Chapter 190

Chapter 190: Chapter 190

Ardan saluted, "Grand Duke Kozran is dead and the battle was won. Casualties are in the thousands, the wounded are being tended to and the captives in Drevalis are yet to be rescued."

"Kozran is dead?" Caedos repeated in disbelief, "Who killed him?"

The trio in the room shared concerned looks, Urien taking another step closer. "You don’t remember what happened, Your Highness"

Caedos thought so hard his brows furrowed. The bandages around his face and neck had been taken off and underneath, the skin was perfectly healed, there wasn’t even a scar around his neck.

If Dilya hadn’t been the one to painstakingly care for him all this time, she wouldn’t have believed it.

"I remember my battle with Kozran but not quite how it ended."

Urien was quick to fill in the missing spots in his memory, he had arrived at the point of the flames shortly before Ardan. The plumes of golden fire had been so tall that they could be seen from a distance, and they threatened to touch the skies.

Caedos was sitting up now, his old bandages neatly bundled up. He stared at the flames running up his arms, his expression inscrutable. "It came from underground," He said cryptically. "The flames, they came from a crack in the ground."

"I’ll personally investigate it," Urien assured him, preparing to leave right away. "But are you in any discomfort?"

"Merely starving," Caedos said casually, getting to his feet without noticing the look of horror on Dilya’s face.

"Your Highness! You have several broken bones, you shouldn’t be moving so soon."

Caedos had already stepped out of her reach, his upper body bare. "I’m hungry," He said shortly before warping away.

General Urien smiled for the first time in days, "His Highness is sturdy. You’ll likely find him in the kitchens."

Dilya was already hurrying after him, warping away as well, her expression panicked.

"You should get more rest," Urien said as he walked past the young captain, patting his shoulder. "One more city stands in the path of freedom."

Ardan nodded, his relief causing his usually fiery eyes to mist over.

-+-

By the time Dilya caught up with the Crown Prince, he already had a hunk of meat in his mouth. The cooks were frightened by his sudden appearance, unused to interacting with the Prince.

"Your Highness!" Dilya hurried over, "You have just woken, you shouldn’t stuff down food so quickly!"

Caedos turned to her, cheeks bulging with food. "But I’m hungry," He reminded after polishing off the seared meat he had gotten from who knew where.

Dilya caught his wrist before he could get away from her, "I’ll bring you the appropriate meal for someone in recovery."

Caedos let himself be dragged out of the kitchen, stealing an entire baked fowl off a tray as he did. "Alright," He agreed with a mouthful of food.

Dilya glanced at him when she heard him, disappointed but not surprised. She did manage to get him back in bed, personally overseeing the meals that were brought for him. There were broths carefully prepared with medicinal herbs, she even indulged him with a bit of meat.

Although she could see his reluctance, he still obediently ate the food brought so she turned the other way. The Crown Prince had come too close to death, she needed to make sure he got all the nutrition he needed.

After he was satiated, she was prepared to keep watch while he rested and didn’t at all expect him to jump to his feet again. After washing up, he made his way to his study, and despite her disapproval, she couldn’t stop him.

By the end of the day, Caedos had already processed the reports of the battle, even going by himself to get a look at the battleground where Kozran had perished.

The flames were still burning, it looked like a bleeding gash in the Deep Woods. For the first time, vines didn’t cover a part of the world, they had already begun to grow over the bodies of the dead, consuming the enemies while absorbing Hellhounds to where they came, but the swathe of dead, burning land was untouched.

It made Caedos remember the bedtime story Lady Dilya had retold... a sea of lava. He frowned slightly, hoping that by the time the war came to an end, the Deep Woods wouldn’t be reduced to a forest of flames.

There was no time to delay and by the next morning, they were traveling to Flaeris, to the city of Drevalis. There was a gloom over the city, a stark contrast to the chaos the other cities had erupted into after defeat.

No one hindered them as they rescued Hellhounds, but they were still alert. Caedos intended to go to the royal castle alone but Ardan and General Urien insisted on accompanying him.

Although their army had increased drastically recently, there had barely been a time to properly assign positions before Kozran attacked. That would have to change before they attempted to take on Threnval, to limit the casualties.

"Are you the King of Hellhounds?" A Fiend intruded as the rescued Demons were guided into portals.

Caedos turned around, taking in the Fiend who sauntered over, a red cloak thrown over his bare shoulders. He didn’t bother to correct the address, calmly lifting a brow, "And if I am?"

Behind him, Ardan and Urien had tensed up. The Fiend had come alone, but there was no missing the crown he wore, he was clearly nobility, possibly a descendant of Grand Duke Kozran.

"Did you really kill my father?" He asked, red eyes intense, his long blond hair unbound.

"And if I did?" Caedos handed over, untouched by the tense atmosphere.

Emotions crossed the Fiend’s face, too quickly to name. "I find that hard to believe." He said with a strange calm.

Caedos still calmly kept the portal open, the Hellhounds in Kozran’s stable were nowhere near the sheer number Morkoth possessed, so the last of the rescued Demons were already trooping in while Urien and Ardan stood on either side of the portal.

"I have no interest in convincing you." He said shortly, the portal closing when the last of the Hellhounds had returned to Avalan. Without another word, he warped away from the royal castle.