Lahat ng Kabanata ng Rising of a feeble mate: Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

{Ryanna’s POV}I stood at the edge of the rogue camp, reins loose in my hand, watching the Council gather for goodbyes. Dawn’s pale light filtered through the misty fog. The camp felt alive yet sullen — like it sensed my departure.I closed my eyes, as I let the coolness of the morning fog sink into my skin.Ophelia came first; and moved forward, her arms crossed, but the cool bite in her eyes loosened up into something warmer when she hugged me tight."Don’t you ever think of doing anything careless out there," she said."Wouldn’t dream of it," I replied, patting her back.Basten was next, arms folded like he was scolding me, even though he would never admit he cared."You'd better come back in one piece, Ryanna."I grinned. "You’re one to talk."He huffed. "Is this how you address a member of your council?”Adolph approached with a usual wide grin. He shook my hand and then clapped my shoulder, the scar from his healed arm peeking out."If you need backup, just say when.""Got too mu

{Ryanna’s POV}The deeper we walked, the less real everything felt. The forests themselves seemed to have shifted a little. Its expanse was so vast that even stretching my senses to the max, for entire kilometers, I could sense no end to the forest.‘That makes no sense.’ I and Nox no doubt could sense something vast, ancient, and utterly alien gazing at us. It was as if everything about us was revealed under that gaze whose source we couldn't trace. The being studied us with an unsettling thoroughness, it felt like our entire lives were laid bare before it. No room for secrets or falsehoods. Then, the being seemed to lose interest. The piercing gaze followed us, but it felt far less pressing than before.Moongrave itself worked even weirder on the outside. Even in broad daylight, it was dark. Not night-dark. It wasn't shade either. The forest since we crossed the second line was just… dark. Like light tried to pass through and gave up halfway.I blinked, once. Twice. No differenc

{Ryanna’s POV}I was woken up by the sound of thunder.The tiled roof above me was beaten by the rain, steady and cold. My body jerked upright, my heart beating like a warning drum.Another room.Another day.The walls were stone this time, plain and damp. A lone fire flickered in the corner. My bed was narrow, the sheets scratchy. A soldier’s quarters, maybe. Or a prisoner’s. I had been sent here against my will. Just the night before. My chest was still tight with grief.The storm outside roared louder. Wind slipped through the shutters and kissed my skin.I swung my feet to the ground. No slippers. No servants. It was time to brave another day.‘Somewhere out there—’ I thought, ‘some Princess is whining about life being too easy. How ungrateful.’My hands were calloused. Arms leaner, marked with faint scars. I was no slave. Yet I looked like one. I might as well have been one.My robes were just as scratchy as the sheets as if they were made from weeds. Two silver circlets connect

{Ryanna’s POV}“You may speak.” It said, and suddenly the pressure on me reduced. My mind wasn't as sluggish anymore, yet my breath caught in my throat.Its voice wasn’t loud. It didn’t echo or shake the ground. It simply… was all around me, inside me. Resounding everywhere like a thousand hopeless prayers. I shivered with every word.“Pelasgus.”It didn’t address me by name. It did so with my bloodline.I turned slowly, the space around me shimmering like heat waves off desert stone. The forest I’d wandered had vanished, the strange, nightmare landscape replaced by this — whatever this was.“Who… are you?” I asked, my voice like a child's in comparison.“Where is this?”“This place is not real. So why must you know?”“And who I am is unimportant. What I am… is memory. History.”I blinked, heart pounding. “You called me Pelasgus. What do you know about my bloodline?”“Nothing you should concern yourself with.”Its three eyes seemed to regard me with respect as it continued. “Impressiv

{Ryanna’s POV}By the time I returned to the camp, the moon was already climbing.The stars looked different. They carried an almost holy light. Maybe because tonight wasn’t just any night — it was the Night of the Clear Moon. A celebration as old as Moonskin's history itself.A sacred night dedicated to the patron deity of the Moonskin pack. The Moon Goddess.Tonight would be filled with laughter. Drinks and prayer.I didn’t have time to brief everyone on what had happened all this time in Moongrave. Ophelia and the rest just told me I was back on time.Now I was in a circle of heavily adorned women. Some of the prettiest from each family within Moonskin.‘Oh well…’I'd cleaned up before coming. A requisite to attend the celebration. Despite their evil acts, the people of Moonskin were deeply religious. Extremely ironic in more ways than one. Which was why it was weird to come across people like Nox who didn't revere the gods.Regardless. They had prepared a garment for me — a tribut