Dear, Come With Me Vol. 1 (novel): Dear, Come With Me, #1

By Bit Areum

A fallen kingdom. A forsaken knight. Two destinies forever entwined.

 

The Kingdom of Theorin's enemies had only ever known defeat at the hands of the silver-haired goddess of war, Irene M. Voltern. This was until the arrival of the Perkan Empire that ushered forth the destruction of her kingdom. Abandoned for peace, the once-honored knight was now nothing more than a spoil of war, spirited away to the Atrichen Palace.

 

As she is left to wither away, perhaps fate—or a certain someone—refuses to allow that to happen. Kael, the crown prince of the Perkan Empire, has seen through Irene's closed-off heart and cold façade. He vows to worship the fallen goddess and wishes nothing more than to be her husband.

 

However, within the Atrichen Palace, the will of the court does not always align with the will of its sovereigns. Will the stonehearted Irene find true love? Or will she remain shackled by the chains of her past?

 

True love can bloom in the most unexpected of places and thaw the most frigid of hearts.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Astral Rabbit
• Release date: May 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9781954707900

Book preview

ACT 1: FROM THE TIPS OF CLASHED BLADES

The metallic clang and screech of blades colliding burst through the air. Beneath these vivid sounds, the pulsing palms and chest rang with an impact so strong that it felt like the body was violently torn apart. The breath of air lodged at the back of the throat burst through the lips, and a pair of green eyes flashed dangerously from within the helmet. If I hadn’t been riding my horse, I would’ve been knocked down by now, he thought. The instant their blades had connected, a dull pain shot through his body, and it felt as if he’d been thrown to the ground.

A woman? A strong sense of suspicion led him to closely observe his opponent. At first, he had assumed he was battling an average knight of a slimmer build, but now he could clearly see that it was a woman. As realization dawned on him, his thoughts immediately zeroed in on one person—the woman heralded as the goddess of war.

I thought it was merely a rumor… For Kael, crown prince of the Perkan Empire, this was the first in a long time since he’d entered the battlefield that the corners of his mouth lifted upward into a grin. She still has the energy to speak too… She must be pretty skilled. Truly, a worthy opponent to face!

The purple eyes that stared back at his green eyes burned with fiery competitiveness. As the hand that gripped her sword was raised, the arc of her mouth also lifted upwards to match his. The eyes of Irene—commander of the second division of the Knights of Ventus and the greatest knight of the Theorin Kingdom—were brimming with life. There was nothing to hinder her momentum, and her high spirits were reflected in the reddish gleam in her eyes that shone like amethyst jewels.

A sharp twang resounded in the air as the blades that had fallen away struck each other once more. Both trembled as they felt the heavy pressure of the impact pulse through them, just as it had done before. Though obscured by his helmet, Kael’s jaw muscles trembled with excitement. Similarly, joy flashed in Irene’s eyes, as she incomprehensibly seemed to revel in the pain, though it lasted a mere moment. The gaze locked on Kael’s green eyes almost instantly shifted away.

Am I not worthy enough of a challenger? You’ll be injured if you callously look away like that. As Kael chided her decisions as unwise, he swung his sword down on her without hesitation.

With a smirk, Irene skillfully dodged the arc of his sword. She grabbed the short dagger at her waist and threw it. The flying dagger immediately pierced the head of an imperial knight aiming at a knight of the kingdom. Since I saved my knight, it was worth it, Irene retorted. Normally, she didn’t bother engaging in unnecessary conversation other than to issue orders, but strangely enough, she felt compelled to respond.

A pleasant voi—vigorous, aren’t you? Kael quickly stumbled to cover the words that had unwittingly slipped from his mouth. Shall we see how good you really are then? Her voice sounded much purer than what he’d imagined based on the rumors, and it made his fingertips tremble. Struck by this unfamiliar feeling, he briefly wondered if he’d somehow mishandled his sword.

If that’s what you wish.

Then, I won’t hold back… Kael replied.

Kael swung at her, and Irene skillfully dodged instead of properly engaging Kael as she acted she would. With a swift, powerful kick to her steed, her horse immediately launched into a gallop toward its intended direction without a single command. In the blink of an eye, Irene had escaped far into the distance.

What just happened? Dumfounded, Kael could only stare blankly at the spot from which Irene had disappeared. He had been certain she would counter his attack. Surely, this was an insult! He glanced down at his palm, which still stung from the impact of the previous swing of her sword.

When he raised his head to look in the direction that she’d escaped, he let out an absurd laugh upon realizing her intentions. He couldn’t believe that as the leader of her knights, she’d chosen to undertake such a course of action on the battlefield. She was just as others had described her, yet totally different. She’s really determined to take care of her own people, huh? he chuckled to himself.

