Chapter 246: Visiting a broken king.
"I fought beside him in three battles," Axe continued. "Not once did he spill the blood of an innocent. He only struck those who raised weapons against others. And I never say he is a good man but he was a decent King."
"But innocents did die because of him," Hector snapped.
"You mean Sobis Village?" Axe’s tone darkened. "That wasn’t his fault. The rebellion torched that village. We hunted them down and burned their camps to the ground."
His brows furrowed, the weight of memory hardening his features. "We avenged them all."
Hector’s hands curled into fists at his sides. He hadn’t known... not about the retaliation, not about the justice carried out in secret. And the fact that this shifter had helped take that revenge, it rattled something deep in his chest.
As they neared the human Royal Guard’s station, Axe turned to Rail. "You go meet the princess. I’ll guard him."
He gave a casual wink, but Rail knew it was more than just playfulness. It was trust, and challenge, in equal measure. He wouldn’t lose the chance to go and see her, anyway.
Suddenly, a great shadow passed over them. They looked up as Ogain, the colossal Griffin, soared above, his wings casting long streaks of darkness across the snow. Riding him was Orgeve, the Gamma shifter.
"Thank you," Rail called out, nodding. "I’ll see you later."
He rushed off toward his Alpha King and Luna Queen, who stood at the base of the stairs, their gazes fixed on Ogain as the majestic creature perched atop one of the towers, silent and watchful.
Ren stood nearby, her eyes scanning the Kings and courtiers gathered in the courtyard. Their faces were composed, but their minds were spinning, already showing schemes and weighing alliances.