Chapter 93: Shadows of Betrayal
The cold night air carried the scent of burning wood and fear. Campfires flickered in the distance, casting long shadows over the gathered troops at the edge of the River Thorne. The faint murmur of voices and clinking of armor filled the tense air, but the silence between the leaders of the army was far more deafening.
Prince Caledon stood on the riverbank, his eyes fixed on the horizon, where the northern armies would soon appear. Beside him, Captain Raynor shifted uneasily, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"We've prepared as best we can, Your Highness," Raynor said, breaking the silence. "But the men… they're nervous. Word of the northern forces' brutality has spread quickly."
Caledon nodded grimly. He knew the stories too well—how the northern armies spared no one, leaving devastation in their wake. But he had no room for fear. Not now. Not when everything he'd fought for hung in the balance.
"We cannot afford hesitation, Raynor," Caledon replied, his voice steady. "If we falter, the capital will fall. We stand between them and total ruin."
Raynor glanced toward the campfires, where the soldiers huddled together, faces lined with exhaustion and uncertainty. "Do you really believe we can hold them off, Your Highness?"
Caledon's gaze hardened. "We don't have a choice."
The captain nodded, though doubt still lingered in his eyes. He turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Caledon alone with his thoughts.
As the prince gazed out over the river, his mind wandered back to the council meeting, to the accusations that had been thrown around so carelessly. Liora had been a ghost in every conversation, her absence haunting him more with each passing day. The council was so quick to brand her a traitor, but Caledon couldn't shake the feeling that something far more sinister was at play.
Why had the northern armies moved now, of all times? Why had Liora disappeared just as the invasion began? The questions gnawed at him, but there were no answers to be found. Not yet.
A soft rustle behind him broke his thoughts, and Caledon spun, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword. But it wasn't an enemy who approached.
It was Liora.
She stood at the edge of the camp, cloaked in shadows, her expression unreadable. For a moment, Caledon could only stare, disbelief warring with relief. But then the doubts crept back in, dark and persistent.
"Liora," he said, his voice low and careful. "Where have you been?"
She stepped forward, her gaze never leaving his. "I've been searching for answers, Caledon. The kind you won't find in the council's chambers."
His eyes narrowed. "The council believes you've betrayed us. Some of them want your head."
Liora's face darkened, but she showed no sign of fear. "They're wrong. But they won't understand until it's too late."
Caledon's hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. "Then make me understand. What's really happening here, Liora? Why did you disappear?"
She hesitated, her gaze flickering toward the soldiers in the distance. "Because I had to. The northern armies aren't acting on their own, Caledon. There's something else at work, something bigger than any of us realized."
"What are you talking about?" Caledon's frustration boiled over. "Stop speaking in riddles, Liora. If there's something I need to know, tell me."
She met his gaze, her eyes filled with a strange mix of determination and sorrow. "There's a traitor among us, Caledon. Someone close to you."
His heart skipped a beat. "Who?"
"I don't know yet," Liora admitted, her voice tight. "But I've seen the signs. The northern armies knew too much, moved too quickly. They had inside information—plans, routes, weaknesses. Someone fed them that information."
Caledon felt the weight of her words settle on his shoulders like a leaden cloak. A traitor. Someone close to him. The thought turned his blood to ice.
"You expect me to believe this?" he asked, his voice hard. "After everything, after you disappeared without a word—how do I know you aren't the one feeding them information?"
Pain flashed across Liora's face, but she didn't flinch. "I would never betray you, Caledon. I disappeared because I had to find out the truth. And I have. But I need your help to finish what I've started."
He wanted to believe her. He wanted to trust her more than anything. But the shadow of doubt loomed large, fed by the whispers of the council and the growing danger at the kingdom's doorstep.
"What do you need from me?" he asked, his voice quieter now, laced with hesitation.
Liora stepped closer, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "I need access to the council's private chambers. There are documents—records—that could prove everything. But I can't do it alone. If I'm seen, it will only confirm their suspicions."
Caledon's mind raced. Helping her meant risking everything. If she was wrong—or worse, if she was lying—the kingdom would fall, and he would bear the blame. But if she was telling the truth, the fate of the kingdom might depend on his decision.
He met her gaze, searching for any sign of deceit. But all he saw was the same fire he had always admired in her—the fierce determination that had driven her to protect the kingdom at any cost.
"All right," he said finally, the words heavy on his tongue. "I'll help you."
Relief flickered in Liora's eyes, but it was fleeting. The danger hadn't passed. If anything, it had only just begun.