Chapter 44: What About You, General? Have You Fallen In Love Before?

Eiravelle woke up to darkness and the taste of cloth in her mouth. Her mouth was gagged, the fabric wasrough against her tongue and muffling the whimper that escaped her lips.

Both of her wrists were tied behind her back, the rope was biting into her skin with every movement she made. She tried to move, tried to sit up, but the confines of the carriage made it difficult, her body was cramped and aching from the position she had been left in.

The carriage slowly moved, the wheels were creaking against the cobblestones, the rhythmic motion was doing nothing to soothe her frayed nerves. She looked around, her eyes are adjusting to the dim light that came from the small window of the carriage, and saw that she was not alone.

Other omegas were with her, their faces are pale with fear, and their eyes were wide with terror. They were all in the same situation, all bound and gagged, all being taken somewhere against their will.

Where am I? This is bad, please someone help!

The words ran through her mind, circling endlessly, a desperate prayer that she knew would not be answered. She tried to loosen the rope behind her, twisting her wrists and pulling against the bonds.

The rope was tight, tight enough to hold her, but not tight enough to cut off the circulation. Whoever had tied her knew what they were doing, knew how to restrain someone without causing permanent damage.

Why is this happening? Sister Arielle is not here.

A tear fell, tracing a warm path down her cheek. She remembered her older sister, Arielle, who always protected her with all she had. Arielle had stood between her and their father’s wrath, had shielded her from the worst of the world’s cruelty. But Arielle was not here now.

Arielle was back at the manor, probably still locked in her room, probably still suffering from the injuries their father had inflicted upon her. And Eiravelle was alone, was helpless, and was being taken to a place she could not name.

She wept, silent tears are streaming down her face, soaking into the gag that muffled her sobs.

***

The search continued, even though the night was already deep. The dark elite soldiers moved through the streets of Solkanaia, their torches are casting flickering pools of light on the cobblestones, their eyes are scanning every shadow, every alleyway, and every hidden corner.

They had been searching for hours, had combed through the markets and the residential districts, they had questioned citizens and searched abandoned buildings. But there was still no sign of Eiravelle.

Liv led the search, her voice was ringing out as she directed the soldiers, her eyes are constantly scanning the darkness for any sign of the missing omega. She was exhausted, had been awake for over a day, but she could not rest. Not until Eiravelle was found. Not until she had fulfilled the promise she had made to her sovereign.

She noticed that Dawn was getting tired.

The princess was still dressed in the dark elite armor, the heavy metal was weighing her down, making her movements slow and clumsy. She had been walking for hours, had been keeping pace with the soldiers despite her lack of training, despite her delicate constitution. But now, her steps were faltering, her shoulders are slumping with exhaustion.

Liv sighed, running a hand through her hair. She could not let Dawn continue like this, could not let the princess collapse from exhaustion. But she also could not let anyone find out that Dawn was in that armor.

It was strictly prohibited for unauthorized omegas or alphas to wear the dark elite armor. It was a symbol of honor, of hard work, of years of training and sacrifice. If anyone found out that Dawn had stolen a uniform and joined the search, the consequences would be severe.

"Hey, you," Liv called out, trying to put on a tough persona as a General. "Get in here."

Dawn heard Liv, her head turned toward the sound of the General’s voice. The carriage that was following the search party stopped, and Dawn slowly climbed in, her movements were awkward in the heavy armor. The carriage door closed behind her, and they continued to move, the wheels creaked against the cobblestones.

Dawn slowly took off her helmet, revealing her face. She was sweating a lot, her hair was plastered to her forehead, her cheeks are flushed with exertion. But even in her disheveled state, she was beautiful. Liv looked away, unable to help the blush that crept up her cheeks. She could feel the heat rising in her face, could feel her heart beating faster in her chest.

"Next time, don’t ever do this again, Your Highness," Liv said, her voice was stern despite the flutter in her chest. "You’re putting my position in jeopardy."

She passed a canteen container with water in it to Dawn. The princess smiled and thanked her, then gracefully pulled the lid and took a sip. Liv watched as Dawn drank, her eyes are following the movement of the princess’s throat as she swallowed.

Every drop of water that Dawn gulped, Liv was watching the way her throat moved, and it was not helping her. Seeing the princess’s fair skin, her throat, did little to ease the feeling Liv was experiencing.

