The journey to Verdura took longer than expected.
The road that had looked manageable on the map quickly became a succession of muddy tracks, narrow mountain paths and dense forests where the army could barely keep formation. Rain came and went without warning. When it wasn't raining, a cold wind swept down from the mountains, finding every gap in their armour and clothing.
Alexander rode at the front with Gabriel and Liam close behind. The rest of the royal army followed in a long, uneven column.
By the third day, mud had dried in thick layers around the horses' hooves. Several soldiers had taken to walking beside their mounts rather than risk losing their footing on the steeper trails.
Liam pulled his cloak tighter around himself. "I thought Verdura was supposed to be warmer."
Gabriel glanced at him. "You're the one who packed for summer."
"I packed sensibly."
"You brought three shirts."
"They were good shirts."
Alexander heard them arguing behind him and shook his head. A sudden rustle came from the trees. He raised a hand. The column slowed. For a moment, there was only the sound of wind moving through the branches. Then something shrieked. Several small figures burst from the undergrowth.
"Goblins!"
The first creature lunged at a soldier, its crude blade catching against his shield. Another scrambled beneath a horse, snapping at its legs. The horses reared. Alexander drew his sword. "Hold the line!"
A goblin rushed him. He stepped aside, caught its wrist and drove his blade across its shoulder. It dropped into the mud with a wet cry. Another came from his left. Alexander turned just in time. Steel struck against a crude iron weapon. The goblin's teeth were yellow and pointed, its breath foul enough that Alexander could smell it even through the rain. He shoved it back and struck again.
Around him, the soldiers had recovered their formation. The goblins were quick, but they were poorly armed and had no discipline. Once the army stopped panicking, their advantage disappeared. Within minutes, the remaining creatures fled into the forest.
"Don't chase them," Lucius ordered. One soldier started forward, then stopped.
Alexander wiped his sword against the cloak of a fallen goblin before sheathing it.
"They're testing us," Gabriel said.
Alexander looked toward the trees. "Or they're running from something worse."
Liam's expression changed. "That is not particularly comforting."
"No," Alexander said. "It isn't."
They continued toward Verdura.
***
The villages along the route offered little relief. People came out to watch the royal army pass, some curious, others anxious about the creatures reported near Verdura. Soldiers were given water, bread and whatever provisions the villagers could spare.
Alexander attracted a different kind of attention. Women appeared at doorways and along the roadside whenever the army stopped. Some whispered to each other as he passed. Others were less discreet, smiling at him or finding excuses to approach.
Alexander was accustomed to it. He acknowledged the attention with a polite nod when courtesy required it and ignored it when it did not. In one village, a young woman stepped directly into his path.
"Your Highness."
Alexander reined in his horse.
She curtsied. Her name was Sophia. She looked up at him with a smile that lingered a little longer than necessary. "I heard the Crown Prince of Eldoria was travelling through our village."
"You heard correctly."
Her gaze travelled over his armour. "You look even more impressive in person."
Liam, standing several paces away, suddenly became very interested in adjusting his saddle.
Sophia stepped closer. "Such strength and valour you possess. Would you not seek a little comfort in my arms? Even for one night?"
Alexander looked at her. There was amusement in his eyes, but he did not dismount. "Your offer is flattering."
"Only flattering?"
"Tempting, too."
Her smile widened. "Then why refuse?"
Alexander glanced toward the road ahead. "We have a kingdom to protect."
Sophia laughed softly. "Always duty."
"For now."
She tilted her head. "And what happens when your duty is finished?"
"I suppose I'll find out."
She gave him a playful pout. "You are a difficult man, Your Highness."
"I've been told."
"If you ever grow tired of carrying the kingdom on your shoulders, you know where to find me."
Alexander inclined his head. "I'll remember."
He urged his horse forward before she could say anything else. Liam waited until they were out of earshot.
"You'll remember?"
Alexander glanced at him. "What?"
"Nothing."
Gabriel gave Liam a warning look. Liam smiled innocently and said nothing more. Sophia was already behind them. Alexander barely thought about her.
It was not that he disliked women. Quite the opposite. He enjoyed their company and knew exactly how easily charm could turn into something more. But lately, the encounters felt increasingly predictable.
A smile. A flattering word. A private room. Then morning. He wanted something else. He simply had no idea what that something looked like.
***
That night, the army made camp beside a narrow stream.
The fire struggled against the damp wood, sending more smoke than heat into the cold air. Soldiers sat in small groups around the camp, eating whatever remained from the day's provisions.
Alexander sat with Gabriel and Liam slightly apart from the others. For several minutes, none of them spoke. Liam was the first to break the silence. "You've been unusually quiet."
Alexander watched a burning branch collapse into the fire. "I've been thinking."
"About Sophia?"
Alexander looked at him. Liam grinned. "Thought so."
Gabriel shook his head. "You should learn when to stop."
"I know exactly when to stop."
"You don't."
Alexander gave a quiet laugh. The fire popped. He rested his forearms against his knees. "The women we've met along the way..."
Liam raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"
"They're beautiful."
Gabriel waited. Alexander picked up a small stick and pushed one of the burning logs deeper into the fire.
"But?"
"But that's all there is."
Liam's teasing expression faded. Alexander stared into the flames. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life surrounded by people who only see the crown."
Gabriel studied him. "And what do you want?"
Alexander took a moment before answering. "Someone who can stand beside me."
"That sounds simple enough," Liam said.
"It isn't." The stick in Alexander's hand broke with a quiet snap. "I need someone I can trust. Someone who won't disappear the moment things become difficult."
Gabriel nodded slowly. "You want a partner."
"Yes."
"Not another woman in your bed."
Alexander looked at him. "That too."
