Morning came, and with it my stress and fear were amplified. My hands shook as I pulled on my clothes. In a matter of hours, I would have to fight one of the best swordsmen alive. If I failed, the women I loved would be tortured and killed.
So, needless to say, the stakes were high.
Once I got dressed, I sat on the edge of the bed for a moment with my eyes closed. I tried to think of peaceful things. Of what my life would be like once I became king. Of my wives, Tressi, Zia, and Silvy. And now, possibly Leena. Of the children we would have, and the nation I would rule over.
And then I tried to picture all of us—Leena included—in a field in the spring, surrounded by wildflowers. We talked, we laughed, we kissed, we made love. It was a beautiful, happy moment, and I held tightly to that daydream. That was what I wanted. That was what I was fighting for.
