CHAPTER 277: BRAVE

Silence stretched in the little hall-like room after my insistence, after my declaration, heavy as a shroud.

The crackle of the torches against the stone walls felt louder than breaths, louder than hearts. My stomach gave a low rumble then, embarrassing in the stillness, but I did not flinch.

It was a mere human phenomenon. I justified, still holding the lycan’s king’s gaze steadily. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking?

Diana clutched my left hand tightly, her fingers almost trembling though she tried to mask it. I squeezed back, not for her sake alone, but for mine. Whatever the king was planning, we would triumph. After all, didn’t they need my help?

Surely, he couldn’t possibly be debating to jail me because I had spoken out of turn, because I hadn’t addressed him with his title...

If his subordinates were here, I could imagine their murmurs, their accusations:

"She is the one who embarrassed the Queen, and now she thinks she can embarrass our King."

"Can you imagine? This little brat standing against the Lycan King?"

"Why would the King allow her here at all?" "She should be jailed!" "To the dungeons!"

Heat climbed my cheeks at my dramatic inner monologue but I held my chin high. Who didn’t have them?

The King finally broke the silence. His voice rolled through the hall like thunder very contained.

"How," he said, his piercing eyes never leaving mine, "did you enter the hunting forest without being seen by the guards at the gate?"

Diana shifted uneasily.

My mouth went dry. That wasn’t the question I had been expecting. As a matter of fact, I hadn’t been expecting any questions.

I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, my gaze slid to Diana, her face pale, lips pressed in worry. She squeezed my hand harder.

At this rate, I will go to bed with broken fingers.

The King’s jaw tightened. "I asked you a question, Dora. Answer me."

Still I held my tongue, studying the torchlight dancing on the stone floor, suddenly finding it attractive.

Say nothing yet, El whispered. Let him stew. He wants obedience, not truth. Make him demand it, not beg for it.

And they said I was the troublesome one?

The King’s voice rose, sharper this time. "How did you get in, girl? Don’t keep me waiting. I don’t have all the time in the world."

I lifted my chin. "I crossed the boundary through a cave."

Murmurs started between the triplets. I ignored them. "I touched the stone wall, and it opened. That was how I entered."

The King’s eyes narrowed. "A cave? Which cave?"

"Yes." My voice was steady, though inside my pulse raced. "I went through it and came out on the other side, near where the beast roamed. The cave was in the school gardens. My magic had led me there."

I paused deliberately, enjoying the surprise on his face, before asking, "Tell me, Your Majesty, where did that cave come from?"

A charged silence fell. The King’s gaze was unreadable again, his broad shoulders shifting as he leaned back in his seat. His sons watched silently now, their expressions unreadable too, though I caught the faint flicker of surprise in Noah’s eyes.

But, of course.

The King exhaled through his nose, then said, "The cave was created long ago. My first wife made it... for the family. A secret space, gifted to my sons."

So it was true then. My fingers tightened against Diana’s.

"And how," the King continued slowly, "did you open it?"

I shook my head. "I don’t know. It opened when I touched it. I thought it was by chance."

He hummed, a low sound, not quite disbelief, not quite acceptance. His eyes slid to his three sons. His gaze lingered on them too long, and something passed between them—silent, invisible, but potent.

He’s mindlinking them, El warned. Be careful.

I frowned, suspicion sharpening in me. What secret message had he sent them? What strategy was being set behind closed minds while I stood exposed in the open?

I lifted my chin again. "Tell me, Your Majesty, why is the No Man’s Land so deserted? I crossed it. I saw it. Nothing lives there. Why?"

I have always wanted to know. Better to know now, than let him end the meeting on his own terms.

The King’s eyes darkened. "It is because of the war," he said slowly. "That land was emptied by bloodshed, by magic."

Oh, really. Why hadn’t I connected the dots?

"And what caused this war?" I asked bluntly.

His gaze flickered, hardening. "What do you think caused it?"

