Chapter 9 - Rebuilding the Realm
Three weeks later, the royal capital was transformed.
Lord Garron and the traitorous council members had been stripped of their titles and banished to the icy northern wastes. In their place, a new council was formed—one made up of honest generals, common folk, and representatives from the long-oppressed Omega clans.
I stood on the high balcony of the palace, wearing a magnificent dress of royal blue and gold. The red cord was gone, replaced by a simple, elegant silver necklace bearing the royal crest of King Walter.
From behind, warm arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me back against a broad, solid chest. Walter rested his chin on my shoulder, breathing in the scent of my hair.
"You're thinking again," Walter murmured playfully, his deep voice sending a pleasant shiver down my spine.
"I was thinking about the night I arrived," I said, turning in his embrace to face him. "I was so terrified of you. I thought you were a monster."
Walter chuckled softly, a rare, genuine smile lighting up his scarred face. "And now?"
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"Now I know the monster was just waiting for someone to heal his heart," I smiled, touching the long scar across his cheek.
"You didn't just heal my heart, little one," Walter said, his expression turning serious and deeply tender. "You brought light back to a kingdom that had forgotten what hope felt like."
