Chapter 6
I thought, foolishly, that time and effort might finally earn their respect
Then came the Norsemen
The alarm was raised just before dawn–an ambush.
Steel rang out across the camp as the soldiers scrambled for their swords. One of the older knights tried to shove me back into the
*Stay in here, girl. Don’t step outside unless you want to die.”
I caught the flap of the tent before it closed. I didn’t back down.
Right there, in front of all my father’s old comrades, I stood tall
command tent.
“Gentlemen,” I said, voice steady. “You once fought beside my father on the front lines. You called yourselves his sworn men. If that loyalty meant anything, then hear me out
They paused.
“I lost him before I ever truly knew him. But everyone says he was a good man a great commander. Since his death, our house has grown silent. My brother’s still a boy, uninterested in the sword. No one remains to carry my father’s name on the battlefield. Please let me prove I’m worthy to inherit what he left behind.”
A beat of silence. Then a voice from the back “You’ve got your father’s fire, lass.”
Another chuckled, “If you can keep up, come with us.
We moved fast. I wasn’t just along for the ride–read the terrain, suggested defense lines, laid out flanks. And it worked
By sunrise, the invaders had scattered, their bodies left broken on the frostbitten sail. We’d crushed them.
Victory changes things.
The following spring, the Norse sent envoys to negotiate peace.
And me? I was no longer just “the girl in camp. My name meant something,
When I returned to Crownspire, I rode through the city gates on a white warhorse, head held high. The banners of Crownspire flew high above the gate towers, and the streets bustled with market cries and armored men. What once felt suffocating the weight of stone, the gaze of nobility–now felt earned.
The King welcomed me back with open arms and promoted me to Lieutenant of the Western Guard. He even gifted a carved oak plaque bearing my family’s crest, engraved with my name.
The Hawthorne name no longer lived in my father’s shadow.
Now, it stood for me.
After the audience, Sir Julian was assigned to escort me home
Our loses trotted side by side down the cobbled streets, hooves clicking in rhython
“It’s been a year, and you haven’t changed a bit,” he said with a teasing smile.
“You’re too kind, my lord,” I replied smoothly, though my thoughts were anything but calm.
I’d slipped during my report to the King–said something I shouldn’t have. Sir Julian had stepped in, covering the gap without blinking
But I couldn’t figure out win
Why would he help me?
Even in my last life.
Before the thought could fully form, he gave a salt, knowing smile. “The Queen Dowager sends her regards.”
And there It was
The court was a tangled battlefield these days. The King was aging, and the royal heirs were circling like hawks. The Queen’s third–born son, Prince Alric, was deep in a cold rivalry with his younger brother’s supporters.
Sir Julian might play the part of the King’s golden envoy, but underneath?
He was the Third Prince’s blade.
And in my last life… it was the Third Prince who claimed the throne.
I nodded, playing my part. “Please offer Her Grace my thanks. I remain grateful for her early king
Sir Julian’s lips parted, like he had more to say–but the manor gates came into view.
I bowed in the saddle. “Thank you for the escort ”
He returned the gesture, eyes unreadable. “Until next time, Lady Eleanor.”
The moment I arrived at Hawthorne Manor, I found them waiting.
Mother stood front and center, flanked by William and Beatrice–perfectly arranged like they’d been rehearsing-
“Eleanor, thank goodness you’re home,” Mother said, voice warm and sweet as honeyed wine.
William beamed. “Eleanor, I heard you won a great victory! The King E was so pleased–he’s rewarded the entire family!”
Even Beatrice gave a soft smile. “You’re Incredible, Eleanor. When we heard you’d be back today, Lady Margaret insisted on cooking herself. There’s a feast waiting.
I didn’t even blink. “That won’t be necessary. I’ve already taken supper at the castle,” I said flatly. “I’m tired. I’ll return to Rosewood Hall. I assume no one’s couched in?”
Mother stiffened slightly, then nodded. “Of course not, dear. You must rest. You’ve earned it‘
I turned and walked away without another word.
The day left this house, they didn’t say a kind thing. They didn’t beg me to stay. They let me go as if I were a burden to be unloaded. And now?
Now they line up like loyal dogs waiting for scraps.
How laughable.
How very, very convenient.
