Chapter 186: A young wizard.
He chuckled under his breath as he trailed off. "But when she pushed me out of the way, I fell straight into a muddy pit. I must’ve looked like a beast. And then we started to argue about how I could’ve saved my ass better when Anarya appeared from nowhere and separated us. That time I met Anarya for the first time too."
Gloria giggled, her laughter light and sincere. That was sweet, unexpectedly sweet.
The Lord turned his gaze to Rail, a curious glint in his eye. "You seem very protective of my daughter," he noted. "Are the two of you... friends?"
"Yes," Rail replied fast, though his posture remained stiff. "She grew up with us." His tone was composed, but there was a subtle tension beneath it. This wasn’t a conversation he was entirely comfortable with.
The Lord smiled faintly. So, these so-called beasts weren’t as cruel as the stories made them out to be. They had sheltered slaves and given them a new life. A better one, perhaps, than many nobles ever could.
After a brief, heavy silence, Lord Alekin shifted to the real purpose of the meeting. "The King has asked me to convince you to claim the crown of Alvonia," he said carefully. "But... I want the choice to be yours."
Gloria had already turned this decision over in her mind countless times. This castle was riddled with listening ears and watching eyes. A single whisper could move faster than the wind and just as destructively.
If she wanted to protect her foster family, and Reneira, then she had no choice. She had to claim the crown. It wasn’t greed that drew her to power. It was a necessity.
Still, she couldn’t pretend she loathed it entirely. Power in the right hands could protect. But in cruel hands? It could destroy everything.