Zayd stood at the edge of the borders, watching with narrowed eyes as Jake’s men gathered in front of him. This reminded him of the first time he’d stepped upon these lands, proposing a challenge his mother had warned him would be deadly.

He’d been confident in his skills back then, and he still was, but his heart felt heavy; complex and yet it felt so broken at the same time. He wanted to see her…his queen. He honestly and shamelessly missed her.

If only he’d been more ...