As the doors to the chamber closed behind them. Nikolai let out a weary sigh. He glanced at the stoic general at his side.

“Your men move fast.” Amber eyes stared at him, eyebrows raised. They turned back to the practically empty room.

Nikolai shrugged.

All that remained in the room was a bed. Quite impressive considering half a day’s work had supposedly been finished in hours.

If she believed there was foul play of some sort, the general did not show it.

The Lord of Feldgrau sank into the bed. He stared blankly at the general. It was the first time they were alone and aware of one another’s identity. His blue eyes pierced into his new wife’s form.

“Speak your mind,” commanded the general. Nikolai’s brow furrowed as the sound echoed in the space.

Taking no notice, Faye’s lips pursed. “There is no one else here.”

The clouds bunched together, blocking out the moonlight. The pale light dimmed until it was fully blocked, clothing the two in complete darkness.

The general tilted her head, instinctively shifting her stance from the years of being on the war front. In a fight, darkness favored the prepared. The wooden floorboards creaked at the change.

“You could stab me to return to your lands and I am defenseless against it,” came the sharp murmur from the Lord of Feldgrau. His words resonated in the dark room.

His words rang with truth. Regardless of whether she had come willingly, Faye’s distance from the troop put the general in a precarious position. It could place her claim to her father’s seat in jeopardy. Her position was only slightly better than Nikolai’s.

And they both knew it.

It was too dark to make out anything, but Faye thought she could spot the gleaming blue orbs.

THUNK! Nikolai resisted flinching at the noise as his eyes narrowed.

Although there was no way for him to know it, the Raven General’s famed longsword had been set on the dressing table. The metal rang as it shook in its sheath.

“Stab my husband and return to Wenge. That’s not a half-bad idea.” The general crossed her arms. The heavy fabrics of her ceremonial garb shifted. “Except that your guards would overrun me before I reach your wall. At best I would sit in a cell, worst the chopping block.”

Nikolai almost chuckled. The beauty of mutually assured ruin. “Something tells me you wouldn’t let yourself be caught.” He hummed thoughtfully. “But…”

Faye tilted her head. “But what?”

“Your people would be at war again without their strongest general to lead them,” finished the young man. “Something to consider before slitting my throat.” He shifted in his seat. There was the sound of rustling bed sheets.

A heavy gust of wind blew open the windows. The panels slammed against the walls. Outside, the clouds parted and the sky cleared. The stars twinkled once more.

Amber and blue eyes clashed as pale light filtered through the open window, illuminating the room.

A creature soared past the window, landing on the window sill. It was a raven. The animal’s beady eyes glared at Nikolai. Faye glanced at the bird from the corner of her eyes.

A heavy cover was thrown back. The Raven General snapped her eyes back to the lord’s form. The tense stare-off ended abruptly.

“What are you…” the general openly gaped at the lord who had snuggled under the cover like a spoilt child. Only the top of his hair with the bright red ribbon could be seen. The young man had demanded it back when Faye had ripped the itchy material off their joint hands after the ceremony. At the time, she hadn’t bothered to ask the significance of the item, but now she wondered.

“You don’t seem unnecessarily cruel or stupid, dear wife” The lord turned to his side. Closing his eyes, he offered offhandedly. “I don’t trust you, but I’m not going to lose sleep over this damned arrangement.”

Faye could only watch in bewilderment as the lord pulled the heavy blanket over his head.

This… was not how she expected her marriage night to go.

Slipping off her boots, the young woman made her way to the bed. Her steps were light. Silent like a cat’s.

“You move like a ghost,” grunted the voice under the covers. “Creepy.”

Faye gritted her teeth. In a saccharine sweet voice, she asked, “How else would I murder you in your sleep?”

She received an uninterested grunt for her efforts. Faye’s brows twitched. She mimed strangling Nikolai.

“I can feel you plotting,” muttered the lord’s voice.

Sighing, the young woman let her arms drop to her sides.

The Raven General perched on the edge of the bed. A faint blush covered her cheeks. They were going to… sleep together. The young woman’s fists clenched. Despite being surrounded by men all her life, she was surprisingly out of her depth in this.

“Stop thinking so hard,” blue eyes glance lazily over at her. He shifted back onto his side, facing his back to her. “We don’t have to do anything… Ever.”

But rather than feel offended, a full-blown blush bloomed on her face. What a bratty husband. Her sharp eyes could make out the pink tinging the lord’s ears. The Raven General smirked. Maybe she wasn’t the only shy one.

Even under the covers, Faye could make out the lord’s curled-up form. Although he was taller than her, his protective ball was the opposite of intimidating. It was… cute.

Her scarred hands pulled up the edge of the intricately woven and lavish cover. Her fingers tingled at the delicacy of the materials. It was so soft!

