Semua Bab The Kings Forbidden Mate: Bab 71 - Bab 80

The royal procession reached the village of Ash by mid-morning. The settlement was little more than a cluster of half-burned homes and scorched fields, a scar left by the Shadow Crown’s retreat. The people gathered as the column arrived, their faces gaunt and wary. Children clung to their parents’ legs. Elders stood with tired eyes that had seen too much war. Caelan dismounted beside Lucien, the mating bite on his neck clearly visible beneath his cloak. The bond between them hummed with quiet strength, steadying him against the weight of so many eyes. Lucien’s hand rested lightly on the small of Caelan’s back, a silent show of unity. “We have come to rebuild,” Lucien said, voice carrying clearly across the square. “The war is over. The Shadow Crown is broken. The bond between your king and his consort has endured. Let this village be the first to rise again under a new peace.” Caelan stepped forward, speaking directly to the gathered families. His voice was calm but carried the qu

The royal procession reached the village of Thornridge by late afternoon.The settlement had been hit hardest during the Shadow Crown’s retreat. Most houses were reduced to charred skeletons. The fields were blackened and barren. The wells had been poisoned, forcing the survivors to carry water from a distant stream. The people gathered slowly as the column arrived, their faces hollow with exhaustion and distrust.Caelan dismounted beside Lucien, the mating bite on his neck clearly visible beneath his cloak. The bond between them hummed with quiet strength, steadying him against the weight of so many wary eyes.Lucien’s hand rested lightly on the small of Caelan’s back, a silent show of unity.“We have come to rebuild,” Lucien said, voice carrying clearly across the square. “The war is over. The Shadow Crown is broken. The bond between your king and his consort has endured. Let this village be the next to rise again under a new peace.”Caelan stepped forward, speaking directly to the

The royal procession left Thornridge at dawn, the air still carrying the faint scent of ash and cautious hope.Caelan rode beside Lucien, the gray mare keeping pace with the king’s warhorse. The mating bite on his neck remained visible beneath his cloak, a quiet symbol that the bond had not weakened the throne but had helped save it. The soldiers riding nearby now looked at him with open respect rather than suspicion.Lucien kept his horse close, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword out of habit. “The elders listened to you yesterday. Your words carried weight. The village will begin rebuilding with hope instead of fear.”Caelan nodded, but his expression was thoughtful. “Hope is fragile after so much war. They still remember the old blood call. Some still wonder if I am a threat in disguise. We need to show them actions, not just words.”Lucien’s hand found Caelan’s for a brief moment. “Then we show them. We will stop at every ruined village on this road. You will speak. I will

The royal procession arrived at Blackmere as the sun dipped low, casting long shadows over the ruined village.Blackmere had suffered more than most. Charred skeletons of homes stood like broken bones against the sky. The fields lay dead and black, the wells poisoned and silent. The survivors emerged slowly from the wreckage, their faces etched with exhaustion and a deep, wary distrust. Children clung to threadbare skirts. Elders watched with eyes that had seen too much.Caelan dismounted beside Lucien, the mating bite on his neck visible beneath the edge of his cloak. The bond between them pulsed steadily, a quiet anchor against the heavy silence that greeted them.Lucien’s hand rested lightly on the small of Caelan’s back — not a command, but a shared presence. “We are here to rebuild,” he said, his voice steady and clear across the square. “The war is over. The Shadow Crown is broken. The bond between your king and his consort has endured. Let this village rise again under a new pe

The royal procession reached the village of Stoneford by late afternoon, the landscape shifting from scorched fields to rocky hills dotted with ancient stone markers from the fallen dynasty.Stoneford had once been a prosperous trading post on the southern trade route, known for its sturdy granite houses and the clear spring that fed its wells. Now it was a ghost of itself. Half the buildings had collapsed under fire, the spring was choked with ash, and the trade road was overgrown with weeds. The people gathered slowly as the column arrived, their faces gaunt with exhaustion and a deep, wary distrust. Children clung to threadbare skirts. Elders stood with tired eyes that had seen too much war.Caelan dismounted beside Lucien, the mating bite on his neck clearly visible beneath his cloak. The bond between them hummed with quiet strength, steadying him against the weight of so many wary eyes.Lucien’s hand rested lightly on the small of Caelan’s back, a silent show of unity. “We have c