2026-09-09 04:37:38
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CHPT 100
Leo spread the scouting map across the pine table, tracing the red charcoal marks with his calloused thumb. Outside the guardhouse, the evening wind rattled the wooden shutters, but inside, nobody spoke a single word."Look closely at where every clash took place," Leo murmured, tapping the dry parchment with his knuckle. "Fort Dunmore was in the high north, the burned granaries were along the river, and our latest fight was at the western turnpike."Ethan walked over with an unstrung hunting bow in his hand, leaning down beside the flickering oil lamp. "Every time they struck, we were forced to pull our supply carts and families further south toward the high road.""They are not trying to trap us in the mud, Ethan," Leo said, his brown eyes darkening as the truth became clear. "Every single attack was planned to push our entire company straight toward the gates of the capital."Mira stepped out from the shadows near the weapon rack, crossing her arms over her dark wool tunic. "Out he
CHPT 99
Master Kael dropped to his knees on the stone floor, burying his face in his flour-stained apron as a quiet sob shook his shoulders.Leo stepped forward and placed a steady hand on the baker's trembling back. "Stand up, Master Kael. No one in this city will starve while I am still breathing.""There are thirty thousand mouths to feed, Leo," Ethan said quietly, his voice tight with exhaustion as he leaned against the doorframe. "Seven days of grain is nothing."Leo looked around the crowded clinic room, where frightened guild leaders and mothers were watching him with wide, anxious eyes. He did not show a single drop of fear on his face."Listen to me, all of you," Leo announced, his voice calm and firm so everyone in the hall could hear. "From this moment, all food in this district will be shared equally.""We will cut the daily bread rations in half starting at noon," Leo continued. "The children and the wounded will eat first, and the soldiers will eat last."Master Kael wiped his w
CHPT 98
Leo opened his hand, letting the morning light hit the silver piece resting on his palm.It was a teardrop pendant made of pale silver, worn smooth at the edges by years of gentle touch. A single warm amber stone sat in the center, catching the sunlight like a tiny golden flame.Leo stared down at the metal, his breath catching in his throat as a sharp memory struck his mind. "I know this silver."Thomas stepped forward from the doorway, his blind face turning toward the click of the chain. The old soldier reached out with shaking fingers, touching the carved curves of the metal."The teardrop of the northern sun," Thomas whispered, his raspy voice trembling with deep shock. "I watched Queen Vivienne wear this around her neck every day of her life."Tied to the wooden chair before the hearth sat an enemy messenger, his black tunic torn from when Ethan dragged him off his horse at the southern orchard.The messenger did not look afraid; he leaned back against the wood, a cold smile tou
CHPT 97
Leo sprinted down the narrow road as fast as his legs could move. His lungs burned with every breath he took.He could see his home in the distance, but something was terribly wrong.The front door hung broken off its iron hinges. Shattered glass covered the entire porch. Black smoke slowly rolled out from the broken front window."Lily!" Leo screamed, bursting through the doorway. "Lily, where are you? Answer me!"Silence hung thick in the ruined living room. Wooden tables were flipped over, and family picture frames lay smashed across the wooden floor. Leo felt his blood turn cold as ice."Leo?" a small, shaking voice whispered from behind the kitchen counter.Lily crawled slowly out from her hiding spot. Her hair was a mess, and dark tear tracks ran through the dust on her face. She was trembling so hard she could barely stay on her feet.Leo dropped to his knees instantly and pulled her into a tight, desperate hug. "You're safe. Thank God, you're safe. Did those monsters hurt you?"
CHPT 96
Leo watched the wooden wagon carry Thomas and Lily up the steep hill road until they disappeared behind the pine trees. He took a deep breath, turned his back on the safe caves, and walked down to the heavy timber wall blocking the northern street.Two hundred Dragon Guards and Captain Brennan Cole’s loyal soldiers stood behind overturned carts and stacked grain sacks. Their faces were pale in the morning light, their hands gripping iron spears as the sound of marching boots grew louder."Listen to me, all of you!" Leo called out, walking along the back of the shield line so every man could see his face. "Our boundary starts at this stone bridge and ends at the old canal wall.""When we push their front line back, do we chase them into the open fields?" Captain Cole asked, resting his hand on his iron sword hilt."No man takes a single step outside this barricade," Leo commanded in a firm, clear voice. "I forbid any attacks beyond our protected zone. We are here to guard these homes, n
CHPT 95
Leo led Captain Brennan Cole quickly through the dark orchard and into the back tool shed, pulling the wooden door shut behind them.He lit a small oil lamp on the workbench, keeping the flame low so no light leaked through the cracks in the boards."Show me what you brought, Captain," Leo said quietly, his eyes fixed on the nervous officer.Captain Cole reached inside his grey wool tunic and pulled out a heavy roll of black parchment tied with gold cord."I took this from General Thorne's dispatch box while his guards were changing shifts," Cole whispered, his hands shaking as he handed it to Leo. "If he finds it missing before dawn, he will hang me from the camp gate."Leo unrolled the black parchment on the table, while Victoria, Ethan, and Mira leaned in close to read the gold ink.The document ordered the immediate execution of Prince Leo and any armed men standing inside his district,without a trial or a hearing.Ethan gasped, pointing at the heavy red wax stamped at the bottom
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