HIDDEN HER

Chapter5(Meetingyou)

Ace’s Pov

I gasp. My eyes looked at the fragile beauty of the princess, Ava. She was every bit the picture of delicate elegance, as rumored. But something in the way she walked, the way she held herself, spoke of fragility beyond the whispers.

She moved slowly, careful on the ground as if she were afraid it could c***k underneath her feet. Her gown, White and ornate, glimmering under the light as she made her way to stand beside her father. The grace of movement wasn't going unnoticed.

The hesitance in her steps manifested the like in her uncertainty, but it masked what I knew lay inside…Power, hidden or controlled, like something too dangerous to be let out too soon.

My thoughts got interrupted when the voice of Lord Duca rang in my ear. "This is my gorgeous daughter, Princess Ava," he said, his voice resounding with the warmth that could very well be paternal. "And this is Ace, the great warrior of Mooneve, and soon to be Alpha of the great land. He's the son of my good friend."

His words sent a shiver down my spine. Lord Duca, the almighty Alpha, had a voice that commanded respect. His years of battle and leadership were imbued with authority.

Ava’s eyes briefly met mine, then quickly shifted away but the glance left me guessing what Ava saw in me. I bowed softly in response to her father's introduction, and she gave an equally soft and almost hesitant bow in return. Unlike any royal greeting I'd ever witnessed, it had something elusive about it—an uncertainty in movement, a shadow of something I could not quite place.

As she returned to stand beside her father, I took a closer look at her. The rumors spoke of her frail creature, the way she was rumored to be possibly weak and helpless. But that was not the whole truth, I was sure of it. She was not just that: there was something else in her eyes. It was like one who carries some internal strength, one that had been carefully controlled.

Lord Duca’s eyes flicked from Ava to me, and the smile on his face grew wider. "You are most welcome to Hillswirls," he said again, his voice dripping with warmth and respect.

"Thank you my Lord," I replied, keeping my eyes lowered in respect to his stature. The power of his presence did speak for itself, and yet there stood a vulnerability regarding his daughter; I could tell by the way his gaze softened as he looked at her.

Ava bowed before her father once again, Asif on cue, she turned and walked with those same slow, cautious steps towards the door. It was as though every step was a carefully calculated action, designed to manipulate a world around her.

Lord Duca turned towards his guards and instructed them to take me on a tour in the pack, “ Show him the heart of our land,” he ordered “And make sure he gets to know our people very well.

He paused, looked at me and said, “Ace, these are my most trusted, you are safe.

I nodded but my thoughts were thinking about the princess. She was fascinating and a mystery that I could not shake. I was going to need to know more. This could perhaps be an opportunity to find out more about the archer who had saved my life the night before. Who knows; perhaps she was connected to Ava as well.

———————

Ava's POV

I stood by my chamber window, my eyes fixed on the courtyard and there was Ace. He was tall, with a strong, commanding posture, a figure of power and authority. There was a quiet confidence about him. The way he held himself like a warrior who had seen all there was to see in the world. I couldn't help but marvel at him. Truly, he was the son of a great Alpha.

"He is truly the son of a great Alpha," my father intruded on my thoughts, surprising me from behind.

"Father..." I greeted, turning to acknowledge him, even as my mind remained with Ace. There was something that stirred within me at the view of him-something not about his physical strength but something deeper—something I could not quite understand.

Lord Duca paid close attention to me, his emerald-green eyes sharp. "What troubles your heart, my dear?" His voice was soft, very softer than the one he addresses his people with. In private, he is more than a ruler of Hillswirls, he is my father, the one who is always protective of me, the only one who truly knew me, a fierce father who kept me close for my safety.

I hesitated. How could I even begin to put into words the strange mix of emotions felt? “Father, do you believe in fate?” I asked, avoiding his eyes.

He slightly frowned, following my gaze to Ace. “Fate or coincidence?”

“I don't know ,” I said looking down. I looked up again “Do you think he knows?”

“Knows what?”

“That we've met before,” my voice barely above a whisper.

He narrows his eyes. “If he doesn't know now, he will definitely know soon. You must have to decide if you are ready to tell him.

I shook my head.” No.. Not yet. I need to be sure he is the one moon Goddess spoke of…. I can't risk revealing the truth too soon.

My father understands that I carry a heavy secret, being the heir to Hillswirls and being a child of prophecy. My powers were both a blessing and a curse.

“I will keep an eye on him,” I said with resolution. “ I have to see what he can do. If he’s truly worthy.”

He nodded and said, “I trust my love. Anything you say. But be careful, the heart often sees what the eyes do not.”

I know that my father trusted me, more than anyone else, even more than I sometimes trusted myself. His gaze softened, while he observed Ace, and he undoubtedly was pondering what this arrival had in store for our future.

Lord Duca kept staring at Ace and watching him teach some techniques to the warriors in training. There was no doubt in my mind: my father saw something in him, too.

There are so many questions bouncing in my head. The prophecy had not played out yet. Men from all corners of the world had come seeking my hand, yet none ever turned out to be worthy enough. None of them met the Moon Goddess's standards.

My father’s voice pulled me away from my thoughts. "What do you think, Ava? Is he worth telling?"

I stared at Ace below, intrigued and unsure of what the future held. I didn't know whether he was the one the prophecy spoke of. But there was something about him—something I couldn't ignore.