The Princess's Revenge Chapter 60

Valencia’s POV

My mind screamed at me to reject this warmth. I didn't want to feel it anymore. I was afraid this comfort would rob me of the courage I needed to face death. But my feet moved on their own, following Delphine as we walked together toward the stairs.

"Valencia," Delphine's gentle voice cut through my dark thoughts. "You're bleeding."

I looked down at my torn chemise, soaked with blood. The wounds throbbed. I said nothing, just stared at the red stains spreading across the fabric.

Delphine didn't push for answers. Instead, she took my uninjured arm gently. "Come on," she said softly. "Let's get you cleaned up."

She led me up to her room. "Sit," Delphine said, guiding me to her bed. "Let me look at these cuts."

She took a small bowl of water. Her touch was gentle as she poured the clear water over my wounds, washing away the dried blood. The cool liquid stung at first, but her movements were so careful and patient.

"Hold still," she murmured, using clean cloth to dab away the water and blood mixture. "I need to see how deep these cuts are."

After cleaning each wound thoroughly, she examined the gash on my arm with careful fingers. "These aren't too deep," she said with relief. "They'll heal if we keep them clean."

From the chest, she pulled out strips of clean linen - probably torn from old chemises. With practiced movements, she began wrapping the bandages around my arm, then my shoulder and thigh.

"There," she said, securing the last bandage with a small knot. "That should keep them protected."

She pulled out another chemise - patched like the first one she'd given me, but clean and smelling of that same soapwort scent. The familiar fragrance made tears gather in my eyes again.

"This one should fit better," she said, helping me out of the bloodied garment.

As I slipped into the clean chemise, the tears spilled over. I felt so weak, so fragile. I hated this version of myself - crying and vulnerable.

"Hey," Delphine said softly, sitting beside me on the bed. "It's okay."

She pulled me into a gentle embrace, and I couldn't stop the sobs that shook my shoulders. Her arms felt safe, warm, like everything I'd been missing my entire life.

"I'm sorry," I whispered against her shoulder. "I'm sorry I'm like this."

"You have nothing to apologize for," she said firmly. "You've been through so much today. Anyone would be upset."

After a few minutes, my tears finally stopped. Delphine helped me wash my face with the clean water, then took my hand.

"Come on," she said with a small smile. "Let's get some food."

The kitchen buzzed with activity when we entered. Nestor and Kael were there, along with three other servants. All of them were busy preparing what looked like an elaborate meal.

"Valencia! Delphine!" Nestor called out when he saw us, his face lighting up with a warm smile. "Perfect timing."

"How are you feeling?" Kael asked me, wiping his hands on his apron. "You look much better than this morning."

I forced a smile, though it felt fragile on my lips. "I'm... better. Thank you."

Nestor disappeared for a moment, then returned carrying a wooden bowl. He set it on a small table in the corner, the rich aroma immediately filling the air.

"Guess what this is," he said with a grin, gesturing to the bowl.

I looked at the dark, rich stew with chunks of meat and vegetables. "Beef?" I guessed weakly.

"Wrong," Nestor laughed.

"Venison?" Delphine tried.

"Nope," Kael chimed in from across the kitchen.

"I don't know," I said, inhaling the complex scent of wine and spices. "What is it?"

"Spiced peacock," Nestor announced proudly. "Braised in wine with cinnamon, pepper, and cloves. The meat's been simmering three hours ago."

Delphine's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Peacock? But that's... that's feast food. Today isn't a festival day."

Kael's expression grew more serious. "We're using what we can from the kitchen stores," he explained. "The food storage was completely destroyed in the fire. What we have here will only last three days, maybe four if we're careful."

My heart sank as the reality hit me. The rogue attack's consequences were still rippling through our lives.

"But hey," one of the other servants called out cheerfully, "if we're going to run out of food, at least we'll eat like kings for a few days!"

The others laughed, and despite everything, I felt my lips twitch upward.

Delphine and I stood by the small wooden table, sharing the rich stew. I took a tentative bite, expecting something amazing given the elaborate preparation.

"Well?" Nestor asked expectantly.

I chewed thoughtfully, then wrinkled my nose slightly. "It's... kind of tough," I said honestly. "And a bit dry. I think I prefer chicken."

Delphine burst into laughter, the sound bright. "She's right!" she giggled. "All that fancy preparation, and it tastes like leather!"

"Hey!" Nestor protested, but he was grinning. "Peacock is a delicacy!"

"A delicacy that tastes worse than rabbit stew," Kael added with a chuckle.

"Next time, let's just stick to beef," another servant suggested, which sent everyone into fresh peals of laughter.

The easy, happy atmosphere in the kitchen began to thaw the ice around my heart. For the first time all day, I felt myself relaxing slightly.

"So," Delphine said gently as we continued eating, "do you want to tell us what happened earlier? With Amara?"

I hesitated, the fork halfway to my mouth. The warmth I'd been feeling began to fade as the memory returned.

"Come on," Nestor encouraged, setting down his stirring spoon. "We saw her storm out of here like a demon. What did she do?"

