Chapter 261: My prince, the beastmen want to execute me! They refuse to recognize my position, and that snake threatened to kill me!

Chapter 261: Chapter 261: My prince, the beastmen want to execute me! They refuse to recognize my position, and that snake threatened to kill me!

"Who dares to kill one of my people?"

The question swept across Ironwood’s western boundary.

Nobody answered.

The newly arrived Veskari warriors lowered themselves almost immediately.

Wings folded.

Heads bowed.

Even Korran, who had spent days treating Ironwood’s warriors like insects beneath his feet, lowered his enormous wings.

Tharek bent one armored foreleg.

Lyssara placed a hand against her chest.

"Your Highness."

The newcomer did not acknowledge her.

His six black wings slowly folded behind him, silver veins glowing faintly beneath their translucent surfaces.

He looked around.

At the ruined walls.

The broken foundation.

The blood soaking the earth.

Then at Veyra kneeling in chains.

His beautiful face showed no surprise.

No horror.

Only displeasure.

Swanly stood between her two mates, watching him carefully.

Her white fox ears tilted toward Kael.

"Who is he?" she whispered.

Kael’s black ears flattened.

"I don’t know."

"He looks important."

Kael’s golden eyes followed the kneeling Veskari warriors.

"Too important."

Swanly frowned.

Across the boundary, Azren had not bowed.

Not even slightly.

He stood with his arms loosely folded, six colorful wings held perfectly still behind him.

The newcomer finally looked at him.

Something passed between the two males.

Neither smiled.

Then the newcomer looked away.

"Who gave you permission to judge a female of our blood?"

Soren stepped forward.

"She committed her crimes against my territory."

The prince’s pale eyes moved toward him.

For one brief moment, they studied his white scales, long hair, and silver eyes.

Then he turned away.

As though Soren had not spoken.

A few Ironwood warriors shifted angrily.

Raku’s crocodile tail struck the dirt once.

Soren did not move.

But the scales along his throat lifted.

The newcomer looked at Lyssara.

"Explain."

Before she could speak, Veyra stumbled forward.

"Your Highness!"

Tharek tightened his grip on her chain.

Veyra struggled.

"Please! Please, let me through!"

The prince lowered his eyes.

Veyra dropped to her knees so quickly the stones scraped her skin.

"Your Highness, thank the ancestors you’re here!"

Her six wings trembled.

Tears began running down her cheeks.

"Please save me!"

He looked at the bruises around her throat.

Then at the damaged edges of her wings.

"Who did that?"

Veyra froze.

Her gaze flicked toward Azren.

The prince followed it.

For the first time, his expression changed.

"Azren."

Azren raised his eyebrows.

"Brother."

Swanly’s eyes widened.

Brother?

She looked from one male to the other.

The height.

The wings.

The pale-violet eyes.

There were similarities, certainly.

But where Azren looked like a beautiful disaster constantly searching for entertainment, this male looked as though he expected the world to kneel whenever he breathed.

"You laid hands on one of our own?" the elder prince asked.

Azren shrugged.

"She was becoming irritating."

Veyra’s face crumpled.

"Your Highness, I only wanted to help!"

Azren glanced down at her.

"Did you?"

The elder prince’s wings spread slightly.

"Answer me properly."

Azren’s smile thinned.

"She endangered five children. I was being generous."

The newcomer’s gaze moved toward Swanly.

For the first time, he studied her directly.

Silver-white hair.

Fox ears.

Fluffy tail.

The blood and dirt still staining her clothes.

His eyes traveled over her without the slightest warmth.

"A beastwoman?"

Azren’s expression changed.

Swanly’s ears flattened.

The prince looked back at his brother.

"You threatened a highborn female over a beastwoman?"

Azren’s antennae slowly lowered.

"Careful, Brother."

The words were quiet.

The warning wasn’t.

Veyra quickly bowed her head.

"My prince, the beastmen want to execute me! They refuse to recognize my position, and that snake threatened to kill me!"

Swanly’s mouth fell open.

That snake?

She slowly turned toward Soren.

He was smiling.

Barely.

That was never a good sign.

Veyra continued desperately.

"I have served the royal house faithfully. I would never betray our people!"

The elder prince extended one hand.

Tharek immediately loosened the chain enough for Veyra to move closer.

She crawled toward his boots and clutched the edge of his dark armor.

He allowed it.

Relief flooded her face.

Then he looked toward Ironwood.

"Why are we standing outside a wall built by beasts?"

Korran straightened.

"Your Highness, this territory is protected by a Blood Boundary."

The prince stared at him.

"And?"

"It is bound to the local ruler. Outsiders cannot enter without authorization."

The prince’s expression did not change.

"Then break it."

Simple.

Cold.

As though he had ordered someone to remove an inconvenient branch from a road.

Silence lasted one heartbeat.

Then Ironwood’s warriors raised their weapons.

