All Chapters of BRED FOR DUTY: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

40 Chapters

The Ring of Steel

Adalia’s JournalDay 2,414.On the training field, there are no politics, no broken vows, and no noble lies. There is only the bite of steel and the heat of his gaze.Adalia rushed straight to the quarters assigned to her. For the first time, she was immensely grateful that her mother had insisted on packing a massive wooden chest of traveling clothes—especially since three-quarters of what Adalia had hidden beneath the dresses were thick leather trousers and linen shirts.She retrieved her leather armor from the previous day's clash, pulling her faithful sword out from under her feather pillows. Within twenty minutes, she was fully geared, her pulse hammering with wild excitement for the upcoming sparring match.When she arrived at the sunken courtyard, she stood near the stone perimeter, watching Archer coach his younger siblings. He helped the little ones master their individual weapons with a quiet, infinite patience. Archer clearly had a deep passion for the bow, a skill he had su

The Sky and the Dirt

Adalia’s JournalDay 2,414.I pulled him into the clouds to prove a point, but in the silence of the sky, I was the one who lost her breath.Archer had heard her mumbling under her breath a second before she struck, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he would find himself hurtling into the sky without the support of his own wings.To have a woman dare challenge him—to render him completely helpless while holding all the control—was a terrifying prospect. But as the wind roared in his ears, Archer realized something shocking: he liked it.His stomach lurked pleasantly as Adalia dragged him higher into the atmosphere. He deliberately held back, choosing not to deploy his own wings just yet. When they reached the peak of her ascent, Adalia flipped her body and tossed him violently into the open air.Archer began dropping, and fast.As he tumbled through the clouds, he had the absolute pleasure of watching Adalia’s dark eyes bulge out in sheer terror as he plummeted toward the

The Quagmire of the Heart

Adalia’s JournalDay 2,414.I tried to drown the memory of his lips in a basin of ice water, but the fire he lit in my chest refuses to go out.Adalia paced frantically back and forth across the floorboards of her grand bedchamber, her hands clutching at her hair. She was in a state of absolute panic.Every time she closed her eyes, the vivid image of Archer hovering inches from her face flashed behind her eyelids. She couldn't make sense of it—the erratic pitter-patter of her heart, the wild butterflies in her stomach, and her complete inability to draw a normal breath.In that tiny, dark pocket inside her wings, she had felt as though she and Archer were the only two living beings in all the six realms.Desperate to clear her mind, Adalia marched over to the washing basin, filled it to the brim with freezing water, and plunged her entire head straight under the surface.A second later, the chamber door swung open. Novia stepped inside just in time to see the Southern Princess submerg

The Ghost of the Vanguard

Adalia’s JournalDay 2,415. The northern winds carry the scent of coming war. While the court prepares for a royal wedding, the man I cannot stop thinking about prepares for his own funeral.Night fell heavy over the Northern keep, bringing a bitter, biting frost that rattled the glass panes of Adalia’s bedchamber. Unable to sleep, she wrapped a thick fur cloak over her shoulders and slipped out into the silent corridors.The castle felt drastically different without her bustling family and Xander's watchful presence. The silence was heavy, broken only by the rhythmic footsteps of patrolling guards. Adalia found herself drawn toward the eastern wing—the corridor leading to the Crown Prince’s personal quarters.She stopped outside his heavy oak door, her hand hovering inches from the iron knocker. Her mind raced with a thousand conflicting thoughts. If she knocked, what would she say? Would she apologize for running away in the garden? Would she demand to know why he told Novia he was f

The Flame in the Garden

Adalia’s JournalDay 2,416. He walked into the dark garden preparing to sacrifice his heart so I could be free. He didn't realize that the only thing I wanted to surrender to was him.Archer had made the deliberate decision to move his quarters to the secluded western wing of the palace—a quiet, drafty corridor far enough away that he wouldn't risk running into Adalia in the hallways. He forced himself to remember why he had been born. He was bred for duty, crown responsibility, and the survival of the realm. His royal position was more important than any fleeting feelings, desires, or personal needs he harbored in his chest. He had to find a way to conquer his dark, consuming want for Adalia.Cleaning himself up, Archer marched to the central assembly hall to meet the guardian soldiers assigned to accompany him on the scouting mission into the black forest. As he looked into each of their hardened, scarred faces, a cold clarity washed over him: his duty to these men surpassed everythi

