ログインThe castle walls were colder than usual that morning. Even with the hearth burning in the fireplace, a chill clung to the air. Part of the reason for the chilly weather was because of the last day’s storm. The rogue king, Trevor, had sent out his men to see how much damage the storm had caused. The soil was already cursed and barely yielded food, and he was sure it was going to be worse after the storm.Trevor paced around his corridors restlessly. His boots tapped faintly on the stone, his hands were locked behind his back. Something urged him to go outside, something he had not felt before and wasn't supposed to feel. That morning, he had woken before sunrise, his chest was heavy with a pressure he couldn't name, and right now, it had gotten more intense.“No, it can't be.” He muttered to himself, trying to shake off this feeling, blaming it on the endless worry that came from ruling a dying land.He was about to step out of the castle to follow this pull when he heard a shout at th
THE ROGUE KING'S TERRITORYThe storm had ended days ago, but the land still bore its scars. The lands were waterlogged, the soil eroded, and half of the few crops drowned in mud.Even before the rain, the fields were dull with withered plants. The land was cursed. Every season, the inhabitants asked for more of it, but it gave less. Men walked along the edge of the land, examining the storm's damage.“The storm took half of our crop.” One of them said angrily. “We'll be lucky if we have food this winter.”“The storm took more than that.” Another said with a sigh. He pointed to a far end where a foul stench rose from. “The drainage is broken again.”Both of them, Tomas and Redd, moved towards the broken drainage. The drainage was nothing more than a crude channel cut into the earth, used to divert dirty water. The storm had ripped it apart, leaving it clogged with debris.At first it looked like a heap of soaked branches and leaves tangled together, but as they stepped closer, their ey
Triton sat at his desk. The contents of Maria's letter was still heavy in his heart. He leaned back, dragging a hand over his hair. He should write to her, or ride to see her himself. He couldn't keep sitting at one spot, paralyzed by indecision.She had never appeared to him as one to lie. Still doubt lingered. “Was this the truth or her way of pinning another man's child on me?”A knock at the door cut through his thoughts.“Enter.”A man entered, bowing first before facing Triton. “Alpha, news just came from the borders. Two bodies were found washed ashore. They've been recognized as men of Veilwood.”Triton sat forward and his brows knitted into a frown. “From Veilwood?”“Yes Alpha. Their ship is nowhere to be found. There's no sign of wreckage, only the dead men.”Triton rose to his feet and exhaled deeply.“Prepare the bodies. We'll return them to Veilwood for a proper burial.”The man bowed and left to carry out Triton's instruction. He picked up the letter and skimmed through
Triton's POVThe sealed letter laid among my clothes, wedged between my armour and training gear. It had been sitting there for over a week. The messenger who brought it said it was from Maria.I pushed it further out of sight. I didn't want anything to make me think of her. I didn't want whatever excuse, apology or demand that she wrote in the letter.I always remembered how I searched for her, carrying only the memory of her scent. All that searching and hours I made my men look for her, and she rejected me, leaving my efforts in the mud.Was the letter to explain why she tricked me into the rejection? Or to smooth over what she had done?I took a deep breath and shut thoughts of her out of my mind. I picked up my leather straps and blade and strapped them on, then headed to the training center.The clang of steel rang through the training grounds. Sweat rolled down my chest as I slashed my blade in the air. My muscles burned as I engaged in a combat with my opponent who was also st
“Help!” Maria screamed as she struggled to keep her head afloat.The water splashed as a guard jumped into the river. Relief washed over her as he moved towards her. He swam through the waves with strong strokes, his eyes fixed on hers.Maria kicked beneath the water, trying hard not to sink. Her arms ached as she flailed them, but she had to stay above water, long enough for him to reach her.The man was almost there, and stretched out his hand to grab hers. Then, the river turned cruel. A mighty wave rose in his direction, sending the guard tumbling. Maria screamed as the man vanished beneath the water. No head broke the surface. No arm reached for her again. He was gone, just like that.“Maria! Hold on!” The other guard's voice came from the boat. The captain stood by his side, both men's faces pale with disbelief as they saw their companion vanish.“The current is too deep! No one can fight it. Grab the rope now!”A coil of rope was thrown through the air. Maria reached for it, he
Maria's POVIt had been more than a week since I sent the letters. Nine days, nine long restless nights as well. The silence from Triton pressed against me like a heavy weight. Every time a knock sounded on the doors of the packhouse, I prayed it was news of him, but nothing came.Every morning, I rose with expectations. I lay awake each night, staring at the ceiling, wondering if he had read my words or tossed them aside.On the tenth day, my patience turned into panic. I slipped out of the house, wrapped a cloak around my shoulders and walked to the messenger's post. His little hut smelt of ink, wax and paper. He looked up as I entered, his eyebrows lifting in faint surprise.“Lady Maria,” He said, wiping his ink-stained fingers on his tunic. “I wasn't expecting you.”“I sent a letter over a week ago, to Lycanthia, for Triton. Did it reach him?” My voice quivered despite my best effort to sound steady.The man nodded. “Of course. I delivered it the next day. It reached his packhouse