"She attacked me," I said.

The silence that followed my words was deafening. Every face around the kitchen table had gone white with shock. Nestor's spoon clattered to the floor, and Kael's mouth hung open.

"She attacked you?" Delphine whispered, her eyes wide with horror. "With a sword?"

I nodded, touching the bandages on my arm unconsciously. "She blames me for Xander's death. She said it's my fault because Alpha Logan ordered him to protect me."

"Wait," one of the other servants interrupted, his voice shaking. "Did you say Xander is dead?"

My heart sank as I realized they didn't know. "Yes," I said quietly. "Gamma Xander is dead. Beta Dorian killed him."

The kitchen erupted in gasps and shocked exclamations.

"Dorian?" Nestor's face went pale as death. "Beta Dorian killed Gamma Xander?"

"That's impossible," Kael breathed. "They were friends. They always trained together."

"Dorian is a traitor," I said, my voice growing stronger as I told them everything. "He's been working with our enemies. He poisoned the well with wolfsbane and killed all the horses so no one could leave. He set the fires to destroy our weapons and food supplies."

"No," one of the servants whispered. "No, that can't be true."

"He escaped through the secret passage," I continued. "Xander and I tried to stop him. Xander died protecting the pack from a traitor."

The shock on their faces was complete.

"Amara thinks this is your fault?" Delphine's voice was tight with anger.

"She challenged me to a duel, she's going to try to kill me."

"That fucking bitch!" Kael exploded. "She's completely insane!"

"How dare she blame you for Dorian's betrayal!" Nestor snarled, standing up so quickly his chair fell backward. "You saved lives today! You distributed the antidote!"

"She's lost her mind with grief," another servant added, his voice filled with disgust. "Taking it out on an innocent person."

Their support made tears gather in my eyes again, but this time they were tears of gratitude rather than despair.

"Amara is a trained Gamma warrior," I said quietly. "I can't beat her in a fair fight. She's stronger, more experienced."

"Then don't fight fair," Kael said bluntly. "Use every advantage you can get."

Delphine pulled out form her clothes my sling and the pouch of stones. "You forgot these when you changed clothes," she said with a small smile, holding them out to me.

I stared at the sling in shock. "Oh! Fuck!" I took the leather weapon gratefully, checking that all the stones were still in the pouch. "Thank you, Delphine."

"It can be your secret weapon," Delphine said, her eyes sparkling. "Amara won't expect it. You can catch her off guard."

"Can I use a second weapon in the challenge?"

The servants exchanged confused glances. "I'm not sure about the rules," Nestor admitted. "I've seen challenges before, but I don't know all the formal regulations."

"Usually challenges are 'first blood,'" Delphine said thoughtfully. "First person to draw blood wins, and the fight stops there."

"But clearly Amara doesn't intend to stop at first blood," Kael added grimly. "She wants to kill you."

"Then you can use whatever you need to stay alive," Delphine said. "That's not cheating, that's survival."

I nodded, tucking the sling inside my chemise."But the sling isn't much more deadly than my dagger," I said, doubt creeping into my voice. "Stone projectiles won't penetrate armor or cause serious damage."

Delphine's smile widened mysteriously. "Who said you had to use stones?"

I looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Ask Gareth," she said with a wink. "He knows all about projectiles and weapons. He might have some suggestions about what else you could load into that sling."

Hope flickered in my chest. "Really?"

"Really," Delphine confirmed. "Go talk to him tomorrow."

The other servants were nodding enthusiastically now, their expressions brightening.

"You have more of a chance than you think," Nestor said encouragingly. "Lennon told me something interesting about you."

"What?"

"He said you killed multiple rogues during the attack," Nestor said, his eyes wide with amazement. "With just a dagger. Is that true?"

I tried to remember who Lennon was. The name sounded familiar, but...

"Lennon was one of the survivors from the food storage room," Nestor explained, noticing my confusion.

"Oh," I said quietly. "Yes, I... I killed some rogues."

"That's incredible," Nestor breathed. "A slave - I mean, sorry - someone with no formal training, taking down rogues."

Kael nodded enthusiastically. "Rhodes told me about the fire thing. Said you walked through flames like they couldn't touch you. That's not normal, Valencia. You're stronger than you realize."

"Much stronger," Delphine added, squeezing my hand. "You're not helpless."

Their words made something warm spread through my chest. These people - these friends - believed in me. They saw strength where I only saw weakness.

"You can beat Amara," Nestor said. "I know you can."

The crushing despair from earlier began to lift, replaced by hope. "Thank you," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "All of you."

"Delphine!" A young servant girl burst into the kitchen, her face flushed from running. "The stone house is overwhelmed. We need you." She called out urgently.

Delphine stood up quickly, wiping her hands on her apron. "I have to go," she said, turning to me with worried eyes. "Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine," I said, standing as well. "I should go check on Alpha Logan anyway."

She hugged me quickly. "Be careful. And remember what we talked about - go see Gareth tomorrow."