Chapter 61
The morning was calm as the Black Night royal ship moved across the wide blue sea. The sky was bright, the waves gentle, and the wind carried the smell of salt. Sailors walked around the deck, checking ropes and giving commands.
At the top deck, Queen Maelia stood with her hands resting on the wooden rail. She was a tall, graceful woman with silver hair tied behind her head. Her black cloak blew softly in the wind.
She loved the sea.
But today, something made her uneasy.
Her eyes stayed on the water, watching it carefully.
Behind her, Prince Kairo, her eldest son, stepped forward.
“Mother,” he said. “We will reach the port before noon.”
Maelia nodded without looking at him.
Her eyes were still on the water.
Kairo frowned. “Is something wrong?”
Before she could answer, King Ariston walked out from behind the mast. He placed a hand around his queen’s waist.
“I can feel it too,” he said quietly. “Maelia sees something.”
The queen slowly lifted a hand and pointed toward the water near a cluster of dark rocks.
“Look there,” she whispered.
Kairo stepped closer to the edge. At first he thought it was just driftwood or seaweed. The waves moved softly, rocking the shape up and down.
But then the sun hit it at a different angle.
Kairo’s eyebrows tightened.
His heartbeat changed.
“That’s not wood,” he said.
One of the guards walked closer. “Should we lower the small boat?” he asked.
Maelia’s voice came out sharper and stronger now.
“No. That is a person.”
The guard’s eyes widened.
Kairo didn’t hesitate.
“Guards! Into the water! Now!”
Two royal guards jumped into the sea immediately. Sailors lowered the rescue boat to help them get closer.
The queen leaned stronger against the rail, trying to see who it was. Her face grew pale. Her hands shook a little.
Lyra, the princess of the pack and the youngest child, ran forward.
“Mother? What’s happening?”
Maelia didn’t answer.
Her heart hurt at the sight of the floating body.
Whoever it was looked small. Too small.
And completely still.
The guards reached the body, pulling it gently out of the current and onto the boat. They checked for movement. None.
The princess covered her mouth. “Oh Moon…”
The small boat returned quickly. The moment it reached the ship, the guards climbed up and carried the limp body onto the deck.
The queen stepped forward.
Her breath caught.
It was a girl.
Young.
Barely alive.
Her hair was soaked and stuck to her skin. Her clothes were torn. Her arms and legs were covered in scrapes and bruises. Her face was pale like she had been cold for a very long time.
Lyra whispered, “She’s so thin… so light…”
Kairo kneeled beside her and checked for a pulse.
He waited.
Waited.
Then—
“I feel something. Very weak,” he said.
Maelia dropped to her knees immediately. She placed a hand on the girl’s cheek. Her skin felt like ice.
“She’s freezing,” the queen whispered. “She has been in the water too long.”
Ariston bent closer. “She needs warmth. And healing.”
Kairo lifted her carefully. “We should take her to a warm room.”
Maelia shook her head. “No. Take her to your chamber.”
Kairo blinked. “Mine?”
“Yes,” the queen said firmly. “Your room holds the strongest protection barrier on the ship. It will keep her temperature up.”
Kairo didn’t argue. He simply lifted the girl gently into his arms. Her head rested against him, her breathing so soft it was almost silent.
Lyra followed beside him, her eyes full of worry.
“She’s only a girl,” Lyra whispered. “Why was she alone in the water like that?”
Kairo didn’t answer. He didn’t know.
But he knew one thing:
Whoever she was, they couldn’t let her die.
Inside the Prince’s Chamber
Kairo placed the girl on his bed, trying not to move her too much. Her chest rose and fell very slowly. Her lips were almost blue.
Lyra rushed to bring blankets from the shelves. She placed two warm blankets over the girl and tucked them around her.
The healer entered the room quickly with his bag.
“What happened?” he asked, breathless.
“She was in the sea,” Kairo said. “For a long time.”
The healer checked her pulse, opened one of her eyelids, and placed a hand on her stomach.
