Return of the General's Daughter

Angus’s sharp gaze swept over Aramis, and a deep frown creased his brow. His younger brother stood before him, born of their father but to a different mother. Angus had raised and trained Aramis from a boy, shaping him into the warrior he was today. He knew his brother inside and out—or so he had thought.

But now, the young man seemed like a switch that had been flipped, especially when he was alone with Kane. In the span of mere days, his once-familiar brother had become a stranger.

What had happened? What had altered him so profoundly?

In front of Alaric and the other soldiers, Aramis was stern and disciplined, but with Kane, he was a spirited young man.

His troubled thoughts were interrupted. He remembered the scene from earlier, replayed in his mind, an image he had never dared to imagine. Alaric—aloof, untouchable, a man who despised physical contact, whether from men or women—had reached for Kane. It wasn’t just a casual touch; he had pulled him close, his body shielding Kane’s as they hid from the patrolling soldiers.

Angus struggled to believe it. Even Agilus, Alaric’s closest childhood companion, had never been afforded such familiarity. The prince despised being touched, let alone taking the initiative to touch another. Yet, in that moment, he had acted with startling intimacy.

He doubted if the prince needed to pull down Kane. Kane was a skilled person, Aramis told him. He was even better than Asael’s Eagle troop. He could have evaded the patrolling soldier even without Alaric’s meddling. He felt Alaric did that on purpose just to be close to Kane. But why would he do that?

Then Angus thought of how Kane saved Alaric’s life. Even he himself felt adoration for Kane. And who would not be? He was at the clutches of death and Kane snatched him from the claws of Hades.

Still, admiration was one thing. Gratitude was another. But to repay a life debt with one’s body? The thought unsettled him. And yet, Kane didn’t seem like the type to take advantage of such a thing. And Alaric was not that kind of person.