Seven Times A Charm

The first scream came from the eastern construction camp.

It was followed by the sound of splintering wood.

Then another scream.

Then the unmistakable clang of steel.

The workers had been preparing the foundations for one of Concordia’s government buildings when the Valedorn soldiers arrived.

At first, everyone assumed they had come to observe.

After all, Othmar had insisted that his five thousand soldiers were conducting “military exercises.”

Then one of the soldiers struck a worker.

Everything changed.

A second soldier overturned a cart.

A third set fire to a stack of timber.

The construction foreman shouted at them to stop.

They beat him.

Within minutes, panic spread throughout the construction site.

Workers fled toward the unfinished city walls.

Some soldiers tore down temporary structures.

Others destroyed surveying equipment.

Several began deliberately damaging the foundations.

The message was obvious.

King Othmar wasn’t testing Concordia anymore.

He was trying to stop it.

A messenger reached the palace less than an hour later.

Atreyu was the first to hear the report.

He stood very still.

“How many?”

“Five thousand confirmed.”

“Casualties?”

“Several workers injured. We don’t know how many yet.”

Atreyu’s jaw tightened.

“Where are they?”

“The eastern construction district.”

Mara entered the room.

“What happened?”

Atreyu handed her the report.

Her expression hardened as she read.

“They attacked civilians.”

“Yes.”

Mara looked toward Lexander.

“We need to move.”

Lexander was already standing.

“Thor.”

She stepped forward.

“I’m ready.”

“Io.”

She reached for her sword.

“I’m coming.”

Mara looked at them.

“The Black Sheep Knights are assembling.”

Lexander nodded.

“Then let’s go.”

The Black Sheep Knights had earned their name long before Lexander ever met them.

They were the kingdom’s strangest military order.

Some were disgraced nobles.

Some were former mercenaries.

Some had been orphans who had grown into soldiers.

Some had simply refused to fit into the rigid structure of traditional knighthood.

They were called the Black Sheep because they were the ones who didn’t belong anywhere else.

Yet when the kingdom needed warriors willing to do what ordinary soldiers couldn’t, the Black Sheep were always there.

Their commander raised his sword.

“Black Sheep!”

Hundreds of voices answered.

“For the kingdom!”

The gates opened.

They rode.

By the time Lexander reached Concordia, the situation had become chaotic.

Smoke rose from the eastern district.

Workers ran toward safety.

Several buildings had already been destroyed.

The unfinished bridge had been damaged.

The sound of shouting echoed through the valley.

Lexander’s expression went cold.

“They’re attacking the workers.”

Io nodded.

“I see them.”

Thor stepped forward.

“Then let’s stop them.”

Lexander drew his sword.

“Together.”

The Black Sheep Knights charged.

Atreyu led the center.

Mara took the eastern flank.

Io rode with Lexander.

Thor moved ahead of all of them.

She didn’t bother drawing a weapon.

She simply raised her hand.

Thunder answered.

A bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of the advancing Valedorn soldiers.

The earth shook.

The soldiers stopped.

Thor smiled.

“Last warning.”

They kept advancing.

Thor sighed.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t listen.”

Another bolt struck.

This time it sent dozens of soldiers sprawling.

The Black Sheep Knights crashed into the formation moments later.

Steel met steel.

The battle erupted.

Lexander fought beside Io.

He had fought battles before.

This was different.

These soldiers weren’t invading an army.

They were destroying a city that had barely begun to exist.

Every broken building made him angrier.

Every injured worker made him more determined.

Io fought with the same fury.

“Left!”

Lexander turned.

A Valedorn soldier swung at him.

He blocked.

Io struck the soldier’s weapon away.

Lexander disarmed him.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Another group rushed toward them.

Thor landed in front of them.

She looked over her shoulder.

“You two need help?”

Lexander smiled.

“We’re fine.”

Thor looked at the approaching soldiers.

“Good.”

She cracked her knuckles.

“Because I was getting bored.”

Lightning exploded across the field.

The soldiers scattered.

Lexander stared.

“Show-off.”

Thor grinned.

“You’re welcome.”

Atreyu fought his way toward the Valedorn command.

Their officers had established a defensive line near the half-built government district.

Mara joined him.

“Commander.”

Atreyu nodded.

“Take the left.”

“You’re taking the center?”

“Yes.”

“You always take the center.”

“Because I enjoy being shot at.”

Mara laughed.

“Idiot.”

“Probably.”

They charged.

The Black Sheep Knights followed.

The Valedorn line broke.

One group surrendered.

Another fled.

A third tried to regroup near the unfinished city walls.

Mara pursued them.

