Princess's Revenge: Slave to the Soulbound King Chapter 122

Lycanthar

The council chamber of Lycandor Keep had never felt so suffocating. I sat in the high stone chair at the head of the assembly, my fingers drumming against the armrest in a rhythm that matched my racing heartbeat. The air was thick with rage and accusations, each voice cutting through me like shards of broken glass.

Around the massive oak table, the faces of my most trusted leaders were twisted with fury. The torchlight flickered across their features, casting dancing shadows that seemed to mock the unity we had once shared.

"Betrayal demands blood!" Rothesgard, the temporary commander of the Second Legion, slammed his fist against the table with such force. "She is the daughter of the human king! A spy who has been living among us like a parasite!"

"The princess's blood should pay for every drop we've spilled these past three centuries!" Another elder leader joined in, his gray beard trembling with the intensity of his words. "How many of our people died because of her father's treachery?"

I swept my gaze across the chamber, noting the mix of rage and uncertainty in their faces. The revelation of Adelaide's true identity had shattered something fundamental in our society—trust. Yet not all voices called for vengeance.

Greyson, leader of the Greywolf Pack, rose slowly from his seat. His hands were clasped tightly before him, knuckles white with tension. When he spoke, his voice was measured, careful.

"I ask Your Majesty to consider carefully," he began, his words cutting through the cacophony. "Lady Adelaide aided my pack during the insect plague. She found the phoenix feathers that saved our crops, our children. She worked alongside Commander Draven to expose the vampire conspiracy that would have destroyed us all. If she truly came only to harm us, why risk everything for these actions?"

Rothesgard's laugh was bitter and sharp. "Naive fool! Don't you see? That's exactly how spies work. Create problems, then solve them to gain trust. Who's to say this wasn't all an elaborate performance between the humans and vampires? First manufacture a crisis, then save the day, all while infiltrating our very heart."

"Enough!" The word tore from my throat like thunder, silencing every voice in the chamber. The sudden quiet was so complete I could hear my own labored breathing. "Your shouting solves nothing. Your rage changes nothing."

But even as I commanded their silence, I felt the sharp pain lance through my chest again. Adelaide's secret was like a poisoned blade, twisted deep in my heart. I stared out the tall windows at the full moon hanging in the star-studded sky, remembering the nights she had curled against me, the promises we had whispered in the darkness. Had any of it been real?

The heavy doors burst open, interrupting my torment. Draven strode into the chamber, his face grim but purposeful.

"Your Majesty," Draven's voice cut through the tension. "Thalia has extracted the truth from young Luke's memories. The one who carved those runes into the ritual platform... it was Morgana."

Vespera entered close behind, his green robes damp with evening dew, clearly having rushed from the outer grounds. "Guards spotted Morgana heading toward the dungeon, in the direction of Garrick's cell."

The pain in my chest transformed into something colder, more dangerous. My hands gripped the armrests of my chair until the stone cracked beneath my fingers.

"Morgana..." I let the name roll off my tongue like a curse. "Garrick..." Each syllable tasted of betrayal and blood. "A vampire and a traitor. The perfect combination."

I rose from my chair, my full height casting a long shadow across the assembly. The room fell silent again, but this time it was the silence of predators preparing to hunt.

"The immediate threat is not the princess," I declared, my voice carrying the weight of absolute authority. "The immediate threat is the enemy within our own walls. Morgana and Garrick must answer for their desecration of the sacred ceremony."

My hand moved to the silver sword at my side, the blade singing softly as I drew it halfway from its sheath. The moonlight streaming through the windows caught the steel, sending fragments of light dancing across the walls.

"As for Adelaide..." I paused, feeling every eye in the room fixed upon me. The name still caused my heart to constrict, but I forced my voice to remain steady. "Her fate will be decided when all truths have been revealed."

I strode toward the doors, my decision crystallizing with each step. "I will personally lead a detachment to the dungeons. Draven, Vespera, you're with me. The rest of you will remain here and strengthen the castle's defenses."

As I reached the threshold, I turned back one final time. "Whoever seeks to tear the werewolf nation apart from within will face my wrath tonight. This I swear by the Moon Goddess herself."