Former Fake Becomes Grand Duke of the North

After Volkhard gave her the warning, Lina took a few moments before responding, wearing a calm expression on her face. However, this was a lie. Lina’s heart raced, and it took all of her self control not to flinch away from Volkhard. While he hadn’t used any of his pressure when delivering his warning, he was still an intimidating man. Lina knew what he was capable of, and it scared her. She couldn’t let any of that show, so she put on a facade. It was difficult to tell if it worked or not.

“And what business is that?” She asked.

Volkhard smirked.

“We know why you’re here in Frostheart, my lady.” He said. “Don’t insult my intelligence by pretending otherwise.”

Lina scoffed at that.

“I truly don’t know what you’re talking about.” She said. “Why don’t you explain things to me, to avoid any potential misunderstandings? I’m sure my uncle wouldn’t want his favorite nieces to get involved in something dangerous just because you failed to explain the situation adequately.”

Volkhard snorted at her obvious attempt to get information out of him, but he didn’t call her on it.

“You’re here for Wulfram, right?” He asked.

Lina clasped her hands together, unable to keep herself from reacting at the mention of his name. Volkhard’s eyes flickered down for a brief moment.

“If you dare threaten Wulfram in front of me,” She said, her voice cold, “I will end you. Not even my uncle will be able to keep you safe.”

Volkhard raised his hands in a placating gesture.

“Be at peace, my lady.” He said. “I’m not here to threaten Wulfram. Quite the opposite in fact. I wish to save him from disaster. Rather, I wish for you to save him from disaster. That is the favor I mentioned earlier.”

Lina closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm her emotions. After she regained her composure, she opened her eyes again.

“Go on.” She said.

“We have an interest in the succession of House Kaltbrand.” Volkhard said. “Unfortunately, we ran into an unforeseen obstacle.”

Lina started to put the pieces together in her mind, gaining a clearer look at the bigger picture. While she didn’t know everything, she was starting to get a general gist of the situation.

“You mean Wulfe Kaltbrand.” Lina said. “This is about the succession for the throne, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I mean Wulfe Kaltbrand.” Volkhard said, ignoring her second question. “He is an obstacle to our plan. However, as you’ve no doubt heard, Wulfe Kaltbrand is not who he pretends to be.” He gestured to her. “I’ll save you the trouble of guessing. I’ve met him face to face. Wulfe Kaltbrand and Wulfram Guld are one and the same.”

Lina sucked in a breath. While she had been certain that Wulfram was Wulfe Kaltbrand, it helped to have someone confirm it. Volkhard was untrustworthy, but he was competent. If he said that Wulfe Kaltbrand and Wulfe were the same person, then it was true.

“It seems that Grand Duke Kaltbrand hired Wulfram to pretend to be his heir.” Volkhard continued. “However, His Grace’s scheme has been exposed and it’s only a matter of time before disaster strikes House Kaltbrand.” He gave Lina a gentle smile. “However, Wulfram doesn’t have to suffer the same fate.”

Lina narrowed her eyes at Volkhard.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“It’s simple.” He said. “I assume that you and your adorable little sister came all the way here with the intent to see Wulfram and help him from whatever trouble he found himself in.”

Mika scowled at Volkhard after he called her adorable, but remained silent. Instead, she looked to her older sister for guidance.

“What of it?” Lina asked.

“Convince Wulfram to work for us.” Volkhard said. “There’s no need for him to stay with the losing side. If he works with us, we can guarantee his safety. In fact, we can even reward him for it.” He shrugged. “If he is unwilling, then at least convince him to walk away. Without him around, it will be much easier for everyone.”

Lina took a moment before responding.

“And if I don’t?” She asked.

Volkhard’s expression hardened.

“Then what happens to him will be on you.” He said. “Lying to the imperial family is a grave sin. Grand Duke Kaltbrand can get away with it because of his position, but he’ll have to make some concessions. However, Wulfram is another matter. What do you think will happen to him? He may be an adopted member of House Guld, but I doubt His Majesty will show him clemency for it.”

Ah, so that was their plan. They intended to have House Kaltbrand lie to a member of the imperial family, which was a serious crime. This would give them the opening they needed to interfere with House Kaltbrand’s succession and plant their puppet as the Grand Duke’s heir. Simple, but effective. House Kaltbrand enjoyed many privileges thanks to the Pact, but there were limits.

“We’ll win one way or another.” Volkhard said. “The only question is whether or not Wulfram will be among the losers.” He leaned forward. “Talk to him. You’re the one he’s most likely to listen to. Everyone knows that he’s besotted with you, and you with him. Do it for his sake. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee what will happen to him.”

Lina frowned and looked down at her clasped hands. Volkhard’s words made sense. Yet, her intuition told her that there was more going on with the situation than he let on. It would be foolish to take Volkhard at face value.

“I’ll take your words into consideration.” Lina said.

It was neither a confirmation nor a denial. At the moment, it was the best she could do until she gained a better grasp of the situation.