"Your Highness, aren’t you tired yet?" Liv asked, trying to distract herself from the thoughts that were running through her mind. "I’m sure that your servants are already waiting for you now. They’re probably going crazy at this time of hour. You’re supposed to be resting."

Dawn smiled and shook her head, her expression was relaxed despite the chaos of the night. "All they know is that I am studying," she said. "At this hour, I’m always awake because I am reviewing court officials’ documents and I am also studying."

Liv nodded, though she was not convinced. "But to ensure your safety, I must return you to the palace," she said.

Dawn frowned, her expression was shifting to something that looked almost like disappointment. "General, please," she said, her voice was soft and pleading. "This is the first time I was able to go out again. It’s been a long time since I had experienced going out on my own."

Liv’s brows furrowed, her curiosity piqued. "What do you mean? If you don’t mind me asking, your highness" She asked.

Dawn looked away, her expression was becoming distant, as though she was remembering something painful. "Ever since I was abducted by wild beastmen before, my parents never allowed me to go out again," she said, her voice was quiet.

Liv sighed, understanding dawned on her. She had heard about the abduction, had heard about the princess who had been taken by wild beastmen and rescued after a harrowing ordeal. It had been a scandal, a tragedy that had shaken the kingdom of Ashrein and had made the royal family even more protective of their daughter.

"Forgive me, Your Highness," Liv said, her voice was soft.

Dawn smiled and shook her head, her expression forgiving. "I was expecting Lordess Liv won’t be too hard on me," she said, a hint of playfulness in her voice.

Liv could not help but smile, the tension in her chest was easing slightly. "Of course, Your Highness," she said.

There was a moment of silence, comfortable and warm, before Dawn spoke again. "Liv, if you don’t mind me asking. May I know who this Eiravelle is?"

The question caught Liv off guard, and she paused, considering how to answer. She was aware that Dawn was Qazaethel’s future wife, the one destined to become the Phoenix Consort Empress of Solkanaia. She did not want to say anything that would cause trouble, did not want to reveal too much.

"Well, will you be happy to find out that she was carrying the sovereign’s child?" Liv asked, her voice was cautious.

Dawn was quiet for a moment, her expression was unreadable. Then she spoke, her voice was calm and neutral. "I am neutral about it. I don’t mind that Qazaethel had many concubines, and definitely not angry or happy that another omega was carrying her heir. Me and Qazaethel’s relationship was purely just political alliance between relatives."

She looked out the window, the curtain of the carriage was gently sweeping away. She saw the moon, full and bright in the night sky, and smiled. "But if I were never a princess of Ashrein, I would be out here, marrying the alpha I have fallen for. And it would be not Qazaethel."

She looked back at Liv, her eyes are curious. "What about you, General? Have you fallen in love before?"

Liv almost choked on her saliva, the question was catching her completely off guard. "Me? No, hahaha, not yet, princess," she said, her voice was quivering despite her attempt to sound casual.

Dawn tilted her head, her expression turning curious. "Why? You and Qazaethel are thousands of years old. How come you’ve never fallen for someone before?" ℯℯ𝘭.

Liv looked at her directly, the question was hitting closer to home than Dawn could possibly know. She thought of the person she had loved, the person who had never loved her back. She thought of the years she had spent trying to forget, trying to move on, trying to convince herself that she was over it. But she was not over it. She had never been over it.

"Well... To be honest... I do like someone," Liv admitted, her voice becoming quiet. "But that person never liked me back, and up until now, I still couldn’t forget about her. I couldn’t move on. So I just moved forward."

Dawn frowned, her expression was softening with sympathy. "I’m sorry, Liv," she said, her voice was gentle.

Liv shook her head, forcing a smile. "It’s nothing, Your Highness. It was a long time ago."

A moment of silence passed between them, heavy with unspoken words, before Dawn was about to speak again. But they were interrupted by a sudden noise outside.

"Open your carriage!"

A guard outside yelled, his voice was sharp and commanding. The sound immediately caught Liv’s attention, her body tensing, her hand moving to the hilt of her sword.

"Your Highness, be ready," Liv said, her voice was low and urgent.

Dawn immediately put back her helmet, concealing her face once more. The carriage came to a stop, the horses are neighing nervously, the soldiers outside forming a protective circle around the vehicle.

And Liv waited, her heart was pounding in her chest, her mind was racing with possibilities.

What awaited them outside, she did not know. But she would be ready.