Princess's Revenge: Slave to the Soulbound King Chapter 139

Morgana

As I stepped out from the summoning circle, the ancient runes carved into the forest floor flared with a blood-red glow. My silhouette solidified amidst shadows and mist. Beyond Lycandor Keep, the deep woods were shrouded in darkness and ancient magic—so profound that even a werewolf’s keen senses could not pierce it.

A satisfied smile curved my lips. Three years of careful planning had led to this moment. While they believed they had killed me, I had merely discarded a magical construct that had fooled even the Wolf King himself.

"Mistress," a hooded figure stepped from the shadows between the twisted trees, bowing deeply. "Your return brings us great joy."

“Evelyn, well done.” I nodded to my faithful servant. "How fares our dear Commander Garrick?"

"The Shadow's Blood has taken hold completely. The corruption spreads through his veins, and his hunger for power grows daily. He now controls most of the keep's operations while the Wolf King deteriorates."

*Perfect.* I had crafted that poison with centuries of knowledge—vampire essence and dark magic that would slowly consume its victim's will. Garrick believed himself free, but in truth, he had been nothing more than a powerful slave.

"But..." Evelyn shifted uncomfortably in the shadows, and I sensed her hesitation. "There is... another matter, Mistress."

I narrowed my eyes. "Speak."

"Chief Mage Carl examined the blood samples and discovered corruption in the king’s blood. He tried to escape with the evidence, but Commander Garrick found out and gave chase. Carl sacrificed himself to protect his apprentice’s escape. As for his apprentice..." Evelyn’s voice trailed off, clearly unwilling to continue.

"What happened to the apprentice?" I demanded, sensing that something in the plan had gone awry.

"She fled to Eldoria. Our sources indicate she’s searching for Princess Adelaide."

*Damn it! Adelaide again!* My anger began to boil. That human princess had thwarted my plans more than once. Her blood could cleanse the corruption I had sown, and her return would complicate everything.

"Double the patrols at the border," I ordered. "Intercept her at all costs. And as for Garrick—it’s time to act."

As my servant melted once more into the shadows of the ancient trees, I gazed into the basin, my eyes drifting far beyond, toward Eldoria.

*Let her come,* I thought coldly, a smile curling at my lips. *She’s only human, even if she is the Moon Goddess’s chosen Bride of the Moon. The Wolf King is beyond saving, and the wolves are already under my control.*

---

Adelaide

I jolted awake in my chambers, my nightgown clinging to sweat-dampened skin as remnants of a horrific nightmare echoed in my mind. In the dream, Lycanthar had been consumed by writhing shadows, his golden eyes turning crimson as he reached for me with claws dripping darkness.

The dream felt different from ordinary nightmares—more vivid, more real, as if some kind of supernatural intuition.

A soft knock at my door made me start. "Come in."

Nova and Pax appeared at the doorway, their small faces etched with fear, tears glistening in their eyes.

"Aunt Adelaide," Nova whispered. "We had bad dreams."

"Both of you?" I knelt down, gathering them close.

Pax nodded solemnly. "We dreamed that Father was trapped. He couldn't move, and there were chains around him—but they weren't real chains."

A chill ran down my spine. The children had inherited their mother's gift of foresight. They'd had similar visions about Draven on the very same night…

"Was there anything else?"

Nova, her voice trembling, added, "There was a lady in red standing nearby, watching and smiling. She was beautiful, but she had sharp fangs, and her eyes were like a snake's."

My blood turned to ice. A woman in red—Morgana, the vampire said to have been killed by Garrick. If she was coming back, and Draven was going to be captured...

Pax continued, "There was also a huge wolf with crimson eyes and silver-white fur lying nearby. He was hurt. I could feel his pain."

The words hit me like a blow. *Lycanthar.* Even after four years, hearing of his pain made my chest tighten. *But why should I care?* The memory of that final night flashed through my mind—him with Cressida, proving how little I had meant to him.

I forced myself to stay calm. Just as I was about to comfort them, urgent voices echoed down the hallway.

"Stay here," I instructed the twins. "I'll return shortly."

I found General Marcus speaking with a young woman I didn't recognize. She clutched a leather satchel as if her life depended on it.

"Princess Adelaide," General Marcus said. "We found this lady at the border. She claims urgent news from Silverhowl."

The woman's eyes met mine. "Please, Your Highness. My master, Chief Mage Carl, died to get this information to you. The Wolf King is in terrible danger."

*Lycanthar.* My heart lurched despite myself. *No,* I told myself firmly. *He made his choice that night.*

Minutes later, I faced the woman across my desk.

"I am Elara," she began. "Three days ago, my master discovered something that cost him his life. The Wolf King is not simply losing his mind to beast-madness. He is being systematically poisoned by vampire magic."

*Poisoned?* The revelation shook me. *Could that explain...?*

"Carl's research proves that Cressida's blood was tainted by dark magic. King Lycanthar fell victim because he drank her blood."

My breath caught. *Cressida.* The woman he had chosen over me that night. But if her blood was poisoned...

Elara unrolled scrolls, revealing ancient passages. My eyes fell on one prophecy:

*"Only the pure blood of the Moon Bride, blessed by Selene herself, can cleanse the corruption."*

"You are the Moon Bride the prophecy speaks of."

I stared at the evidence, my mind reeling. *If he was poisoned that night, then perhaps...* But no. Even if the corruption influenced his actions, it didn't erase the pain of watching him with another woman.

Elara produced a crystal vial filled with silver liquid. "Master Carl's final message: 'The wolf she loved is dying, and only she can call him back from the darkness.'"

The silver liquid pulsed, and memories flooded back—Lycanthar's tender moments, his protective embrace. *But also his cruelty that final night.* My heart warred with itself. *Did I still love the man who had destroyed me? Or the man who might have been fighting poison even then?*

"The corruption will soon reach a critical point," Elara urged. "If not cleansed within days, the Wolf King will be lost forever."

I looked at Nova and Pax. Their father needed rescuing, and regardless of my personal pain, Lycanthar's fall would destabilize the region. Eldoria couldn't afford a vampire-controlled werewolf kingdom on our borders.

*But could I face him again? Could I save someone who had shattered my heart?*

"What would such a journey require?"

"Speed, discretion, and courage," Elara replied.

I moved to the window. *Personal feelings aside,* I told myself, *this was about preventing war.* But deep down, I knew that wasn't the only reason. Despite everything, some part of me still loved him—still needed to know if the man I'd fallen for had been real.

"Aunt Adelaide?" Nova's voice broke through my contemplation. "Are you going to save Father? And the silver-eyed man?"

I turned back, my decision crystallizing. Whatever pain awaited me, I couldn't abandon them. "Yes, little ones. I'm going to save them both."

*Even if it breaks my heart all over again.*

As I began planning our departure, silver moonlight streamed through the windows. The Moon Bride was answering destiny's call once more—this time, for love and duty intertwined.