Forged in the Flames by Karima Sa'ad Usman

I controlled my temper and remained still, not wanting to give her something to work with. It was hard, and I felt sick, but I restrained myself. “I am glad you know this,” Isabelle said and smiled.

“Yes, Nikolas is crazy about you. He dishonoured me for your sake. His love is strong, and I know it is true. His passion for you is honest, and his desires for you are unmatched,” she said and stood up.

“Yet he has a duty to his bloodline and his people. He must take back what your father destroyed. He must restore his crown, which would not have been lost if it weren’t for your father and your people,” She said and sighed. “He must take back that crown, or Forest would be fair game. I know the last thing you want is for Nikolas to go to war with the Snow and Hill kings because he will fall.

I can tell you that they both want Forest because of its resources,” she said, walking towards me. “Niko does not have the army or the might to push back if they come. Maybe he would have if the Werewolves were on his side. Still, I have been told that your warriors are no more due to the battles they fought defending the territory from my brother and trying to stop my son from taking what is rightfully his. Serves them right, I suppose,” She said, t*ouching my chin to look into my eyes.

She stared at me for a while, studying my eyes “Honey colour,” She said with a whisper.

“Beauty, they say, is in the eyes of the beholder, but you, my dear, do not need a beholder to shine,” she said. Even though it seemed like praise, I did not appreciate it because it was coming from Isabelle. She gave me the creeps “Nikolas will give up his crown for your sake if it comes to it. He cares that much for you. What do you think will happen when he does that, and the vultures come calling? What will happen to him and your race when he falls?” She asked me, and I fought myself from imagining the outcome even though it seemed plausible.

“For your race to thrive and for Forest to continue to be a safe haven for you and your kind, Niko has to be king,” she said, spelling out the truth. It was a truth I knew too.

“I will do all it takes to help my son gain his crown. I am willing to support him all the way. Are you willing to do what it takes, Aliana? Can you put aside your selfish desires for him and allow him to ascend peacefully? Do you love him enough to want what is best for him regardless of your desires?” she asked, letting go of my chin while my eyes danced in confusion. I looked down.

“I want what is best for him,” I managed, and she giggled.

“For Niko to be king, he has to obey the unity law. He also needs a queen by his side and not a mistress. It is either that or he takes the crown by force,” She said and looked at me.

“I called you here to speak to you, Aliana, because my son will never let you go. I also know you will hold on to him tightly because there is nowhere to go,” She said; somehow, she was right, but I loved him too.

I dared not say it, though.

I did not want her to have something she could use against Nikolas and me. I did not know what Nikolas had told her and how he planned to play the game. My silence would have to do for now, but her words stung severely.

“Let us put it this way. For him to ascend, he must make alliances and travel a lot. Some nobles will offer their daughters and other things if they do not see a woman beside him.

Will you be able to take it?

Will you subject another woman to suffering by sharing her husband with her as his mistress?

Will you ruin a home for your happiness?

I am asking you this because I suffered in my marriage. Though my husband’s mistress was dead before we got together, he never saw me.

in her shadow and shared him with her ghosts all through. There was no day I was fulfilled in my marriage, and

do the same with you. I believe, in your case, you will be around, so his wife would not have to compete with your ghost,” She said, and I was

so I shut it out completely, even though it brought me tears. The truth of her words brought tears to my eyes, and they fell freely. There was no point fighting them. Though silent, my

declares war, and I know you would not want him

to lose Aliana, so I will ask you again. Do you love Nikolas,” she asked me. I managed to look at her while wiping away my tears and decided to answer it as honestly

heart,” I said in tears, and

not be in his way for the crown, Aliana. Do not give Fredrick a reason to deny him his right. Do not give Fredrick a reason to march

me go, and I belong to him,”

to get the crown. Are you okay with that?” She

all, and I have no say in these things,” I told her, but deep down,

would not break my heart, and he would fix

to be a mistress or a s*ex slave so he can get whatever he wants, so be it,

owe her an explanation and refused to tell

tell her what she wants

I will keep my hopes up and pray everything Nikolas has planned turns out the way he wants because, in the end, it will just be us, and I was

aren’t disillusioned. Do know you can come to me for anything. I learned Gwendolyn was your mother,” she said,

I apologise for the way I treated you yesterday. It is just that being here without Mathias breaks my heart. You should know exactly how I feel now that you are in love. Although our love was one-sided, he was all I had, and Gabriel took him from me. Niko has pleaded with me to separate the two, precisely what I would do. I won’t trouble you, Aliana, but I will plead with you

and Aleksander have spies everywhere. No one should know what Niko feels about you or that what you have is more than s*ex because they

is wrong for him to sleep with or even have your scent, but it is excusable since he isn’t king yet. Please do not give them something to

I hope he gets the kingship soon because I hate the fact that

for your time, and I appreciate

with me or ask me anything because I know your father might have told you stuff, feel free to ask. I won’t take offence, and I will

I would tell her what I discussed with my father. Even though she seemed nice to me, I knew I could not trust her still. So, it was

the look on Ania and Lisa’s faces

in there,” Ania said,

asked me, and I shook

that strong does not dissipate overnight, Ania. I know she is planning something. She might have realised she can’t control her son, so she is trying to keep her enemy, which

here I thought I was the only pessimist among us. I must say you must have put up a hell of a performance for her to

were true. I just hoped everything would go well and not come to war because Nikolas needed to

be his mistress than

and Halfbreeds. I do not want