Chapter 16 : The Man at the Gates
806 Words
The palace gates of Aurelion Kingdom had never felt so heavy with tension.
Aria stood beside Adrian in the grand entrance hall, her hands clasped tightly together. Guards lined the marble corridor, their armor shining under the golden chandeliers.
Every pair of eyes in the room was focused on the massive doors.
Behind those doors was the man who claimed to be her father.
Her heart pounded so loudly she could hear it in her ears.
“This is ridiculous,” she muttered nervously. “My mother would have told me if my father was alive.”
Adrian stood beside her, calm but alert.
“Sometimes secrets are kept to protect people,” he said quietly.
Aria crossed her arms.
“Well, this better be a very good explanation.”
The commander of the royal guards stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, the man is ready.”
Adrian nodded once.
“Bring him in.”
The doors slowly opened.
Two guards entered first, escorting a tall man dressed in a long dark coat. His hair was slightly gray, and his face carried the hardened look of someone who had lived through many battles.
But what caught Aria’s attention the most…
Were his eyes.
They looked exactly like hers.
The man stopped several steps away and bowed slightly.
“Your Majesty.”
Adrian studied him carefully.
“You claim to know the princess.”
The man lifted his head.
“I do more than know her.”
Aria’s stomach twisted.
Adrian’s voice grew colder.
“State your name.”
The man answered without hesitation.
“Alexander Vale.”
The name meant nothing to Aria.
But the reaction in the room told a different story.
Several guards exchanged nervous looks.
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“That name disappeared twenty years ago.”
Alexander nodded slowly.
“For a reason.”
Aria finally stepped forward.
“Okay, enough mystery.”
Both men looked at her.
“You’re telling everyone you’re my father,” she said. “So start explaining.”
Alexander’s gaze softened when he looked at her.
“I was a royal protector,” he said quietly. “Assigned to guard the royal bloodline.”
Aria frowned.
“That still doesn’t explain why you think you’re my father.”
Alexander reached into his coat slowly.
Immediately, several guards raised their weapons.
Adrian lifted his hand.
“Wait.”
Alexander carefully pulled out a small silver pendant.
He held it toward Aria.
Her breath caught.
She recognized it instantly.
“My mother’s necklace…”
Alexander nodded.
“I gave it to her the day you were born.”
Aria’s heart raced.
“That could still be a coincidence.”
Alexander stepped closer.
“Inside the pendant… there’s a hidden mark.”
Aria opened the necklace with trembling hands.
Inside was a tiny symbol carved into the metal.
A crown.
And a single letter.
A.
Her eyes widened.
“My name…”
Alexander nodded.
“You were named after your grandmother, Queen Amelia.”
The room fell silent.
Aria’s mind spun with emotions she couldn’t control.
Adrian finally spoke.
“If you truly are her father… why appear now?”
Alexander’s expression darkened.
“Because Lord Viktor is preparing to move against the throne.”
Aria looked up quickly.
“You know about him?”
Alexander’s voice became serious.
“He was one of the men who helped plan the attack on the royal palace twenty years ago.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“You’re saying Viktor has been working against the crown all this time?”
“Yes.”
A heavy silence filled the hall.
Then Alexander looked directly at Aria.
“You’re in danger now.”
Aria let out a small laugh.
“I think I figured that part out.”
But Alexander continued.
“Viktor believes that if the true heir dies… he can claim the throne.”
Aria felt a cold chill run down her spine.
Adrian stepped closer to Alexander.
“And you expect us to simply trust you?”
Alexander met his gaze calmly.
“You don’t have to trust me.”
He looked at Aria again.
“But I will protect my daughter.”
Aria didn’t know what to feel.
Anger.
Shock.
Hope.
All at once.
Before anyone could speak again—
A loud horn suddenly echoed outside the palace.
The sound of alarm.
One of the guards rushed into the hall.
“Your Majesty!”
Adrian turned immediately.
“What happened?”
The guard looked pale.
“Lord Viktor’s soldiers have surrounded the city.”
Aria’s heart dropped.
“What?”
The guard continued breathlessly.
“They’re marching toward the palace.”
The grand hall fell into chaos as guards rushed to prepare defenses.
Adrian looked at Aria.
“The war has begun.”
And somewhere outside the palace walls…
The enemy was already coming.
- Writer
