Inside the tent, the air was thick with the scent of herbs and blood. A healer was quietly wrapping a bandage around Lord Alekin’s severed arm, where a deep burned gash still wept through the linen. His face lit up the mont he saw the girls enter, despite the heavy bruise-like shadows under his eyes, a clear mark of blood loss and fatigue.
"You’re here?" he breathed, almost disbelieving.
Ren stepped forward, her gaze fixed on the injury. She gently gestured to the healer. "Leave us, please. I’ll take care of it."
Once they were alone, she knelt beside his cot, her voice low but firm. "Let heal you. That wound will take months to nd on its own."
But Lord Alekin shook his head, pain flickering across his expression, not just physical pain, but sothing deeper. "I deserve it, the pain," he murmured. "I failed you. I stood by while my family tornted you. I did nothing when I should have..."
"You couldn’t stop them, you couldn’t soften Araben’s heart, you couldn’t force them to love or accept ," Ren said quietly, but he wouldn’t et her eyes.
He was drowning in guilt for a past he couldn’t rewrite. Maybe, he could be nicer, but the past must remain buried to let the future co and shine.
"Please," Gloria said softly, her voice trembling, "let her heal you. In this weather, you shouldn’t leave it unattended."
Around them, the infirmary was already overflowing with wounded soldiers. If their commander remained weak, lying among the injured, it would only break morale. They needed to see their Lord stand again. Many of them were listening to them. They wanted to see how Princess Reneira was going to heal him.
At last, he gave a faint nod of consent. Ren moved to his side and carefully unwrapped the blood-soaked bandage. Her hands hovered over the deep wound, and a soft white light spilled from her palms, bathing the gash in warmth.
Eyes grew wide and they began to whisper.
"This is the power of light. Gods above."
Lord Alekin clenched his jaw, his muscles tense as he bore the sharp pain in silence.
When Ren finally pulled her hand away, smooth, unbroken skin had taken the place of the torn flesh. Only a faint line remained, like a mory that refused to fully fade.
"She healed him!" soone whispered.
"Make sure you eat well to regain your strength," Ren advised, her voice gentle. She took a seat beside his bed, her thoughts already turning toward the conversation she had long postponed. She needed to speak with him about Dankin.
"Have you received any letters from Dan?" she asked, watching him carefully.
Lord Alekin exhaled, weariness lining his features. "No. He writes to the King, not to ." He hesitated, then added quietly, "I think he’s still angry... for not forcing you to heal Araben."
Ren’s chest tightened. That question had haunted her too, why hadn’t he fought harder for his daughter? Why hadn’t he pleaded, shouted, or done anything to stop her death?
As a father... shouldn’t he have tried?
"Because every cri demands its price," Lord Alekin said quietly. "She killed people who had never lifted a hand against her. How could I stand by and let her kill you too?"
Ren gave a silent nod, the ache in her chest too familiar to speak of. But Gloria wasn’t finished.
"If the Minister hadn’t killed that girl, Araben could still be alive," she said sharply. "And now... he’s watching . You shouldn’t feel guilty, my Luna."
Her voice dropped into a troubled hush. Ren stiffened, the mory of Elaika’s warning echoing in her mind, you have enemies here. They had been so focused on persuading her, that they had forgotten to ask what she truly knew.
"I’ve warned him," Lord Alekin said, his tone cold with quiet resolve. "Dankin is not like Araben. If his grandfather touches you, the King will make him pay."
But Gloria didn’t flinch. Her eyes weren’t filled with fear for herself. Her fear was for the people she loved, those who might get caught in the storm.
Ren stood up and went to the rest of the soldiers, "I’ll heal everyone." She couldn’t see them in pain. She would need to take a rest between each.
They had spent the entire day among the human camps, walking the uneven grounds and sharing food with soldiers who still seed uncertain how to address royalty among them. By nightfall, they sat around a modest dinner, ward by firelight and tired laughter, when Rail suddenly said, "Shouldn’t we assign a personal guard to Lady Gloria?"
Kai shook his head, a quiet smile playing on his lips. "Even if soone tried to harm her, Sunkiath would scorch them to ash before they could draw breath."
King Benkin narrowed his eyes slightly. "Have you seen sothing, young wolf? Did anyone whisper sothing in secret?"
"Yes," Rail replied, grim and stern. "Not everyone celebrates her courage. So resent her for riding a dragon. Everyone heard that she asked my luna queen not to heal Araben."
All eyes turned to Gloria, but she waved the concern away with a soft, defiant laugh. "Nothing will happen to . They won’t dare strike with so many eyes watching."
Her voice was light, but there was a steel edge beneath it. The table fell into silence after that, the al finishing in quiet reflection.
Later, as Ren and her companions made their way back toward the shifters’ camp, the sound of light footsteps joined theirs. They turned to see a familiar silhouette, Elaika, walking beside them without a word.
"You’re here," Ren said with a smirk.
"You said I have responsibilities," Elaika growled, brushing past Viva and falling into step beside Orgeve without looking back.
Kai leaned closer to Ren, his breath warm against her skin, his lips brushing the curve of her ear. "What is going on, wife?"
Ren’s giggle slipped out before she could stop it. "I’ll tell you later."
Kai helped her climb the saddle and sat behind her, pressing her back to his groin, "Sit tight wife."
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