"What the hell happened here…" Alexander stared in bewilderment.
The area was torn asunder.
Ice spikes and glaciers gutted from the ground at odd angles, turning a major part of the field into jagged wasteland.
Ren was nowhere in sight. Neither was Freya.
But from the silence, he knew the battle had ended.
'Did we win? Was Ren able to stop her?' He thought stepping forward.
Just as he reached one of the towering glaciers, a voice called out from behind.
"Young master! Thank the gods. I thought you were dead." Ren said, his voice laced with relief.
"I'm fine... as you can see." Alexander turned with a faint smile. But was a bit taken aback by the sight of Ren.
Ren was slightly battered. His left arm hung limp at his side, and streaks of ice crystals clung to his skin, forming patches like frostbite.
Across his chest was a deep slash that appeared to be slightly... healing?
Apart from that, his form was still neat. His aura still appeared formidable. In all, Ren was fine.
'If Ren is fine, then... he must have restrained Freya.'
And there she was.
Beside Ren was a lady tightly bound by glowing ropes. Her body was covered with little cuts. Her once radiant aura had dimmed with her face extremely pale.
"I went down searching for you," Ren said nodding toward the cliff. "Looks like you found your way back on your own."
"You're... alive," Freya muttered, voice faint and cracked with disbelief.
"After I restrained her, I stopped the battle to prevent more loss." Ren continued. "The others are waiting for your command."
"What do you wish to do?"
Coming from the battlefield, Varick appeared before Alexander with a smile.
"My Lord!" Varick stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Thanks for your help. We wouldn't have won the battle without you!"
"It's alright." Alexander said, waving him off. "Gather the men. Orders are to head back to Valeria. I'll handle the rest here."
"What about the enemy forces, my Lord? What do we do with them?" Varick asked.
"Ahh. Don't worry about that. Leave that to me." Alexander said with a reassuring pat on the man's shoulder. "Return and announce our victory to the Duke."
With that Varick bowed once again and disappeared into the ranks of the surviving soldiers, barking out orders.
Alexander continued forward, Ren following closely behind.
"So... how many did we lose?" He asked Ren as they advanced further away from Varick.
Ren's voice dropped slightly. "The Eternal Dynasty troops lost a few soldiers. Around four hundred men."
He paused, then continued. "The Valeria side suffered worse. Over a thousand dead and a few wounded survivors. Though they seem satisfied with the cost."
Alexander said nothing as his gaze swept the field. Then he exhaled slowly, settling down on a large rock.
"Bring her over."
Ren obliged. Without hesitation he lifted Freya carefully and brought her before Alexander. She remained still, her body too weak to resist.
"I did as you asked." Ren said. "Held back enough to avoid killing her. But she's a tough one." He chuckled softly.
That smile alone made Freya's blood run cold.
'This man... can smile like that after what he did? A demon no less.'
Her gaze then drifted to Alexander, eyes flickering for a brief moment. "What does he want with me now?" She thought.
Alexander stared at her, eyes sharp and unreadable. He crouched slightly, voice calm.
"If only you had listened back then... fewer lives would have been lost." He said more to himself than to her.
Then his tone shifted, clear and direct.
"I have an offer..."
His offer was short and precise.
"... Join me."
If he could get her by his side. The rest would be easy from here.
Freya blinked.
"Join you?" Eyes burning with disbelief. "Are you out of your mind?" Why would I side with a Western pig like you?!"
"Hear me out." Alexander said, his voice low but firm.
"Join me, and I'll make you the rightful ruler of the Drakarhold kingdom."
Freya let out a loud, bitter laugh and then glared at him. "What do you mean ruler of the Drakarhold kingdom? You think winning one battle means you've conquered the kingdom? My brother is still alive! And knowing him well, he's already planning ahead."
"And you really think the Northern Lords will just sit back and let a Western pig take Drakarhold?"
Rising from the stone platform, Alexander stepped closer, his expression calm but razor–edged.
"Is that so? I think you're not using that clever head of yours."
"Here's what I think." He said with a pause, then leaned in slightly.
"What if your dear brother... the king... met with an unfortunate accident?"
Freya eyes widened. "What are you suggesting–"
"You know what am suggesting," he said, voice still calm. "If he dies, that will make you the next heir to the throne, right?"
He asked with a sharp smile.
Freya's breath caught in her throat. "You think it's that easy? You expect me to help you kill my own bro–"
"Oh, no." Alexander said, smoothly interrupting her. "You're going to help me."
Ren stood quietly nearby, casually watching the exchange unfold, quite amused.
Freya fists clenched tightly. "This bastard Who does he think he is. Telling me to kill... to kill my brother!"
Alexander watched her closely. She was boiling with rage. Yet, he pushed further.
"Tell me... do you really think your brother is fit to rule? Won't his pride and recklessness lead your kingdom–the kingdom you so much love, straight into ruin?" He asked.
"And we both know..." he leaned in voice just above a whisper. "You and I know your father didn't die a natural death." He said with a pause.
Freya eyes widened.
"He was poisoned... killed by your brother. All for the throne. What's gonna stop him from killing you even if you escape and return?"
"Remember, you swore to avenge his death."
"H–How? How did he know all these." Freya breathed deeply.
And he was right. Her father death wasn't a natural one. He was poisoned.
The official story was that it had been the work of their northern rivals.
Wasn't it why she trained harder? Wasn't it why they wanted to conquer Valeria. In order to gather enough army and destroy those who had killed her father?
But she still had her doubts back then. Subtle clues that had led to a disturbing realisation, which she struggled to accept.
"Join me," Alexander said softly. "And I'll help you uncover the truth... who your father true killer is and then... help you avenge him."
Freya's lips trembled.
That was it. He had laid it all out. It was left for her to decide.