Read A Warrior's Quest for Free Online

and a lack of females to birth more males had taken their toll on Warriors. “These attacks you have engineered on Sharalda need stop now. They will gain you nothing but certain death. My brother tolerates no treason.”
    Surprise was in the Warrior Twin King’s eyes. “There are no attacks by my people. We shall not attack the people of the future King or Queen.”
    Instinct told him the Warrior king was not lying. “Then there is a threat to your kingdom and my brother’s that demands a true Warrior’s attention. I suggest you attend to it instead of threatening an innocent girl.”
    “She ’s not so innocent . And I will have her, with me, where she belongs. She and the spawn. Because know this, Renakletos Malickus, your sister is mine. This I vow to you.” Sinrik gripped the handle of his sword. “And I will have her!”
    “Then know that I will die protecting her, if need be.” He could do no less.
    Ren was still burning when he entered the courtyard of his ancestral home a few hours later. No one threatened his family. No one. Yet that was exactly what they were facing on several fronts. For the first time in recent memory he was torn about where to fight first. And it flamed him that he had to wait for his brother to try more diplomatic resolutions to the problems first. Ren had never been a patient man. And he was fast beginning to think that more than one war was approaching. How could his Warriors defend the realm on so many fronts? How could he?
    His daughter spotted him and waved from where she stood…holding a wooden training sword almost as long as her body. What the three hells?
    He did not allow her to play with swords of any kind. He looked at the woman beside her. “What are you doing? She does no swordplay!”
    The warrior girl looked at him with those eyes of hers. “We did not know that.”
    He took the wooden sword, ignoring his daughter’s outraged yells. “She has no interest in such, and I prefer that. I do not want her getting ideas that a female can be Warrior.”
    “So you ’d prefer her to be a target then?” The challenge was there and the hand he held the sword with turned red from his anger. She did not step away, and he admired that. He had never frightened this small creature. Too brave for her own damned good. “Or would you prefer her be able to defend herself in times of trouble?”
    He looked at the other two women staring at him. His sister. His sister-in-law. Both with bellies rounded. Both so achingly defenseless. Both had been kidnapped and impregnated within a week of each other. Both had been kidnapped, and though it had turned out well for Kindara, his poor sister still had a fear in her eyes that had never been there before.
    A decision was made in that moment. No more treating his spawn like the pampered little princess he wished her to be. It was his responsibility to protect her, and part of that responsibility did include seeing that she could protect herself. Gone were the days when his females could be coddled and cossetted. It was time they learned to defend. “I will allow it. But I will oversee the training.”
    The warrior girl nodded. There was understanding in her expression now, as she ran a loving hand over his daughter ’s dark curls. A pain that said she understood his reluctance.
    She wore her own sword, the beautiful blade he ’d admired before. In her hands was another training sword. Could he think of a woman who would be a better teacher for his Cerridwen? The warrior girl was an exceptional swordswoman, despite her small size. He’d admired her form with the weapon many a time before. She may not be a true Warrior, but she knew what it was like to be a female who had to fight.
    He raised the wooden toy in his hand, though it was far too small for his use. He bowed to the girl fighter. “Shall we?”
    She bowed in return, eyes on him. “We shall. Cerri, watch how your daddy holds the sword, compared to how I do? It’s because he has