear in salute.Then I turned toward the army. "Move out."Hooves thundered across the road until the earth itself seemed to shake.Corveth had never b

My father smiled in triumph and opened his mouth to demand more."Ellie!"My mother shouted from beneath his boot. "Don't bargain for me. I will not let you bow your head because of me.""Shut up!" Alaric raised his hand toward her."Ellie, listen to me." She clung to his leg and stared at my silver armor as though she could not bear to look away. She was crying and smiling at once. "For five years they kept me below the house and treated me worse than an animal. I stayed alive because I wanted to see you one more time."Now I've seen my daughter become Thalenor's greatest commander. My last wish is answered. Every day of it was worth enduring.""Mother, no!" I rushed forward.But I was too late.She gathered the last of her strength and threw herself against the blade already at her throat.There was a short, wet sound.In the silence of the tent it seemed unbearably loud.Blood struck Alaric across the face. My mother fell, still looking toward me, pride and relief in her