Chapter 38

31 0 0
                                    

Prince Sebastian

5 Years Later 

Five years had passed, and the horrors of war had continued to plague our lands, seeping into every corner of the kingdom like a relentless tide. I had not relinquished my title; instead, I embraced it, determined to use the power I still held to shape a future of my own making, a future where justice would prevail and the sacrifices of the past would not be in vain.

In those five years, much had changed. The kingdom was scarred by the ongoing conflict with Valoria, but perhaps the most profound change was the state of my marriage. What little semblance of a union had existed between Katharina and me had long since crumbled into dust. Our marriage was nothing more than a facade, a hollow shell maintained only for the sake of appearances. In public, we played our roles, standing side by side at court functions and royal ceremonies, but behind closed doors, we were strangers—no, worse than strangers. We were enemies bound by the chains of duty and expectation.

The resentment between us was palpable, a constant undercurrent of bitterness that poisoned every interaction. Katharina had become a figure I could hardly bear to look at, a living reminder of everything I had lost, everything that had been taken from me. The sight of her, the sound of her voice, even the faintest trace of her presence in the room filled me with a deep, gnawing hatred.

I had made my choice—to stay, to fight, to use the power I still held to protect the kingdom and seek justice for the wrongs that had been done. But in doing so, I had condemned myself to a life of bitterness and hatred, trapped in a marriage that was nothing more than a cruel mockery of what love was supposed to be.

Yet, I could not allow myself to falter. There was too much at stake, too much to lose if I let my personal despair consume me. Valoria was still out there, growing stronger with each passing day, and as long as that threat remained, I would continue to fight. I would continue to lead my people, to push back against the darkness that threatened to engulf us all. And when the time came, I would see to it that justice was done—not just for the kingdom, but for Matthew, for the love we had lost, and for the future we had once dreamed of together.

...

The heavy canvas of the tent flapped gently in the wind, the chill of the night seeping through its seams. The air inside was thick with the scent of damp earth, sweat, and the lingering smoke from the campfires outside. The flickering light from the lanterns cast long shadows on the maps spread across the large wooden table in the center of the tent, where I stood with General Hector.

General Hector, a man of few words but immense presence, leaned over the table, his brow furrowed in concentration. His scarred hands traced the lines of the map, indicating the positions of our forces and those of the enemy. His eyes, sharp and calculating, missed nothing as he assessed the situation with the cool detachment of a seasoned warrior.

"The Valorians have fortified their position along the ridge," Hector said, his voice low and gravelly. "They're expecting us to strike from the west, where the terrain is more favorable for an attack. But they're overconfident. They think they've anticipated our every move."

I studied the map, my mind racing with the possibilities. The war with Valoria had been dragging on for far too long, each battle a bloody reminder of the stakes we faced. The enemy was relentless, their forces well-trained and well-equipped. But we had something they didn't—an intimate knowledge of the land and a resolve forged by years of suffering and loss.

"What if we don't give them what they expect?" I mused aloud, tracing a different route on the map with my finger. "Instead of a direct assault from the west, we could launch a surprise attack from the south. It's more treacherous terrain, but if we move under the cover of darkness, we could catch them off guard."

The World Cannot KnowWhere stories live. Discover now