The Princess's Revenge Chapter 151

Valencia’s POV

We left our room and walked through the quiet castle hallways. Most people were still asleep. Only a few servants were up, preparing for the day.

As we rounded the corner near the courtyard, I saw Kai walking toward us.

He was dressed in training clothes with his sword belted at his waist. He stopped when he saw us.

"Kai?" I said. "What are you doing up so early?"

"Going to the training grounds," he said. Then his eyes moved from me to Logan, then to our travel bags. "Where are you going?"

Logan and I exchanged a glance. I hadn't told Kai about our plans. I'd assumed he was still recovering from his shoulder wound.

"We have something we need to do," I said carefully. "We'll be back in about a week."

"Where?" Kai asked again.

"Somewhere dangerous," I said. "That's all I can tell you right now."

Kai looked at me for a long moment. Then he said, "I'm coming with you."

"What? No, Kai. It's too dangerous."

"I've awakened my wolf," Kai said. His tone was matter-of-fact. "I've been trained as a warrior since I was five years old. I won't slow you down."

"Your shoulder is still healing," I protested.

"It's fine. Dr. Vance said the wound is closing well."

I shook my head. "Kai, you don't understand. Where we're going is extremely dangerous. I can't put you at risk like that."

"I'm not useful here at the pack," Kai said. "I don't know anyone except you. I don't have a role. But if you're going somewhere dangerous, I can help."

He took a step closer. His blue eyes were steady on mine.

"You're my sister. You're going to a dangerous place. I should protect you."

My chest tightened. This was only the second time Kai had expressed any kind of emotional attachment to me. The word "sister" from his lips still felt precious and rare.

"Kai, I appreciate that, but—"

"I want to come," he said simply. "Please."

I looked at Logan, feeling torn. Part of me wanted to keep Kai safe at Cliffwatch. But another part of me understood his need to be useful, to have purpose.

Logan studied Kai for a moment. Then he looked at me.

"Let him come," Logan said. "He's right. He's a trained warrior. And we could use another sword."

"Logan—"

"Valencia, he's not a child. He's fifteen. Many warriors start fighting at that age." Logan's voice was gentle but firm. "And he's right about something else too. Family should protect each other."

I looked at Kai again. His expression was calm, but I could see the determination there. He'd made up his mind.

"Alright," I said finally. "You can come."

Something flickered in Kai's eyes. "But you follow orders," I continued. "Both Logan's and mine. No arguments. No taking unnecessary risks. Understood?"

"Understood," Kai said.

"Go get your things ready," Logan said. "We'll wait here."

Kai nodded and turned to leave. Then he stopped and looked back at me.

"Thank you," he said.

Before I could respond, he was gone, disappearing back into the castle.

Logan put his hand on my shoulder. "You made the right choice."

"I hope so," I said quietly. "If something happens to him—"

"Nothing will happen to him. We'll watch out for each other."

I nodded, trying to push down the worry in my chest.

Thirty minutes later, Kai returned. He was now dressed in traveling clothes with a full pack slung over his shoulder. He'd added a bow and quiver to his equipment, along with extra supplies. He moved with quiet efficiency as he prepared his horse.

We mounted up. The stable boy had already saddled our horses. Logan's white stallion stamped its feet, eager to move. My brown mare stood calmly. Kai's horse was a gray gelding, steady and reliable.

"Let's go," Logan said.

We rode out of Cliffwatch Pack as the sun began to rise. The sky turned pink. The air was cold and sharp.

No one spoke for the first hour. We just rode, putting distance between ourselves and home.

The landscape began to change as we traveled east. The rocky hills of Cliffwatch territory gradually gave way to rolling plains. The trees became more numerous. The air grew slightly warmer.

We finished eating and continued riding. The road stretched ahead of us, cutting through fields and forests.

As evening approached, we reached a small village. Just a dozen houses clustered around a central square. An inn stood on one corner, its sign swinging in the wind.

"We'll stay here tonight," Logan said. "The horses need rest."

We dismounted and led our horses to the inn's stable. An old man came out to help us.

"Three rooms?" he asked.

"Two," Logan said. "One for me and my wife. One for the boy."

The old man nodded and took our payment. "Dinner is being served in the common room now. Best stew in the region."

We entered the inn. The common room was half full. Villagers sat at wooden tables, eating and drinking. The smell of stew and fresh bread filled the air.

We found a table in the corner and sat down. A serving woman brought us bowls of stew and mugs of ale.

The food was good. Hot and filling. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I started eating.

Conversations buzzed around us. I listened carefully, picking up fragments of news.

"Did you hear about King's Fang?" a man at the next table was saying. "They say it burned to the ground."

"I heard it was a dragon," his companion replied. "A massive red dragon that breathed fire on the whole city."

"Dragons aren't real, you fool."

"Then how do you explain what happened?"

I kept my head down, focusing on my stew.

Another voice from across the room: "Alpha Elton has declared Soren a traitor. Says he poisoned Alpha King Winston."

"But Soren always seemed like an honorable man."

"Who knows what's true anymore? The whole kingdom is going mad."

"I heard there's going to be a war. Elton and Soren, fighting for the throne."

"Let them fight. As long as they leave us alone."

I finished my stew and set down my spoon. Logan caught my eye and gave a small nod. We'd heard enough.

"Let's go to our rooms," he said.

We stood and headed upstairs. The inn had given us two small rooms next to each other. Kai went into his room with a brief "goodnight."

Logan and I entered ours. It was tiny, barely big enough for the narrow bed and a small table. But it was clean.

I sat on the bed and pulled off my boots. My feet ached from riding all day.

"Did you hear what they were saying downstairs?" I asked quietly.

"Yes. The news about King's Fang has spread. They're calling you a dragon."

"They don't know it was me though."

"Not yet. But word will spread eventually." Logan sat beside me. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired. Worried about what we'll find when we reach the coast."

"We'll figure it out," he said. "We always do."

I leaned against him. Through our bond, I felt his steady presence. It helped calm my anxiety.

"Get some sleep," Logan said. "We have another long day of riding tomorrow."

I nodded and lay down. Logan stretched out beside me. Within minutes, exhaustion pulled me under into deep sleep.

The next morning, we woke before dawn and left the village. The road continued east through increasingly dense forests.

We rode hard all day, stopping only briefly to rest the horses. By evening, we'd covered a huge distance.

"We should reach Emerald Grove Pack territory by tomorrow afternoon," Logan said as we made camp for the night. "Even though he's pulled warriors to King's Fang, there will still be patrols."