A thick pillow smacked Faye in the head. The object landed on the floor with a thud.

The Raven General turned, throwing a glare at the covered form of her husband. Pure fury radiated off her as she picked up the offensive object. The pillow cringed under her grip. She had dodged a rainfall of arrows and assassin’s hidden blades and spears… and Nikolai had the gall the attack her with such a… Faye’s brain blanked before snarling. Such a weak and soft weapon?

“What is the meaning of this?” She snapped.

Blue eyes peeked out from under the covers once more. “It’s yours.” They narrowed. “I don’t think you’ll put a knife in my back, but we are not sleeping in the same bed.” He huffed, “You’re more than welcome to find any other arrangement that suits you.”

Clenching her fists, you could see the fury radiating off of teh young woman.

“You overestimate my patience, husband,” snarled Faye, baring her teeth. Hugging the pillow viciously to her chest, the general burst to her feet. The young woman held a threatening fist towards her surprisingly-still-alive husband.

“Good night!” Chirped said, husband.

With a frustrated cry, Faye spun on her heels. The general stormed towards the door.

“Maybe I will kill you after all.” She picked up her blade, tossing it over her shoulders. The thought was starting to become increasingly enticing. A corpse couldn’t possibly be so annoying. The young woman reached for the door.

A cough halted the Raven General in place.

Faye’s raging eyes turned towards the Lord of Feldgrau.

“It would be unseemly for the wife of a prince to sleep outside."

There was a pause. It would be weird for a new wife of the lord to sleep outside on their wedding night. But whose fault was that?

The general huffed, acquiescing, “Fine, then where will I sleep?"

“Well, General Faye,” the prince shrugged lazily. "I'm sure you soldier-kind aren't unfamiliar with cold nights on the ground."

Amber eyes flashed.

"YOU-!"

The Lord of Feldgrau smiled sweetly at the murderous expression on her face. "Good night, dear wife." And flipped over like a fat seal, snuggling into the warm blankets.

Faye stared. The crickets chirped.

“I hate you,” she muttered darkly.

---

In the dark chambers, a window was silently pushed open.

A figure clothed in the color of shadow dropped to their knees in front of a figure. The move was soundless.

“You requested my presence?” asked the assassin. The poisoned blades on their back gleamed in the dim candlelight.

The figure nodded sharply. The assassin was timely as always. Their fists clenched. “I trust you received my missive.”

It wasn’t a question but the assassin nodded anyway.

“Make sure you stick the blade through the back,” sneered a dark voice. The snarled, “I want it to hurt.”

Their eyes glanced at the famed poisonous blades. The weapons would ensure their target would suffer before dying pitifully.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

There was a pause. “But most importantly, don’t leave a single trace. I’m sure you don’t need me to remind you of what will happen if you are found.”

The assassin’s face was stoic, not even flinching at the brutal implication of their employer’s words. No sleep would be lost over their death if they failed.

Their thoughts flashed to images of two little ones. Even if the assassin died, any link to his patron would result in the death of his entire family.

The hitman nodded sharply. “They’ll be dead by the end of the week.”

He never failed a job, and even though one of the most formidable warriors would be in the room, no one had yet escaped the fate of his poisoned blades. Suddenly, his brows furrowed. “But how will I get past the guards of the castle?”

The figure laughed. “Not to worry, the lovebirds will soon move into the Prince’s Residence.” The smirked. “That will be your chance to strike.”

There was a creak. When the figure looked back, the assassin was already gone. The window had even been shut on their way out.

The pouch of gold on the table had also disappeared. Their target was as good as dead.

The figure smiled, it was an expression of vengeance and teeth. The moonlight only twisted the image into an evil one.

---

In the dead of night, the streets were empty as even the rowdiest of partygoers had found a stack of hay to collapse into.

A lone band of carriages drifted towards the Prince’s Residence. The pale moonlight shimmered, bathing the yawning servants as they shuffled forward. Why did the place have to be so far from the castle?

It had been a last-minute order by the queen herself to join the Lord of Feldgrau’s retinue. A mother’s love was the servants’ unfortunate.

The young ones eyed the carriages enviously. They dragged their feet and shot each other annoyed looks. It was one thing to serve a demoted prince but an entirely other thing to move from the luxury of a castle to an abandoned mansion in the city with the other commoners. Not to mention, their new masters were the ice prince and the barbarian general!

The couple hadn’t spoken a word to one another since stepping out of the castle. The Lord looked well-rested but annoyed while his wife’s hair was a mess (as if she had slept on the floor) and her amber eyes promised pain for anyone who approached too close.

Tense didn’t even begin to describe it.