Retreat! Irene shouted her orders as she snatched a wounded kingdom knight and hoisted him onto her horse. Irene made use of the imperial army’s inexperience with the harsh Theorin winter, aiming to hasten the exhaustion of the army’s stamina through frequent and vigorous assaults. Since her intent had been moderately achieved, there was no reason to continue engaging the imperial army in battle.

Retreat!

Retreat!

Shouts following Irene’s orders spread throughout the field. While the imperial army scrambled to chase after the rapidly retreating Theorin forces, Kael merely stood staring blankly at one spot.

Your Majesty!

The squeaks and shouts of the imperial army’s chief of staff buzzed in the crown prince’s ears, but his mind was elsewhere. Suddenly, the dagger that had been attached to Irene’s ankle whooshed in front of Kael’s eyes. Even though he had easily dodged the attack, a chill crept up his spine. To continue pointlessly struggling even now, Kael muttered with bemusement.

Your Majesty! Are you alright?

Why would you think I’m not? Kael responded harshly.

While Kael’s tone caused the chief of staff to cower, if it had been Wellen, Kael’s aide, he would’ve recognized that the crown prince was actually in a good mood. In reality, Kael felt strangely uplifted even as his heart sank when he thought of the sharp dagger that had aimed at his eyes. The tumult of emotions he experienced wasn’t just because of the fierce spirit directed toward him.

Should we keep chasing them? the chief of staff inquired. When Kael directed a pitiful gaze at him, the chief felt his mouth run dry. After some hesitation, the chief asked, Then, should I order them to cease pursuit?

Are we that capable? How would you suggest we chase them down? They put five steps between us for every step we take, Kael remarked dryly.

Among the Theorin knights, the Ventus Knights of Voltern were renowned for their speed and agility. Capable of moving at incredible speeds, the Ventus knights could cover a distance in one week that would take others at least half a month. And it was none other than Irene who was at the forefront, leading these knights. During this brief exchange between Kael and the chief of staff, the Voltern knights had already managed to escape far away.

Still, shouldn’t we at least keep up the pretense of a chase…?

It’s better to mislead them into thinking our army is too exhausted to keep up, even if such a chase has no impact on our stamina. Instead, focus on fixing up the camp.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Even after the chief of staff departed, Kael stood frozen in place. His thoughts were centered on Irene, who’d disappeared after throwing out that dreadful dragger as if it were nothing. She acted as if she didn’t care for her life. At that moment, the only thing that had been reflected in her eyes was the resolve to defeat her opponent.

Irene was not one who wielded her sword or threw her dagger recklessly. Yet, she showed no hesitation when dashing out to rescue her wounded comrades, even if it placed her in the line of fire and required her to leave her back vulnerable to attack. She was human, yet unlike any that he’d met before.

I want to see her… again. Kael touched his fingertips, which still tingled with the exhilarating energy that he’d felt when they’d exchanged blows. Even as time passed, the sensation remained.

What’s that? A languid man atop the castle’s wall yawned and rubbed his eyes. T-that is… Could it be that Voltern has been breached?

While fierce battles were waged against the empire day after day along the kingdom’s border with the empire, it was but an afterthought for most of the kingdom’s populace. The capital nobles who envied Irene and her father, Count Voltern, begrudgingly understood that the peace they enjoyed was by virtue of the Voltern family firmly standing guard at the border. As a result, the Voltern family was regarded fondly for sheltering the rest of them from having to stain their hands with blood or suffer losses of property. Still, such good times couldn’t last.

It’s the enemy! The imperial army! The imperial army! Having never needed to run before, the knight’s armor creaked loudly as he hastened to ring the rusty bell that had remained untouched for many years.

Misfortune, in the form of an unexpected arrival of the imperial army, would soon befall the kingdom. As if they’d sailed in with the northern wind, the imperial army’s descent upon the capital continued at an alarming pace from that day forward.

Lulled by a false sense of security offered by Voltern’s protection, the kingdom’s mainland forces had grown lax and unorganized, and they helplessly crumbled in the face of the imperial army’s swift approach. Furthermore, unlike the heavy snowfall that blanketed the Voltern region where Irene protected the borders, there wasn’t even a light dusting that could so much as impede the imperial army’s march. There was nothing capable of standing in the imperial army’s way, and the enemy forces reached the kingdom’s capital in an instant.

Prince Hayden!

From where he stood surrounded by a small crowd, Theorin’s third prince, Hayden, quickly raised his head upon hearing a familiar voice. What of His Majesty? Have you located him? he hurriedly asked.

N-not yet... Helink, Hayden’s aide, apologetically stuttered.

