The arrival of Prince Alden was announced just after midday.
Lexander was in the middle of a meeting about sewage systems.
It was, he decided, exactly the sort of subject that should never be interrupted by royalty.
“The western district needs another drainage channel,” the chief engineer explained.
Lexander rubbed his eyes.
“How many?”
“Three.”
“Three?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because the ground slopes toward the residential district.”
Lexander stared at the plans.
“And if we don’t build them?”
“The streets flood.”
“Build them.”
The engineer nodded.
“Excellent.”
Atreyu entered the room.
“Lexander.”
Something in his voice made everyone stop.
Lexander looked up.
“What?”
“Prince Alden has arrived.”
The room went silent.
Lexander looked at the engineer.
“Can the sewage wait?”
The engineer nodded.
“Probably.”
“Good.”
He stood.
“Let’s go meet the prince.”
The arrival courtyard had been filled with guards.
Not because Alden had arrived with an army.
He hadn’t.
He had come with twenty riders, six servants, and two advisers.
That almost made Lexander more nervous.
A man who arrived with an army was easy to understand.
A man who arrived politely was harder.
Io stood beside Lexander.
Lysandra was on her other side.
Thor stood several paces behind them.
Mara and Atreyu watched from opposite sides of the courtyard.
Lisbeth stood near the palace doors.
Loki was nowhere to be seen.
Which meant, according to long experience, that he was probably somewhere nearby.
The gates opened.
Alden entered.
He was younger than Lexander had expected.
Perhaps a few years older than Io.
He wore the formal colors of Valedorn but no armor.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
He approached the group and stopped several feet away.
“Queen Io.”
Io nodded.
“Prince Alden.”
“Thank you for receiving me.”
“You’re welcome.”
His eyes moved to Lexander.
“And you must be Lexander.”
“I am.”
Alden studied him.
Lexander studied him back.
Neither smiled.
Finally, Alden extended his hand.
“I’ve heard much about you.”
“I suspect not all of it was flattering.”
Alden smiled.
“No.”
Lexander shook his hand.
“At least we’re being honest.”
Alden glanced at the others.
“General Atreyu.”
Atreyu nodded.
“Prince.”
“Lady Mara.”
Mara inclined her head.
“Prince.”
Then Alden looked at Lysandra.
“And you must be Lysandra.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“How did you know?”
“I was told Lexander’s sister would be here.”
Lysandra looked at Lexander.
“You’re famous.”
“I’ve been trying to avoid that.”
Thor stepped forward.
“And I’m Thor.”
Alden looked at her.
“The goddess.”
Thor smiled.
“Yes.”
Alden bowed slightly.
“An honor.”
Thor nodded.
“Good.”
Lysandra whispered, “You sound like a queen.”
Thor whispered back, “I’m practicing.”
Lysandra smiled.
Alden’s attention returned to Io.
“I’d like to speak privately.”
Lexander’s expression hardened.
Io noticed.
“I’ll speak with you.”
“Alone.”
Lexander stepped forward.
“I don’t think—”
Io touched his arm.
“It’s fine.”
He looked at her.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
She turned toward Alden.
“Come with me.”
They entered the palace.
Lexander watched them disappear.
Thor stepped beside him.
“Do you trust him?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Lexander looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t trust him either.”
Lysandra sighed.
“You’ve known him for thirty seconds.”
Thor shrugged.
“He has the face of someone who wants something.”
Lexander smiled.
“That’s surprisingly perceptive.”
“Thank you.”
“I wasn’t complimenting you.”
“I’ll still take it.”
Io led Alden into a private sitting room.
Neither spoke until the doors closed.
Alden remained standing.
“I’ll be direct.”
“I would prefer that.”
“My father wants your marriage canceled.”
“I know.”
“He believes your union with Lexander will destabilize the region.”
“I know what he believes.”
Alden’s expression tightened.
“He also believes Concordia is an attempt to create an empire.”
“It isn’t.”
“I know.”
Io looked at him.
That answer surprised her.
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you here?”
Alden hesitated.
“Because my father expects me to stop you.”
“And will you?”
“No.”
Io studied him.
“Why?”
Alden walked toward the window.
“Because I never wanted your kingdom.”
Io remained silent.
“My father wanted it,” Alden continued. “He wanted your throne because he believed marrying me to you would make Valedorn stronger.”
“And you?”
“I wanted a wife.”
Io’s expression softened slightly.
“But you never wanted me.”
Alden looked at her.
“You were never in love with me.”
“No.”
“And I knew it.”
“Then why continue?”
“Because my father made it clear that refusing him would have consequences.”
Io nodded slowly.
“So you were trapped too.”
“Yes.”
Silence settled between them.
Then Alden smiled faintly.
