"Thank you!" Ava turned, looking at King Harold with an expression of pure adoration, the same innocent gaze she'd had when they were children.
"It doesn't come without a price." Harold shook his head, a hint of weariness creeping into his stern features. He turned away, unable to meet her eyes. In his mind, her simple, earnest gratitude was something he didn't deserve.
"What do you need us to do?"
In the past, Ava would never have responded with such calm acceptance. As the High Princess of the kingdom, she was proud, the most beautiful rose of the court.
But she was no longer just herself. She had a child now. A child caught between the human kingdom and the Stoneheart Horde, whose future fate was destined to be anything but peaceful.
If we can't avoid it, then I have to prepare Kronos, one step at a time. This was Ava's new reality. If that day ever comes, I can't let him go to the table with no cards in his hand.
