Chapter 10 - THE HEALER’S CROWN
Six months later, the Iron Peaks looked entirely different.
The jagged mountain passes were no longer feared as a lonely, desolate wasteland; instead, bustling trade routes connected the mountain villages directly to the royal capital, bringing merchants, travelers, and healers from all across the realm.
High on the ridge where Gertrude’s old cabin once stood, a magnificent new stone-and-timber sanctuary had been constructed—half royal residence, half grand apothecary, overlooking the endless expanse of pine forests and snowy peaks.
On the sunlit balcony overlooking the valley, Gertrude Wright stood wearing a simple dark blue tunic, her hair braided back, a ceramic mug of herbal tea steaming in her hands.
A pair of heavy, strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind, pulling her back against a broad, familiar chest. A warm chin rested comfortably on her shoulder.
"You're thinking too hard," Alonzo murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to the side of her neck.
Gertrude took a sip of her tea, smiling slightly as she leaned back against him. "I was just thinking about how ridiculous you looked lying bleeding on my porch with three silver bolts in your back."
Alonzo let out a mock-offended huff, tightening his embrace. "I’ll have you know I was a magnificent, terrifying beast."
"You were an overgrown, ungrateful rug," she corrected smoothly, turning around in his arms to face him.
Alonzo grinned, that dangerous, golden light dancing in his eyes as he looked down at her. He reached up, gently adjusting a small silver pendant resting against her collarbone—a delicate pin shaped like a healing herb leaf intertwined with a royal wolf's crest.
"The high council is waiting downstairs for the midday assembly," Alonzo noted quietly. "The southern emissaries are arriving to sign the permanent peace treaty."
Gertrude rolled her eyes, though a fond smile touched her lips. "Tell them the Queen is busy managing her husband."
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Alonzo’s laughter echoed out across the crisp mountain air as he pulled her close, kissing her deeply against the backdrop of the vast, eternal mountains that had brought them together.
The wild wolf of the storm had finally found his home, and the solitary healer had discovered that sometimes, the most terrible decisions lead you precisely where you were always meant to be.
