Natalia’s POV
I gripped the rusty blade the King had given me and tried to steady my breathing. My hands were shaking, although whether from fear, exhaustion, or the effort of keeping my disguise steady, I wasn’t sure.
For the moment, I looked like Andrei. Tall, broad-shouldered, dark-haired. The King saw my mate standing before him, not me. But the illusion was fragile. I could feel it flickering at the edges, threatening to dissolve if I lost focus for even a second.
And fighting while maintaining the disguise was going to drain me fast.
“Well?” The King raised his sword. “Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to fight?”
I lunged forward. The King parried easily, his blade meeting mine with a screech of metal on metal. The impact sent vibrations up my arm, but I hel