Liam laughed. Gabriel's mouth twitched. For a while, the three of them watched the fire. Then Gabriel said, "Perhaps you'll meet her when you least expect it."
Alexander gave him a sceptical look. "That's what people say when they don't have an answer."
"It's still possible."
Liam leaned back on his hands. "He's right."
Alexander glanced between them. "Both of you have become philosophers."
"We've had a long journey," Liam said. "We're desperate for entertainment."
Alexander laughed under his breath. The sound faded quickly. Beyond the camp, something moved in the darkness. He looked up. Nothing. Only trees. Still, he kept watching them for another few seconds before turning back to the fire.
"We should sleep," Gabriel said.
Alexander nodded.
"Tomorrow we reach Verdura."
***
Dawn came cold and grey. Alexander was already awake when the first light reached the camp. The soldiers packed quickly. Horses were saddled, weapons checked and supplies secured before the column resumed its march.
The closer they came to Verdura, the quieter the road became. There were fewer villagers. Fewer farms. Even the birds seemed scarce. Alexander noticed the abandoned houses first. A door hung open on its hinges. A child's wooden toy lay half-buried in the mud outside another. No one came to greet them. He slowed his horse.
"What happened here?"
Lucius rode up beside him. "The villagers were evacuated."
"How long ago?"
"Several days."
Alexander looked toward the mountains. Somewhere beyond them was Verdura. And somewhere in those mountains were the creatures they had come to kill.
By midday, the army reached the foot of Verdura. They heard the creature before they saw it. A deep, rumbling sound rolled through the valley. The horses began to shift uneasily. One of them screamed. Alexander lifted his head. A massive figure emerged from between the rocks.
The Glacial Behemoth.
It towered over the trees, its body covered in layers of frost that had hardened into something resembling armour. Ice clung to its shoulders and limbs. Each breath left a white cloud hanging before its face.
For a moment, no one moved. Then the creature roared. The sound struck the valley like thunder. Several horses reared.
"Hold them!" Lucius shouted.
Alexander dismounted. His sword came free with a metallic scrape. "Stay behind me."
Gabriel and Liam moved into position. The Behemoth lowered its head. Alexander watched its feet. Its right leg was heavier than the left. A weakness? He didn't have time to decide. The creature charged. The ground shook beneath Alexander's boots. He waited. Closer. Closer. At the last moment, he threw himself sideways. The Behemoth's claws slammed into the ground where he had been standing. Stone shattered.
Alexander rolled, came up on one knee and drove his sword toward the creature's leg. The blade struck ice. It barely penetrated. The Behemoth swung its arm. Alexander ducked. The claws passed above his head with enough force to tear branches from a nearby tree. He backed away.
"Too thick," he muttered.
Gabriel shouted something behind him, but the Behemoth roared again. A blast of freezing air swept across the valley. Alexander raised an arm to shield his face. Ice formed across the ground. His boots slipped. The creature came at him again. He caught himself just before falling. Then he saw it. A narrow gap beneath the armour at the creature's knee.
"Gabriel!"
His friend understood immediately. Gabriel and several soldiers moved to the creature's left side, drawing its attention. Alexander ran. The Behemoth turned. Too slow. He climbed onto a broken section of rock, jumped, caught the creature's armour and hauled himself upward. Ice tore through his gloves. His fingers went numb.
The Behemoth thrashed. Alexander nearly lost his grip. He pulled himself higher. The creature swung its body. Alexander's shoulder slammed against its back. Pain shot through his arm. He gritted his teeth and kept climbing. There.The gap. He raised his sword. The Behemoth twisted. Alexander drove the blade down. Steel broke through the exposed joint. The creature screamed. The sound seemed to shake the mountain itself. Alexander pushed harder. The sword sank deeper. The Behemoth staggered. Then its enormous body collapsed. Alexander jumped clear. He landed badly. For a moment, he could not breathe. The valley fell silent. He looked at the fallen creature. "We got it."
Then warmth spread beneath his armour. He looked down. Blood. A deep cut ran along his side, hidden beneath the torn edge of his armour. He had not noticed it during the fight. Alexander took one step. His knee buckled.
Gabriel caught him before he hit the ground. "Your Highness."
"I'm fine."
"You are bleeding."
Liam hurried over. His usual smile was gone. "That is not a scratch."
Alexander tried to straighten. The movement sent a sharp pain through his side. His hand tightened around Gabriel's arm. Lucius approached. "We need to treat him."
"We don't stop," Alexander said.
Gabriel stared at him. "You can barely stand."
"Verdura is still exposed."
"We'll deal with that."
Alexander looked toward the mountains. The pain was spreading now, dull and heavy beneath his ribs. "We came here for the kingdom."
"And we'll finish what we came to do," Gabriel said. "But you won't help anyone if you collapse."
Alexander opened his mouth to argue. The world tilted. He blinked. The edges of his vision darkened. Liam caught his other arm. "That's enough."
Alexander tried to pull himself upright. "Find shelter."
"We will."
"And don't lose sight of—" His voice faded.
The last thing he saw was Gabriel's face before the darkness closed over him.
They found shelter in an abandoned hunting hut not far from the battlefield. Gabriel and Liam carried Alexander inside while several soldiers stood guard outside. His armour was cut away. The wound was worse than either of them had realised.
Liam cleaned the blood from Alexander's side while Gabriel kept watch near the door. "He's lost too much."
"I know."
"Will he wake?" Gabriel looked toward the unconscious prince.
"He will."
"You sound very certain."
"I have to be."
Outside, the wind moved through the trees. Inside, Alexander shifted restlessly beneath the blanket. His breathing remained shallow. Whatever awaited them in Verdura, they would have to face it without him—for now.