“Drop your weapons!”

Some did.

Others didn’t.

Mara raised her sword.

“Your choice.”

One of the soldiers looked around.

His comrades were gone.

He dropped his weapon.

The others followed.

Within an hour, the five thousand soldiers had become scattered groups.

Within two hours, most had surrendered.

The rest were running north.

The battle was over.

But Lexander wasn’t satisfied.

He looked at the destruction.

Buildings burned.

Tools lay broken.

The bridge was damaged.

Workers were injured.

And Concordia had been deliberately attacked.

He turned toward Io.

“This is war.”

She nodded.

“Yes.”

The prisoners were disarmed and secured.

Atreyu ordered medical teams to treat both soldiers and workers.

Mara organized the wounded.

Thor helped carry fallen beams away from a collapsed structure.

Lysandra arrived from the palace later that afternoon.

She stepped into the construction district and stopped.

Her face fell.

“This is horrible.”

Lexander nodded.

“It is.”

She looked toward the damaged buildings.

“How many?”

“We don’t know yet.”

She walked toward one of the injured workers.

“Are they alive?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Lysandra looked at Lexander.

“Who did this?”

He didn’t answer.

She already knew.

“Othmar.”

“Yes.”

Her expression hardened.

“I want to go north.”

Lexander shook his head.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because this isn’t your fight.”

Lysandra stared at him.

“It’s our city.”

Lexander had no answer.

She continued.

“And those people were building it.”

Io placed a hand on Lysandra’s shoulder.

“We’ll make sure they answer for it.”

Lysandra nodded.

That night, the council met.

The mood was completely different from the meetings of previous weeks.

Nobody was arguing about wedding flowers.

Nobody was debating architecture.

Nobody cared about seating arrangements.

Five thousand soldiers had attacked their people.

The question was no longer whether Othmar intended to stop Concordia.

It was how far he was willing to go.

Atreyu stood before the council.

“He has violated our territory.”

Mara nodded.

“He attacked civilians.”

Lisbeth added, “He also destroyed property belonging to merchants from both kingdoms.”

Io looked around the room.

“What does international law say?”

Lisbeth answered immediately.

“That this is an act of aggression.”

Lexander looked at her.

“Then we respond.”

A nobleman stood.

“With an invasion?”

Lexander shook his head.

“No.”

“Then what?”

“We give Othmar one chance.”

Io looked at him.

“One chance for what?”

“To stand down.”

Before anyone could answer, the doors opened.

Alden entered.

He looked exhausted.

His clothes were dusty.

His expression was grim.

Everyone turned toward him.

Lexander stood.

“Alden?”

Alden walked to the center of the room.

“My father won’t stand down.”

Io’s expression hardened.

“How do you know?”

“Because I know him.”

Alden placed a sealed document on the table.

“He intends to continue the war.”

Lexander looked at the document.

“What is that?”

“A declaration.”

“Of war?”

Alden nodded.

“He has already ordered another army to mobilize.”

Atreyu frowned.

“How many?”

“Ten thousand.”

The room went silent.

Alden looked at Io.

“My father has lost control.”

Io studied him.

“What are you going to do?”

Alden took a long breath.

“What I should have done years ago.”

He drew his sword.

“I am going home.”

Lexander stood.

“To negotiate?”

Alden shook his head.

“To remove him.”

Silence.

“You mean depose him.”

“Yes.”

Io looked at him.

“Your father is still king.”

“He is my father.”

Alden’s voice hardened.

“But he has abandoned the responsibilities of a king.”

He looked around the room.

“He has attacked civilians.”

“He has violated treaties.”

“He has endangered Valedorn.”

“And he is preparing to start a war he cannot win.”

Alden sheathed his sword.

“I will not let him destroy my kingdom because he is angry that a woman refused to marry me.”

Nobody spoke.

Then Atreyu smiled.

“I like him.”

Lexander nodded.

“So do I.”

Alden arrived before dawn.

He did not stand alone.

Three noble houses joined him.

Then five.

Then nine.

By the time he reached the border, nearly half of Valedorn’s senior military officers had declared for him.

They had seen what Othmar had done.

They had seen the destruction at Concordia.

They had heard about the workers who had been injured.

And many had begun to realize that Othmar’s obsession with controlling Io’s kingdom had put Valedorn itself at risk.

The first fortress surrendered without a fight.

The second opened its gates.

The third declared for Alden.

By the time Alden reached the capital, the royal army was divided.

Othmar stood in the throne room surrounded by his remaining loyalists.

“You would betray me?”

Alden stood before him.

“No.”

Othmar laughed bitterly.

“You come with an army.”

