Earth's End

“Out the window, love, and not a word,” Baldair ordered the woman.

The Westerner nodded and disappeared as she was told. Discretion must be mandatory for those wanting a firsthand opportunity to find out how the Heartbreaker Prince earned his title. Vhalla didn’t think any further on it as there was a soft rapping.

“Brother,” Aldrik called, not nearly soft enough. The last thing Vhalla wanted was for the Emperor to wake.

“What is it?” Baldair whispered.

There was a time when Baldair’s shirtless presence would’ve made Vhalla tongue-tied. Now, Vhalla couldn’t have felt more relieved at the sight. “I don’t want to be around him right now. He’s being stubborn, and I don’t know what to do, but I can’t lie with him when he’s like this.”

“Like what?” Baldair seemed almost afraid to ask.

“Drunk enough to try lying to me,” Vhalla snapped tiredly. Baldair’s eyes widened in surprise at her admission. He put his palms on her shoulders and positioned her away from the door, standing protectively in front of her before opening it.

“Quiet, or you will wake Father,” Baldair whispered firmly.

“Is Vhalla—”

“She’s staying in my room tonight,” Baldair announced. “What?” There was a nasty note to the word.

“And I’m staying with you,” the younger prince clarified. “No, I’ll be staying—”

“With me until your head clears enough that you see what a fool you’re being.” Baldair pushed his brother back into Aldrik’s room, leaving Vhalla alone.

Vhalla listened to their whispers through the door before dragging her feet toward Baldair’s bed. She pulled the covers over her ears and shivered slightly. Staring at the wall, she started on the long process of trying to sort through her conflicting emotions.



VHALLA AWOKE TO a palm gently rubbing her back. She blinked tiredly, confused as to why the chests were on the side of the bed, rather than in the corner of the room. Then the night came back to her in a rush.

Turning quickly, she locked eyes with Baldair, who was seated at the edge of the bed. The prince gave her a tired smile. It betrayed his exhaustion and disappointment that, Vhalla had no doubt, was directed at a certain older brother.

“Good morning,” he whispered.

Vhalla knew how he kept women crawling back to his bed if he spoke to them in such velvety tones first thing in the day. “Aldrik?”

“He’s still asleep.” Baldair shifted so Vhalla could sit. “It’s barely dawn.”

Judging from the dim light filtering through the slats, what Baldair said was true.

“What happened?” Baldair asked softly.

Vhalla focused on the gray morning. “I realized I hadn’t been seeing him with both eyes open. How long has he been like that?”

“How long has Aldrik liked the spirits?” Baldair asked for clarity, and Vhalla nodded. “Mother, not long after he became a man.”

Vhalla frowned. Since about fifteen?

“It’s always been to varying degrees,” Baldair conceded. “Sometimes it’s no more than any other man or woman has. Other times ...”

“He must stop turning to it to manage his problems,” Vhalla decided. She had no issue with liquor, even the occasional indulgence that crossed the line of too much. But Aldrik didn’t see drink as casual entertainment now and again. He was trying to turn cups into solutions to problems, and that was dangerous. “He won’t just stop.” Baldair squeezed her arm. “He doesn’t know how to function without it when he’s up against a wall. It’s hard to make a case because he can function surprisingly well with it.”

“No, it’s not functioning if he thinks he needs it to get through a tough time.” Vhalla shook her head and swung her feet over the side of the bed.

“Where are you going?” Baldair asked. He made no movement.

“To my friends.” Vhalla paused at the door. “If Aldrik asks for me, you can tell him that he can come get me himself if he wants to see me again, with an apology, and a new promise.”

“You’re going to kill him if you force him to stop drinking altogether,” Baldair cautioned.

“He at least needs to stop thinking he needs it. He has me, he has you and Elecia.”

Baldair seemed surprised she included him. “He might beg to differ.”

Vhalla stared incredulously at the younger prince. How could anyone justify Aldrik’s actions? “He commits to fixing this, or we’re done.”

She was out the door before the prince worked through his surprise at the proclamation. The main hall was empty, and the camp was quiet. She headed toward Fritz’s tent without hesitation, crawling between him and Elecia upon arrival.

“What the—”

“You’re so jumpy.” Vhalla shook her head at Elecia.

“I don’t expect people crawling into my bed!”

“You let this one.” Vhalla pointed at Fritz, who continued to sleep. The man was seriously one of the heaviest sleepers Vhalla had ever met. “And he smells like sweaty boy.”

Elecia sighed and laid back down. “Speaking of sweaty boys and sharing beds, what are you doing here?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Vhalla pressed her eyes closed and was surprised when Elecia only spoke one more word on the matter.