Chapter 214
The morning sun slowly climbed above the snow-covered mountains, its pale light spreading across the towering stone walls of the Supreme Citadel.
The endless white landscape looked peaceful from a distance, with soft drifts of fresh snow blanketing the sharp peaks and deep valleys.
However, everyone living inside the massive fortress knew that the quiet beauty was merely an illusion. The peace wouldn’t last much longer.
The Silver Leopard army was getting closer with every passing hour. Every tick of the clock shortened the physical and emotional distance between two powerful forces, drawing them inexorably toward a confrontation that would shape the future of the entire realm.
Inside the quiet sanctuary of her inner chambers, Lin Wan stood beside a tall crystal window, resting one hand gently over her rounded stomach.
Outside, white snowflakes drifted lazily through the frosty air. A small flock of wild winter birds landed briefly on the heavy branches of an ancient pine tree in the courtyard, shaking off the frost before spreading their wings and soaring high into the open grey sky.
"They’re free..." Lin Wan murmured softly to herself, her breath lightly fogging the cold glass pane.
Sister Yun looked up from across the room, where she was carefully folding soft silk blankets and arranging fresh wooden bowls on the tea table. "My Lady?"
Lin Wan smiled faintly, keeping her eyes fixed on the empty sky where the birds had vanished. She didn’t turn around. "Nothing, Sister Yun. I was just thinking." She gently rubbed her stomach through the thick layers of her velvet robe, feeling a familiar, warm pulse from within.
Almost immediately, a firm, lively kick greeted her palm from inside her womb. A helpless, loving smile spread across her face, softening the pale exhaustion that usually lingered around her eyes. "You three have become so active today."
Sister Yun set down a porcelain jug and walked over to the window, carrying a steamy, warm cup of sweet herbal tea. She smiled warmly as she watched Lin Wan’s hand move across her stomach. "They’re almost ready to meet the world, Lady Lin. Strong children are always restless before their arrival."
Lin Wan carefully accepted the tea cup, letting the rich heat warm her chilly fingers. "I wonder what they’ll look like when they’re finally born. I wonder whose eyes they’ll inherit, or if they’ll have the same quiet nature."
The older woman chuckled softly, her eyes crinkling at the corners with deep affection. "They’ll be healthy and strong, my lady. That’s what matters most in these dark times."
Lin Wan took a small sip of the warm herbal tea, feeling its soothing heat spread through her chest. "You’re right, Sister Yun. As long as they’re healthy, nothing else matters."
Before either woman could continue their quiet conversation, a firm, deliberate knock sounded against the heavy wooden chamber doors. The sound was loud enough to break the peaceful silence that hung over the room.
Captain Ronan stepped inside first, his dark cloak pulled tightly around his broad shoulders and his hand resting instinctively on the hilt of his short sword.
He surveyed the room quickly with sharp, trained eyes before stepping to the side and bowing his head low. "Your Majesty."
Cassian walked smoothly into the spacious room. He wore his heavy black velvet robes trimmed with dark fur, looking every bit the grand ruler of the Supreme Citadel.
His golden eyes swept over the interior, taking in every detail before settling on Lin Wan by the window.
The lower maids who were tidying the corner of the room immediately lowered their heads, curtsying deeply with nervous breath.
Sister Yun quickly set down her linen cloths and bowed respectfully toward the Sovereign.
Cassian gave a small, formal nod to the attendants. "You may leave us."
The young maids quietly gathered their baskets and exited the room one after another, their soft footfalls hurrying down the stone corridor outside.
Only Sister Yun hesitated for a brief second, her protective eyes shifting nervously between Lin Wan and the Manticore King.
She didn’t want to leave her mistress alone with the intimidating sovereign during such tense times.
Lin Wan noticed the older woman’s reluctance and offered her a reassuring, gentle look. "It’s alright, Sister Yun. I’ll be fine. Please go rest for a while."
Sister Yun finally bowed her head low. "As you wish, Lady Lin." She quietly backed out of the room, gently pulling the heavy carved doors shut behind her.
