"I bet we find out tomorrow." Mor sighed. "How do we defend against it?"
"Shields don't work, it just seeps in. The best offense for it is to have many people being taken over to drain him faster. Of course, the risk with that is someone coming in behind the wave and then killing our people."
"What about having archers stationed at a distance? Both to protect our people who are caught and maybe shoot fire at Boris or something?"
"Mor - you are becoming quite the strategist." Atreyu winked at her. "It's hot."
She blushed as the others all nodded. "That would possibly work. The problem is making sure the archers have enough range. They'll need to be pretty far back."
"I can help with that," Morgana said. "I can magically increase the range of the bows and arrows. And add a little boost for accuracy."
"There's an excellent chance he's using some sort of spell on his troops. Morgana, you and I should focus on that. Unless you'll need to maintain attention to your spell on the bows and arrows?"
"No, once that's done, it'll be set."
"Don't forget the poisoned blood. Make sure all the dragons and shifters know not to bite the enemy." Sebastian spoke up.
"What about the units who will be used as bait for the dark wave?" Ben said.
"Bait? That's gross." Mor frowned.
"That's what it is. Calling it by something else won't take that away. Sometimes you have to use bait to spring a trap. We're doing everything we can to keep the bait safe, and that's about all you can ask for in a war." Asmodeus looked at Mor, a serious expression on his face.
Sighing, she said, "All right. Lancelot, Tristan, please add the poisoned blood and dark wave to your briefings with the commanders. I don’t want anyone going in blind.” When they nodded, she continued, “Asmodeus, what will you and your Daemons be doing?"
"We'll focus on trying to get to Boris and stop him by any means necessary."
"Good, your powers will most likely be best suited to that. Anything else we need to plan for?" When no one said anything Mor reached over and grabbed her boots. "Then let's go and see the troops and the freed ones. Time to boost some morale or something."
"They need to see their queen is here and fighting with them. Especially the freed ones. The army has mostly met you and loves you. But we need the freed ones to see that you really do care about them, darling."
"I've spoken with a few of them, and they aren't convinced you'll be any better, beautiful. Some of them even think it's your fault. This will be a good opportunity to make sure they see what you're actually like instead of the propaganda those guards threw at them." Atreyu pulled her to her feet.
"Shall we, my lady?" Ben bowed and held out his arm for her.
"Oh stop," she took a nervous breath. "I'm not sure how to convince them.
"Same way you convinced me." Morgana smiled at her, "Just be your smart-ass self. Show them that you have their backs."
Mor nodded, straightened her shoulders and walked out of the tent. She made sure to go to each unit. The freed Fae and shifters were spread among them and she made sure to talk to several at each unit. Mor also checked in with the army, making sure they all had what they needed and knew where the medical tents were. After checking in with them, Mor took time to make sure everyone knew of the risk of Boris' ability to talk to animals and their fear he could influence shifters. She also made sure they knew about the possibility of poisoned blood and the dark wave, as well as their plans for the wave.
At one of the last camps, one of the freed stopped her. He was young and actually looked like he was too young to have been allowed to march with the army. "Why are you telling us all of this?"
"What do you mean? It's important for you to know."
"We're only pawns to you."
"What's your name?"
"Dorran, your majesty," he looked down at his feet, his face scared.
"Dorran, I don't want this war. I don't want any of our people or the shifter's people or the Daemon's people or the Dragon's people hurt. But I've seen what comes if we don't win, so I will fight until my last breath to keep that from happening to you or anyone else. Keeping as many of you safe and alive is my goal. And that includes Boris's army. Most of them are there by force and I'll be damned if I don't do everything in my power to save them as well as you. So don't you ever fucking say you're a pawn again. You are far more than that."
She pulled Dorran in for a hug and then held him by his shoulders. "Are you even old enough to be here, Dorran?"
"Um, no. I, ah, snuck in."
Mor pinched the bridge of her nose. "You are going to go to the medical tent and help there. I will not risk you."
"But my mother is in Boris' army! I want her to see me so she'll know she can get away!"
"I understand, but I can't risk you. And I'm damn sure your mother would hate me - and rightfully so - for risking you like that. So, go to the medical tent. When she sees that the others are freed, she'll have hope and come running as soon as she is able."
"Yes, your majesty. Thank you."
"Your welcome." Mor hugged him one last time before heading to the next unit. By the time she had finished with that unit, word had spread through the camp about what she had said and done with Dorran. Everyone they passed bowed their heads in silence as she passed, ready to follow her in to the fire in the morning.
Chapter 22
Sebastian
Today was the day. Sebastian was standing with his brothers and his mate, waiting for their horses to be brought. Mor was wearing her leather armor again, and he was with Atreyu on that. It was fucking hot. She'd put on the circlet with the Seeing Stone and she looked - regal. In the middle of a battle camp, in armor, and she looked every inch the queen she was. A soldier brought her coffee, she grinned, thanking him.
"You ready for this?" Ben said softly, coming to stand next to him.
