Page 264 of The Wild Prince's Favorite
Except that she would be signing over every other clan’s submission to her father.
The Deklaan Clan would emerge as the victor who got the Dragon Clan to stand down, her father claiming all the glory he’d gotten just from using her as a hostage. He was undeniably good at twisting facts to serve his agenda. The Dragon Clan would go back to being a threat only the Deklaan Clan could control, and all the clans would be forced to endure his tyranny.
The saddest part was, if it had been anyone but her father asking her to stop the war this way, it would have been good. But Darak wasn’t a good man, and Alezya knew it all too well. She knew exactly what she would be subjecting every clan to if he won this war.
She thought about Lumie, her precious baby girl, who was waiting for her atKalat Unshreik. Lumie, who’d been able to roam around for the first time, who had giggled so happily in Kassein’s arms. Lumie, who’d gotten her own dragon, and as much food as she wanted. Clean clothes, a warm bed, and a nice room.
Tears sprang to her eyes. Sometimes, Alezya had wondered why her mom had left her. Even now, she wondered if her mom had been this torn between remaining subjected to her father and keeping Alezya, or going back to the safety of her clan.
This was a choice about the future. About the clans’ futures, and Lumie’s. The choice of being a mother, or a fighter.
Alezya knew her father’s plan wasn’t a deal, it was an ultimatum.
She knew exactly what would happen if she refused. Either they would kill her here and let the war go on, or worse, they would use her as a hostage. Her father had already clearly understood Kein wouldn’t risk harming her. He would use her as leverage, forcing Kein to surrender, manipulating both Kassein and the dragon into submission, perhaps even convincing the entire Dragon Clan to bow. It wasn’t a choice when she had to pick between submission, coercion, or death.
He was staring at her with his smug expression, so certain he had her cornered. And she was.
But right at this instant, Alezya’s mind was drifting between memories of Lumie and thoughts of her mother. And suddenly, she understood.
She finally knew why her mother had tried to go, leaving her behind.
Because against her father, fighting back was impossible.
Because he always found a way to twist the world to his advantage.
Because against him, there was no victory, only sacrifices.
Only the cold, familiar wind that seemed to be whispering her name like an old friend.
“...Do you think she would have won?” she suddenly asked, a single tear tracing its way down her cheek as she spoke, her voice ragged with sorrow and fury.
“What?”
“My mom.” Alezya’s breath hitched, broken with a raw edge. “If she had been given a chance to face you... do you think she would have won?”
Alezya lunged, seizing him with every ounce of strength she had left.
His startled gasp was lost in the wind as they tumbled together over the edge and into the abyss below.
Chapter 20
Kassein glanced up, checking the skies again as they finally reached the edge of the Wailing Rift.
His dragon was still up there, carrying Alezya on its back. He let out a long, quiet exhale and stared as Kein was just a bright orange dot among the dark clouds and battering rain, lost between the high mountains surrounding them. Everything looked darker and more sinister in this area, as if the landscape and the skies were bracing for the battle too.
If it weren’t for Kein’s vivid bronze color, it would have vanished quickly into the growing darkness. Kiki, who was flying nearby, already blended in with its dark gray scales.
“Sir,” Captain Dajan’s voice came from a few steps behind him. “The troops are all set and ready to go. The first lines of men are ready for battle, and General Sazaran is taking the lead in bringing them down this gorge. We’ve secured a large enough path. They’ve sent me to let you know the infirmary is set up and ready in the secure location they’d picked too.”
Kassein remained quiet for a few seconds; he lowered his gaze from the thunderstorm coming their way to what was supposed to become their battlefield in just a few moments.
He had to admit, whoever the leaders were on the other side, they knew how to pick their landscape. It had been obvious the minute they’d arrived that their only reason for choosing this place was to hinder his dragon and nothing else. Sure, having Kein able to join the battle would have guaranteed them victory, but with this new configuration, he wasn’t sure things lookedmuch better for their opponents. The generals, Tievin, Kiera, and their scouts had discussed at length the difficulties of the battleground, which parts to avoid, and how to proceed to limit accidental deaths.
The only good part was that their enemies were likely to try and surround them, but they would have to go down steep cliffs for that, and there were high chances of accidents happening. Or they could make them happen, as Kiera had noted with a sinister grin. Kiki would have had trouble getting down there, but his sister’s dragon would be sure to cause a lot of damage elsewhere, and his sister was likely gearing herself up to do the same on the battlefield; neither half of that duo had ever been one to shy away from a fight.
“...I hope Lady Alezya will be alright,” Dajan suddenly muttered.
Kassein turned to him, and as soon as he did, he found the man blushing and waving his hands with a panicked expression.