The challenge in his tone was sharp, like a knife held out.

I met his eyes without wavering. "Because you killed your wife."

Gasps broke across the room like a storm of arrows. Even Diana wasn’t exempted. She couldn’t believe my audacity; she squeezed my fingers, and I bit down on a shout.

The triplets sat straighter, mouths falling open, then scowling in fury at my accusation.

The King surged to his feet, scaring me for the first time since the meeting started. His roar shook the room. "That is false!"

The torches themselves seemed to flicker at his rage.

"Where did you hear such filth?!"

Somehow, my voice did not shake. "It is what is broadcast in the community. That is what people believe. That is what they say about you."

Had Peter lied? Or rather, what had the Queen fed her people?

The King’s chest heaved as if I had struck him. His face contorted, pain flashing beneath his fury, and for a moment he looked almost as though his heart would give out. His hand clutched the armrest of his chair, knuckles white.

Oh my... I have just cut deep.

The King’s breathing steadied after a long moment, though the anger in his eyes had not lessened. His voice was rough when he spoke again. "The Queen sought a resource in our lands. That is why the war began. She pushed it. Not I. She wanted what I couldn’t give. Unfortunately, the queen died suddenly, and the war began just like that..."

His words sharpened my suspicion. The Queen again. She had her hand in everything, and every path led back to her greed.

I didn’t answer. I let the silence hang, watching him. His sons shifted uncomfortably, their eyes darting between him and me.

Finally the King spoke again, his voice lower now. "The barrier—when will you be ready to create it for this pack? What time is best? Noon or nighttime?"

A change in topic. Maybe for the better. Father will have a lot of questions to answer when I get home.

I inhaled slowly. "When the time calls for it," I said evenly. "Not before."

He studied me, long and hard, as if he might carve truth from the bones of my face. At last, he nodded once.

"Very well. Enough for tonight." His voice carried finality. "We will speak again soon. For now—rest."

He forced something like courtesy into his tone. "Goodnight, Dora. Goodnight, Diana."

"Goodnight." I answered simply, inclining my head slightly.

I stood up, and started toward the door with Diana, without looking at his sons, though I felt their gazes burning into my face,

But the King’s voice stopped me briefly. "You should spend time with my sons," he suggested. "They are very good companions... will help you see the beauty in our pack."

"I will think about it." I said, without pausing, walking out of the door.

Outside the hall, the cool night air greeted me, but so did Raul. He leaned against a pillar, waiting.

"Dora." His voice was softer than I expected, almost cautious. "Tell me about the being in your head. The one you call friend."

This sudden request sent a shiver down my spine. I froze, but only for a moment. Then I stepped past him without slowing, without sparing him a glance.

"Dora—"

I ignored him. Diana’s hand tugged me gently forward, and we walked on in silence.

When we reached our room, relief washed over me at the sight of food set neatly on the table. Bowls of steaming broth, roasted meat, warm bread glistening with butter. The aroma hit my empty stomach and it growled so loudly that Diana burst into laughter.

"You’re impossible," she said, releasing my hand at last. "Facing kings with a straight face, but undone by stew."

I smiled faintly. "I’m only human."

We sat, and I tore into the bread, sighing as the warmth filled me.

"You shouldn’t have said that," Diana whispered after a while. "About his wife. You could have been killed."

I met her gaze calmly. "He needed to hear it. And I needed to see how he reacted. I needed to know the truth too."

"And?" she asked softly.

"And the Queen is hiding something. Something probably bigger than all of us. She is sinister."

Diana pushed her bowl away. "But is there something we can do about it?"

"I don’t know. Time will tell."

She smiled faintly, pride hidden in her eyes. "And what about Raul?"

I shrugged. "He is just making assumptions. No need to water them with denial. He will forget it with time. Let’s be done with this, and freshen up. I need a good night’s sleep..."

"Your wish is my command, your Majesty..."

I laughed. Everything will be fine, with Diana by my side.