After being rescued from his imprisonment in a pylon at the imperial academy by the Knights of Ventus sent by Irene, Hayden had returned to the capital only to learn of disastrous news. Not only was the royal capital on the verge of falling to the imperial army, but also his father, the king of Theorin, had disappeared after leaving behind a letter. Blast it! Hayden shouted, as he agitatedly stomped his foot on the floor.

The whereabouts of His Majesty is critical too, but more importantly, it seems that the imperial army will succeed in breaching the outer fortress soon.

What in tarnation! How can our defense be this poor?

What shall we do? Should the outer fortress be breached, it’ll be a simple matter to capture the royal castle. If things continue like this…

We can’t allow them to seize Theorin like this. We can’t, Hayden muttered repeatedly, as he chewed on his lip. As fear of the country being overtaken by the empire clouded his thoughts, one person came to mind. Irene M. Voltern… Hayden gritted his teeth when he realized that the goal he’d almost achieved was yet again hindered by unanticipated circumstances. With a heavy sigh, he said, It can’t be helped. Hang up the white flag. Our priority is to protect the country first.

As you command. The expression on Helink’s face was somber, as he bowed and set off to carry out those orders. In the king’s absence, the commands of the only legitimate successor, Hayden, were absolute. A white flag was soon hung atop the royal castle to signal the kingdom’s swift surrender.

As a consequence of admitting defeat, Theorin was granted the opportunity to negotiate the terms of their surrender to the empire. A chaotic round of negotiations soon commenced, until eventually a short recess was called. Eyeing this opportunity, many of the Theorin upper nobility clamored to beseech and sway Hayden in favor of their agendas.

Prince… No, Your Majesty, we simply cannot afford to meet their demands as is.

In this tundra-like land, how much would we really be able to offer the empire, Your Majesty? an old nobleman of portly stature entreated, as he scratched at his cheek.

We also have to worry about the princess too, another stout-looking noble added, as he glanced around at the others who had gathered. As if it was premeditated, nods and murmurs of agreement broke out among the crowd. Their eyes glinted and gleamed with their sly intentions.

Then, what do you suggest? Hayden asked wearily.

How about we send her? a voice piped up.

Do you have any idea what you’re suggesting? Hayden snarled as he slammed his fist against the table in anger. The subject in question hadn’t been named, but the prince easily recognized whom the nobles referred to. However, despite his outrage, the prince ultimately had no other alternative. In a weary voice, Hayden declared, I agree to hand over Irene M. Voltern.

And thus, a name that should’ve never appeared on the negotiating table was offered up due to the feeble condition of the kingdom. Meanwhile, ignorant of this turn of events, Irene continued to fight fiercely on the borders to faithfully protect her kingdom.

Unaware of the unpleasant shift occurring in the royal capital, a triumphant cry broke out over the ice-covered barren land of Voltern. Swords were raised high in the sky while military boots stomped enthusiastically on the blood-stained ground. After two and half months of grueling battle, the enemy was finally retreating—victory was finally at hand.

The sky-blue flag of the Knights of Ventus fluttered proudly in the wind and was exquisitely accompanied by raucous roars of joy. However, the faint smile on Irene’s face as she watched the joy of her subordinates suddenly vanished, and she felt her body stiffen. Something is...

The retreating enemy commander had halted his steed to turn and look back at them. Removing his helmet, his golden hair glinted brightly as it reflected the sun’s rays. When he moved to brush away his tangled hair, the golden strands seemed to shimmer as they caught the brilliant sunlight. Even with some distance between them, Irene could tell that the man’s gaze was fixed on her. His clear green eyes twinkled brightly and curved upwards while the corners of his lips drew up into smooth arcs.

Did he just… smile? As if recognizing something in his gaze, Irene was struck with a sense of déjà vu. Overcome with a sense of urgency, she shouted, Something is wrong. Gerrard!

Yes, Commander!

I have to go see my fath— Go see the Commander.

Why all of sudden…?

Lady Irene.

Like the blue flag that flapped in the wind, Irene’s urgent gaze darted around until it landed on the man approaching her. Clad? The unexpected appearance of her subordinate, who’d been serving far from the frontlines, caught her by surprise. However, her gaze instantly sharpened when she noticed that he was accompanied by a group dressed in clothes ill-suited to their surroundings.

News has arrived from the royal capital, Clad reported.

Something must have happened.

It’s a topic better suited for discussion elsewhere. Clad cast a meaningful glance towards the men—capital officials bearing the kingdom’s crest on their tunics—standing a few feet behind him.

Understood. Gerrard, wait here.

As you command, Gerrard replied with a slight bow.

Irene led the group to an area with more privacy. She roughly tore off her gloves caked in blood and tossed them aside before turning her eyes back to the men.

Please read this first, Clad said. As he watched Irene carelessly unfold the parchment and scan its contents, he continued, Lady Irene, your suspicions proved correct.

