Chapter 22

Early in the morning, King Rhobart, together with his Paladins, Milton, Ayla, and Kristoff, went to the barracks to see the war prisoners.

Ayla spent many hours on top of Star while thinking about how King Rhobart treated the war prisoners. Many times, she imagined her people in cold cells, without blankets to keep them warm and slowly dying of hunger or because of their untreated wounds. But when she stepped inside the warm barracks and saw beds covered with warm furs and around thirty men that appeared to be in good health, she pondered if she had misjudged the King.

Her gaze found his—he stood in the middle of the barracks, next to Kristoff, his black eyes on her. She gave him a curt nod and silently thanked him. He returned her nod as if to tell her, ‘You are welcome.’

The war prisoners sat at tables playing cards or rolling dice. A few of them were reading.

“King Rhobart is here to talk to you.” Kristoff said, and the war prisoners rose from their chairs.