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Maverick's POV

I held Celine tight to my chest, not wanting to let her go because of the warmth I was enjoying. Jurassic rockets were heard at the home, and soon I felt hands weakly lay on my back. I raised my head and looked at her face, realizing that she had fallen asleep. Apparently, she was still greatly exhausted from the many activities she had endured over the past few hours.

I quickly let her go and exited her ward. I had shared my emotions with Celine, and I knew there was someone else I needed to thank: Jarvis. I wasted no time locating his specific ward, but unfortunately, I was not allowed in.

"My apologies, Your Majesty, but it is imperative that no one enters the ward while the medical experts are operating," the nurse said frantically and scared. Her profession required her to turn away any visitors who wanted to see the patient. But it was the Lycan King who stood before her, and that terrified her completely.

I looked beyond her through the translucent window and noticed Jarvis undergoing a serious operation. The medical experts working on him were frantic, moving around trying their best to preserve him. He was in no condition to speak, and he would be far better if I left him be.

Jarvis had protected Celine before and was yet to recover from that injury. He had protected her once more, and this time it had sent him into a coma-like state. I had promised to reward him for protecting Celine before, and now he had proven himself worthy once more.

I felt bad and disappointed in myself for not being able to make it up to Jarvis for protecting Celine all this while. I vowed in my heart to ensure Jarvis was properly compensated for saving Celine twice, even though I knew there was probably nothing I could give Jarvis that could truly represent how grateful I was.

Without saying another word, I left the presence of the nurse and exited the entire medical division. I headed back to the Royal Palace, where I entered my room to administer first aid to myself. The brush with Master Henry and Mason had left me with a few superficial wounds, which I could attend to on my own. Under normal circumstances, I would have a more experienced medical professional look at them, but I was in no mood to speak or even be with anyone. Time was running out, and I needed to counter Ryder’s plans as soon as possible.

Ryder had been relentless with his attacks and had even sent someone as powerful as Mason after Celine. I worried if she was safe right now or if the nurse attending to her had been paid off by Ryder in some way. I could not allow Celine to remain defenseless and helpless.

As the king, I needed to rule, and I could not devote all my attention to Celine. Therefore, I needed someone to be by her side.

I calmly took a light bath before administering first aid on myself. Before long, I was fit to move around and do all my normal activities, with only one thing in mind for the day.

As soon as I finished treating myself, I went directly to where Armstrong was. I was welcomed hospitably, and Armstrong seemed to be a lot better than he had been the first time we met. It was obvious that he was enjoying the kingdom and was probably having a far easier time than he had when he was a ruthless mercenary. Although I hid the feeling, he was probably getting bored staying around all day without exercising himself.

"Your Majesty, what can I do for you?" Armstrong said, looking me directly in the eye without bowing.

I was used to people prostrating before me every time they addressed me, but apparently, this foreigner had no idea. "Are you going to leave?" I asked, not thinking he would prostrate before me because Armstrong had yet to acknowledge me as his king.

"I have one task for you, Armstrong. It is not too much of an inconvenience. I would like you to watch over Celine for the time being. Until you are joined by another elder or I know that elder takes over looking after her, I want you to watch over Celine at least for tonight and tomorrow," I said pleadingly.

"Well, looking after her was not part of our initial agreement, but I am open to doing it. But, of course, if I am to go out of my way to protect your Luna, shouldn't I get something in return?" Armstrong asked, maintaining a serious look.

"Well, I guess that's fair. What is it you want in return?" I asked, half expecting him to ask for something I would not be able to grant him.

"Let it be that when I leave this kingdom, I depart not only from the kingdom but from mercenary work as a whole. I want you to give me enough money to live comfortably without having to kill people for money anymore. If I am endowed with great riches and my family heirloom, I don't think I would need anything else to make me fulfilled. I’ll be like a king. I doubt you are in shortage of funds," Armstrong said, looking at me with an anticipating gaze.

"If money is all you need, then I can assure you it won't be a problem. You will get more riches than you can carry, and I will even provide you with enough servants to carry the riches for you as you depart. As long as Celine’s safety is ensured, I will make sure to fulfill this wish of yours," I promised him.

"If that's the case, then we have a deal. Since Lady Celine is in constant danger, I guess she's probably in danger right now. So, without any further ado, I bid you farewell, Your Majesty," Armstrong said and walked into a nearby room.

I heard the rustling of iron, and soon after, Armstrong came out fully dressed in his fighting clothes, with his chain blade worn beautifully on his body. He walked past me and left the room. I wasted no time staying in it either and left shortly after.

As I began approaching my own quarters, a feeling of exhaustion washed over me. That was when I realized that I had not had a good sleep in a while. The fatigue began to take its toll, and I started to feel really sleepy.

By the time I got to my own room, I clung to the door for support. From the way I was feeling, I would need at least 24 to 26 hours of long slumber before I was ready to be at full strength. But in a few hours, I would need to be in a meeting with the elders. Being the king came with its responsibilities, and I would fulfill them at any cost.

I stepped into my bedroom and searched through my archives for an old alarm clock. It was crudely made, but it would serve the right purpose for waking me up tomorrow. It rang very loudly, and there was no way I would not be awoken in time for the meeting. I set it to the estimated time and, without wasting much of my limited time, fell on my bed and slept.

In my dream, I was standing before Ryder. He stood there, looking at me with a smug smile on his face.

I stood there, a feeling of foreboding washing over me, making me feel that something bad was about to happen. "What are you smiling about?" I asked, very hostile.

"You are famed for your great strength and ruthlessness. You are a decisive king who rules with strength, and your people follow you without hesitation. But it seems as though you lack the weight to protect what is most precious to you," Ryder said, bursting out laughing.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, feeling deep rage as I began to walk toward him.

"It's too bad that you only notice things going wrong when it's too late," he said, shaking his head as though he felt remorseful for me. All of a sudden, I felt shackles around my wrists and turned to my sides to realize that my hands were tightly bound to the ground.

"Ryder, what the hell are you up to?" I asked, looking at him savagely.

"I'm not up to anything, Maverick. To be honest, I am done with what I was up to," he said, and suddenly pulled something from behind him. It was Celine. She was bruised and battered and in bad shape.

I looked at her; my heart broke. I was terrified, scared, and disappointed all at the same time. Tears flowed uncontrollably from my eyes as I screamed at Ryder.

Ryder paid no attention to me and simply turned around, walking away with Celine. She screamed loudly, struggling and trying to get to me. I fought the chains violently, trying to reach her, but it was useless.

Her screams grew louder and louder until they turned into frantic screaming that evolved into ringing. I was awoken by the loud ringing of the alarm clock I had set hours earlier.