Chapter 34 #3
"It's a fit punishment for a man who stole from Embrath," I say firmly.
"For a man who kidnapped one of our own, forced her into servitude, sent countless warriors to kill us.
Mercy would be undeserved, and death would be too kind.
This way, he lives with the consequences of his actions.
Every moment, every breath, he'll remember what he did and why he's suffering. "
The Valorian soldiers are panicking now, their formation breaking as they scramble backward from Zara's fire.
Some of them are trying to help their king, reaching for him only to pull back when the magical flames lick at their hands.
Others are fleeing outright, running back toward the mountain pass they came through.
Frederik is still screaming, his voice hoarse with agony.
He's on his knees now, hands clutched to his chest, his face twisted in pain.
But I can see he's unharmed physically. His skin isn't blistered, his clothes aren't singed.
The fire burns only in his nerves, in his mind, a magical punishment that leaves no visible wounds.
"I need to go inside," Kaia says suddenly. She's shaking, tears streaming down her face. "I can't watch this anymore. Please, Alessia, take me inside."
"Are you sure?" I ask gently. "Zara will finish what needs to be done.
She'll make sure your father and his soldiers leave Embrath and never return.
If you're truly willing to give up Valoria, to let go of your claim to that throne, then we will protect you.
No one will force you to return if you don't want to. "
Kaia nods, her movements jerky with suppressed emotion. "I'm sure. I don't want Valoria. I don't want anything to do with that kingdom or the man who calls himself my father. I just want to be here, with you and Zara and Solace. That's all I want."
I gather her into my arms, lifting her easily. She curls against my chest, burying her face in my shoulder as sobs shake her body. "I've got you," I murmur. "You're safe now. Let's go inside."
Solace follows us as we make our way back toward the castle.
She's quiet, watchful, her hand resting on her sword hilt.
I can see the conflict in her expression too.
She served Valoria for years, protected its princess, dedicated her life to that kingdom.
But she also sees what Frederik truly is now, understands that the place she called home was built on lies and cruelty.
We reach the castle doors and I pause, looking back.
Zara is still in dragon form, advancing on the Valorian forces with measured steps.
Fire continues to pour from her, not hot enough to kill but threatening enough to drive them backward.
The soldiers are retreating now, scrambling toward the mountain pass in a disorganized rout.
"What happens now?" Kaia asks, her voice muffled against my shoulder.
Solace speaks up from beside us. "That passageway will be magically blocked for good soon.
Once the Valorian people are pushed back through to the Shadowlands, Zara and our mages will seal it permanently.
No one from Valoria will be able to use that route to attack us again.
They'll have to find another way if they want to approach Embrath, and by then we'll have reinforced all our borders. "
I carry Kaia inside, moving through corridors that seem too quiet after the chaos outside. Servants peek out from doorways, their faces anxious, but I wave them back. We need privacy right now, space for Kaia to process everything that just happened.
We reach one of the sitting rooms that overlooks the valley and I settle into a chair with Kaia still in my arms. She shifts to look out the windows, watching as her people flee.
Her father is still screaming obscenities, his voice carrying even from this distance.
Zara pushes them back with steady determination, her dragon form magnificent and terrifying as she herds the Valorian forces like sheep.
The fires are dying down now as the soldiers get further from Embrath proper.
Kaia sits up slightly, her eyes tracking the flames.
"But the fire isn't scorching anything," she observes, confusion mixing with her grief.
"The grass is still green, the trees aren't burning.
But the Alphas that always came back to Valoria were burned, scarred.
They told stories of fire that consumed everything it touched. "
"Our fire has many different forms," I explain, stroking her hair gently.
"We can create fire that burns physically, that consumes and destroys.
That's what we use in battle when we need to kill, when defending ourselves against true threats.
But we have other fires too. Magical fires that burn in different ways, that cause pain without permanent damage.
You remember we mentioned that hurting others is a last resort for us.
We don't enjoy causing suffering, we don't take pleasure in violence.
But sometimes lessons need to be taught. "
"My father needed to be taught a lesson," Kaia says quietly. It's not quite a question, more like she's testing the words, seeing how they feel.
"Your father must be taught that actions have consequences," I agree.
"That he can't steal dragons, can't send warriors to kill us, can't treat people as property without eventually facing justice.
But we don't want to kill him. Dying would be a sweet reward, an escape from accountability.
He doesn't deserve that easy exit, not for taking one of our own and keeping her prisoner for decades. "
Solace moves to stand beside the window, her eyes tracking the retreat below.
"The warriors who came back burned were the ones who attacked first," she says quietly.
"The ones who tried to kill dragons rather than negotiate.
They earned their scars through violence.
But your father isn't being given scars.
He's being given a reminder, a constant pain that will follow him for the rest of his life but won't actually harm him physically. "
"Is that better or worse?" Kaia asks, her voice small. "Never being able to escape the pain, always feeling like you're burning even though you're not?"
"That depends on your perspective," I say honestly.
"For someone who caused as much suffering as your father has, who destroyed as many lives, I think it's appropriate.
He'll live, he'll be able to function and rule if Valoria still accepts him as king.
But he'll never forget what he did, never escape the consequences.
Every moment will be a reminder of his crimes. "
Kaia is quiet for a long time, watching the scene unfold below. The Valorian forces have reached the mountain pass now, scrambling through with desperate urgency. Zara follows them to the entrance but doesn't pursue further. She stays at the threshold, a guardian making sure they actually leave.
Frederik is the last one through, still clutching at himself and screaming.
His soldiers have to practically drag him, pulling him away from Embrath toward the relative safety of the Shadowlands.
Even from here, I can see the hatred on his face, the promise of revenge.
This isn't over for him. He'll carry this grudge until his dying day.
But he won't be able to act on it. Not now that the passage is being sealed, not now that Embrath knows to expect further aggression from Valoria. We'll be ready next time, prepared to defend ourselves without mercy if necessary.
"I gave up my kingdom," Kaia says eventually. "I stood in front of all those soldiers and told them I wanted nothing to do with Valoria. They'll tell everyone what happened here, what I said. I can never go back now, can I?"
"Not as princess," I admit. "You've essentially abdicated by choosing us over your birthright.
But Kaia, you can go back as our mate, as one of Embrath's queens if you want to.
We can forge new relationships with Valoria once Frederik is gone, once new leadership takes over.
You're not banned from your homeland, you've just chosen a different path. "
"Do you regret it?" Solace asks quietly. "Giving up your claim to that throne?"
Kaia turns to look at both of us, her eyes red from crying but clear with certainty.
"No. I don't regret it at all. That kingdom was built on lies and cruelty and greed.
My father proved that today. He admitted he only took my mother for wealth, that he never loved her or me, that we were always just tools to him.
Why would I want to rule a place created by that kind of man?
Why would I want to perpetuate his legacy? "
"Then you've made the right choice," I say firmly. "And we'll support you in it completely. You're ours now, Kaia. Our Omega, our mate, our family. Embrath is your home if you want it to be."
"I want it to be," she says, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.
"I want to stay here with you and Zara and Solace.
I want to learn how to be a dragon, how to access the magic my mother gave me.
I want to help build something better than what my father created.
I want to be part of something good for once in my life. "