A Few Hours Earlier
348 Words
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*Chapter 4: A Few Hours Earlier*
Bale was with the king when they inspected the boundary.
Malnourished and shaking, he forced himself to hold the trident straight and keep his eyes down. Three days in the cells hadn’t broken him, but they’d left him gaunt — skin stretched tight over bone, ribs visible under his tunic.
They reached the edge of the king’s territory.
And there he was: King Dave.
Standing at the other end, calm, arms crossed, watching.
When Dave’s eyes landed on Bale, he smirked.
Just a small tilt of the mouth. Like he knew something no one else did.
The king saw it too.
Bale felt the shift instantly. The king’s gaze hardened, sliding from Dave to him, calculating. Suspicion.
That was the moment Bale knew he was in trouble.
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They got back to the gate hours later.
Beatrice and Lily had already rushed to their post, heads down, trying to look invisible.
Bale’s eyes found Lily the second she moved.
She was still the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
Brown hair pulled back messy, tan scales catching the light, the same sharp jaw and steady eyes he remembered from eight years ago. She was everything Bale needed and everything he couldn’t have.
And right there, across the sand, something clicked.
A pull. Old, quiet, undeniable.
They still had feelings for each other.
Both of them knew it, even if neither said it.
Bale’s guard slipped.
He saw into her mind.
_The king will never allow the Prince to marry Beatrice. Not even if she has the comb. Not even if she’s Dave’s daughter. He’ll kill her first. He’ll kill all of us first. If he finds out she had it at the reef, he’ll call it treason._
Bale’s breath caught.
_Beatrice had the silver comb._
Had it. Weeks ago at the reef. Lost it since.
Lily didn’t mind. She thought her daughter had a reason. She thought maybe love could change the king’s mind.
Bale knew better.
The king wouldn’t care. Dave’s blood with royal magic was a death sentence.
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- Writer
