Chapter 3
The warm steam blurred Andrew's face, but it couldn't mask the intimidating aura that came so naturally to him.
He rested against the pool wall and beckoned me over.
His gesture was casual, as if he were summoning a pet.
I walked over.
Every step felt like I was walking on razor blades.
My dignity and pride were ground to dust in that moment.
But I told myself that I had to survive.
I knelt by the pool and picked up a clean cloth.
"Your Highness, where should I start?" I asked.
"Start with my back," Andrew said, sounding bored.
He leaned lazily against the pool wall and closed his eyes.
"I wore myself out last night," Andrew muttered.
He was making sure I remembered what we were to each other, and humiliating me at the same time.
I didn't say a word. I just soaked the cloth, wrung it out, and gently wiped his back.
His back was broad, his muscles toned and full of power.
This was the body of a warrior, not the rumored pampered heir everyone believed him to be.
I felt a shiver deep inside.
Andrew was far more complicated than I ever imagined.
My movements were gentle and steady, as if I were polishing a blade.
Careful, cautious, not letting a single stray thought slip in.
"General Nelson, your hands are so rough. Definitely not a woman's," Andrew remarked.
I froze.
"Years spent wielding weapons will do that," I replied flatly.
"Is that so?" Andrew replied.
He chuckled lightly and turned to face me.
Water droplets slid down his smooth jaw and dripped into the pool.
He grabbed my wrist.
His grip was firm, making escape impossible.
He pulled my hand up to his face, examining it intently.
"These hands have killed a lot of people, haven't they?" Andrew said.
His fingertips brushed over the calluses on my palm.
There was an unfamiliar warmth in his touch.
The unfamiliar warmth made my whole body tremble.
"Defending my homeland is my responsibility," I answered quietly.
"Responsibility?" Andrew repeated, raising an eyebrow.
His laughter grew louder, echoing in the steamy air.
"From now on, General Nelson, your only responsibility is to keep me happy," Andrew said, his tone full of mockery.
His gaze pierced me, sharp and unrelenting, making my chest tighten.
"Just like this," Andrew murmured, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
He guided my hand downward, deliberately slow.
I felt my eyes widen in shock.
Right as my fingertips hovered just above the water's surface, my other hand whipped out the dagger I'd hidden in my boot.
Steel flashed cold in the steamy air.
The blade was already at his throat.
"Mind yourself, Your Highness," I hissed.
My words came out through gritted teeth.
The urge to kill was spilling out. I couldn't hold it back anymore.
The whole room went cold in a heartbeat.
Even the steam seemed to freeze from the tension in the air.
Andrew stared right at me.
There wasn't a hint of fear in his eyes. He looked downright thrilled.
It was a perverse excitement, the thrill of facing a worthy opponent.
He smiled.
His Adam's apple bobbed, pressed right up against my blade.
Andrew said, "That's more like it.
"Now that's the General Nelson I know, the Reaper who slaughtered three thousand barbarian cavalry up north."
My heart dropped.
He had me all figured out.
He didn't just know I was a woman. He knew every detail of my history on the battlefield.
He had his eyes on me way before I even knew his name.
"What are you really after, Your Highness?" I asked.
For the first time, the dagger felt useless in my hand.
In front of him, every mask and secret I had was stripped away.
I was like someone completely bare, standing naked before him.
I was left at his mercy.
"I already told you," Andrew said.
He reached out, gripped the dagger between two fingers, and slid it away from his throat with effortless ease.
His movements were slow and unhurried, like he had all the time in the world.
"I want you to be mine. You are my deadliest weapon, one that belongs to me alone," Andrew said.
He tossed the dagger aside, and the blade landed with a sharp clang on the marble floor.
Andrew said, "The Frost family is the first stumbling block on my road to the throne.
"Your family commands the army. But your father, stubborn as ever, still won't pledge allegiance.
"I need a blade to eliminate this stumbling block for me.
"And I need a reason to make the Nelson family willing to serve me.
"Everything that happened in the Golden Hall today gives me the perfect justification."
He looked right at me, spelling out his entire scheme.
It was a scheme laid bare for all to see.
He didn't even bother to hide it from me, because I had no choice.
The lives of the entire Nelson family, and everything I'd tried to keep secret, were all in his hands.
I was left with only one option, which was to become his blade.
"Do you understand?" Andrew asked.
I remained silent for a long time, then slowly nodded.
"Good," Andrew said.
He stood up, stepped out of the pool, and grabbed a robe from nearby.
Andrew said, "Get dressed and wait for me in the side chamber.
"I've got your first job for you," Andrew said.
He turned and walked away, not sparing me a single glance.
It was as if that whole showdown and tension had never happened.
I was left on the ground, frozen to the bone.
I knew that from today on, I was no longer the unbeatable general.
I was nothing more than a pet kept on Andrew's leash.
I was a killer hound, ready to strike or be tossed aside at a moment's notice.
When I stepped out of the side chamber, the night was already deep.
There was now a secret scroll in my hand.
This was the first pledge Andrew demanded from me.
My first target was Ferdinand May, the Minister of Revenue.
He was Tom's right-hand man.
The scroll listed all the dirt on him, corruption, abuse of power, and the lives he'd destroyed over the years.
Andrew gave me three days to get ironclad evidence and catch him in the act.
I had to make sure Ferdinand confessed to every single crime himself.
I also had to expose his true mastermind, Tom, as well.
This was a hot potato, a trap with no escape.
Ferdinand was cautious and cunning. Getting dirt on him was nearly impossible.
With the whole Prime Minister's estate backing him, that made things even trickier.
If I made a move, it would mean the Nelson estate were officially going to war with the Prime Minister's estate.
Andrew was using me to muddy the waters of the court.
I walked down the long palace corridor, the cold wind stinging my cheeks.
A servant carried a lantern, leading the way ahead of me.
It was the same one I'd seen at the Crown Prince's Palace gate earlier.
He stayed silent the whole way, only speaking up in a low voice as we neared the palace gate.
He said, "General Nelson, Crown Prince only cares about results.
"Take care."
It was both a warning and a reminder.
I nodded, saying nothing.
By the time I returned to the Nelson estate, it was already the dead of night.
The manor was brightly lit, every lamp burning late into the night.
My father, Nigel, was still sitting in the main hall, waiting for me.
As soon as he saw me, he came rushing over.
"Hayden, are you alright?" Nigel asked.
He looked me up and down, his eyes full of worry and self-blame.
"Crown Prince... he didn't make things difficult for you, did he?" Nigel asked, worry etched in his voice.
I shook my head.
"I'm fine, Dad," I replied.
I helped him sit down and briefly explained what had happened.
Of course, I left out all the humiliation I suffered in the Crown Prince's Palace bath.
I only told him that Andrew needed the Nelson family to stand with him against Tom.
Everything that happened in the Golden Hall was his so-called olive branch, an offer and a warning all at once.
But it was also a noose tightening around our necks.
After hearing everything, Nigel fell silent for a long time.