Chapter 7: The King's Return
1178 Words
The palace felt different after the King left.Isabel noticed it immediately.
The corridors were quieter. Guards stood at nearly every entrance, and servants moved quickly without stopping to speak.Even the Council members who had remained behind seemed unsettled.
She walked beside Kai toward the East Wing.
“You're unusually quiet,” he said.
“So are you.” she replied
Kai glanced at her. “I'm thinking.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
He almost smiled. “About the attack...”
Isabel stopped walking. “What do you think happened?”
“I don't know.”
“You said the warriors looked afraid.” she stated
“I said they looked prepared.” he countered
“You said afraid.” Isabel argued
Kai sighed. “You remember everything, don't you?”
“Usually.” she bragged with a smirk
He looked toward the corridor behind them before lowering his voice.
“Red Moon has been attacked before. But not like this.”
“What was different?”
“The timing.” Kai replied
Isabel frowned.
Before she could respond, footsteps approached.A palace servant hurried toward them.
“Lady Isabel.”
She turned. “Yes?”
“His Majesty has ordered that you remain inside the East Wing until his return.”
Isabel stared at him. “He ordered that?”
“Yes, my lady.” the servant replied
“Anything else?”
The servant hesitated. “You are not to leave the palace grounds.”
Isabel folded her arms. “Of course.”
The servant bowed and left.
Kai looked at her. “Don't.”
“I haven't said anything.” Isabel said with a mischievous smile
“You're thinking it.”
She smiled faintly. “Maybe.”
---
Hours passed.lsabel tried to sleep,she couldn't.She tried reading, She couldn't concentrate.
Eventually, she found herself standing beside the window again.
Ashford stretched beneath her.The city looked peaceful, almost too peaceful.A strange feeling had settled in her chest since the King left.
She barely knew Lucas.Yet somehow, she couldn't stop thinking about the way he'd looked at her.Not with kindness...not even attraction.
It had been something else.As though he were trying to understand a problem he hadn't expected.A knock interrupted her thoughts.
Kai entered.“Still awake?”
“Yes.” she replied taking a glass of water on the table
“You should sleep.” he told her
“So should you.”
“I wasn't the one staring out a window for an hour.”
She turned toward him. “Has there been any news?”
Kai's expression changed.“Nothing official.”
“That's not what I asked.” Isabel frowned
He hesitated. “They've secured the border.”
“Were there casualties?” she inquired
“Yes.” he replied sadly
“How many?”
Kai looked away. “Enough.”
Isabel's expression fell. “Is the King safe?”
The question escaped before she could stop it.
Kai noticed. “ are you worried.”
“I'm curious.” she replied sharply
“Of course.” kai nodded slowly
She gave him a look. “Don't start.”
He smiled.For the first time that night, the tension in the room eased.
Then, a distant sound echoed through the palace.Vehicles.Kai immediately turned toward the window.
“They're back.”
---
The palace gates opened. A convoy entered the courtyard. Royal warriors stepped out firstSome were injured.Others carried weapons stained from battle.
Then Lucas emerged.His black coat was torn at the shoulder,a thin cut marked his cheek.
His expression remained unchanged.Cassian followed close behind.
“Your Majesty,” a healer called, approaching him.
“Later.” he dismissed him
“But your wound—” the healer argued
“I said later.” The healer immediately stepped back.
Lucas walked toward the palace, as he entered the main hall, several Council members approached.
Derek was among them. “What happened?”
Lucas continued walking. “The rogues withdrew.”
Derek frowned “That's all?”
“They weren't trying to take Red Moon.” Cassian spoke
“Then what were they doing?” Elder Maximus of Moonriders Pack asked
Lucas stopped.“Testing us.”
Silence followed. Derek's expression hardened.
“Testing our defenses?”
“Yes.” Kael, the royal Gamma replied.
“Why?”
Lucas looked directly at him. “That is what we need to find out.”
He continued toward the stairs.Cassian followed.
Derek watched him disappear.Something about the King's expression bothered him.Lucas wasn't angry, he was thinking, and that was far more dangerous.
---
Lucas reached the upper corridor.He stopped when he saw Isabel standing at the opposite end.
She had clearly been waiting, their eyes met.For several seconds, neither spoke.Then Isabel looked at the cut on his cheek.
“You're hurt.” she stated
Lucas's expression remained cold. “It's nothing.”
“You could at least let someone treat it.”
“I said it's nothing.” he argued
She frowned. “You always give orders?”
“Yes.” The answer came so quickly that Isabel almost laughed.
“Good to know.”
Lucas started walking past her.
She turned. “Did you find out who attacked Red Moon?”
He stopped. “The rogues.”
“That isn't what I meant.” she pouted
Lucas looked over his shoulder. “You ask too many questions.”
“And you give too few answers.” she countered
His gaze lingered on her for a moment. Then he continued walking.
Isabel watched him disappear down the corridor.
Kai approached from behind. “You should probably stop challenging the King.”
She looked at him.“Probably.”
A pause.
“But I'm not going to.”
Kai sighed. “I knew you'd say that.”
---
Later that night, Lucas stood alone inside his chambers.A map of Blackthorne covered the desk before him, Red Moon, silverwood, The northern border.
His finger traced the marked territories, the attack had been too precise..too controlled.
And there had been something else...A scent...Something faint...Something familiar he hadn't smelled in years.Lucas's eyes narrowed.
A knock came at the door.
“Enter.”
Cassian stepped inside. “We found something.”
Lucas looked up. "What?”
Cassian placed a small object on the desk, a blackened piece of metal. Lucas stared at it.
“Where?” he asked
“Red Moon.”
He picked it up.Ancient markings were carved into its surface.
Lucas's expression changed “Have the covens been notified?”
“Not yet.” Cassian replied
“Good.”
Cassian frowned. “Why?”
Lucas placed the object back on the desk.
“Because I want to know who sent it before they know we found it.”
Cassian nodded slowly. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Lucas looked toward the dark window.
For the first time that night, his expression showed something close to concern.
The rogues hadn't come to conquer Red Moon, they had come looking for something.
And Lucas had a terrible feeling that whatever they were searching for...had already entered his palace.
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