“Elma,” he said, breath steaming in the cold air, “you don’t have to do this. The danger is unimaginable. You’d stand alone against an army. If they decide to end you…” “I am the queen of Rothen,” she said, taking his face in her hands. For the first time since coming to Slödava, she felt as if Rune needed her reassurance more than she needed his. “I have made my choice.”