The Arrival of the South

Adalia’s JournalDay 2,417. My family has returned for the wedding, and with them comes the man whose heart I am about to tear to pieces.“I’m glad,” Adalia swallowed hard, feeling her pulse hammer against her ribs. Every cell in her body urged her to throw her arms around his neck, but the strict rules of royal courtship kept her tethered. Taking a reluctant step back, she gestured toward his desk. “So... what were you writing in your diary?”“Journal,” Archer corrected smoothly, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. “Haven’t we already had this argument?”Adalia smiled softly, remembering the very first time she had felt a genuine connection with him—discovering they both kept personal logs had humanized the formidable Northern heir. “We did, and I won.”“Alright then,” Archer yielded playfully. “I was writing in my diary about you. About how fantastic these past few days have been because I got to spend every second with you.”“Go on,” Adalia encouraged, her heart fluttering with exci

The Edge of the Blade

Adalia’s JournalDay 2,417.On the very balcony where he proposed to me, I held his own steel against his chest to protect the life I chose with Archer.Xander stood near the stone balustrade of the upper terrace—the exact spot where he had knelt under the moonlight three nights ago.Adalia rushed out onto the balcony, the crisp wind whipping her dark curls around her face. The sheer weight of guilt pressing against her ribs made it difficult to draw breath.“I’m sorry,” she whispered, stopping ten paces away.“No,” Xander snapped, his voice tight and shaking with unbridled rage. He pointed violently at the flagstones beneath his boots. “That is not what you said! You stood right there, Adalia, and you said yes!”“I have to say no now,” Adalia said softly, keeping her distance. “I am going to take my vows with Archer.”“Why?!” Xander bellowed, taking a menacing step toward her. “Is he forcing you? Tell me the truth! We can run away together right now—my wings can carry us across the so

The Shadow on the Wall

Adalia’s JournalDay 2,417.I thought the storm had passed when I walked out of my room, but true danger doesn't shout—it waits silently in the dark.Adalia walked down the silent torchlit hallway, forcing her breathing to remain steady and controlled. She had washed the tear stains from her cheeks and smoothed down her black curls, constructing an impenetrable royal mask.As she approached the grand salon where the royal families were celebrating the upcoming double wedding, she noticed a heavy, unnatural silence hanging over the eastern wing. The usual patrol guards were missing from their posts near the balcony arches.Her warrior instincts flared instantly. Reaching beneath her heavy silk skirts, her fingers found the cool hilt of the small dagger she kept strapped to her thigh.A quiet rustle sounded from the shadows behind a marble pillar.Adalia spun around, her dagger drawn in a flash. “Show yourself!”Xander stepped out from the darkness, his pale silver eyes hollow and bloods

The Shadow on the Sill

Adalia’s JournalDay 2,417.Guilt is a heavy chain to drag through a crowded palace. Every time I look into the shadows, I expect to see the man whose world I tore apart.Adalia returned to the grand salon a few minutes later, her eyes immediately scanning the room for Xander. The guilt burned fresh and heavy in her chest, suffocating the temporary bliss she had felt in the hallway. Archer, standing near the high arched windows, shook his head subtly—his quiet way of telling her that Xander was nowhere in the room.Distraught, Adalia crossed the polished stone floor, took her place beside Archer, and slipped her hand tightly into his. She was far too consumed by remorse to notice Queen Ilana and Queen Leora giggling and gesturing toward their joined hands from across the room.“So, when is the covenant taking place?” Leora asked, her voice laced with maternal excitement.“Maybe... a week from now,” Adalia answered softly. Her mind and her lips were in two entirely different places. She

A Promise in White

Adalia’s JournalDay 2,418.A wedding in the palace brings joy to everyone, yet as I watch the vows, all I can see is the altar waiting for us at the end of the week.The following morning, Archer was awoken by the frantic clatter of castle staff rushing down the corridors, punctuated by the loud, metallic clangs of silver serving platters dropping on the flagstones. He didn't need a calendar to tell him what day it was—Novia had ensured the entire keep was fully aware.He could hear his little sister singing at the top of her lungs from her chamber three doors down, and every protective instinct in his chest warred with a deep sadness. By nightfall, Novia would depart for the South as Randi’s bride. He was losing his sister, but the thought of Adalia waiting for him was the sole anchor keeping his heart steady.Archer dressed in his ceremonial velvet coat, fastening his broadsword to his hip and placing his golden prince's circlet upon his brow. He walked down the corridor to Novia’s

1 2 3 4

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP