The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 236: A lesson.

Chapter 236: A lesson.

Five days later~

"We need to bring supplies to this camp. The shadow pathways are our only option," Lord Alekin urged, his breath forming clouds in the cold air. The worsening frost bit deeper each day, they wouldn’t last long if the temperature dropped any further. Fighting in another battle would be impossible.

"Calm yourself, brother," the King said coolly, his gaze sweeping over the ministers before settling on Minister Karon. "What do you suggest?"

"We pull our armies back," Karon replied firmly. "Winter is nearly upon us, and the Seven Kingdoms will be at their most exposed. We must secure our borders. We can establish our camps there, hold the line."

A low murmur of agreement rippled through the chamber as the other ministers leaned in, nodding. Those abominations could attack the cities during winter far more easily.

"He’s right," another added. "Even with full stores, the cold will bleed us dry. Our men are not used to tolerating such a weather."

The King leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping a deliberate rhythm on the oaken table. His jaw clenched, eyes distant in thought.

"Then so be it," he declared. "Gather your legions and march to Alvonia’s borders. No vampire sets foot across our lands, through water or on foot. Send word to the harbors, that if they so much as glimpse a mutated vampire, rogues, or any kind of them, they are ordered to kill them on sight."

The meeting dissolved into murmurs as the King stepped outside, the cold wind whipping past him like a restless ghost, tugging at his hair and cloak.

"Where is my daughter?" Lord Alekin demanded of a nearby commander, his voice sharp with concern.

"She hasn’t left the infirmary since we arrived." The commander replied and hurried to his men to set a big fire.

His brow furrowed darkly. Gloria had been nursing the wounded ever since that brutal fall from Sunkiath, never once joining the King and the Dragon on their sky patrols.

"She is so sad that she has fallen from Sunkiath a few days ago. She has shown weakness."

"Go find her," King Benkin commanded, his tone ironclad. "She must return to her training. And she will attend every meeting, with no exceptions. She cannot hide only because she failed to show strength once."

He understood the weight of the attack had shaken her, but in war, weakness was a luxury they could not afford. The ministers were already searching for cracks, waiting to exploit any sign of frailty in someone as kind-hearted as Gloria. The Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, a woman that they didn’t want on the Throne.

An hour later, Gloria was standing in a bare area that was surrounded by rough black rocks of the mountain. Sunkiath was sitting next to the Griffin high above near a cave, their eyes on the snow-covered plains.

"Where is the King?" She asked from Gamma Orgeve.

"He will be coming shortly. Pick your sword, and show me what you’ve learned lately. Stop being arrogant after that fall. Our Alpha King saved you and you are alive. That storm was terrible even a man couldn’t bear it."

Rail, who was cleaning the edges of his sword, stopped and put his fist under his chin, eagerly watching them, "He is right. I wasn’t there to save you, but I’m glad the Alpha King was."

Gloria just stared at them, "I’m not good yet!"

She retreated but Org swung his sword and attacked.

"Come on princess!" Rail urged her to join the fight instead of dodging Org’s moves.

"Don’t call me that!" She shouted angrily.

Rail smirked evilly, "You are a princess now, aren’t you? Your Highness!" He bowed.

She pouted, rage thundering inside her, and brought her sword up. Rail knew how to pour oil on fire and make it rage and lash. She blocked Org’s crash and steadied her footing.

"Wow! I underestimated you." Org uttered and didn’t wait for her to attack.

Either time he seized a vital area, she blocked him swiftly. Org gave her a chance to strike, and she used it well, her sword crossed only an inch away from his ear shell.

Rail clapped his hands and encouraged her, and then she swung on her heel, losing her footing on the slick rocky floor of the ground and falling. She could only fight off soft, even ground, not like this, unbalanced, uneven.

Strong arms clasped her midway, her eyes met Rail’s.

"Ah, that was close!" Rail inhaled and exhaled, scared.

"You should let her fall and taste the pain. Next time you won’t be around to catch her or shield her."

King Benkin’s Voice echoed.

Rail helped Gloria stand on her feet, then replied, "She will never fall to feel pain when I’m around."

"So she will fall thinking about you when you are not around her. How idiot!" the king retorted.

Gloria elbowed Rail. He shouldn’t be rude only because he loved her. That was true, she almost died a few days ago.

The King just flashed him a smirk and glanced at Kai and Reneira who were standing next to him.

"You asked to see how I train her. You can watch it here! I’ve changed my method. She needs strong legs and a clear mind."

King Benkin was wearing a black royal suit. It would make it easier to move.

Ren waved a hand for Gloria and put the torch down between two rocks.

"Good afternoon, sister."

Gloria smiled and turned her head to the King who was holding a lash.

"Climb the rocks and stand next to Sunkiath!"

Gloria’s mouth fell open. She thought it would be fencing. This lesson was new. But as she turned to the rocks, he was pointing at the cave, her heart pounded violently.

The path to the cave that Sunkiath was staying at its edge was terrible, jagged edges, slick with ice. More than twenty feet.

"Brother, isn’t it too high?"

The King glared at his brother, "That is why I don’t let you and your dancing masters train her. You sculpt her as a coward." He turned to Gloria, "Go up and bring this arrow down."

He snatched the now from the bag Gloria had brought, put an arrow on the bow, pulled the string, and released it. The arrow flashed in the air. He had aimed at the entrance of the cave. It pierced into a small hole.

Gloria swallowed her saliva. Slowly she walked to the wall of the huge mountain. Hiking never was her favorite activity. And the whip that now rested on the King’s hip, scared her even more.

She put her sword down and grabbed the first edge, cold came to bite at the tips of her fingers, making them tingle. A rope or a little help would make it easier, but she knew what the answer would be.

Her fingers slipped a few times, but she managed to hold tight.

Ren was clenching Kai’s hand, not understanding the necessity of making Gloria do this.

"Don’t be scared, she can make it."

Kai ensured. However, Ren couldn’t help it. She knew they would catch Gloria if she fell, but her guts twitched.

Up there, Gloria was breathing ice, clouds of cold were coming out of her mouth. She adjusted her foot in the brittle cracks and just kept looking up. She had no courage to look down and see how far she had come.

And then she saw the arrow and smiled, the joy in her heart couldn’t be described, reaching for the edges to get rid of this hilarious situation, splintered rocks trembled beneath her fingers, and there was no spot that she could hold onto.

And then the sound of the whip resonated in the air, freezing her spine, and then with that final jolt, she fell...

Screaming, she fell, and in a matter of seconds, Rail shifted his form, jumped, and caught her, landing on the other side.

Ren was about to faint, without knowing she was screaming too, grabbing her mouth with her hands.

The King pivoted and raised a brow, he was too salty today, "Those who fly high should be able to climb a mountain quickly." He snapped at Ren, but loud enough for Gloria to hear it.

The King didn’t let go of Gloria until she brought the arrow down, her hands bleeding.

...

Later, in the dining hall, Ren looked at Gloria’s pink cheeks. It was frosty. She wanted to heal her hands, but she refrained from being healed. She wanted to remember these wounds, every lesson or skill, she had acquired from these days.

"Wife, Tell me about sending my general to investigate vampires’ offspring."

Ren heard his voice in her mind.

"General Eric hasn’t sent me any report yet. How did you learn that?"

Kai chuckled in her mind, "Someone in that castle told Shadow."

Ren averted her head, surprised! "Someone among the shadows is spying on me?"

Kai smirked, drinking his beer.

"No, you have a guardian among the shadows."

"May I ask who that is?"

Kai sighed in her mind, "Not now. But I must say that your move was smart. I hadn’t thought that vampires could have children too. Also, I realized that Siamon is so loyal to you that he didn’t even tell me a word."

Ren was about to think that Siamon exposed their plan, but it seemed the man had a sealed mouth. Then, who told him?

Either way, they were distracted as a shifter commander bolted up, "Humans are leaving?!"

Foll𝑜w current novℯls on fre𝒆web(n)ovel.co(m)