Forged in the Flames by Karima Sa'ad Usman

I spent the night tossing and turning, thinking of everything my father had told me.

One thing that stuck with me was why Mathias would fall on his sword.

Did they not fight in their wolf form? I knew I would not have peace without an answer, so I planned to speak to my father in the morning before I left.

Sleep never came due to anxiety. I was anxious to see Nikolas the next day, and I was anxious to find out why my father said Mathias fell on his sword.

I needed to understand the battle because, based on my father’s accounts, Mathias seemed confused, and he was behaving as if they hadn’t spoken in a while.

I needed to be sure of certain things. I also wondered if Isabelle was in Snow with her child or if something terrible had happened that prevented her from returning to claim Forest over the past twenty-nine years.

I wondered what Nikolas would do if that should happen.

Would he hand over to Mathias’ heir, or would he insist and push back?

If I wasn’t in love with him, I wouldn’t have bothered, and it might have been a relief, but it didn’t feel like it.

Typically, Kings inherit the throne when they are Thirty-three years of age, so there was a possibility the heir was yet to come. Regardless, I knew I would have to give Nikolas the heads up on the matter when I could because speaking to him of my father in that context always triggered him.

No matter how he cared for me, his hatred and mistrust was deeply embedded, and his emotions could not be handled. It was something that I would have to discuss with him when the opportunity presented itself.

I would ask my father what happened that made Mathias fall on his sword and keep the information to myself. Then I would compare everything and present my understanding to Nikolas if he ever brings up the past. One thing I am sure of is that I won’t be able to tell Nikolas until he brings it up.

I heard movement in the early morning, and I knew my father was preparing for work. I knew my entire day would be messed up, and I might have to close early just to catch up on my sleep.

I rushed out of bed and went to the bathroom to rinse my mouth. I hurried to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and pack lunch for my father.

He came to the living room around the time that I had finished packing his lunch. “Good morning,” I said, plating his breakfast on the kitchen island so he could sit on the high stool and eat.

“Good morning, Princess. Did you sleep well?” he asked me, picking up his fork and admiring the content of his plate. This was my opportunity to ask him what had troubled me all night.

“I didn’t sleep at all. I stayed up wondering about what you told me last night,” I said, and he sighed and put down his fork. I think I had messed his appetite up.

Father,” I said

know?” he asked, lifting his fork again, ready to eat. I studied him

fight in his wolf form. Why with a sword?” I asked him, and my

you a truth that the werewolves refused to accept, my truth,” he said, and I picked up my fork to eat. I wasn’t hungry, but I

have much, and we didn’t have weapons either. So, we headed to the palace in multitude

we would no longer mingle with the Lycans, but to our surprise, Mathias was already coming for us with his

accused us of

we were coming, but the person did not tell him what we were planning to do. The person told him that

Lycan warriors, and his army of werewolves was with me. Fighting in his wolf form would not favor him,

injure and kill many

on his feet, so it became a sword fight, but

have a fighting chance, so he chose the only weapon to make

the army, so we had to

battle, but we obtained some swords from the fallen lycan soldiers, which

so they weren’t as skilled as the werewolves that had years of training. We were able to

took Mathias on, and we fought until we were away from the others. Some werewolves wanted to help me, but I knew they would aim to kill, so I

my sword at Mathias and pleaded with him to yield. I told him we did not want his kingdom, we just wanted to live in Woodland. I told him of all he had done to us and why we wanted to be apart from him. He was

but there was a look of realisation in his eyes,

for him to do to keep his honour, run away or die. He chose to die, and when I refused to kill him. He pierced his heart with the silver-coated sword he held and fell on it until the hilt was at his chest

body, weeping. His last

told me, ‘I am sorry, Gabriel. They said you were coming for me’,”

feeding him lies, telling him we wanted to usurp power. Someone told him we were coming to fight

his honour. I pulled the sword out when Israel and Austin came

they refused. They thought I was just being

back to the entrance, where Isabelle was made to kneel while pregnant with her

but Mathia’s last words

child was of age. However, I knew whoever planned the unfortunate war might still be alive and might eliminate her and Mathais’ only heir. The werewolves might kill them too. Mathias had already lost an heir

decision, claiming that The Snow King would come for me and that if he failed, the child in her womb would seek

I did not care.