Chapter One Hundred and One

Chapter One Hundred and One
Eron’s POV

My boots went from crunching in hard ground and snapping twigs to thudding on the polished floors of the palace.

It has been a long day, and by the time I returned to the palace, the storm had finally broken, flooding the ground and the air with that wet smell of rain. The night air was heavy as forest smell filled it soon after, the cobblestone courtyard glistening under the torchlight.

I’d left Sky back where I met her, close to the cabinet, her hair whipping in the wind but her eyes were distant in a way that always made me feel like she was already slipping away.

Every step back toward my father’s hall felt heavier than the last. I told myself it was because of the rain, but that was a lie. It was her words echoing in my head.

He’s changed. He doesn’t see me as a slave anymore.

I wanted to believe her. Gods, I wanted to. But how could I, when the man she spoke of was the same one who had once bought her off from my father like an animal? The same Alpha King whose armies had burned through kingdoms and carved their victories from bone and blood?

Yet when I saw her then, the way she looked at him, the quiet steadiness in her eyes, I saw something different, something I couldn’t explain.

Maybe she was right. Maybe Kael really had changed.

Or maybe she was just too kind to see the monster still lurking beneath his skin.

I reached the grand doors of the audience chamber, the guards snapping to attention as they recognized me. I nodded briefly and pushed the doors open.

My father sat on the high seat, a goblet of spiced wine in one hand, the other resting on the armrest carved with our family’s crest, the silver stag. His crown was simple tonight, a thin band of gold catching the firelight. He wasn’t a cruel man, not like some kings I’d met. But he was cautious, sharp minded, and unbending when it came to protecting our lands.

“Eron,” he said without looking up. “You’re back late.”

“I needed air,” I replied, moving toward him. “And… I needed to think.”

He raised a brow, setting the goblet aside. “About the Alpha King, I presume?”

I hesitated. “Yes. About him — and what he’s planning.”

A faint hum of interest crossed his face. “I listened to his people further after you left. They say Kael requests passage through our lands. What is your take on it? Are their claims real?”

“It is,” I said. “He’s planning to raid the markets in the western territories, the ones still trafficking people.”

My father’s gaze sharpened. “And he wants to use our roads to get there.”

I nodded.

He leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping the carved wood. “The council isn’t in favor. They fear it’ll drag us into another conflict. The western lords don’t take kindly to trespass, especially when it involves Kael’s forces.”

I’d expected that. The council had always been a collection of old men too afraid of shaking the fragile peace we’d bought with blood.

“With respect,” I said carefully, watching my words, “this isn’t about politics. It’s about ending something that should’ve been destroyed long ago. You know what those markets do, what they trade.”

He looked at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “You speak as though you’ve seen it yourself.”

“I....have,” I said quietly, steeling myself. “And so have you. You remember that girl you sold off in chains to Kael? She had managed to escape back when I found her in the woods, broken, naked and being chased.”

His jaw tightened slightly. “The same one hiding away in your little playhouse?”

“Yes,” I said.

“I see.” he breathed out and kept his eyes glued to the floor, a hint of memory flashing behind his eyes. He gave a small, disbelieving laugh. “And this is what the King wishes to get rid of. If so, do you trust him then?”

I swallowed.

Trust.

The word felt like ash on my tongue.

“I don’t trust him,” I said finally. “But I trust her.”

My father’s brow furrowed. “Sky, was it?”

I nodded. “She believes in him. And she’s not a fool, Father. She wouldn’t stand by him if she didn’t see something worth saving.”

He studied me in silence, the fire crackling between us. “You’ve always cared for that girl,” he said at last. “Even when it was dangerous to do so.”

I didn’t answer. There was no point pretending otherwise. Sky had been the one constant in all the chaos, my one anchor in this insane world, a reminder that compassion still existed in a world ruled by fear.

“She’s the reason I’m asking,” I said quietly. “Not for Kael. But for her. Let him cross our lands, father. Let him take down the markets if that’s truly his goal. We both know the traders have been bleeding our borders dry for years. They steal our people, poison our trade routes, sell our kin like cattle. If Kael wants to end them, then maybe it’s time we let him.”