All Chapters of Shadow Of Noctis: In The Cruel Prince’s Grasp: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

EiraDawn was just a pale gray streak on the horizon when Zade woke me up. He showed no mercy; with a single rough yank, he pulled the heavy blanket off me. The cool room air immediately bit into my limbs, which were still aching from yesterday's training, but I had no time to complain."Let's go. We won't be between walls today," he said almost in a whisper, then turned his back to put on his leather armor.The palace's back courtyard was nothing like the dusty training ground. It was a huge plateau lined with rocks, built right on the edge of the cliff. Here there were no walls, no ceiling, just the endless dark blue sky, which the gold of the rising sun was slowly starting to paint. The fresh, freezing mountain air expanded my lungs as if I were getting actual oxygen for the first time in my life.And there he was.Noctis was waiting for us in the middle of the plateau. His black scales shimmered like obsidian in the dim light. As we approached, the dragon raised his massive head a

EiraThe euphoria of the flight still pulsed in my veins, but upon returning to the palace, reality struck me across the face like a blast of icy wind. Zade had barely spoken to me since we landed; he had reverted to the aloof, frigid prince the court knew. But there was no time for rest: the king had decreed a dinner and a ball for that evening… the first occasion where the three princes were required to publicly present their chosen protectors.Chaos reigned in the princely suite. A small army of servants descended upon me on Zade's orders. Hours later, when I finally looked in the mirror, I barely recognized myself. My gown was fashioned from midnight-black silk that shimmered like Noctis's scales. My back was left completely bare, while the front was adorned over my chest with silver, armor-like embellishments. My white hair had been arranged into intricate braids, and the wound on my forehead was concealed beneath a delicate silver circlet.Zade waited by the door. He wore a blac

ZadeThe heavy oak door of my suite slammed shut with such force that the walls trembled. Rage boiled inside me, a dark, suffocating mass that Noctis only fueled in the depths of my mind. My dragon would have gladly gone back and roasted my brothers alive, and I... I would have gladly locked the door on this girl and thrown away the key."Are you out of your mind?" I turned to her, my voice cracking like a whip. "I explicitly told you to stay here. Instead, you wandered out into the corridor like a lamb to the slaughter."Eira did not back down. She stood in the middle of the room, her hair disheveled, the thin, bloody streak left by Lucius's dagger still glaring on her chin. Her eyes spat green fire."I am not your pet, Zade!" she snapped back, lifting her chin defiantly. "I wanted air. I needed space. I'm sorry I didn't ask the crown prince for written permission to exist.""If Lucius had cut a little deeper, I'd be trying to give a corpse air right now," I stepped up to her, toweri

EiraThe morning light broke ruthlessly through the window, illuminating every single speck of dust in the room. I woke up with every muscle in my body tense, the remnants of yesterday's panic still throbbing in my throat. As I turned to the side, I saw that Zade was already awake. He was sitting at his desk, pouring over his maps, but I could feel that every fiber of his attention was directed at me.Images of yesterday's flight, his touch, and the icy terror that followed crashed over me in waves. I took a deep breath. I cannot let this control me. Today is the day of the hunt, and if I look weak, Caspian and Lucius will eat me alive."Say nothing," I spoke up before he could even open his mouth. My voice was hoarse, but firm. "What happened yesterday... forget it. Erase it. I don't want to talk about it. Ever."Zade spun around in his chair. His gaze was dark, and I could see the tension in it—he wanted to know the why, he wanted to see my demons, but at my request, he stopped hims

ZadeThe corridors of the palace blurred around me as I sprinted toward my suite, holding Eira in my arms. Noctis's fury still drummed at my temples, a dark, throbbing rhythm that demanded blood. But right now, I didn't need Caspian's blood; I needed to keep the girl from growing cold in my arms."Call the chief healer! Now!" I roared at the guards, kicking the door open and laying the girl on the bed.Eira's face was terrifyingly gray. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, and the skin around the wound on her shoulder wasn't just red—dark purple veins had begun to snake across it. When the chief healer, a white-haired old man with trembling hands, arrived and pulled aside the soaked fabric, he stifled a cry."My prince... this is no simple spear wound," the old man whispered as he carefully probed the injury with a silver instrument.Eira's body arched rigidly on the bed. A scream of such agony tore from her that it cut into my heart sharper than any sword. I gripped the edge of the bed