Princess's Revenge: Slave to the Soulbound King Chapter 126

Lycanthar

I sat rigidly in the high-backed throne of the circular council chamber, my fingers drumming an anxious rhythm against the cold stone armrest. The voices of werewolf elders and military leaders swirled around me like a storm, their arguments about Adelaide's fate blending into meaningless noise. Morgana's death should have brought relief, but instead, it had only unleashed a torrent of long-suppressed hatred.

My mind kept drifting to Adelaide, alone in her chambers. What was she thinking? Was she afraid? Did she understand the magnitude of what her revealed identity meant for both of us?

Suddenly, a searing pain ripped through my chest like a silver blade. I gasped, lurching forward as my wolf senses screamed with alarm.

*Adelaide.*

"Your Majesty? Are you alright?" Draven's concerned voice seemed distant. Every instinct I possessed roared the same message: *She's in danger. GO.*

I didn't waste time with explanations. "Continue the meeting!" I barked, striding toward the doors.

The moment I cleared the council chamber, I abandoned all pretense of royal composure. My human form dissolved as I ran, bones crackling and reforming. I had never transformed within the castle before—this was forbidden—but nothing mattered except reaching Adelaide.

Guards pressed themselves against the walls in shock as I bounded past on four legs, my massive paws thundering against marble. A young maid shrieked and dropped her fruit platter, but I barely registered her terror.

I came to a sudden halt outside her door, shifting back into my human form. With all my strength, I crashed through the heavy oak door, and the sight that met my eyes shattered something deep within me.

Adelaide lay crumpled on the floor, her white nightgown soaked crimson. Her face was chalk-white, lips drained of color. Standing over her with blood-stained claws was Lina, her trusted handmaiden, wearing an expression of twisted satisfaction.

A howl of pure anguish tore from my throat as I dropped to my knees beside Adelaide, gathering her limp body against my chest with trembling hands.

"Adelaide..." My voice cracked like that of a broken man, not a king. Tears I hadn't shed in centuries burned my eyes. "My star, my moonlight, don't leave me. I don't blame you anymore, I promise. Just... please. Wake up."

"Your Majesty! Please step aside!" Seraphina burst into the room, her healing supplies already glowing. "I need to treat her immediately!"

I couldn't move. The thought of releasing Adelaide seemed impossible. What if she died the moment I let go?

"Lycanthar!" Seraphina's sharp tone penetrated my grief. "If you want to save her, you must let me work! Every second counts!"

With enormous effort, I placed Adelaide on the bed, though I couldn't release her hand completely. Seraphina immediately began working, her magic flowing into the devastating wound.

"The blade nearly pierced her heart," she murmured. "I need more power to repair the internal damage."

"Take mine," I said immediately, extending my free hand. "Take whatever you need."

As Seraphina worked, I finally looked at Lina. The woman stood restrained by guards, her face twisted with pride, no remorse in her eyes.

"Why?" The word came out as a growl, my rage crystallizing into something cold and deadly. "She trusted you. What did she ever do to deserve this?"

Lina lifted her chin defiantly. "Trust? What right does a lying spy have to speak of trust? Have you forgotten what her family did to us? The betrayal that cost us so many lives?"

"She wasn't even born then," I snarled.

"My son died because humans broke their oath!" Lina shrieked, years of anguish pouring out. "The Valendria family led our enemies straight to our hearts! She carries their blood!"

The pain in her voice hit me like a physical blow. I knew that pain—I had felt it myself. But this was the madness of grief festering for centuries.

Lina's eyes blazed with fanatic fervor. "Every Valendria is born with betrayal in their veins. And I won't be the last to see it. There will always be someone like me, someone who lost everything to her bloodline."

The words pierced straight through my heart. My chest constricted as the full horror of the situation became clear. Tonight wouldn't be an isolated incident. There would be others—dozens, perhaps hundreds—who shared Lina's thirst for vengeance against the Valendria name.

"I've already put her in danger for too long," I whispered, staring at Adelaide's pale face. The evidence was right there—blood on white fabric, a wound that nearly stole her from me forever. "If I keep her here, she'll die. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually..."

"Take her away," I commanded quietly. "Imprison her and await trial."

The guards dragged Lina out, her parting words echoing in my mind: *There will always be someone like me.*

"Will she survive?" I asked when Seraphina stepped back.

"The wound is sealed, internal damage repaired, but she lost a great deal of blood. The next few hours will tell us if she has the strength to recover."

I nodded, gently taking Adelaide's hand. Her skin still felt too cold, too fragile. Like something precious that could shatter at any moment.

"I cannot keep Adelaide here," I said aloud, the words tasting like ash. "Not safely. Her presence... it makes her a target for every werewolf who lost someone in that war three hundred years ago."

Seraphina's eyes widened. "Your Majesty, surely increased security—"

"Security?" I laughed bitterly. "Lina was her personal handmaiden. She lived in Adelaide's chambers, served her meals, helped her dress. If I can't trust the people closest to her, how can I trust anyone? How many guards would I need to keep her safe? A dozen? A hundred? And even then..."

*Even then, someone would find a way. Love makes people desperate—and hatred does the same.*

"When she recovers," I continued, forcing the words out, "I'll arrange safe passage back to the human kingdom. It's the only way to keep her alive."

"But you love her," Seraphina said softly. "And despite everything, she loves you."

"Because I love her, I have to protect her," I replied, my voice breaking slightly. "Even if that means protecting her from my own people. Even if it means..." I swallowed hard. "Even if it means never seeing her again."

The truth of it settled over me like a shroud. This wasn't about choosing duty over desire—this was about choosing Adelaide's life over my own happiness. How could I claim to love her if I was willing to let her die for the sake of keeping her near?

"Don't tell her I was here," I added, my voice steadying with grim resolve. "When she wakes, I'll... I'll explain." The less she knew about my vigil, the easier this would be for both of us.

As I walked away, each step felt like tearing away pieces of my soul. But this was what love truly meant—not possession, not keeping what you treasured close regardless of the cost.

Real love meant letting go when holding on would destroy the person you cherished most.

Even if it destroyed you in the process.