Chapter 29: Into the Enemy's Den

“Your hair's quite soft, m'lady,” a lowly Omega whispered as she poured perfume on my crimson locks. “Should we put it up, or let it flow? ”

I smiled at her through the mirror. “I'll leave that to you.”

I glanced at the mossy green nightgown carefully laid on the bed, along with a few accessories that I recognized from a high-end jewelry catalog before. They were among the few the Crown Prince of the Reds sent for me to wear.

The Red Crown Prince's condition…

A dinner with him, and he would call for a temporary ceasefire for two months.

I’ve heard through the men at the base that Medea was the first one to go; however, not only did she get sent back barefoot and disheveled, the Crown Prince made his request clear.

“A dinner with Hestia Cassandra Locke alone. Send any other woman and I'll let my army trample on your puny base by daylight.”

“You don't have to go, you know,” Augustus said as he entered the tent, followed by Castiel and Kieran, who were both equally as restless as him. “The Nightfall Pack already sent reinforcements. If the Reds decide to attack, we can hold our ground very well—”

“I can use my magic to support the army,” Castiel added. “And your Vassal's here. With the Divine Link and our strength alone, we can—”

I nodded at the Omega. She took it as her cue and left the tent.

“What's wrong with a single meal? ” I asked. “It's not like Crown Prince Alfonso can poison me. Besides, I already saw our numbers against them. Minus the rabid outbreak patients, we don't even come close to half of their army.”

I've thought of declining the offer earlier. However, when I saw the chaos in the med bay and other tents, where both rabid outbreak patients and wounded warriors lay, I knew that our healers and Castiel himself needed a break.

Two months is enough time for us to re-strategize.

The Council kept on refusing Augustus's request for reinforcements and additional healers. And because the coronation was delayed after I challenged Medea's claim, the Queen's throne remained empty, leaving us no choice but to consider alternatives.

“But what if he does something to you? Augustus argued. “No one has ever seen Alfonso Vergara's face. Let alone live long enough after spending some time with him! ”

I swallowed hard. What Augustus said was true. The infamous masked Crown Prince of the Reds, Alfonso Vergara, never showed his face to anyone.

And those who stayed around him long enough to even catch an outline of his face… don't live long enough to tell the tale.

He was fickle and ruthless. Which was why the war raging across our borderlands spanned from the Late Alpha Hunt's leadership to Augustus's.

He almost halved the number of Black Wolves our kingdom had in a year. And that did not even include the others before them.

"But what if this might be our chance for peace talks? "I argued back at them. "We don't have a Queen yet to take over diplomatic relationships. He's only asking for a meal. I don't see any reason why we should turn his offer down.’’

"But we don't know what's running in his mind. He even requested you specifically and turned Medea away. Something tells me… that he's after you, Hestia." Castiel took my hand and firmly held it. "He even asked you to not bring your Vassal. Doesn't that seem suspicious to you? ’’

I glanced at Kieran, who had been awfully silent since they entered the tent. He remained leaning against a massive metal desk, lost in thought.

"Of course it did seem suspicious. After all, the Crown Prince knew that Vassals were a Queen's sword. But I know how to handle myself too, Castiel. I'm not a Queen candidate for nothing.’’

Castiel sighed, while Augustus harshly ran his fingers through his hair. He glanced at Kieran, who still kept his mouth shut. "Well? Are you just going to stand there, you impure hound? Aren't you going to at least feign some concern? ’’

"I trust Hestia's judgment," Kieran simply said. "I've trained her for a year. I know her best. If Alfonso Vergara does something, she won't go down without a fight. Besides…" He raised his wrist, where our Divine Link manifested as a thin blue line tied around our hands. ‘’I can sense through the link if she's in danger.’’

My heart skipped a beat as Kieran acknowledged me. While I do miss his bossy nature, him trusting me completely with my decisions felt…

Refreshing.

With newfound courage, I stood up and picked up the mossy green nightgown to put it on.

‘’It's settled, then. I'll be going into the enemy's den tonight.’’

THE MOON shone its silver light on my sheer dress as Kieran, Augustus, and Castiel accompanied me through the battlefield to reach the Red's base, where the rather lavish tent of their Crown Prince stood.

The three argued for a bit more before deciding to shut up, probably because of Kieran's bizarre calmness. I steeled my gut as we came closer to the tent, a million possibilities running through my mind.

What did he want from me? And why did he specifically ask for me?

If he wanted to talk about signing a treaty, shouldn't he be approaching the Council instead? Besides, Medea's closer to the Council than I was.

Why me?

The Reds guarding outside the tent snarled as soon as they saw us approaching. A few of them bravely circled around us like hawks, ready to pounce, but never dared, especially when Castiel's scepter began to glow bright.

“Your Eminence, there's no need for such hostility,” a voice rang out, stepping out of the dark shadows of the tent. ''His Highness specifically ordered for no bloodshed tonight.”

The winged Red, wearing a pair of glasses and holding a thick notebook, bowed right in front of us. His clothes told me that he came from nobility, just like…

Why am I thinking of that stranger right now?

He took my hand and kissed the top of it. “Your Majesty…I'm Mischa, His Highness's secretary…”

“I'm just a candidate. "Not a Queen yet,” I immediately corrected him.

The Red simply smiled at me. Then, he pulled the tent open. “Please, get inside. His Highness has been waiting for you.”

My heart pounded as I stepped in. My head whipped back to look at the trio when Augustus tried to follow inside. Mischa immediately stood in the way.

“Alpha, I believe we made our request clear: only Hestia Locke. You can wait outside the tent for tonight, but you cannot enter.”

Castiel pulled Augustus back. Kieran simply sat on the ground and began to play with his axe, calm and collected.

“Your Majesty, please.”

The strong scent of incense hit my nose as I delved deeper into the tent. The dim lights from the candles gave me an outline of my surroundings. Carpets on the floor. Expensive ceramic vases and paintings are around. Heads of game from hunting. The place was exquisitely decorated…

“It's been a long time since, Hestia…”