LOVE IN THE SHADOWS OF TIME l LINGORM

CHAPTER 13

The sun had barely risen when LingLing left the guest quarters of the palace, her every step purposeful, the weight of her new responsibility settling heavily on her shoulders.

The polished marble floors beneath her boots gleamed in the morning light, their coldness a stark contrast to the fire that churned in her heart.

Part of her mind remained tangled in memories of the village, of stolen moments by the lake with Orm.

The other part, however, had anchored itself to the palace, where her future as a royal guard was being forged.

LingLing had not returned to the lake since leaving for the palace.

The day she had accepted the king’s offer of a royal guard position felt like the day she had turned away from a part of herself.

She couldn’t afford to look back—not yet.

And yet, as she passed the training grounds or saw herself reflected in the polished bronze of her new uniform, she felt a hollow ache, as though she had left something vital behind.

Training in the royal guard was grueling. The instructors demanded nothing short of perfection.

Every sword strike had to be precise, every defensive maneuver flawless, every step in tactical formations calculated.

The drills were relentless, and while LingLing’s martial arts training from the future gave her an edge, she quickly realized this was a different world.

The stakes here weren’t medals or accolades but survival and loyalty.

Her fellow recruits, mostly sons of nobles, viewed her with skepticism at first.

A young woman from a village, unversed in courtly ways and seemingly out of place in the grandeur of the palace, was hardly the image of a royal guard.

But LingLing’s skill silenced their doubts.

With each passing day, her precision with the blade and her unwavering focus turned her skeptics into begrudging admirers.

Despite her growing prowess, an unease lingered.

Late at night, in the quiet solitude of her quarters, her mind inevitably wandered back to...... Orm.

She replayed their last moments together—the revelation of Orm’s royal lineage, the sense of betrayal she couldn’t shake, and the hurt that had cut deeper than she wanted to admit.

Why didn’t she tell me?

The question gnawed at LingLing, and though she tried to focus on her duty, it was a wound that refused to heal.

--------

Across the kingdom, Orm was grappling with her own demons.

In a secluded clearing by the lake, she and Aon worked tirelessly on a small log cabin.

The structure wasn’t grand, but it was meaningful—a sanctuary she was quietly building for herself.

Orm swung her axe with a determination that mirrored her inner turmoil, the rhythmic sound of wood splitting filling the quiet forest.

Aon, hammering nails into the frame, paused to watch her.

“You’ve been quieter than usual,” he said, his tone gentle but probing.

Orm wiped sweat from her brow, her gaze fixed on the growing cabin.

“I’m focused, that’s all.”