The Raven General’s bird soared dutifully overhead. Its ebony color blended in with the night sky. Only its occasional flap and caw gave it away.

Inside the largest carriage sat the newly wedded couple.

The two sat in dead silence.

Poor Cristin sat in between them. The attendant glanced at his liege and then the new lady of Feldgrau. The young woman’s warrior braids bounced with the movement of the carriage. But… the immaculate braids did look a bit ruffled. There was also sharp sleep lines on her face. Were the servants to be believed? Had the warrior really slept the first hours of the night on the floor?

As if sensing his thoughts about her, the Raven General’s sharp glare turned on him.

Cristin was not an easily cowed man by any means. He had fought on the wall, been in battles and nasty business that would make lesser men piss themselves… but the man flinched at the look. What a vicious glare.

Despite having attended the wedding… the entire situation felt bizarre and unreal.

Cristin cursed his own words. When he teased the lord to bring back a wife, who knew fate would take his words so seriously? And to think, his lord was stuck in such an unfortunate match! It was a pity.

The silence was starting to grow unbearable. The attendant shifted in his seat.

“So,” started Cristin. “Have you gotten to know one another?”

Crickets chirped loudly in the resulting silence.

In sync, the two shot him a deadpan look. Without other people to put a show on for, it was silently decided that they would no longer continue. Their momentary treaty had been forgotten as soon as Faye dropped her longsword onto the seat of the carriage, and Nikolai stared distastefully at the weapon brazenly sitting next to him.

Nikolai side-eyed the general picking at her teeth. “Your uncle warned me that you would stab me in the back.”

Unperturbed, the general shrugged good-naturedly. “He’s right to be wary.” She tilted her head at him. “The queen told me you have a lover.” The young woman stroked the blade. “It is of no matter to me, but I will not be disrespected…”

Her amber eyes narrowed. “I heard that in Eburean, men can only take one wife.”

“Have you met my father? If that is why you took up this offer, you might be disappointed. We have bastards like any other lands.” Unperturbed, the Lord of Feldgrau snorted. He pushed the blade toward the general. “Here’s a thought. You keep your sword where I can see, and I promise I won’t do it in front of you.”

Faye looked blankly in the distance, it was as if she hadn’t even heard the other’s words. “It is too bad your lover is engaged to your brother.” Her lips quirked evilly. The general’s accented voice jeered, “It must be hard to stomach.”

Cristin’s eyes widened to dangerous levels. He glanced at Nikolai worriedly. Talk about rubbing salt into deep wounds. How could the general be so brash? It was a sensitive subject for his liege.

But the Lord merely shrugged, “No harder to stomach than this marriage.”

And it seemed that was the end of teh conversation.

Both rolled their eyes and turned to face their respective windows.

Cristin stared at them, gaped mouth. He dragged a hand across his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. An unfortunate match, indeed.

---

The walls to the Prince’s Residence loomed ahead. A giant wooden door that could fit a whole carriage through stood proudly in front. Behind the wall, the tall ceilings of the mansion seemed to reach into the sky. Warm lantern lights covered the intimidating structure in a soft glow. There was a mysterious and grand air to the building.

Even the servants gaped at the residence. Although not as large as the castle, from teh ancient stones that built it up to the intricate woodwork of its pillars, there was a majesty that made it distinctive. The common houses and mansions of the other nobles around it and off into the distance looked like small ants in comparison to the behemoth of a residence.

Two servants hurried to the large door. Pulling out a chain of large, metal keys, they were fast to unlock the doors. It took the strength of four grown men to push the ancient doors open fully.

The large carriage rolled to a stop.

A head stuck out, scouring the surroundings.

Sure that it was relatively safe, Cristin stepped out. He gestured for his liege who hopped out.

Out of habit, the lord held out a hand for his new wife to take and step down.

But the general was too busy gaping at the residence. Ignoring the hand, she leaped out of the carriage with her blade. Her wild braids jangled as wide amber eyes took in the scene.

Faye brushed past Nikolai to take a closer look. Her hands knocked at the wooden doors. The sound echoed familiarly.

“The wood was made of trees from teh grassland,” offered the voice behind her.

The Raven General glanced back at Nikolai, but the lord had already turned to address the servants and guards.

For a last minute decision, the young man certainly knew the place like the back of his hand, mused Faye. She shrugged. The detail was of no consequence to her.

The young woman’s eyes found the stables. Her amber eyes gleamed excitedly.

Turning proudly, and puffing out her chest. She jabbed a hand at one of the servants. “You! Bring me my horse.”

Immediately, all the servants around her paled. The general’s beast was no horse! It was a demon monster.

