Chapter 134: HOPE
I stared at the glowing glass orb in the High King's hand, and the awful reality of my situation crashed down on my tired shoulders.
I felt the massive weight of true leadership settling deep into my bones, and the heavy burden made my chest ache with genuine sorrow.
I looked high up at the steep stone cliffs, and I saw the absolute terror shining in Elder Silas's exhausted eyes.
The northern wolves were incredibly brave, but they were drained from fighting the southern vanguard all morning in the dirt.
The high mountain caves were located several miles away from our current position, and my fighters could never run fast enough to stop the ambush.
The dark shadow-weavers would burn the heavy wooden doors down before we arrived, and the innocent children would suffocate in the thick smoke.
"We can still fight them," Vladislav argued right beside me, and his deep voice pulled my attention back to the ruined path.
He tightened his strong grip on his heavy steel sword, and he reached out to grab my hand with a desperate force.
"We can cut our way through these silver knights, and we can kill the King right here in the mud," Vladislav pleaded with me.
Dark red blood continued to leak from the deep wound on his side, but he ignored the terrible physical pain for my sake.
"If we attack him now, his magic users will drop the fire on the mountain caves," I reminded him softly, and my heart broke into a million pieces.
"He is bluffing," Vladislav insisted, and he glared at the royal guards blocking our only exit. "He just wants to scare you into submitting without a real fight."
"The High King does not bluff about hurting innocent mortals," I answered him, and I wiped a stray tear from my dirty cheek.
"You told me yourself that he burns entire villages just to send a simple message to his political enemies," I pointed out the harsh truth.
"I will not let him take you back to those dark southern dungeons," Vladislav growled, and he pulled me closer to his broad chest.
"I promised to protect you with my life, and I am not going to let you sacrifice yourself today," he stated with absolute conviction.
I looked up into his bright blue eyes, and I saw the deep human panic hiding behind his fierce vampire bravery.
He survived centuries of brutal warfare, but the thought of losing me to the royal court terrified him more than any iron weapon ever could.
"You already kept your promise to me, Vladislav," I told him gently, and I reached my free hand up to touch his pale face.
"You stood by my side in the bloody arena, and you helped me save the rivers from the terrible poison," I listed his brave deeds.
"We are supposed to rule this green valley together," he reminded me, and his voice cracked with raw emotional pain.
"I cannot rule a green valley if all the pack families are buried under the hot ashes," I explained my impossible choice to him.
"A true Queen must put her pack before her own happiness, and I cannot let those young pups die to save my own skin," I said firmly.
"There has to be another way to win this war," Vladislav argued, and he desperately searched the ruined canyon for a different escape route.
The high stone walls trapped us in the dirt, and the long line of silver knights blocked the only path leading back to the forest.
We had no other options left on the table, and we both knew the brutal reality of our terrible situation.
"Please do not do this," Vladislav whispered to me, and he rested his forehead against mine in the cold morning air.
"I love you, and I will always love you," I confessed to him, and I memorized the feeling of his warm skin against mine.
"If you surrender to him, he will drain your magic until your heart stops beating," Vladislav warned me, and a single tear slipped down his scarred face.
"Then I will make sure my magic buys my people enough time to run far away from the borders," I replied, and I gathered all of my remaining courage.
I gently pulled my hand out of his tight grasp, and I took a deliberate step away from our safe zone behind the rocks.
"Bellatrix, no!" Vladislav shouted my name, and he tried to grab my arm again to pull me back to safety.
Elder Silas yelled an angry command from the high cliff, and a dozen northern wolves pointed their sharp iron arrows down at the High King.
"Do not shoot your weapons!" I ordered my pack with my loud Alpha voice, and I held my hand up high to stop their attack.
"If a single arrow hits the ground, the families will die in the mountains," I reminded my loyal fighters, and they reluctantly lowered their heavy bows.
I turned my back on Vladislav, and I forced my tired legs to carry me toward the waiting enemy army.
The royal guards shifted their long iron spears to the side, and they created a clear path for me to walk right up to their master.
The High King watched me approach him, and a very cruel and confident smile spread across his pale face.