His face grew serious.
“She is alive… but her wolf is barely responding. If she had stayed in that water ten minutes longer, she would not have survived.”
Lyra covered her mouth, tears forming. “So she can make it?”
“Yes,” the healer said, “but she needs constant warmth, herbs, and rest.”
The queen walked in with warm cloths and a bowl of hot water.
“Move,” she said softly.
Everyone stepped aside.
Maelia placed a warm cloth on the girl’s forehead. Then she rubbed her fingers gently along the girl’s cold arms, trying to bring circulation back.
The girl twitched slightly.
Only a little.
But enough to show she could still feel.
“She’s fighting,” Lyra whispered.
“Good,” the queen said.
Kairo stood at the side of the bed, watching her closely. He wasn’t showing big emotion, but his eyes were sharp—focused like he was making sure she didn’t slip away.
Ariston entered the room and stood behind his son.
“How is she?”
“She will live,” Maelia replied. “But she has been through something very harsh.”
Ariston nodded slowly. “She must have come from inland. No one sends young girls out to sea.”
“Her wounds…” the healer said softly. “Some are old. Some are fresh. This child has been suffering for months.”
Lyra sat at the edge of the bed, touching the girl’s hand lightly.
“What happened to you?” she whispered. “Where is your family?”
The girl didn’t respond.
She only breathed—a weak, shaky breath.
But she was alive.
For now.
Maelia stepped aside and watched her children as the healer continued working. Her eyes were heavy with concern.
“She has no identification,” the queen said. “No mark of any pack we know.”
Ariston crossed his arms. “Do you sense her wolf?”
Maelia nodded slowly. “Yes… but faint. Tired. Like she was running for a very long time.”
Kairo turned his head sharply. “Running from what?”
Maelia didn’t answer. She wasn’t sure.
But the girl’s wounds told a story—rope marks on her wrists, bruises around her ankles, wounds on her back and arms.
Someone hurt her.
Someone chased her.
Someone wanted her gone.
The queen placed her hand gently on the girl’s cheek once more.
“You are safe here,” she whispered. “We will protect you until you wake.”
Lyra leaned closer. “She looks peaceful now.”
“Because she is warm,” Maelia replied. “She can rest.”
Kairo stepped back from the bed.
“What do we do now?” he asked.
Ariston answered, “We take her home. She will stay in the castle until she wakes and tells us who she is.”
Lyra smiled a little. “Maybe she has a family looking for her.”
Maelia shook her head softly. “If she did… I think she would not have ended up in the water.”
Silence filled the room.
Everyone knew the truth:
Someone left this girl to die.
Hours Later
The ship continued moving toward land. The healer stayed in the prince’s room, checking the girl’s temperature, giving her warm tea drops, and placing healing salves on her wounds.
Lyra watched from a chair, humming softly like she hoped the sounds would comfort the unconscious girl.
Kairo stood near the window, arms crossed. He watched her reflection in the glass—small, still, wrapped in blankets.
“She’s breathing better,” the healer said. “That is a good sign.”
Lyra let out a shaky breath. “Good. She deserves to live.”
The queen entered again, carrying food for the healer and a warm drink for Kairo. She placed the tray down and looked at the girl.
“She hasn’t moved,” she said quietly.
“But she’s alive,” Kairo replied.
“Yes,” Maelia said. “Alive is enough for now.”
She walked closer and brushed a strand of wet hair away from the girl’s face.
“She must not be alone for even a minute. Someone stays with her at all times.”
Lyra nodded. “I’ll stay first.”
“I’ll take the night watch,” Kairo said.
Maelia gave a small nod of approval. “Good.”
Ariston stepped into the room.
“We will reach land soon. Make sure she is warm during the transfer.”
Kairo answered, “I will carry her myself.”
Lyra smiled weakly. “She will be safe with us.”
Maelia placed a final warm cloth on the girl’s forehead, then looked at her silently for a long moment.
Finally she whispered:
“Hold on, child. Whatever happened… you are safe now.”