Alaric’s eyes widened in astonishnt, a flicker of disbelief crossing his features. The initial shock quickly lted away, replaced by a slow, knowing grin that danced at the corners of his mouth.
Lara blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied Alaric’s face. Had he truly not noticed before? But why does she feel that sothing about his deanor struck her as odd — as if he were in an unusually good mood?
The gears in Alaric’s mind began to turn, slow and deliberate, piecing fragnts of mory together.
Two years ago, tragedy struck the Norse family. Everyone in Savadra knew about the incident — after all, who wouldn’t know of the brave and heroic General Odin? The story had spread like wildfire. The General’s only daughter was found dead in a river, the bla falling on human traffickers. The loss had cast a long shadow over the Norse na.
Alaric’s gaze shifted back to Lara, his eyes lingering on her face. The more he looked, the more uneasy he beca. Could it be... she hadn’t died after all?
Lara coughed awkwardly, shifting under the weight of his scrutiny. His stare felt piercing, almost invasive, and she resisted the urge to fidget.
"Maybe I’m General Odin’s illegitimate son?" she quipped, her voice light, teasing—a deliberate attempt to shatter the tension.
Asael, who had been observing in uneasy silence, nearly tripped over his own feet. "Hey, Kane. Don’t slander Father like that!" he blurted, his voice tinged with exasperation. "He’s a righteous man—he’d never fool around outside."
Alaric’s lips twitched, his amusent deepening. "Ah, yes. I heard a rumor," he said, feigning indifference. "That there was a soldier in the camp who resembled one of General Odin’s sons. I didn’t expect it to be you, Kane."
Lara rely shrugged, her posture relaxed. "Well, I might be a distant relative of the Norse," she replied nonchalantly. But at her side, Asael stiffened, his eyes flickering with sothing unspoken.
"Or perhaps I just happen to look like him," Lara added with a smirk. "It’s not unusual for two unrelated people to share similarities, is it?"
Asael’s expression was one of deep hurt, his brow furrowing and lips pressing together as if trying to contain a swell of emotions. It was as if a shadow had swept across his features, amplifying the sadness in his eyes. Did his sister not want to acknowledge him?
Lara turned to Asael, her lips curving into a teasing smile, the sa smile she had worn when they were younger. It was ant to be lighthearted, but Alaric—watching closely—saw sothing else.
His breath hitched.
What a lovely face.
Alaric suddenly understood why Kane had been so secretive. There was more to her identity than t the eye... but what? Could the rumors surrounding her death two years ago be more than re tragedy?
"Kane, I need more guards. Would you be interested? I saw that you are highly skilled, and soone like you would be an asset to my team." Alaric tested the waters.
Asael’s eyes flickered with surprise that turned to concern. He moved instinctively, stepping forward, and shielded Kane behind his fra. "Of course not," he exclaid, his voice rising in pitch, tinged with an urgency that underscored the gravity of the mont.
Alaric’s gaze turned frosty as it fixated on Asael. "I am talking to Kane and not you, Commander Asael," he said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. But in his mind, Asael’s action was a giveaway.
Asael realized his mistake, and it settled heavily upon his shoulders. With a deep sense of humility, he lowered his head. "I beg your forgiveness, Your Highness," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "I was truly out of line." The sincerity in his tone echoed in the silence surrounding them, revealing the depth of his remorse.
Who was Alaric? He was a royalty, and who was he to raise his voice on him? Asael shuddered.
But then he rembered his sister Lara and was convinced that Alaric didn’t have a good intention for her. Asael could only grit his teeth and clench his fists.
Tonight, he would tell his father about Lara’s identity, whether she consented or not. It would not be suitable for his sister to pretend that she was a man.
Alaric watched Asael closely, and he was amused by how his facial reaction changed. Every minute expression did not escape his eagle eyes.
As if sensing the rising tension in the air, Lara cleared her throat. "It’s getting late. We should head back." Lara took three steps forward and turned to face the two n.
The three strolled together, Lara nestled between Asael and Alaric. The sunlight filtered through the leaves above, casting playful shadows on the ground as they moved in a harmonious rhythm. The dried leaves crackled under their boots with every step they made.
"Asael, I rembered you have a younger sister, right?" Alaric spoke out of the blue.
Both Asael and Lara paused. The air was thick with anticipation as they exchanged glances, their expressions reflecting a mix of curiosity and hesitation. A mont of silence enveloped them, charged with tension.
"What was her na again?" Alaric pressed, his voice quieter now, almost calculating. "I can’t recall... I only rember she was younger than the twins, Percival and Peridur."
"Her na is Lara, Your Highness!" There was a lightness in his tone when Asael replied.
Lara.
Alaric stopped dead in his tracks. From what he heard, the na Lara was taboo in the Norse family. General Odin has forbidden everyone to ntion it because it was a trigger. The general’s wife would go ballistic whenever she heard her daughter’s na.
From the corner of his eyes, he had noted the flicker of joy crossed Asael’s deep brown eyes, and the doting look that he cast Kane —no, at Lara, did not escape his eyes.
A single detail clicked into place.
The initial on her blade. The letter L.
"L... Lara," Alaric murmured, rolling the na across his tongue. A slow, knowing smirk curled his lips.
He found her na.
Hidden in the shadows, Aramis and Angus exchanged bewildered glances. Their master was smiling—no, grinning.
For the first ti in years, Prince Alaric had the look of a man who had just uncovered a secret worth keeping.
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