"I hate this part. The waiting."
"I know you do. But the fight is always worse."
"That never really scared me until today. Now, all I can think about is losing her."
Chuckling, Ben said, "Oh, so you never worried about losing any of us? Gee, thanks."
Sebastian nudged him with his shoulder, "You know what I mean, ass."
"I do. I know she can take care of herself. She's trained hard, and her magic is strong. But I just want to wrap her in silk and keep her safe."
"She'd flip out if we ever tried that." Max came up to join them.
"Yeah, too bad though. But we never did want a mate like that, did we?"
The other two shook their heads. They'd talked about what kind of mate they would have. None of them had come close to guessing what was in store for them. This was...beyond anything they could have ever asked for. And now it was time to fight for that. Mor glanced over at them and grinned. She should be nervous, but she knew that the mood of the army came from her. If she had shown fear, the army would lose confidence. So instead, she was forcing herself to act like she hadn't a doubt in the world. He knew it was an act because he could feel how scared she was. He was so fucking proud of her.
Just then, their horses came trotting up. Mor mounted Fury like she had been doing it every day for a hundred years instead of just a few days. "Time to go." Mor's smile was strained and Sebastian felt the tension inside of her rise.
Sebastian nudged his horse alongside Fury and took Mor's hand. "You can do this, darling. You beat him before, you can do it again."
"But that was a fluke. He wasn't expecting it."
"And he won't be expecting you now. He doesn't know how your power has grown. He doesn't know you have the Seeing Stone. He doesn't know you." He squeezed her hand, "You can do this. And you aren't alone. Look around at your army."
She looked around at the determined faces and the looks cast her way, filled with love and loyalty. "Woah."
"Do you see now? You've won them over. They are as much yours as they would have been if you'd been raised among them." He felt the tens
ion in her ease and he sighed in relief before leaning over to kiss her softly. "I love you, Mor."
"I love you, too." She kissed him back, then straightened up. "Let's go."
* * *
Max
Watching Sebastian reassure Mor eased the tight feeling Max felt in his gut. Part of it was the tension he felt coming off of Mor in waves, and part of it was his fear for her. He knew how strong she was, but the kind of tension he felt from her could have been crippling, especially since she was trying so hard to fake it. Now, he felt tension, but it wasn't a near incapacitating fear that he'd felt building in her.
She rode at the head of the army with Max and the rest of his brothers in a half circle behind her. They didn't have too far to go, and then it would start. He and his brothers would protect her at all costs, but they knew this wasn't a battle they could keep her from. She needed to fight it, and her people needed to see her fight for them and with them.
Max sent a silent prayer to whatever gods were with them that this wouldn't be as bad of a fight as he thought it would be. That once Boris' army realized Mor had freed their loved ones they would defect to her side. As much as he hoped that would happen, he was positive Boris would use his magic to force them to fight. Maybe the Morrigan would take a little more interest in them since she'd already provided some helpful little hints.
They broke through the trees, forcing Max's attention back to the present. They could see the castle, about half a mile away. Boris had cleared out some of the forest, widening the cleared area around the castle. The shields around the castle were flickering as if under constant attack. That wasn't good. They'd come down eventually under that kind of pressure. Fuck.
Mor didn't hesitate in riding forward until just out of range of a bow. At least they didn't have to worry about guns in the Magic Realm. They'd made a lot of things work, but that was one thing that had never been worked on. She paused, waiting for the walls to fill before speaking.
"Good morning. I am the Fae Queen Mor of the House of Byrne. My family was hunted down by Boris Thornheart. He stole their power and slaughtered them, just as he will do to as many of us as he can. Boris will not stop until he has enslaved every part of us."
Max signaled the freed, and they moved up to stand where their families and friends could see them. A ripple ran through the soldiers standing on the wall, watching them. "I know most of you are not with him by choice, Fae and shifter alike. You are forced to fight because he is holding your loved ones hostage. I am here to tell you they have been freed! You are my people, too. I do not want any of you hurt in this fight. Come, join your family and help us defeat the imposter!"
They sat and watched as Boris' army began scrambling. The gates in the palisade were thrown open as Fae and shifter started to run toward Mor. Max tensed until he saw that none of them were armed. They were a third of the way to them, when there was a pulse from inside the camp. The ones running toward them fell to their knees and tried to crawl toward them.
"No." Max's voice was soft as he watched their bodies being forced to turn around. "Damn, he does have them spelled. I was hoping..."
Mor sighed, "We knew that there was a good chance he would have them spelled."
Arthur signaled to Tristan, "Let's get everyone in place. We need the towers and battering ram set up."
"No catapults. We can't risk it."
"Mor, are you sure? That would break their defenses faster." Arthur tried again.
"How many casualties."
"She's right, Arthur. We can't risk that many casualties of our own people. Our army would lose heart if they saw us really attacking when we all know they are innocent." Max shook his head.
When Arthur nodded, Max nudged his horse up to Mor's. "I'm going to go make sure the medical tents are set up correctly. Are you alright, love?"