“I suppose Lexander should be grateful.”
Io laughed.
“He probably is.”
Alden turned toward her.
“I came here to ask you for something.”
“What?”
“Don’t let my father’s anger turn you against Valedorn.”
Io frowned.
“I won’t.”
“There are nobles who support you.”
“How many?”
“More than you think.”
That was important.
“How do you know?”
“Because some of them have already contacted me.”
Io’s eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“They’re afraid my father will start a war.”
“And they want me to stop him.”
“Yes.”
Io nodded.
“Then perhaps we have common ground.”
Alden smiled.
“Perhaps.”
When Io returned to the courtyard, Lexander immediately walked toward her.
“What did he want?”
Io smiled.
“To apologize.”
Lexander blinked.
“That wasn’t what I expected.”
“Neither did I.”
“Did he threaten you?”
“No.”
“Try to convince you to marry him?”
“No.”
“Ask you to dissolve the engagement?”
“No.”
Lexander looked genuinely confused.
“What happened?”
Io explained.
Lexander listened.
When she finished, he looked toward the palace.
“I don’t know whether I trust him.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.”
“But?”
“But I think he’s telling the truth.”
Alden emerged from the palace.
Lexander looked at him.
Alden approached.
“Lexander.”
“Yes?”
“I won’t stand in the way of your marriage.”
Lexander nodded.
“Thank you.”
“But my father will.”
“I know.”
Alden looked at Io.
“And I believe he’ll eventually make a mistake.”
Lexander frowned.
“Why?”
“Because he’s angry.”
Alden smiled bitterly.
“And angry men make poor political decisions.”
Atreyu snorted.
“That’s true.”
Alden turned toward him.
“Especially kings.”
Atreyu nodded.
“Especially kings.”
Alden stayed for three days.
During that time, something unexpected happened.
He became useful.
Very useful.
He understood Valedorn’s politics better than anyone else in the palace.
He explained which noble houses supported his father.
Which ones opposed him.
Which ones could be negotiated with.
And which ones would never accept Concordia.
Lisbeth spent hours with him going over trade routes.
Atreyu discussed military strategy.
Mara questioned him about the northern passes.
Even Lysandra eventually admitted that he wasn’t as irritating as she’d expected.
Thor remained suspicious.
She didn’t trust him.
But she did like him.
That was apparently enough.
On the second evening, Lexander found Alden standing over the map of Concordia.
“You like it?”
Alden nodded.
“It’s ambitious.”
“That’s one word for it.”
Alden pointed toward the northern edge.
“You should build a fortress here.”
Lexander looked at the location.
“Why?”
“Because this is the easiest route from Valedorn.”
Atreyu, who had entered behind them, immediately studied the map.
“He’s right.”
Lexander looked at him.
“You think Othmar would attack through here?”
“If he does, this is the route.”
Alden nodded.
“He’ll want to make the attack look defensive.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’ll claim that Concordia threatens him.”
Lexander’s expression hardened.
“And then?”
“He’ll claim he has no choice but to protect Valedorn.”
Atreyu looked at Lexander.
“That’s exactly how I’d expect him to justify it.”
Alden pointed toward the city.
“Build the fortress.”
Lexander nodded.
“Do it.”
Atreyu smiled.
“I’ll begin tomorrow.”
The wedding committee, meanwhile, remained completely unconcerned with military strategy.
At least, that was how Lexander described it.
He entered the palace ballroom one afternoon and found Io, Lysandra, and Lisbeth surrounded by fabrics.
Again.
“What now?”
Lysandra held up two pieces of cloth.
“Gold or silver?”
Lexander looked at Io.
“What are they for?”
“The ceremonial banners.”
“For the wedding?”
“Yes.”
“Silver.”
Lysandra smiled.
“That’s what I thought.”
Io looked offended.
“You asked him.”
“I wanted confirmation.”
Lisbeth looked up from her notes.
“We’ve also decided that the two kingdoms should have separate banners during the ceremony.”
Lexander nodded.
“That makes sense.”
“And then,” Io said, “they’ll be joined beneath the new royal standard.”
Lexander smiled.
“That I like.”
Lysandra unfolded another design.
“The new standard needs a symbol.”
Lexander looked at it.
Two intertwined circles.
One represented each kingdom.
In the center was a stylized bridge.
“Concordia,” Io said.
Lexander nodded.
“That’s perfect.”
Thor walked into the room.
“What’s that?”
“The new royal standard.”
Thor examined it.
“Where’s the hammer?”
“There isn’t a hammer.”
“There should be.”
Lysandra shook her head.
“No.”
Thor pointed at the design.
“It’s boring.”
Lexander laughed.
“It’s a royal standard, not a weapon.”
