A kingdom of Ash and Echoes

Chapter 14 - Blood and Betrayal

It has been days since her sister left. Her father was growing weaker  day by day. Her mother was quite than ever before. The court was growing increasingly inpatient. Her brother at the  northern border but without a word.
She was growing worried day by day but about after a week her sister left the castle halls were alive with hurried footsteps, the echoes of panic bouncing off the stone walls. Lyriana's heart raced as she sprinted toward the front gates, dread tightening around her chest. Rumors from the northern borders had been scarce, and each day without news of Callum had stretched her fear taut.
When the soldiers burst through, battered and bloodied, Lyriana's stomach sank. Slumped over his horse was Callum—her brother, her protector, the one who had always steadied their family. Crimson stained his chest armor, and his breathing was shallow, each exhale rattling through his body. The horse stumbled beneath him, neighing in terror.
"Callum!" Lyriana screamed, running forward, her legs threatening to give way. The guards lifted him down, steadying his weakened body.
His eyes opened briefly, hazel flickers of recognition softening the pain etched on his face. Then they darkened with warning.
"They... they came from the northern pass," he rasped, coughing violently. "Rowan... Rowan led them."
Lyriana froze. Rowan. Her Rowan. Her childhood friend, the man she loved. Her chest tightened painfully, disbelief and betrayal colliding in her heart.
Queen Elowen appeared behind Lyriana, her pale face lined with fear. She bent over Callum, placing a trembling hand on his shoulder. "Stay with me, my son," she whispered, her voice hoarse with worry. "You cannot leave us—not now."
The physician arrived, urgency in every movement. "We must act quickly. He's lost a great deal of blood. If we delay, he may not survive the night."
Elowen's hands shook as she helped steady Callum while the physicians worked. "Bandages, herbs—do everything," she ordered, her voice firm despite the terror in her eyes. "I will not lose him. Not my son."
Lyriana pressed her hand against Callum's bloodied chest, willing him to breathe, willing him to fight. Each shallow exhale made her chest ache. Callum had always been strong, unwavering, the pillar of their family. Now he was vulnerable, at the mercy of fate and betrayal alike.
Hours passed. The physicians worked tirelessly, stitching wounds and applying herbal salves. Lyriana whispered stories of childhood mischief, of small moments that had once made them laugh, carefully avoiding mention of Seraphina. But her mind refused to stop. Rowan. Her love. And yet the same man had nearly taken her brother's life.
When Callum's eyes finally opened steadily, they met Lyriana's. Pain lingered, but so did determination. A faint, pained smile touched his lips.
"You're here," he murmured.
"Always," Lyriana whispered, gripping his hand tightly. Beside her, Elowen exhaled, tears streaking her cheeks, but relief and strength mingled in her gaze. "Rest now, Callum. You are safe," she said softly.
Outside, the northern winds howled against the castle walls, a reminder of the unrest spreading across Avaranth. Inside, Lyriana's heart felt equally torn—between duty, loyalty, and love that had suddenly become dangerous.
She would protect her family. She would keep Callum alive. But Rowan... the man she loved... now carried the shadow of betrayal.
For now, all she could do was wait, pray, and trust in the fragile safety within these castle walls.

After the physicians finally stepped back, signaling that Callum's wound had been stabilized, the hall fell into an uneasy quiet. Lyriana stayed by her brother's side, watching the rise and fall of his chest, each breath a fragile promise.
Elowen motioned for her to follow into the next room, her face still pale but her eyes sharp with determination. Once the door closed behind them, the queen's voice dropped to a whisper, tinged with both fear and anger.
"Lyriana... Rowan." Elowen's lips tightened. "Do you understand what this means?"
Lyriana swallowed, her hands clenched at her sides. "He's the one who attacked Callum," she said quietly. "But... he's the one I love."
Elowen's gaze softened, but the worry remained. "I know your heart, child. I know he is dear to you. But love cannot blind us. Rowan has chosen a side—one that puts our family in danger. If Callum had not survived, the kingdom might have already paid the price."
Lyriana shook her head, fighting the tears that threatened to spill. "I can't believe he could do this. I—he... I don't understand why he would—"
"Because even the ones we love can make choices we cannot forgive," Elowen said, her voice steady, carrying the weight of years of rule and loss. "We cannot allow our hearts to cloud our judgment now. Not while Avaranth teeters on the edge of war."
Lyriana bit her lip, nodding reluctantly. She understood, but it hurt. Rowan had been her friend, her confidant, the boy she had dreamed about since they were children. And now, he was the one who had nearly taken her brother from her.
Elowen reached out, placing a hand over Lyriana's. "You will have to let him go, for now," she said softly, her eyes locked with hers. "We cannot afford distractions. The kingdom, your family—they come first. We will face Rowan when the time is right, but for now... your duty is here."
Lyriana swallowed hard, the weight of her mother's words pressing down on her. She nodded, forcing herself to inhale, to steady the tumult of emotions swirling within her. She would let him go, for now.
But in the quiet of that room, as the candlelight flickered across their faces, a single thought burned in her heart: she would not forget. And she would hold him accountable—one day.