"I am, thank you, Max. I'll feel better knowing you made sure medical is up and ready." She kissed him softly. "I love you, Max."
"I love you, too."
* * *
Arthur
Arthur frowned at Mor as she dismounted and watched Max ride toward the medical tents. She sounded like she was saying goodbye when she'd said she loved Sebastian this morning. And now again with Max. That wasn't going to work. If she doubted like that, it could be enough to make her fail. He needed to get that shit out of her head.
"My rose, if you would come talk with me for a moment?" He swung down from his horse.
"Arthur, I swear if you ask me about catapults one more time - ”
"No, I will not ask you about those again, my rose. You have made your point, and it is an excellent one." He forced himself to stop before he could say something about it, making it easier to get into the walls. Taking Mor's hand, he led her a little ways away from the others. "We need to talk about something."
"Is this something that can wait, Arthur? We're literally setting up for a siege against an army enchanted to fight us."
"No, it really cannot wait. You're telling us goodbye."
Her face was startled as she looked up at him. "Whaaa - no. I'm definitely not doing that."
"Then why did you say to I love you to both Max and Sebastian like it was the last chance you'd get?"
"Uh, you're hearing things wrong." She faked a laugh and tried to walk away.
Arthur grabbed her hand to keep her from going. "Mor, this is serious. If you act like this is the last chance you'll get before you go into battle, there is a good chance it will be the last time. I cannot tell you how many times I've seen someone say their goodbyes like that and it end up being a real goodbye." He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "My rose, do not go into battle thinking you've had the last chance to do anything. You go into battle knowing it won't be."
She was quiet for a little while, clinging to him with her face buried in his chest. "I'm just afraid it will be the last time, Arthur. What if I lose one of you?"
"That is not something either of us can control. But if you focus on that, you won't pay attention to what's in front of you." He hugged her until she relaxed against him. "Feeling better now, my rose?"
"Yes. Thank you. I've never been in a battle like this. Well, I mean you know that, but it's - "
"The first time you go into a battle is terrifying. Of course, going into a battle is typically always terrifying, but that first time is the worst." He slipped his hand into hers and led her back toward the group. "You don't know what to expect. You aren't sure you know what you're doing. You don't know if you can do it. Sound correct?"
She heaved a sigh, "That's it, exactly. I couldn't figure out how to put it into words." Mor touched the circlet on her forehead. "And then there's this. How do I lead experienced troops into a battle when I've never done it before?"
"The same way you've been doing everything." Arthur shrugged, "By bringing in people who know what they're doing. You have Ben, Tristan, and myself who are all extremely experienced. And then you have Sebastian, Max, and Atreyu, probably Asmodeus, and definitely Morgana. The team you have here is exceptional. We'll get you through it."
"I know you will. And remind me to straighten my crown when I need to."
"I'm not completely sure what that means." Arthur looked at her, confused.
"Oh, it's a human expression. When a girl or woman is having a rough time, her friends help her ’straighten her crown’ which basically means to remember who she really is."
"Ah," he frowned down at her. "I will try to make sure your crown is always straight, then."
Mor laughed and pulled him down for a kiss. Arthur forced himself not to deepen in, seeing as they were about to go into a battle and now was not the time to take her off into the woods for a quick romp. She pulled away from him, grinning, and said, "I love you, Arthur."
Arthur smiled back at her. That sounded much better. "I love you too, my rose."
Chapter 23
Mor
Arthur had been right to set her straight. She had been saying goodby
e and hoping no one noticed. But that wasn't going to work. That assumed defeat, and she was damned if she was going to let Boris win this and hurt more people. The lines were set up pretty quickly, and within an hour the siege towers and battering rams had been brought up. Sebastian called his shields forward to ride with the equipment to keep the troops safe. Lancelot would be leading the charge over the walls.
"Morgana?" Mor called.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Morgana was in full formal mode as she walked up next to her.
"We need to try to break the hold Boris has over his army. I'm betting that they'll be forced to fight until they fall over."
"I'm sure you are correct, My Queen."
"Any ideas?"
"I can't do the same thing I did to break the spells over Amara and Atreyu. My guess is that whatever spell he is using is not nearly as intricate, but far more powerful. I could probably break the hold over each individual, but I would have to have them in front of and do it individually."
"That won't work. Just the logistics of trying to get them in front of you one at a time, not to mention how many they are and how long it would take."
They were both silent, and they watched the engines begin to roll forward. As soon as they were close enough to the wall, arrows and magic began flying at them. The shields held, thank the gods. She glanced up and saw Asmodeus and his Daemons hovering above the battle. Once the battle was engaged, they would try to find a way in so they could take out Boris.
Mor felt the Seeing Stone heat up on her forehead. She touched it, startled. As soon as her thoughts focused on it, the Stone cooled down. Fuck, she should have thought of that. "Morgana!" She turned to her, excited, "What about the Seeing Stone? If I can send my magic through it to open a fucking portal to another realm, I should be able to use it to break a spell."
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