All Chapters of The Princess's Second Life : Chapter 51 - Chapter 53

The halls of Ironfang Keep were eerily quiet when Kieran arrived. His boots echoed on the black marble floor, the faint scent of iron and smoke heavy in the air. The two guards that usually flanked the western corridor were gone, replaced by a single man — pale, trembling, eyes darting nervously as Kieran passed.Something was wrong.The closer he got to his wing, the thicker the silence became, until he turned the corner and stopped dead in his tracks.His personal guard — Varek — lay sprawled in the corridor, blood still damp around his collar. His throat was slit cleanly, the body displayed deliberately, like a message. His armor, polished and proud just the day before, was cracked and smeared with soot.For a moment, Kieran could only stare.The air felt cold. His heart clenched, rage blooming in his chest like wildfire. He crouched beside the corpse, jaw tightening as he examined the wound. It wasn’t the work of a rogue assassin — it was calculated. Clean. Silent.Darius’s kind o

The Ironfang peaks stood like silent sentinels beneath a washed-gray sky, their ridges dusted with frost. Darius rode through the narrow paths that only his men knew, his cloak snapping behind him like a streak of black flame. The air was sharp with the scent of pine and steel. The camp lay hidden in the valley below — a vast spread of disciplined soldiers, tents arranged in precise formation, banners bearing no crest.Ten thousand strong. His own army. His own creation.As Darius dismounted, his second-in-command, Captain Ivar, approached swiftly and bowed.“My lord, the scouts have returned from the eastern ridge.”“Report.”“They spotted movement — men in Ironfang armor, but not ours. They kept their distance, likely spies. None dared cross the perimeter.”Darius’s jaw flexed. “Garron,” he muttered under his breath, his tone low and heavy with contempt. “He’s been sniffing around for weeks.”“Yes, my lord. The men are uneasy. They think the rumors of the King’s council being involv