Spearheads flashed.

Kael’s claws extended.

Raku stepped forward.

Mora moved beside him, her heavy bear claws curling.

Swanly’s tail puffed.

Oh, this bastard.

The prince looked at his commanders.

"You have warriors. Use them."

Tharek raised his head.

"Your Highness."

The prince’s pale eyes narrowed.

"What?"

"The boundary is not an ordinary wall."

"I’m aware."

"Then you must also understand that forcing it open will not be simple."

The prince turned toward him.

Tharek continued carefully.

"The territorial pact is connected to ancient structures beneath the settlement. We have already witnessed what happens when even one foundation is disturbed."

He looked toward the broken northwest drainage.

"An assault powerful enough to rupture the Blood Boundary could awaken more defenses."

Korran’s jaw tightened.

"Our warriors can handle a few underground creatures."

"Can they handle whatever has been sealed beneath those creatures?" Tharek asked.

Nobody answered.

Swanly’s ears slowly lifted.

He knows something.

Not everything.

But something.

Lyssara stepped forward.

"Your Highness, there is another concern."

The prince looked irritated.

"Speak."

"The Heart."

Swanly went completely still.

Lyssara lowered her voice.

"If we destroy the surrounding structures, we may damage its containment. We do not know what will happen if the Heart is disturbed before we reach it."

"Then reach it."

"We cannot."

The prince stared.

Lyssara’s wings tightened.

"Not without gaining controlled access to the territory."

Swanly almost laughed.

Of course.

They wanted to break the boundary.

But breaking it might destroy the very thing they wanted.

The elder prince looked toward Ironwood with growing contempt.

"So a few beasts stand between us and the Heart, and you expect me to tolerate their threats?"

Lyssara swallowed.

"I expect Your Highness to understand that destroying the entrance may destroy what lies beyond it."

For several seconds, the prince said nothing.

Then he looked at Soren.

"You have made yourselves extremely inconvenient."

Soren’s silver eyes did not change.

"How unfortunate for you."

Raku lowered his head to hide the brief movement of his mouth.

Mora noticed.

Her bear ears twitched.

"Don’t laugh," she whispered.

"I wasn’t."

"You were thinking about it."

"Yes."

A few steps away, Swanly caught Soren’s wrist.

He looked down.

She moved closer.

"There is something you need to know."

His pupils narrowed.

"What?"

"When I was underground, my magic scanned beyond the Heart."

Soren’s expression sharpened.

Swanly spoke so quietly only he could hear.

"There are other chambers down there. Many of them."

"How many?"

"I don’t know."

He went still.

"The System detected multiple sleeping creatures. Not just the one we’ve been worried about."

Soren looked toward the ruined foundation.

Swanly tightened her fingers around his wrist.

"If they damage another ancient seal, this could happen again. Maybe worse."

His expression changed.

Not dramatically.

Only a slight narrowing of his eyes.

But Swanly knew him.

He understood.

"Tell me everything when we’re alone," he said.

She nodded.

Then someone behind them began laughing.

It was a terrible sound.

Small.

Broken.

Everyone turned.

A female stood near the wounded residents.

Her hair was tangled, her clothes torn, and one cheek was swollen from an injury nobody had treated yet.

She held a tiny bloodstained hide against her chest.

A child’s hide.

Her shoulders shook.

The newcomer looked toward her.

"Control that female."

The laughter stopped.

The female slowly raised her head.

"What?"

One of the Ironwood guards reached toward her.

She slapped his hand away.

"What did he say?"

The prince’s expression hardened.

"You are interrupting."

For a moment, she only stared.

Then her face twisted.

"MY SON IS DEAD!"

The shout made several people flinch.

The female stumbled forward.

"My son is dead!"

Mora immediately moved closer.

The mother pointed across the boundary.

"Your people came here wanting something beneath our home!"

Her voice cracked.

"One of your females tried to get inside, and my son died screaming!"

Tears streamed down her face.

"He was sleeping!"

Nobody spoke.

"He was sleeping beside me!"

She held up the little hide.

"This was his!"

The elder prince watched without expression.

The mother began sobbing.

"He was frightened of thunder. Every time it rained, he would crawl under my arm."

Her fingers tightened around the cloth.

"But tonight..."

Her voice broke completely.

"Tonight, I couldn’t even reach him."

Swanly’s chest tightened.

The woman looked directly at the prince.

"Was my son important?"

Silence.

"Was he?"

The prince answered calmly.

"Your grief does not concern the Veskari Crown."

The mother froze.

For one second, nobody moved.

Then she screamed.

"You MONSTER!"

She lunged toward the boundary.

Mora caught her before she reached it.

"Don’t!"

"LET ME GO!"

The mother fought desperately.

"He’s talking about my baby!"

"I know!"

"HE’S TALKING LIKE MY BABY WAS NOTHING!"