The large room instantly fell into a deep, heavy silence. Only Lin Wan and Cassian remained, standing several paces apart under the high vaulted ceiling. The quiet crackle of burning logs in the marble fireplace was the only sound breaking the stillness.
For a long, drawn-out moment, neither of them spoke. The atmospheric tension in the room was thick, yet it didn’t feel entirely hostile.
Cassian looked at her carefully, his intense golden eyes studying the subtle color in her cheeks and the gentle posture of her body.
"You’ve been sleeping better these past few nights," Cassian remarked, his deep voice carrying a strange, unexpected softness.
Lin Wan looked at him with slight surprise, her dark eyebrows rising. "You can tell?"
"You don’t look as tired as you did last week," he said plainly, taking a slow step forward. "The dark shadows under your eyes have faded."
She lowered her gaze toward the warm tea cup held tightly between her hands. "I suppose so. The bitter nightmares haven’t come back to haunt me lately."
Cassian simply nodded, accepting her words without pressing further. "I’m glad to hear that."
Lin Wan raised her head, searching his cold, handsome face. "Did you come all the way to my chambers just to ask me about my sleep?"
"No," Cassian replied plainly. He walked slowly toward the wide crystal window, stopping several steps away from her side so he didn’t crowd her space.
He looked out at the white peaks in the distance. "The royal physicians reported to me this morning. They said you’ve been following their medical instructions dutifully."
A tiny, self-deprecating smile touched her lips. "They’ve become much stricter than Sister Yun lately. Every time I stand up to walk across the room, they fuss around me like I’m made of delicate glass. They’re terrified that I’ll overwork myself or slip on the cold stone."
"They’re right to be cautious," Cassian stated firmly, his golden eyes remaining fixed on the snow outside. "Your body is carrying a massive burden."
Lin Wan looked at him helplessly, letting out a soft sigh. "I’m pregnant, Cassian. I’m not entirely helpless or broken."
His answer came so naturally and quickly that she blinked in surprise. "You’ve always mistaken kindness for weakness, Lin Wan."
She frowned at his blunt statement, feeling a strange prick of irritation. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
Cassian remained completely silent for several seconds, watching a burst of cold wind swirl the loose snow outside the glass.
When he finally spoke again, his voice sounded distant, as if he were pulling a memory from a dark, forgotten well. "When I was very young... long before I ever sat on this black throne... there was an ancient elder who protected this kingdom with his life."
Lin Wan quietly listened, surprised that he was opening up about his past. She remained still, holding her warm cup close to her chest.
"He was already over three hundred years old when I met him," Cassian continued, his deep voice echoing softly off the stone walls.
"His spiritual power was terrifyingly vast, and his presence alone could quiet an entire army. As a boy, I thought he was the strongest, most unshakeable person alive in the whole world."
Cassian’s gaze remained fixed on the distant, sharp mountain ridges. "He never lost a single battle in his long life. He never feared any enemy, no matter how vast their forces were, and he never showed a single moment of doubt when leading our warriors."
Lin Wan found herself drawn into his rare moment of vulnerability. She asked softly, "What happened to him?"
"He died," Cassian said. The answer was simple, direct, and almost completely emotionless on the surface.
But Lin Wan didn’t miss the faint, tight shift in his jaw or the way his strong hands clenched slightly inside his broad fur sleeves. "He wasn’t defeated by a powerful enemy on the field. He didn’t fall to a dark blade or a grand ambush."
He paused, taking a slow, deep breath. "He exhausted his own life force to its absolute limit because he insisted on protecting every single person in the realm himself. He drained his spirit veins until there was nothing left inside him."
A quiet stillness filled the room as the cold reality of his words settled between them.
Cassian continued, his tone dark and reflective. "I stood beside his bed as he was fading away, and I asked him why he chose to burn out his life like that. I asked why he didn’t force the weaker citizens to fight for themselves or leave them to their own fate."