“We’ve pushed them back fifty kilometers,” Magnus says. “We should form a defensive line here.”

I grind my teeth together. “Magnus, they are in a total route. We can push further, cut Sydia in two…”

“Then we risk having insurgents behind us, slipping into the capital,” Magnus says. “Right now, they’re out of artillery range, and we have suffered almost no casualties. We should fortify here and sue for peace.”

I hear a Humvee rolling up behind me, and when I turn around, I see that it’s flanked by two others.

The door opens, and General Breivik’s polished boots step out and are soiled in the mud.

“Your Highness,” Breivik says. “Good thing I found you.”

“I’m not going back until―” I start to defend myself, but he snaps his fingers to cut me off.

Six armed men rush toward me, but they snap to attention just short of reaching me.

“What’s this about?” I ask. “Am I going to have an honor guard during the fighting? Come on, General―”

“No,” Breivik says. “These men are going to escort you back to the capital.”

“But―”

“Don’t make me order them to take you forcefully, Your Highness; they’re patriotic men.”

I glare at him.

He leans closer into me. “Come on, Rikard,” he whispers. “You just got married, and we seriously cannot risk you being captured. Imagine how many lives that could cost us?”

“Siegfried would never hold me prisoner,” I say. “He’d kill me then and there.”

“All the more reason for you to go back to your princess,” Breivik says. “You’re too valuable to fight as one soldier. You represent more than that.”

I sigh. I’m not going to make these guys drag me into the Humvee, and Jane is probably furious with me as it is. I got to fight long enough to stop the attack, and that’s more than I could have hoped for, all things considered.

“Let’s go then!” I shout in response, my decision made, and I stalk off toward the Humvee.

* * *

It’s pitch black when we roll back into the city. The city is coated in total darkness; all the city lights have been turned off to make it more difficult to aim artillery fire or conduct any airstrikes. Even though the city is dark, I can still make out the piles of rubble and ruined buildings in the moonlight.

It looks like one out of every ten buildings was at least damaged, and one in fifteen has been completely leveled. It could have been a lot worse, I realize. I remember photos of Dresden after World War II, a full cityscape of dust and rubble with only a few scattered buildings standing tall, like weeds on an otherwise freshly cut lawn.

“We’re lucky,” I mutter.

I notice the palace is the only building still lit up. The citizens need it to remain visible for everyone, to serve as a symbol. A way of declaring that the king still reigns.

And then I realize why I really had to go back. They need to see me, too, and Jane. They need to know that we are still strong and there for them. They need to be assured of that more than they need me clashing shoulder to shoulder with Magnus, or throwing grenades at artillery guns.

The Humvee rolls into the garage located beneath the palace. Once we’re parked, I get out of the vehicle and head off to shower in the barracks. I wash away all the blood and soot and remnants of rubble off my body, and change into a clean suit.

Jane will still be awake, even though it’s four o’clock in the morning. I sigh and rub my hand over my chin. This was our wedding night.

I brace myself as I exit the barracks and step into the grand room. I immediately see Jane at the end of the hallway, and as soon as she notices me, she’s rushing toward me.

Someone must have told her that I was back.

I run toward her, and she leaps into me, wrapping her legs around my body. I easily support her weight, and I grasp onto her possessively as she clings to me.

She doesn’t say anything, but I hear her heavy breathing against my ear. Her breaths are punctuated by gasping sobs.

“We’re married now,” she says through her sobs. “Do you really understand what that means?”

I let her down, and she looks up at me with eyes red and rubbed raw from crying. Her makeup is smeared with tears, and her lip is trembling.

“I do,” I say. “That’s why I came back.”

She shakes her head. “That’s why you shouldn’t have left!”

“You were in danger,” I say. “Everyone was in danger―”

“Prince or not,” she says, “on the battlefield, you’re just one more man. Nordia has tens of thousands of soldiers. You’re one man…”

“And all of those tens of thousands of soldiers will fight that much harder knowing their prince was willing to fight beside them.”

I know I shouldn’t argue with her like this. She’s already furious at me, but I’m too stubborn to just roll over and admit defeat.

“Great,” she says. “And if you’d died?”

“I didn’t die,” I say. “We won.”

She rolls her eyes at me. I can tell she’s been sick with worry about me.

“It’s technically still our wedding night,” I say, a smile curling up along the corners of my mouth.

She scoffs. “You think I’m going to do any...any...wedding night stuff with you after you did this to me?”

I lick my lips. I’m feeling bold―as usual―so I just grab hold of her and crush my lips against hers. I feel her attempting to fight me, trying to push me off her. I don’t give up.

She still tries to push me away after several seconds, and just before I release her and apologize, I feel her lips part. Her tongue submits to mine, and her whole body softens.

Jane all but melts in my arms as I continue kissing her, and I know all that anger is still there, but there’s no better way to make up than to be together.

When our kiss finally ends, I look down into her reddened eyes and grin at her. She’s not willing to smile at me, not yet, but her eyes tell me that she’s reconsidered the wedding night stuff. Without wasting another moment, I lift her up into my arms and carry her toward the elevator.

“The guards can see us,” she whispers.

“Get used to that,” I say. “Privacy will be a rare commodity for Princess Jane.”

She scoffs as the doors shut us off from the guards.

“Besides,” I say, “news will spread now that the marriage has been consummated.”

She smacks me.

“You’re lucky it’s not like the old times,” I say. “In those days, the family had to remain in the room to watch to make sure―”

“Jesus, Rikard,” she says, pushing herself off me until I’m forced to let her down on her feet.

“Hey,” I say. “Like I said, that’s the old days.”

I see her visibly shudder just thinking about it, and I laugh.

“Don’t laugh at me!” she says, punching my chest. “I’m still mad at you.”

She won’t be mad for long, not once I get her into bed.