The tunnel grew narrower as Kaia and Alaric moved deeper into the heart of the mountain. The only sound was the rhythmic drip-drip of water and the heavy, labored breathing of the wounded King. Every few steps, Alaric leaned more heavily on Kaia's shoulder, his strength visibly waning.
"We're almost there," Kaia whispered, her voice bouncing off the damp stone walls. "The air is changing. I can smell the pine needles from the outside."
"Kaia, wait," Alaric grunted, stopping for a moment. He leaned against a large, moss-covered rock, his hand clutching his side. "If we get out of here... if we reach the Valerius Keep... what then? Your people see me as the man who took their land. My people see you as the woman who bewitched their King."
Kaia looked at him, her eyes soft in the dim light. "Then we show them the truth, Alaric. We show them that peace isn't a sign of weakness—it's the ultimate strength."
Suddenly, a low, metallic scraping sound echoed from the tunnel behind them. Someone was following them. And they weren't being quiet about it.
"Thorne's assassins," Alaric hissed, his hand flying to the hilt of his sword. He tried to stand straight, but a sharp wince of pain crossed his face.
"No," Kaia said, pulling her own dagger. "The footsteps are too heavy. Those are soldiers."
From the shadows, a group of men emerged, carrying torches that illuminated the cavern in a flickering orange glow. At the front was Silas, his face smeared with blood and ash, his eyes burning with a dangerous light.
"Silas!" Kaia exhaled, a mixture of relief and fear washing over her. "You're alive!"
"I am," Silas growled, his gaze shifting from Kaia to the King leaning on her shoulder. "But many of our brothers are not. The Northern Pass is red with the blood of our kin, Kaia. And you... you're protecting the man who ordered the massacre?"
"It wasn't him, Silas!" Kaia shouted, stepping between Alaric and the rebels. "It was Lord Thorne! He betrayed the King to take the throne for himself! Alaric was there to sign a peace treaty!"
Silas looked at the King, his lip curling in a sneer. "A peace treaty? From a Lion? Don't be a fool, girl. He used you to lead us into a trap. And now, I'm going to finish what your father started."
Silas raised his massive axe, the steel glinting in the torchlight. The other rebels moved forward, their faces hardened by loss and rage.
"If you want his head, you'll have to take mine first," Kaia said, her voice dropping to a low, deadly calm. She didn't move an inch, her dagger pointed directly at Silas's heart.
The tunnel fell into a deadly silence. On one side was the man who had raised her, and on the other was the man she had chosen to love.
"Step aside, Kaia," Silas warned, his voice trembling with anger. "Don't make me kill the only daughter I have left