Chapter 369. I’ll Keep Her Safe, and Bring Back the Truth

Kaela’s eyes flicked toward William in a lightning-fast glance, a silent communication born of shared suspicion. Her pupils were dilated, her breathing shallow.

She wasn’t just angry; she was hunted. William met her gaze with a mask of absolute neutrality, but internally, his mind was racing like a predator tracking prey through high grass.

’A delegation,’ he thought, the words tasting like copper in his mouth. ’They aren’t coming to observe training.’

’They’re coming to assess the asset. Or to intimidate the threat.’ He filed the detail away with cold precision, a fresh thread to pull at once they escaped the suffocating air of the throne room.

"How thoughtful," Kaela said.

The words were dripping with enough dry, acidic venom to make it clear she found the gesture insulting rather than considerate. Her voice didn’t waver, but William could see the minute tremor in her jaw, the suppressed urge to scream or strike something.

Alden simply smiled that same, terrifyingly symmetrical smile and offered a formal bow that felt more like a mockery than a sign of respect.

As he turned to leave, William watched his retreating back with a quiet, patient suspicion that had been festering since the moment they met at the academy gates. He watched the way Alden moved: fluid, controlled, utterly unburdened by the emotional wreckage he had just left scattered across the chamber.

The audience concluded with the hollow formality of a funeral. The moment the doors sealed behind the prince, William seized the opening he had been hunting for.

He didn’t wait for permission; he moved with the quiet authority of a man who knew when the window of opportunity was closing. He intercepted King Theron before the day’s formal proceedings could drag them into another endless cycle of courtly nonsense.

"Your Majesty," William said, his voice low and commanding as they found a moment of relative privacy in a corridor lined with ancient, silent portraits. "I’d like to propose something."

"With these wedding preparations now formally underway, the court will become... restrictive."

Theron stopped, turning to face him. The king looked tired, not just physically, but bone deep, as though the crown itself was slowly crushing his skull.

"Go on, Instructor Wade."

"I believe it would benefit Kaela considerably to return to the academy for a time," William said, choosing his words like he was navigating a minefield. "At least until these pressing protocol details settle into a clearer rhythm."

"The palace will become a cage of ceremony and whispers, and she needs air."

Theron studied him, his lined face unreadable. "You believe distance would serve her well right now... that she needs to escape the inevitability of this union."

"I think consistent training matters more than anything else," William countered, leaning into the truth to mask the deeper motive. "She has made genuine, raw progress recently that would be stunted by weeks of sitting through endless fittings and ceremony planning."

"And given that a Delmore delegation is apparently visiting the academy soon regardless, it seems a natural enough reason for us to be there when they arrive."

"We should be present to ensure the academy’s standards and hers are properly represented."

William watched Theron closely. He saw the way the king’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Theron wasn’t a fool; he knew William wasn’t just talking about sword forms and footwork. He knew William was offering to remove Kaela from the immediate blast radius of Alden’s manipulations.

A heavy silence stretched between them, filled only by the distant echo of court guards’ boots on stone.

Finally, something flickered in Theron’s expression: a flash of regret, perhaps, or a reluctant understanding.

"I think that’s a wise suggestion, Instructor Wade," Theron said, his voice rougher than intended. "Kaela has always found more peace at that academy than she’s ever managed within these walls."

"I... myself included." The admission was small, but it carried the weight of a man who knew what it was to be trapped by duty. "Take her back."

"Get her away from this place before the walls close in entirely."

"I’ll send word the moment anything significant develops here."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." William bowed, but his mind was already miles ahead, already calculating the logistics of their departure, the training schedules, and the grim reality of what awaited them when the Delmore delegation finally arrived at the academy gates.

The decision to split their forces felt like a tactical necessity, but it left a bitter taste in William’s mouth, the kind of metallic tang that preceded a bloodbath. The palace was already transforming; the air itself felt thicker, poisoned by the approaching Delmore influence.

When the plan was laid out, the reaction from their inner circle was immediate. Catherine, Ellie, and Clara made no attempt to disguise their reluctance to be separated from the group, but they understood the grim calculus of the situation.

"We’re staying," Catherine declared, her voice carrying the unshakable authority of someone who had already begun mentally cataloging the chaos of the royal household. "Isolde is drowning in wedding preparations and diplomatic vultures."

"If you two leave, she’ll be left alone to manage the logistical strain, and frankly, someone needs to be here to make sure the palace staff doesn’t sell their souls to the Delmore delegation before you’re even gone."

Ellie nodded fervently beside her, her eyes bright with a mix of anxiety and resolve. "We’re not going anywhere."

"Someone has to keep an eye on what’s happening behind these gilded doors."

"The court is a nest of vipers right now, Kaela."

"You can’t trust the shadows here."

Clara added with grim finality, "We’ll be your eyes and ears inside."

"If anything shifts... if any messenger arrives with suspicious timing or any courtier starts acting like a puppet, we’ll know."

"Write to us the moment anything interesting happens," Ellie insisted, suddenly closing the distance to pull Kaela into a fierce, bone-deep farewell hug.

She held on for a second too long, as if trying to physically anchor Kaela to safety. When she finally pulled back, her grip lingered on Kaela’s shoulders. "And I mean actually interesting, Kaela."

"Not ’we chose the wrong silk for the tablecloth’ interesting."

"I mean, blood, secrets, and treason are interesting... Don’t you dare send us boring letters."

Kaela felt a rare crack in her armor. For a fleeting moment, the princess disappeared, leaving only a girl who missed her friends.

A genuine, grateful smile touched her lips despite the crushing weight that still seemed to press down on her shoulders. "I promise, Ellie."

"If I find anything worth writing about, you’ll be the first to know."

As the preparations for their departure began to accelerate, Catherine caught William’s arm, pulling him into the shadow of a marble alcove.

Her expression wasn’t one of fear—Catherine didn’t do fear—but it held something far more dangerous: a quiet, steady, and terrifyingly sincere trust.

"William," she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that cut through the distant noise of servants scurrying through the halls. "Be careful."

She searched his eyes, her gaze piercing through his instructor’s stoicism. "Whatever you’re chasing, whatever this Delmore shadow is... I trust your instincts."

"I know you can smell a trap from a mile away. But don’t let your obsession become your blind spot."

"Don’t chase it alone longer than you absolutely have to. Even the best hunters need someone to watch their back."

The warning landed with the weight of a physical blow. William looked at her, seeing the unspoken recognition that they were all walking into a storm.

He could almost feel the phantom ache of broken bones and the iron scent of blood that seemed to haunt his future thoughts. He knew she was right; isolation was where most men died.

"I won’t," William promised, his voice low, rough, and utterly sincere. "I’ll keep her safe, and I’ll bring back the truth."

As he turned to join Kaela, the promise felt less like a reassurance and more like a vow written in blood.