Chapter 121

Henry lingered at Jayden’s door, and I knew from the way his small shoulders hunched and his fingers twisted at his shirt hem that something heavy sat in his heart. My instinct was to step forward, to ease his nerves, but I held back, letting the moment belong to them. Some bonds couldn’t be forced by my hand, they had to bloom on their own.Jayden, sprawled on the floor with his toy soldiers scattered in untidy ranks, looked up, head tilted, eyes full of a child’s blunt curiosity. “What is it, Henry?” His voice was soft, but I caught the little thread of impatience underneath; Jayden was like his father in that way, always wanting people to get to the point.Henry shuffled closer, bare feet whispering against the polished stone floor. My heart clenched watching him, so brave to face battles that no sword could win, so fragile in the way his hope trembled on his lips.“I… I wanted to ask…” he stammered, voice breaking in two. His fingers twisted tighter, a

Last Updated : 2025-08-31

Chapter 122

The market was alive with its usual chaos, the hum of voices, the clang of blacksmiths, the sharp call of hawkers promising the ripest fruits and freshest fabrics. The scents of roasted meat and sweet honey bread lingered in the air, mingling with dust kicked up beneath hurried feet. I kept a careful distance, trailing behind the boys, my cloak drawn close so the villagers wouldn’t make a scene out of my presence. This was their moment, not mine.Henry’s small fingers clung tightly to Jayden’s, and the sight alone made my chest ache. The little one’s steps were tentative, his eyes darting from stall to stall, wide with wonder and just a hint of fear. Jayden, in contrast, walked with his chin lifted proudly, like the palace itself followed at his heels. He was a king’s son, a boy born with weight on his shoulders, and yet, when he glanced down at Henry, his whole face softened.“Do they bow because of you?” Henry’s voice was barely a whisper, though the curiosi

Last Updated : 2025-09-01

Chapter 123

The first thing that struck me when I walked into the great hall was the light. Dozens of torches lined the walls, their flames licking upward, casting golden halos against carved stone. The long tables groaned beneath the weight of roasted venison, steaming bread, honeyed fruits, and jugs of deep red wine. On the surface, it looked like celebration,like triumph. But I had lived long enough to know that sometimes, feasts were more battleground than banquet.I felt the eyes before I saw them. Every bow, every curtsy directed at me carried the sharp edge of doubt. Their lips smiled, but their whispers slithered like smoke through the air.“Outsider.”“Unfit.”“Not one of us.”I lifted my chin, my hand tightening around the edge of my gown. I wouldn’t let them see it, that crack in my chest, that doubt they wanted me to choke on. Tonight was supposed to be unity, a declaration that I belonged not just to Conan but to this pack. And if t

Last Updated : 2025-09-02

Chapter 124

Author's pov Henry’s small feet scuffed against the cold marble, each step echoing through the silent palace corridors like a drumbeat in the night. Dreams had turned restless, twisted into images of Jonathan’s crooked grin, the hissed whispers from the dungeon, the taunts that still haunted him even in sleep. He pulled the blankets tight around his shoulders as if they could armor him, but he knew better. The fear had teeth, and it was awake now.A sound froze him mid-step,a hiss, sharp and deliberate, carried through the iron grates that sealed the dungeon below. “The Luna thinks she can silence me… but truth has teeth,” the voice spat, venom lacing each word. Henry’s stomach twisted. He knew that tone. He knew that voice.Heart hammering, he ran down the hall, feet barely touching the floor. He burst into Jayden’s room, shaking him awake. “He’s planning something!” Henry whispered, voice quivering. “That mean man Jonathan… he’s… he’s saying things… plotting!”Jayden blinked, fully

Last Updated : 2025-09-03

Chapter 125

Conan's pov The parchment crackled in my hands, the wax seal broken but still bearing my mother’s crest. My eyes scanned the words again and again as if the ink might shift into something else.Three days. She would be here in three days.I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, pressing my thumb against the folded edge. My mother. The queen who had raised me with fire and steel, the woman who had taught me to command before I could even swing a blade properly. A mother I had not seen in far too long.Mixed feelings coiled in my gut, excitement, yes, but laced with unease. My mother did not travel lightly. If she was coming, she came with reason. And if that reason involved me and Maya…I set the thought aside before it could poison the moment. I would not greet her with doubt.The parchment slipped onto my desk, and I stood abruptly, pushing the chair back with enough force that it scraped against the stone f

Last Updated : 2025-09-04

Chapter 126

Conan's pov I heard her laughter before I saw her. Light, unguarded, drifting down the corridor like sunlight through a window. Jayden’s voice chimed after hers, and Henry’s quick footsteps pattered across the marble. For a moment, I forgot the parchment, forgot the storm brewing in my chest, and just listened.When Maya appeared, cheeks flushed from the walk, a basket looped over her arm, the boys clinging to her skirts, it felt like the whole palace exhaled. But it wasn’t long before the silence set in.The servants had been busy all day under my command, moving, scrubbing, polishing until their hands turned raw. Now, at the sight of her, they faltered. A maid carrying linens froze mid-step, lowering her eyes. Two stewards who had been arguing about wine vintages suddenly bowed and scurried away as if they’d been caught stealing.Maya slowed, her smile fading as she glanced around. The weight in the hall shifted, like even the stones were holdi

Last Updated : 2025-09-05