“I came with the army you commanded.”

“You’re my son.”

“Yes.”

“You owe me obedience.”

Alden’s expression hardened.

“I owe you respect as my father.”

He stepped forward.

“I owe my kingdom something more.”

Othmar’s hand moved toward his sword.

Alden didn’t draw his own.

“Don’t.”

Othmar froze.

“You would threaten me?”

“No.”

Alden looked around the throne room.

“I am giving you one last chance.”

“For what?”

“Abdicate.”

Othmar stared at him.

“No.”

Alden closed his eyes.

“Then I am sorry.”

The doors opened.

The royal guard entered.

One by one, they lowered their weapons.

Othmar looked around.

His supporters were gone.

His generals had abandoned him.

His nobles had turned against him.

His son stood before him.

The king was alone.

By sunset, Othmar was no longer king.

Alden was crowned the rightful ruler of Valedorn the following morning.

His first act was immediate.

He ordered all remaining troops along the borders to withdraw.

His second was to send reparations to the workers and merchants whose property had been destroyed.

His third was to formally recognize the sovereignty of Io’s kingdom.

His fourth was to send a message to Lexander.

It was short.

My father is no longer king. Valedorn will not stand against you. I ask only that you judge my people by their actions, not his.

Lexander read the letter.

Then handed it to Io.

She smiled.

“That sounds like Alden.”

Lexander nodded.

“I think he’ll make a good king.”

“I do too.”

The next week was devoted to rebuilding Concordia.

The damage was extensive.

But the workers returned.

One by one.

Then in groups.

Then hundreds at a time.

The damaged bridge was repaired.

The burned structures were cleared.

New foundations were laid.

And something unexpected happened.

More people volunteered.

Citizens from both kingdoms came to help.

Merchants donated materials.

Nobles donated money.

Soldiers worked beside construction crews.

Even the Black Sheep Knights spent several days helping rebuild the city they had defended.

Thor carried enormous stone blocks as though they weighed nothing.

Lysandra directed workers.

Lisbeth organized supplies.

Io inspected the government district.

Lexander helped wherever he could.

Atreyu and Mara oversaw security.

And Alden sent Valedorn engineers and craftsmen to help repair the damage.

The city grew faster than before.

Not because the attack had made it stronger.

Because everyone now had something to prove.

Concordia would not be destroyed.

One evening, Lexander stood beside the damaged bridge.

Io joined him.

“It looks better.”

“Still needs work.”

“So do we.”

He looked at her.

“What do you mean?”

“Our kingdoms.”

Io smiled.

“We’re still figuring everything out.”

He took her hand.

“At least we’re figuring it out together.”

She leaned against him.

“Together.”

A loud crash came from behind them.

They turned.

Thor stood beside a pile of stones.

Lysandra was staring at her.

“I told you not to lift that one!”

Thor looked at the enormous stone in her hands.

“You said it was too heavy.”

“It was holding the wall together!”

Thor blinked.

“Oh.”

The wall behind her began to tilt.

Lexander sighed.

“Thor.”

“I can fix it.”

“You’d better.”

Thor smiled.

“Don’t worry.”

She carefully put the stone back.

The wall stopped moving.

Lysandra crossed her arms.

“I’m watching you.”

Thor smiled.

“You always are.”

They walked away together, arguing.

Lexander laughed.

Io shook her head.

“Those two are ridiculous.”

“They’re friends.”

“I know.”

He looked back toward the city.

The foundations of the palace had grown higher.

The central avenue was taking shape.

The bridge stretched across the river.

The future capital was beginning to look real.

Then Lexander noticed something.

At the center of the construction site, workers had raised a new banner.

It showed the intertwined symbols of both kingdoms.

And beneath them was the symbol of Concordia.

A bridge.

Lexander smiled.

Io followed his gaze.

“They’re proud of it.”

“So am I.”

She took his hand.

“So am I.”

Far to the north, Alden was beginning his reign.

In Valedorn, Othmar’s era had ended.

In Concordia, construction continued.

And in the palace, the wedding plans were somehow already behind schedule.

Lysandra’s voice echoed from the distance.

“LEXANDER!”

He closed his eyes.

“What now?”

“WE NEED TO FINALIZE THE FLOWERS!”

He looked at Io.

She was already laughing.

Lexander sighed.

“After surviving an invasion, I suppose flowers are the real threat.”

Io kissed his cheek.

“Come on.”

Together, they headed back toward the palace.

Behind them, Concordia rose from the valley.

Stone by stone.

Road by road.

Dream by dream.

And for the first time, it truly began to look like the city that would unite two kingdoms.

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