The commander rode, and his thoughts should have been on the conflicts he would surely face, but instead, every thought was consumed by the overwhelming sensation in his heart. He had been traveling nonstop for three days, without stopping, and had sent a messenger to inform Helena. He wanted her to know exactly where he was.

He looked up at the sky, which was beginning to darken, and his mind drifted to the memory of the young man’s body that Henry had killed. He had sent a group to ...