Northern King

By Nicole Delacour

She fought at his side, but neither imagined he'd make her his bride.

Cadeyrn longs to return to his adventures, but tendrils of the rebellion remain. Underestimating their reach, the Northern King chases only to find himself caught behind enemy lines.

And he's not alone!

Rhiannon served as a shield maiden, fighting alongside her king long before he had a crown. Though the rebels spout proclamations of equality, all nobles sound the same. Their leader might talk of legislatives and governments run by popular vote, but she runs the camp as a monarchy, and if she finds out she has a king falling for her, Rhiannon knows their enemy will use Cadeyrn against his brother.

Will the Northern King become the new face of the rebellion's reunited empire? Or will he see through to who was at his side all along?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hidden Helm Press
• Release date: Feb 4, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224619139

Book preview

Northern King

Nicole Delacour

Northern King by Nicole Delacour

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used.

Northern King

Copyright © 2024

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior permission in writing from the publisher

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Epilogue

Chapter One

With three of his brothers settled, Cadeyrn couldn’t help but consider his own circumstances. The further he voyaged, the longer he spent away from his kingdom, and while his people prospered with the things as they were, the rebels had plenty of opportunity to strike within his kingdom. Obviously, he had a better handle on power than even his eldest brother, Brennus.

Newly married, Brennus kept his cards close to his chest. He always held secrets back. Only Tariel likely knew his reasons, but if Brennus wanted to alter the laws of inheritance in his own realm, it had nothing to do with Cadeyrn. He had no intention of marrying or having children any time soon. Still, Cadeyrn loathed being left out.

It isn’t our business, Kian reminded him.

Scoffing, Minos shook his head. You can’t deny you’re curious.

Nothing good comes out of your curiosity, Kian retorted, cradling his daughter to his chest.

She stared with dark eyes, studying everything around her. It only made Cadeyrn all that more uncomfortable. Children were too delicate. Her and Minos’s twins unnerved him. When news arrived Nikephoros going into labor early, Cadeyrn worried one or both of the babies would die, but both Minos’s sons survived. They were tiny things even now.

As his two younger brothers focused on their children, Cadeyrn crossed to Tariel who remained on the edge despite Brennus being the one he was closest to. Sitting by the fire, the dark-haired king flipped through the pages of a tome with a soft hum.

You know why he intends to not have children, don’t you? Cadeyrn pushed, and when he received only a hum, the northern king pressed onward, Be reasonable, Tariel.

Reasonable has nothing to do with it. What makes you think that it isn’t something petty? Perhaps he’ll change his mind, Tariel retorted with a dry glare above the pages of his book.

The king of Seierheim groaned, sitting down beside his brother. Brennus is never petty.

Have you met our brother? Tariel scoffed, laughing. He’s always petty.

The whole of Waldvolk is petty. It doesn’t make it any different. This isn’t some thoughtless declaration. He wouldn’t have even married if he hadn’t fallen head over heels — and even he isn’t denying that he did, so obviously, this means something, Cadeyrn proclaimed, glaring at where Brennus happily spoke with Eike and Nikephoros. He even held one of the twins without complaint. He likes children well enough. Why doesn’t he want one?

Tariel’s eyes narrowed. Why do you care?

Because it is a mystery. I dislike mysteries, Cadeyrn retorted, adjusting his coat.

He removed the furs. Beside the fire, where Tariel seemed happiest, it was always unbearably warm. If the other man could sit amongst the flames, he likely would. As long as they had known each other, Tariel preferred unbearable heat. If not by the hearth, he lived his life at the forge, and Cadeyrn had no doubt that even now as king Tariel ruled Bremydd from his smithy.

Huffing, the younger of the two shook his head. Tariel would never break Brennus’s confidence. If Cadeyrn wanted an answer, he would have to weasel it out of his eldest brother, but that had never worked. Like their Father, Brennus remained a vault. Tightly locked and always unbreakable.

Whatever secrets his brothers held didn’t matter in the end. The resistance in Seierheim never amounted to much of anything at all. Before sailing to save Brennus, Cadeyrn had seen to that, and frankly, if that wasn’t reason enough to be told the full truth of the matter, then nothing was. Still, Cadeyrn had accustomed himself to such insults. Brennus had his secrets. Tariel knew everything because everyone knew he was a vault in his own right, and the youngest three would twiddle their thumbs for a while before focusing on more important matters. Well, Cadeyrn focused on more important matters. Minos and Kian had wives and children. They believed their kingdoms were cleared of rebels, but Cadeyrn saw the truth. His brothers were happy and settled, and there were still traitors and plotting rebels who could at any time sweep in and attack them. If the rest intended to celebrate and believe themselves guarded from further attack, Cadeyrn would do what he did best. He would slaughter every last threat to his family.

With that in mind, he bid his brothers farewell, wishing them all safe journeys home before returning to his own fleet. They would continue down the river Phen. From there, only those on the coast of Seierheim would know where they went. Dynasi stood on the far side of the Nisian islands.

Rhiannon, after me, Cadeyrn called as he headed into his quarters. Pulling out the map of Nisia and the surrounding continents, he gestured at Dynasi with a dagger.

The shieldmaiden studied the map, smirking. We’re going after the duchess, then?

"Duchess Theophania of Dynasi