The Royal Guard warriors and my allies eagerly went back into the capital and the palace for a much-deserved rest.

I hesitated, staring at Aries’s body.

King Xander approached me. I took a half step back, unsure what I was supposed to do if he started asking questions.

“You seem troubled,” he said.

I shrugged. “It wasn’t an easy fight.”

“And yet, without your quick thinking and leadership skills, my army wouldn’t have had the ...