He knew he won the psychological battle, and he enjoyed watching me submit to his terrible authority in front of my pack.
"You are making a very wise decision for your people, Wolf Queen," the High King taunted me as I stopped walking just a few feet away from him.
"You are a monster, and your empire will rot from the inside out," I told him, and I refused to lower my eyes to the muddy ground.
"Empires are built on the broken backs of the weak, and you are just another strong brick in my royal wall," he answered smoothly.
He motioned with his free hand, and two large silver knights stepped forward with a heavy set of dark iron chains.
The thick metal links looked incredibly heavy, and the solid locks were designed specifically to hold dangerous magical prisoners.
"Put the restraints on her wrists, and make sure the chains are tight enough to cut off her silver magic," the King instructed his loyal guards.
I did not fight the large men when they grabbed my arms, because I needed to ensure the safety of my pack families first.
The cold iron clamped down hard over my bruised skin, and the heavy metal instantly smothered the warm fire burning inside my core.
A sudden and terrible weakness washed over my tired body, and my knees trembled under the heavy weight of the dark chains.
The southern magic inside the iron drained my physical energy fast, but I forced myself to stand tall in front of the royal ruler.
"I surrendered to your guards, so you need to honor your part of the bargain," I demanded, and I glared at his smug face.
"A King always keeps his royal word when a strict deal is struck," the High King replied, and he looked down at the glass orb in his hand.
He tapped his long finger against the glowing glass, and he spoke directly to the dark magic users waiting near the mountain caves.
"The primary target is secure in my chains, so you are ordered to fall back from the hidden northern caves," the King commanded his men.
"Do not harm the mortal families, and return to the main war camp immediately," he added, and the violet light inside the orb flickered and died.
A massive wave of pure relief crashed over my mind, and I knew I made the right choice to save the innocent children from the fire.
My people would survive this terrible day, and they would have a real chance to rebuild their homes in the green valley.
Vladislav stood near the broken iron wagons, and he watched the guards lock a second heavy chain around my waist.
He looked absolutely devastated by my capture, and he gripped his steel sword so tight that his knuckles turned a bright white color.
He wanted to charge the royal line, but he knew I would never forgive him if he risked the lives of the pack pups now.
"We are going back to the southern palace right now," the High King announced, and he turned around to face his massive army.
"March the prisoner to the iron carriage, and do not let her speak to anyone on the dirt road," he ordered his elite knights.
The two silver guards grabbed my chained arms roughly, and they started dragging me down the ruined path toward the valley entrance.
I looked back over my shoulder one last time, and I locked my eyes with Vladislav through the thick grey smoke.
I wanted to tell him to stay strong and lead my pack, but the cruel guards yanked the heavy iron chain to keep me moving forward.
I stumbled over a broken wagon wheel, and the soldiers forced me to walk far away from my home and my true mate.
The High King walked right beside me, and he seemed very pleased with his massive victory over the northern territories.
He looked at my chained wrists, and his dark eyes burned with a terrible greed for my ancient silver power.
I stepped out of the narrow canyon, and I saw a massive black iron carriage waiting for me on the main dirt road.
The heavy carriage looked exactly like a rolling dungeon cell, and thick metal bars covered the tiny dark windows.
The guards pushed me up the metal steps, and I knew I was walking straight into a living nightmare in the southern courts.
I stopped right at the heavy door, and I turned my head to glare at the cruel High King one final time.
"I will never use my magic to help you conquer the neutral cities," I promised him, and I kept my voice very steady and strong.
The High King let out a dark laugh, and he motioned for the silver guards to throw me inside the cold iron cage.
"You do not have a choice in the matter anymore, Bellatrix," the High King answered, and he slammed the heavy metal door shut right in my face.
"Lock the heavy carriage, and start driving south!" the High King shouted to his men, and the large iron wheels began to roll.
The terrible journey began, and I sat alone in the freezing darkness while the carriage moved further away from my green valley.
A sudden loud knock banged against the tiny barred window of my cell, and a familiar deep voice whispered from the shadows outside.
"Do not lose hope in the dark, Bellatrix, because I am coming to tear his palace down to the ground."