Desires of the Heart ( 407 )

Edmund stepped away from the throne for a moment and moved toward the tall, arched window on the side of the royal court. He looked out over the capital—his kingdom—bathed in the golden light of late afternoon.

"Can't wait to claim all this land," he whispered to himself. "And then... the rest."

Behind him, the nobles continued their debates, while the advisor remained silently watchful. But Edmund's thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Toward Armand.

Toward the man he once called friend.

"Garius…" he muttered, narrowing his eyes slightly.

He knew.

Garius would not be easy to destroy. He wasn't like the other nobles—greedy, shortsighted, and predictable.

No.

They had once fought side by side, laughed together, and bled together in wars long past.

And despite the paths they had taken since, Edmund never forgot one thing.

The only thing he ever truly hated Garius for...

Was Francesca.