The wind carried the stillness of a held breath across the snow-laced valley between Frostspire and the Southern fleet. Troops on both sides stood poised—not yet enemies, but far from allies.
In the center of it all, Isabella waited.
She had returned to the gates alone after speaking with Alexander and Cassia. No soldiers flanked her. No banners waved behind her. Just her voice… and hope.
Above, the fortress doors opened once more.
Shade emerged—cloaked in black, a thin silver circlet resting on her brow. She did not wear armor. She carried no blade. Her presence, however, was a weapon all its own.
She descended the icy steps, her boots silent on the stone, and stopped a few paces from Isabella.
"You asked for space," Shade said. "You've had it. Now speak."
Isabella drew a slow breath. "You were never given the life I had. The choices. The love. You were turned into a queen of ruin because Voss was terrified of what you might become if you chose your own path."
"And yet here I stand," Shade replied. "With power. With loyalty. With fear etched into the hearts of men."
"But at what cost?" Isabella asked. "You rule over silence. Over scars. You could lead more than soldiers, Shade—you could inspire people. You could heal what Voss broke."
Shade's gaze sharpened. "And if I can't be what you want?"
Isabella stepped forward. "Then I will still fight beside you. Not against you. Because you are my sister, and that means something."
Shade was quiet for a long moment.
Then her eyes flicked to the army behind Isabella. "Will they accept me?"
"Some will," Isabella said honestly. "Some won't. But the world needs to see two daughters of Voss refuse to repeat his cycle. We can show them that blood doesn't define destiny."
Shade's hand drifted to the scar on her temple. Her voice dropped. "You still don't know the whole truth."
"What do you mean?"
"There's more," Shade said. "About our father. About what's still coming. Frostspire isn't the end. It's only the first gate."
Before Isabella could respond, a shout echoed across the valley. A scout ran toward them from the Southern lines, breathless.
"There's movement," he called. "From the eastern ridge. Unknown forces. Heavy artillery."
Alexander's voice crackled in Isabella's earpiece.
"Isabella, you need to move. Someone's using the standoff to launch an ambush."
Shade's eyes narrowed, turning to the horizon. "They're trying to start the war for us."
Isabella met her gaze. "Then let's end it—together."
For the first time, Shade gave a slow, reluctant nod.
Not as a queen.
But as a sister.
---
To be continued in Chapter 124…