Those in the capital should’ve known about this.

"Regardless, Duke Groin’s plan to force the country into chaos by instigating war with the empire and leveraging the opportunity to usurp the throne has failed.

It’s good that the third prince was successfully rescued.

It was only possible due to your swift judgment. However, after praising Irene’s achievements, Clad’s face turned grave.

Judging from your expression, it seems that not everything has been resolved.

Unfortunately, we failed to apprehend the duke.

Irene lightly let out an irritable sigh, and her face distorted into an expression of disgust. Putting aside the fact that the Duke of Groin was her eldest maternal uncle, his evading capture would only spell trouble for the future.

The matter of rescuing the prince has been resolved for now, but... Clad trailed off and muffled his words. He was acting out of character, and when Irene scrutinized him closely, he turned to look at the group behind him and said, It’s best that you lot be the ones to inform her.

As soon as Clad stepped aside, the group approached Irene, and one man stepped forward. He struck her as familiar, and on second glance, she realized without much surprise that she’d encountered him a few times before. In fact, there were a few other recognizable faces mixed in the crowd.

My name is Helink F. Burgun. I serve as the third prince’s aide, Helink said politely, before offering up a letter with both hands.

Irene’s eyes scanned over the group standing behind Helink as she received the letter, then she glanced down and began to unfold the parchment. Her grip tightened, scrunching up the parchment, as she shouted, What’s the meaning of this?! What was written on the parchment made Irene’s amethyst-like eyes glisten and tremble. She was a disciplined person who’d locked away her emotions as she walked on the path of knighthood. Her composure had never faltered, that is, until today.

The empire must’ve realized that Voltern couldn’t be easily penetrated, Helink began.

If so, then… What were the people in the royal capital doing?

The imperial army launched an assault by sea, penetrating the northeastern region where the defenses were weakest. The advance on the royal capital happened almost instantaneously…

Excuses! The mainland’s armed forces are several times that of Voltern’s!

Irene repeatedly read the short sentence that announced the end of the war—or to be specific, the kingdom’s surrender. No matter how much she willed it, the words remained unchanged.

We tried to resist, but… His Majesty r-r... Helink struggled to finish his sentence. He couldn’t bring himself to reveal that His Majesty had abandoned his position and run away.

Averting her gaze from Helink, Irene glared at the mark printed on the crumpled parchment—the imperial emblem printed as golden embroidery on a red flag. An overwhelming sense of defeat that she’d never felt before enveloped her.

Darn it. Are you telling me to accept this? It wasn’t even three months! And even the negotiations are complete?

I am truly sorry.

With the north wind blowing, how was it that the Empire was able to hit the center of our kingdom in just two and a half months?

The men who stood before Irene were unable to give her any answers. They waited in muted silence as Irene struggled to quash the resurgence of remnant emotions she thought she’d discarded long ago. We lost. An utter defeat. Her voice was barely a whisper; only Clad seemed to catch the words she’d spat out. Although Irene sounded calm, the heavy sigh trailing her words belied her misery.

And now, the third prince has— No, pardon me. This is the order of our new king, His Majesty.

Irene caught the intense gazes of her subordinates, who were waiting for her order. It felt suffocating. Lowering herself to take a knee, Irene observed chivalric etiquette and replied, I, Irene M. Voltern, follow the orders of His Majesty, the king.

By declaration of His Majesty, Irene M. Voltern is hereby ordered to renounce her title and depart for Perkan…

What nonsense is this? Clad fiercely interjected. It was apparent this was news to him.

Clad! Irene warned.

It may not be written in words, but isn’t His Majesty essentially sending her as a hostage!

Enough! I haven’t said anything, Irene scolded.

But you’ve dedicated so much! If this isn’t abandonment by the kingdom, then what is it?

Clad spoke the truth. Irene had to admit—all this time, she’d obeyed the ridiculous command to defend her country. She’d given her best, risking her life to fulfill her duty as a knight and complete her mission, only to receive an absurd decree at the end of it all.

But when have I ever had the time to be emotional? All Irene had ever focused on was following orders and living up to them. Amid the swamp of vanity and vapidness that aimed to entrap her, Irene lived in a manner befitting of a knight and would continue to do so until her final moments. When she opened her eyes after squeezing them shut tightly, her gaze was steady. Complete your duty as a knight. Now, shut up and kneel, she ordered.

Clad silently seethed as he closed his eyes, which burned with rage, and clenched his jaw.

I hereby order Irene M. Voltern to renounce her title and depart for Perkan. Your actions henceforth will represent the kingdom. Consider the commands of the empire as my own and honor it.

I will obey the king’s will.

Obeying orders came almost reflexively to Irene, who’d learned to suppress her emotions out of habit,