جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 5

Silence settled over the council chamber.It was not the serene hush that follows good news, nor the quiet reverence of a victory won. It was the suffocating, motionless air that precedes an execution.Prince Caelan stood frozen in the center of the grand hall, every pair of eyes fixed on him. The brief spark of hope he had felt moments ago evaporated, leaving only a cold knot of dread that tightened violently in his chest."What did we trade for it?" he repeated, his voice cutting through the stillness.King Rowan closed his eyes for a long, agonizing moment, as though searching for a strength he no longer possessed."The treaty demanded a guarantee," the King said quietly. "A seal that neither kingdom could easily break."Caelan’s brow furrowed. "What kind of guarantee?"From the ranks of the enemy delegation, a man stepped forward. He was older, silver threading through his dark beard, his black military coat trimmed with the crimson wolf of Varek. He carried himself not like a gue

The royal gardens were shrouded in quiet."So this is how it ends," Caelan whispered.A sudden breeze stirred the white lilies surrounding the memorial, rustling their petals like faint, whispering voices.Caelan let out a long, ragged breath, resting his forehead against the chilled marble. "I wish you were here, Lucien. You always knew what to do. You always knew how to play the prince." His shoulders slumped, drained. "I don't."For the first time since the council meeting, there was no audience. No watching eyes. No whispering ministers or grieving parents. Just him... and the dead."You’d probably tell me to stop sulking," Caelan murmured, a faint, fragile smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You always did."The smile died as quickly as it had appeared."I hate him," Caelan spat, the bitter words escaping before he could stop them. His voice echoed softly against the surrounding stone walls."They call him the Wolf Prince. They say he’s drowned entire provinces in blood. T