“Very well.” Volkhard said. “In that case, I shall take my leave.” He stood up. “Let me promise you this. As long as you don’t interfere with our business, you and your sister are safe from me and mine.”

While his words seemed sincere on the surface, Lina didn’t miss the underlying threat. If she interfered with her uncle’s business, then Volkhard and his people might come after her and Mika. It wasn’t guaranteed to happen, but the possibility was there.

Lina nodded and gestured for Volkhard to leave. He bowed to her, before heading out. The moment the door closed behind him, Lina let out a deep sigh.

“Interacting with that man is always an ordeal.” She said.

Mika walked over and sat next to her, before grasping one of Lina’s hands in hers.

“What are we going to do, Big Sis?” She asked. “I’ll follow your lead, whatever you decide.”

Lina smiled and kissed the top of Mika’s head.

“Thank you.” She said. “As for our next course of action, we’ll wait for our next visitor to arrive.”

Mika gave her a questioning look.

“Next visitor?” she asked.

“While we made no effort to hide ourselves, neither did we announce our arrival.” Lina explained. “If Volkhard and his people noticed us this soon, that means they were keeping an eye out. Maybe not for us specifically, but for persons of interest in general. It stands to reason that others kept an eye out as well. I suspect that it’s only a matter of time before they contact us.” She looked over at Yorick. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

The man nodded, before pulling an envelope out of his jacket and held it out to Lina.

“A messenger from Kaltbrand Castle delivered this just before Volkhard found me.” Yorick said.

Lina took the envelope, opened it, and gave the letter inside a quick read. Her lips quirked up in a small smile.

“What does it say, Big Sis?” Mika asked, trying to peek at the letter.

“I’m afraid that we won’t have time to go shopping today,” Lina said. “Grand Duke Kaltbrand wishes to welcome us to Frostheart in person. An escort will arrive for us within the hour.”

“What?!” Mika exclaimed. “So soon? That’s not nearly enough time! And we don’t even have a maid to help us get ready.”

Lina shrugged.

“We will just have to make due.” She said, standing up. “I’ll talk with the hotel manager and see what I can arrange.” She flicked her sister’s forehead. “If you’re still worried, think of it like this. Once we arrive at Kaltbrand Castle, we’ll be that much closer to seeing Wulfram.”

Mika bit her lip out of nervousness, before nodding. With that, Lina left the hotel suite. Soon, she would be reunited with Wulfram, her winter king.

In early afternoon of the fifth day of the banquet, which would have been the seventh day if it hadn’t been postponed, I trudged into my sitting room and collapsed face first onto one of the couches. The past few days had been exhausting and stressful for me.

When the banquet resumed, so did the meetings with House Kaltbrand’s vassals. Tension filled the air during these meetings as more and more of the vassals started to turn against me. It was subtle, but it was clear that they had heard the rumors, which affected their perception and behavior toward me. They couldn’t say anything to Dad, or they weren’t willing to, which meant I bore the brunt of everything.

According to the Blue Shadows, Lord Klemens continued to gain more and more support among the northern nobles. With the rumors about me floating around, and Lord Ulric and Lady Adelheid as political hostages of House Kaltbrand, Lord Klemens was the only viable candidate to become the heir to House Kaltbrand. I took this as a good sign, since it meant that our plan was working.

It was worse at night, during the banquet itself, since I had to deal with the vassals and their families at the same time. All in all, it wore me out. I understood why Lady Adelheid had a temper now. No wonder she lashed out at everyone, if she had to deal with this sort of thing on a regular basis, even if it was to a lesser degree. At least I had my family’s support. Without them around, I don’t know if I would have been able to endure everything.

That said, things were awkward between my parents and I. We didn’t know how to act around each other, now that I knew the truth. While Mom and I managed to clear the air between us, that didn’t mean our feelings disappeared. I was still angry with her and Dad for deceiving me, and she still felt guilty for losing me. It would take time for all that to fade away.

It was a little better between Dad and I. While he deceived me as well, he also nudged me towards the truth. He also felt less guilt for losing me, but less wasn’t none. He still believed that if he had been more reliable and trustworthy, Mom wouldn’t have kept my existence a secret from him.

To my surprise, Count Wirner remained one of my most steadfast supports. We didn’t tell him our plan, which I felt a little guilty about, yet he didn’t let the rumors sway him. When I asked him about it, he said that it didn’t matter if the rumors were true or not. If Mom said I was her son, and then I was her son. That was enough for him.

When I heard that, I decided that I would do my best to mend the rift between him and Mom. While I doubted that I could fix everything, at the very least I hoped to improve their relationship, even just a little bit.

The door to the sitting room opened, pulling me out of my thoughts, but I was too tired to lift my head and see who it was.

“Lord Wulfe.” I heard Maria say.

I pushed myself up and looked at her.

“Yes?” I asked. “What is it? Do you have any news for me?”