Thor looked disappointed.
“You’re taking all the fun out of this.”
Construction at Concordia continued at an astonishing pace.
The first residential foundations were complete.
The central avenue had been widened.
The river bridge was nearly finished.
The palace foundations now extended across the valley floor.
Workers had begun construction on the eastern government district.
A temporary market had already appeared.
Merchants were arriving before the buildings were finished.
Lexander visited the site every few days.
He was becoming familiar with the workers.
He knew which architect argued the most.
Which engineer complained about the weather.
Which foreman could make an entire crew move twice as fast.
He even knew which baker had started selling pastries from a wooden cart near the western gate.
One morning, he found Thor standing beside the half-completed palace.
She stared upward.
“It’s big.”
Lexander nodded.
“Yes.”
“How many rooms?”
“Hundreds.”
Thor smiled.
“Good.”
“Why?”
“I’m claiming one.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t live here.”
“I might.”
“No.”
Thor frowned.
“You’re building it.”
“For the royal family.”
“I am royal.”
“You’re a god.”
“Exactly.”
Lexander sighed.
“Fine.”
Thor smiled.
“Excellent.”
“Pick a room.”
She pointed toward the largest tower.
“That one.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s the throne room.”
“Oh.”
Thor considered it.
“Then I want the one next to it.”
Lexander laughed.
“You’re impossible.”
The political situation continued to shift.
Several nobles in Io’s kingdom publicly endorsed the proposed union.
Two noble families in Lexander’s kingdom announced their support for Concordia.
Merchants began moving their businesses toward the new city.
The military alliance expanded.
And Othmar’s influence began to weaken.
Not dramatically.
Not yet.
But enough to worry him.
Then, late one night, a messenger arrived from the northern border.
Atreyu read the report.
His expression changed.
Lexander noticed immediately.
“What?”
Atreyu handed him the parchment.
“Valedorn troops have crossed the border.”
Lexander read the first line.
Then the second.
He looked at Io.
“How many?”
“Five thousand.”
Io’s face hardened.
“Is it an invasion?”
Atreyu shook his head.
“Not officially.”
“What does that mean?”
“They claim they’re conducting military exercises.”
Lexander laughed bitterly.
“Five thousand soldiers don’t conduct exercises inside someone else’s territory.”
“No.”
Mara looked toward the map.
“Where are they?”
Atreyu pointed.
“Here.”
Io stepped closer.
“That isn’t our border.”
“No.”
Lexander looked at the map.
“That’s where the Concordia road will connect to the northern trade route.”
Everyone went silent.
“They’re testing the road,” Mara said.
Atreyu nodded.
“And the defenses.”
Lexander looked toward Io.
Othmar wasn’t attacking.
Not yet.
He was measuring them.
Testing their response.
Looking for weakness.
And perhaps, most importantly, waiting for Lexander or Io to make the mistake of responding emotionally.
Lexander folded the report.
“Then we won’t give him one.”
Io nodded.
“What do we do?”
“Nothing reckless.”
Atreyu smiled faintly.
“You’ve learned.”
“I’ve had good teachers.”
Mara looked at him.
“Who?”
Lexander glanced toward Thor.
“Mostly people who caused problems.”
Thor raised an eyebrow.
“I heard that.”
“I intended you to.”
She smiled.
That night, Lexander and Io stood together overlooking Concordia.
The city lights were beginning to appear below them.
Temporary lanterns illuminated the roads.
Workers moved between buildings.
The first permanent homes were beginning to rise.
The bridge reflected the moonlight.
It was still incomplete.
But it was becoming something.
Io rested her head against Lexander’s shoulder.
“Do you ever think about how different everything was a few months ago?”
“Constantly.”
“And now?”
He looked across the valley.
“Now I think about what it’ll look like when it’s finished.”
She smiled.
“Our city.”
“Our city.”
“Our kingdom?”
Lexander looked at her.
“Maybe.”
Io took his hand.
“Whatever happens, we’ll decide together.”
He squeezed her hand.
“Together.”
Far to the north, Othmar’s soldiers were still moving.
In Valedorn, nobles were beginning to choose sides.
In the palace, wedding invitations were being prepared.
At Concordia, foundations were being laid.
And between all of those things stood Lexander and Io.
Their wedding was approaching.
Their kingdoms were changing.
Their new capital was rising.
And an angry king was running out of time.
Lexander looked toward the northern horizon.
“Let him come.”
Io looked at him.
“You’re sure?”
He smiled.
“No.”
She laughed.
“But?”
“But I’m ready.”
Below them, another stone was placed into the foundation of the future palace.
Then another.
And another.
Concordia continued to rise.
And somewhere beyond the mountains, King Othmar began preparing for the next move.
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