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Prologue

The girl slept Not hard, though She no longer slept hard—or without a weapon Too many tiht Tooto sneak into her bed, hoping to get out of her what they couldn’t afford to buy froirls Those who survived were usual y sent back to their homes Not because of what they’d done, but because the body parts they were nowbattle

Yet she’d never be able to say whether it was her light sleeping or her much-more-honed instincts that told her she needed to be awake andsquires, she eased into the night and fol ohere her instincts led, to a copse of trees right outside the ca out of the ca only one travel bag, her tords strapped to her back Going alone Because she was brave Because she was desperate Because, on a good day, she was more than a little crazy

Without saying a word, the girl ran back to her tent and grabbed her own travel pack, her oord and battle-ax, her warmest boots and cape

She returned to the woman’s side, smiled

“You didn’t think I’d let you go without me, did you? My place is by your side”

“And your death may wel be by my side if you come with me I can’t al ow it”

“You leave without me—and in seconds rather than days everyone in this calared and, after five long years of seeing that look on a daily basis, the girl no longer recoiled in fear Then again, over theon, she’d learned how far she could push—and how far she couldn’t

“I’l not be responsible for you, little girl You’l have to keep up”

“When don’t I?” the girl lashed back

“And watch your tone I’m stil your queen”

“Which is why you need me No war queen should be without her squire”

“Squire? When was the last time you washed my horse?”

“When I couldn’t get anyone else to do it for me”

The queen grinned, the scar she’d received in battle four years ago crinkling across her face It went froe of her nose, her cheek, final y slicing into her neck The blade had h But the scar remained and the queen left it there To the ene the undead were true—

for how could someone survive such a cut? As for how the queen felt about her scarwel , she never looked in a mirror that much anyway

“Let’s be off then, squire, before they realize we’ve gone”

They headed deeper into the forest surrounding their camp, but were forced to stop after a few oness passed out in front of them, the victim of too much drink

“What should we do with her?” the queen asked

“Can’t just leave her here Besides, it would be good to have a dragon by our side should we need one”