Reluctantly, two servants, holding tightly to the creature on both sides and sporting black eyes and torn clothes, approached with the fierce warhorse. Even the long journey had not tired its unruly spirit. The animal continued to pull at the lead rope, teeth snapping ferociously. The men flinched.

Practically skipping towards them, the Raven General smiled brightly. The fearsome warrior suddenly resembled a giddy child.

The servants’ heart softened at the sight. They couldn’t help but warn. “My lady, the animal is unstable, perhaps we can lead it-”

“No need,” the Raven General nodded towards them in thank. “I appreciate your hard work gentlemen.” Her lips sneered. “If it had been my choice I would have led him myself.” She shot a glare at the Lord of Feldgrau’s back.

Smiling awkwardly, the servant reluctantly handed over the lead rope.

They watched with bated breath as the horse reared. But the young woman merely side-stepped the attacking legs. Her movements were swift as she repositioned herself by the horse.

Keeping a firm grip on the lead rope, her voice was soft as she chided, “Come now, boy.”

The animal nipped at the Raven General, but the young woman pushed its head away like it was an oversized dog rather than the fearsome creature it really was. “Save your biting for the battlefield, my love.”

Even the horse looked a bit dazed at the reaction. The animal and human stared at one another. The servants watched with bated breath. Carrying a heavy box, a servant girl wandered behind the creature. She was eager to drop off her load and find a warm bed.

CRASH!

A young girl paled. The box she had been holding crashed to the floor, shattering.

The horse’s eyes widened. The animal freaked out, leaping into the air in fright. It reared and bit.

Faye’s expression turned sharp as she tried to calm the animal. But the creature was unfamiliar to her. The calming cues were lost on it in its anger and fright.

The servants around them backed up in fright as the animal let out loud and threatening brays. At the commotion, Nikolai turned and took in the scene.

The horse tried to buck at kick at the girl who had dropped the box, but Faye was quick to pull the animal towards her. “Move,” she snapped at the girl.

Frozen in place, the servant girl merely gaped.

Growling, the Raven General yanked at the horse’s head with all of her weight. The move infuriated the already angry animal, as it turned its attention towards her.

Faye grunted as she took a hoof to the gut. She stumbled back and hit the floor painfully.

Brows furrowed, Nikolai started forward, arms outreached.

But the young woman was quick to recover. Springing to her feet, she kept a tight hold of the lead rope. “Stop,” she commanded seriously.

The servants shuddered at the tone.

The warhorse merely shook its head. Starting forward it nipped at the general’s shoulder. The teeth tore through her clothes. The bite broke skin. Pearls of blood gathered and dripped down from the wound. But the Raven General stood firm, not even flinching. Holding the horse’s head in place, she stared dead into its eyes.

“Stop,” she commanded. Softer this time, but just as firm.

And like that, the animal’s wild eyes blinked. The creature slowly calmed.

Faye’s head snapped towards the frightened servant girl. “Are you hurt,” she barked out.

Swallowing, the girl blinked back tears. She shook her head. Opening her mouth, she started, “Thank you-“

“You do not walk behind a warhorse,” snapped Faye. Her amber eyes were sharp and angered. “If I had been anyone else, you would be dead.”

Her furious words echoed in the silence.

Shaking her head, Faye commanded, “Pack up your things and return to the palace. I will not have fools in my service.”

The servant girl’s eyes widened and watered. It was true she wanted to return to the castle, but not in such a humiliating way! She got to her knees, begging, “No! Please, my lady. Give me another chance!”

But the Raven General had already turned and walked away. Leading her fearsome beast towards the stable. Her dirtied blue garbs fluttered in the wind.

Stunned, and with anger swirling in her heart, the servant girl turned towards teh lord. Unlike the foreign monster, the lord surely had more compassion! She groveled at the ice prince’s feet. “Please, my lord. Do not let the lady mistreat me like this. Please keep me in your service.” She bowed her head. “The queen herself ordered me here. I am a gift from your mother!”

The servant girl was quite beautiful. She had retained a youthful charm but had a mature aura about her. Most men would have wavered when confronted with her pitiful wide eyes and pouting lips.

The Lord of Feldgrau stared down at her. His blue eyes were unreadable.

This was one of the queen’s maids. Turning her away would be turning away the queen’s generosity.

The young man smiled softly. His tone was gentle. “Rise.”

Glee filling her heart, the maid nodded and rose to her feet. “Thank you, my lord! Your wisdom is truly above your wife’s! I promise to-”

Nikolai turned to Cristin. “Have one of your men escort her back to the palace. Immediately.”

The cold expression returned. Ice blue eyes scoured over the other servants.

They all stiffened. Among them, the queen’s spies shifted nervously. This was not going to be as easy as they had first assumed.

Nikolai’s lips quirked. “Welcome to the Prince’s Residence.”