Ariana POV
Irina asserting herself made Ariana proud. She had everything to lose-- they all did. If her gamble backfired ...
The Lammas solders lowered their weapons. One of them spoke with authority, a seasoned, battle-tested veteran from the look in his eyes. "Princess--er, Queen Irina, we were told that you had abandoned Lammas. That the traitor on the throne--"
"The rightful king," Irina interrupted smoothly. "And as for abandoning Lammas ... I abandoned the old ways, not my kingdom. We can discuss this at another time, but for now, let us through. A life and the fate of both our kingdoms depend on it--unless you want to lose good, loyal Lammas soldiers in a pointless war."
The Lammas soldiers hesitated, holding their stakes and swords. Irina lifted her head high. "It's a matter of life and death."