Maria studied me with a strange expression on her face.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this disheveled before, even when you lived as a mercenary.” She said. Her lips twitched, as she held back her laughter.

I glared at her.

“You try spending hours in a room with people who want to tear you down and see how you feel by the end of it.” I said.

Maria cleared her throat and schooled her expression into a polite mask. However, her eyes twinkled with amusement.

“His Grace wishes to see you in his study.” She said. “A special guest arrived today, and he wants you to meet with them.”

“What sort of special guest?” I asked.

Maria shook her head.

“I can’t say.” She said.

I sighed, before I stood up and straightened myself out. While a part of me wanted to ignore the summons and take a nap. However, if Dad sent for me, then there must have been something important about this guest. I figured I might as well go and see what all the fuss was about.

“Here,” Maria said, “Let me help.”

I stood still as she tidied my outfit up.

“It’s a shame.” She said as she worked. “I think you and I would have made a good couple.” She looked me right in the eyes. “If you weren’t His Grace’s son and if you weren’t in love with someone else.”

I raised an eyebrow at her.

“When did you figure it out?” I asked. “About me being the Grand Duke’s son that is.”

Maria shrugged.

“Rosalind and I had a hunch about it for a while now.” She said. “The way His Grace and Knight Commander Bardin treated you was far too suspicious. It was as if you were their actual son. However, we didn’t know for sure until you asked us to help spread those rumors about you. The only reason why you would do that is if you were confident about dealing with the consequences of said rumors.”

“I see.” I said after a moment. “So, what brought this on? Why are you mentioning it now?”

Maria let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Things are going to have to change between us, my lord.” She said. “Now that I know that you’re His Grace’s son, it would be inappropriate for you to flirt with me and seduce me with that body of yours.”

My jaw dropped at her audacity.

“You’re the one who kept flirting and trying to seduce me!” I exclaimed.

“Now, now, my lord,” Maria said, “There’s no need to get so worked up. You have to go meet with His Grace, remember?”

I wanted to throttle her. So much so, that I lifted my hands to wrap them around her neck but stopped myself before I went through with it. Maria smiled in amusement. However, her smile also contained a bit of melancholy.

“Regardless of my status, I consider you and your sister my friends, Maria.” I said. “That won't change.”

“I know.” Maria said. “However, that’s all we ever can be to each other, much to my disappointment.” She tapped my shoulder. “Now go, His Grace is waiting for you.”

I studied her for a moment, before I nodded and left the sitting room.

The castle was quiet as I made my way to Dad’s study. It seemed as if everyone was resting before the banquet tonight. I also suspected that they were lying low and waiting for the ball on the last day of the banquet. My intuition told me that that was when House Steuben and Fallen Leaves would make their move. Until then, no one wanted to draw undue attention to themselves.

The knights guarding the entrance to Dad’s study saluted me as I opened the door and went inside. I heard Dad speaking as soon as I entered.

“-told you before, I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” He said. However, as soon as I entered, he turned his attention to me. “Ah, there he is now. Wulfe, come here. A special guest arrived and she wishes to meet with you.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but then caught sight of the guest in question and froze in place. It felt as if the floor had fallen out from under me and I found it difficult to breathe. While I could only see the back of her head, I recognized her right away. How could I not? However, that was impossible. There was no way that she could be here in the Barrens. Someone like her didn’t belong in a place like this. It was as if a golden rose had blossomed right in the middle of a snowfield.

Everything else fell away when she turned around and I saw her face. Lina Guld, my spring queen. She looked even more beautiful than I remembered. Her lips were quirked up in an amused smile, as if she found my reaction to her sudden appearance entertaining. However, her eyes burned with the same desire that burned within my heart.

Lina stood up as I marched towards her and she moved to meet me halfway. The moment she drew close enough, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her on the lips. They were warm and soft and pliable. Her rose scented perfume tickled my nose. It felt as if she filled my whole world. Sight, scent, sound, touch, and taste.

We kissed for so long that when we pulled away from each other, we struggled to catch our breath. Lina’s face was flushed and her lips were wet. I hungered for her, and it was all I could do not to kiss her again.

Dad cleared his throat, reminding us that we weren’t alone. The sound snapped me out of my reverie, and a thousand questions ran through my mind. However, before I could give voice to any of them, someone else spoke up first.

“Ew!” The voice said. It sounded like it belonged to a girl. “Did you have to do that in front of me?”

I looked over to find a girl, who looked to be either fourteen or fifteen, sitting in one of the nearby chairs. I had been so preoccupied with Lina that I hadn’t noticed her until now. However, it wasn’t difficult to guess the girl’s identity, even though I last saw her three years ago. She shared Lina’s blonde hair, green eyes, and angelic beauty.

“Mika?” I asked incredulous. “What are you doing here?” I looked at Lina again. “What are you two doing here? When did you arrive?”

“We arrived in Frostheart this morning.” Lina answered, still a little out of breath. “And we’re here to take you home, Wulfram.”