Chapter 124 The Heir is Born

Chapter 124 The Heir is Born
The morning breeze gently filtered through the balcony curtains.
For the first time in a long time…
the kingdom seemed at peace.
I rested my arms on the stone railing as I watched the activity below the smaller castle. People walked freely through the courtyard carrying baskets of bread, clothes, and sacks of provisions distributed daily by the guards.
Children ran fearlessly through the outer corridors.
Some women smiled as they chatted near the newly rebuilt garden.
And further in the background…
Conrad.
Even from a distance, I would recognize him anywhere.
He was surrounded by pack members, attentively listening to every complaint, request, or suggestion, as he had done every morning for the past few months.
No throne.
No distance.
No excessive formalities.
After the attacks and the chaos caused by the rift, Conrad had changed many things in the kingdom.
Members could now speak directly to him.
Food distributions had increased.
Guards constantly patrolled the smaller villages.
And the fear…
at least outwardly…
had diminished.
A small smile appeared on my lips as I watched him bend down to talk to a child.
It was strange to think how much our lives had changed in just three months.
After Eredh, Conrad refused to continue the search for the keys.
No matter how many times I insisted.
Or how many arguments we had.
The answer was always the same.
“It’s not worth the risk.”
Then he brought us to that smaller castle, near the main pack and protected by magical barriers, guards, and constant patrols.
A refuge.
Or perhaps a beautiful prison.
I sighed softly.
Because, despite the calm…
I knew he was still afraid.
We all were.
My arms automatically tightened around the small sleeping body against my chest.
The baby made a soft sound as he slept, wrapped in his dark blanket.
Lysander.
The name seemed strong enough for him.
Especially since he clearly wasn't an ordinary child.
His growth had been too fast.
Frighteningly fast.
In just three months, he looked like a nearly one-year-old.
And his eyes…
His golden eyes, inherited from Conrad, seemed too attentive for someone so small.
As if observing the world with silent understanding.
I ran my fingers gently through his dark hair.
“You finally fell asleep, hm?”
Lysander stirred slightly in response, still asleep.
But then…
his eyes opened.
Directly to an empty corner of the balcony.
My smile slowly faded.
Because he stared intently at the shadow near the curtain.
Attentive.
Silent.
As if someone were standing there.
A shiver ran down my spine.
“Maya?”
Conrad’s voice came from behind me before I could continue watching.
I turned quickly.
He was coming down the hall with a tired but gentle expression when he saw us.
His gaze changed immediately when he found Lysander awake.
All the tension vanished in seconds.
Conrad approached slowly, as if that small moment of peace was too precious to frighten.
“He’s awake?” he asked softly.
I nodded slightly.
“A few seconds ago.”
Conrad kissed my forehead before carefully touching the baby’s face.
Lysander immediately looked away from the shadow to his father.
And smiled.
A small smile.
But too knowing.
Conrad chuckled softly.
“He does this every time.”
“Do what?”
His golden eyes slowly lifted to meet mine.
“Looking into empty spaces.”
My heart tightened slightly.
“So you noticed too.”
Conrad was silent for a few seconds as he carefully took Lysander from my arms.
Our son immediately grasped the collar of his shirt with his small hands, too calmly.
Conrad always smiled when he was with him.
A genuine smile.
Rare.
But I could sense what lay hidden behind that apparent calm.
Fear.
Always fear.
“He’s observant,” Conrad finally said, though his own voice betrayed that even he didn’t fully believe it.
I looked away at the shadow near the curtain again.
Nothing.
Just the wind moving the fabric.
Even so…
the feeling remained.
Conrad approached the balcony with me beside him while Lysander intently watched the movement below the castle.
Some members of the pack raised their hands upon seeing the king on the balcony, and Conrad responded in kind.
It was strange to see him like this now.
Lighter at times.
More human.
But also more tired.
The sleepless nights had become frequent in recent months.
I knew.
Because I almost always woke up to find his side of the bed empty.
Often Conrad spent hours observing the castle’s magical barriers or personally checking on the guards of the wall during the early morning hours.
As if he expected an attack at any moment.
Or worse…
as if he knew it was coming.
“Kael left early,” I commented, trying to push my own thoughts away.
Conrad let out a small sigh.
“Again.”
“You know he won’t stop researching.”
“I know.”
His golden eyes slowly turned to Lysander.
“But I wanted him to stop.”
The baby made a low sound, distracted by the golden chain attached to his father’s clothes.
Innocent.
Small.
But impossible to see as an ordinary child after everything we’ve discovered.
“Conrad…”
He closed his eyes for a brief moment before resting his forehead against Lysander’s head.
“I almost lost you.”
The confession came out so softly it was almost carried away by the wind.
My chest tightened immediately.
I approached slowly, holding his free hand.
“But he didn’t lose.”
“Not yet.”
The words made the air seem colder.
Conrad opened his eyes slowly.
“Whatever was inside that crack saw our son.” His jaw tightened. “And I can’t forget that.”
Lysander stirred gently in his father’s arms.
Then, as if understanding exactly what Conrad felt…
he touched his face.
The world seemed to stop for a moment.
Because the baby smiled again.
And a very faint golden light shone under the small skin of his hand.
Conrad stood still.
Me too.
The light disappeared almost immediately.
But we saw.
We both saw.
Silence fell between us.
Then Lysander turned his face slowly towards the open balcony window.
His attentive golden eyes followed the guards' movements below the castle as voices began to emerge from the main courtyard.
Conrad frowned slightly.
“More visitors?”
Before I could ask anything, knocks echoed on the door behind us.
A guard appeared seconds later, bowing quickly.
“My king.”
Conrad immediately returned to his serious posture.
“What happened?”
“The council of alphas has arrived.”
Silence fell for a moment.
I felt Conrad tense beside me.
“All of them?” he asked.
The guard nodded.
“They demand an immediate meeting about the rumors.”
My stomach clenched.
Rumors.
Conrad closed his eyes briefly, tired.
“What rumors?”
The guard hesitated.
Then his eyes discreetly slid to Lysander.
“The entire kingdom has heard of the child.” The air felt heavier immediately.
Lysander let out a small, distracted sound in his father's arms, completely oblivious to the weight of those words.
But I wasn't.
Because from Conrad's expression…
I knew.
The peace we had built over the past few months was slowly beginning to crack.