Chapter 6: DECLARATION OF WAR
315 Words
The nightmare became real when a delegation from the Silver Crown arrived at White Creek’s gates. Leading them was Lord Valerius, the King’s most trusted advisor—a man with a charming smile and cold, dangerous eyes. He rode in with an escort of heavily armored warriors, radiating arrogance and power.
Alpha Corvin met him in the village square, trying to hide his fear. “What business does the Silver Crown have with us? We have kept to our lands and broken no laws.”
Valerius smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “The King remembers history, Alpha. And history says your pack stood against the Royal Family when they needed loyalty most. Now that King Draven has returned to claim what is his, he demands allegiance… and justice. Surrender your lands, swear fealty, or be destroyed.”
Panic erupted among the villagers. It was a declaration of war. Corvin refused to bow. He was proud, and he believed his pack could fight, or at least negotiate. “We are free people! We owe nothing to a King we never swore to!”
As the argument raged, Liora stood back, watching Valerius closely. She heard him mention the King searching for a traitor, someone who had been missing for months, someone who had nearly died in the border forests. Her blood ran cold. She realized now why Rian had run, why he had hidden his face and name.
That evening, as the Silver Crown soldiers camped just outside their borders, Liora stood looking at the northern hills. She finally accepted the impossible truth: Rian and King Draven were the same person. The man she loved, the man who held her heart, was the very ruler her people feared more than death. And now, he was coming for them. Not as a gentle traveler… but as a conquering King ready to judge them all.
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