Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1539 - 138 : A Final Farewell

*Saoirse*

The pounding was relentless, echoing through the stone walls of our chamber like the drumbeat of an omen. My eyes flew open, and my heartbeat synced with each thunderous rap upon the door.

"Rhys," I whispered, my voice a strained thread in the darkness. He was already rising from our bed, his warrior instincts cutting through the remnants of sleep quicker than mine.

"Stay behind me," he murmured, pulling on his tunic. His movements were swift and precise. I nodded, slipping into my garments. The fabric was cool against my skin. My heart pounded in my chest.

We approached the door together. Rhys’ hand was poised on the hilt of the sword that never left his side. With a nod from him, I reached out and pulled the door open. The messenger nearly fell into our chamber gasping for air. His face was pale as moonlight.

"Speak," Rhys commanded, his tone leaving no room for preamble.

"Pyroth’s forces... They’ve been spotted," the scout panted, struggling to catch his breath, "at the border.”

“Yes, yes we know this already. Is there more news?”

“There... there are so many more than we feared."

"Numbers," Rhys pressed, his jaw tightening.

"Too great to count. An attack is imminent, Your Highness," the messenger managed, his eyes wild with the urgency of his news.

"Thank you. Go rest now. We’ll handle it from here," Rhys said, though his words felt hollow against the weight of what we now faced.

As the messenger stumbled away, I looked up at Rhys, my mind racing. "We need to prepare. We can’t let Pyroth breach our borders."

He nodded, gripping my hand for a moment. "We’ll defend Egoren with everything we have. I must meet with the generals. You–"

"I will be by your side," I interrupted, unwilling to entertain any notion of staying behind. "We fight together, remember?"

Rhys’ eyes met mine. A storm of love and fear swirled within their depths. "Together," he agreed, though the word was laced with something I couldn’t quite name.

We stepped out of our chamber, the corridor stretching before us like the path to an unknown fate. There was no silence in the halls that morning. Shouts rang out. The sound of boots hitting this tone floor was a constant rhythm. There were people everywhere.

The great hall echoed with the sound of urgency as Rhys and I stood before the graduates of Queen Lena’s school. Clad in armor that felt heavier than ever, I swept my gaze across the sea of faces gathered before us. Each woman stood straight and proud, their expressions blending nerves with steely resolve.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," Rhys began, his voice resonating in the silence. "As you know, we stand on the brink of war. Pyroth’s forces gather at our borders, and their numbers are unlike anything we’ve seen. There are far more than we anticipated."

A ripple of tension passed through the crowd. I stepped forward, my heart pounding. "Your training has prepared you for this moment," I said, the weight of responsibility heavy on my tongue. "Egoren needs your strength, courage, and magic now more than ever."

"Each of you possesses skills critical to our defense," Rhys continued, a commanding presence beside me. "You will fortify our kingdom, protect our people, and ensure that when Pyroth comes, he meets a barrier he cannot break."

I watched their eyes and saw the flicker of fear give way to unwavering determination. "We believe in you," I added, knowing these were the warriors who would turn the tide. "Fortify, strengthen... Do whatever you need to do to the borders and barriers you created yesterday to ensure they stand strong. We’ll hold the line against the darkness together."

Without another word, the graduates nodded, their mutual pledge hanging unspoken in the air. They turned as one, the hems of their robes whispering along the stone floor, and filed out of the hall.

Rhys and I followed them out into the crisp morning air, watching as they dispersed throughout the kingdom. Their hands moved with practiced grace, tracing sigils in the sky. Walls of shimmering energy rose from the ground, casting prismatic light across the landscape. Power pulsed within those barriers, strong and vibrant.

In other quarters, graduates chanted in unison, their voices weaving spells of protection. Faint glimmers appeared around the most vulnerable areas—villages, farmlands, the palace itself—creating shields only visible to those who knew where to look.

"Look at them," Rhys murmured, pride lacing his words. "They’ll keep us safe."

I nodded, my throat tight. "Yes, they will." As I watched the bright threads of magic intertwine above Egoren, I believed it with every fiber of my being. “We need to keep moving, Rhys. There is still so much more to be done.”

The war room was a tapestry of tension and resolve as Rhys and I stepped inside. Generals and captains, clad in polished armor that reflected their unwavering loyalty, huddled over the wide expanse of maps spread across the grand table. The scent of oiled leather and sharpened steel hung heavy in the air, a silent testament to the preparedness of our forces.

"Show me," Rhys demanded, his voice calm yet commanding as he gestured toward the parchments. The generals complied, pointing to various locations along our borders where scouts had reported movements of Pyroth’s forces. My heart clenched, but I pushed the fear aside, focusing on the task at hand.

"Here," I said, tracing a path with my finger. "Our archers can take position here. The forest provides cover and vantage." One of the captains, a woman with hawk-like eyes, nodded in agreement.

"And the eastern flank?" Rhys asked, his brow furrowed.

"Fortified since dawn," another general responded. "Every soldier has been drilled. They know what is at stake."

I was slightly relieved. It was vital that not a single life be wasted due to unpreparedness. I moved among the soldiers who would soon march to meet our fate, ensuring their mail was secure and their blades sharp. Their eyes, bright with the fire of purpose, met mine. They were ready.

"Remember, we fight not just for Egoren," Rhys told them, his voice rising above the clanking of metal, "but for all that we hold dear."

"For Egoren!" the soldiers roared back, a single entity bound by shared courage.

As the din of preparations continued around us, Rhys caught my hand, leading me away from the throng. We slipped out to the palace gardens where our children played, blissfully unaware of the looming shadows beyond our walls. Their laughter was a melody that soothed the disquiet in my soul.

"Rhys," I whispered, watching our little ones chase each other through the flowerbeds, "I never thought... We should have..."

"Shh," he hushed me gently, pulling me close. "This moment is ours. No dark thought can touch us here."

We sat on a bench carved from an ancient oak and called our children over. They came running, tumbling into our arms with giggles and stories of their games. As if sensing the gravity of the silence that followed their mirth, they grew still, their small hands clutching at our sleeves.

"Everything will be alright," Rhys assured them, though his gaze met mine over their heads—a silent promise, a silent plea.

"We love you," I added, drawing them closer, memorizing the weight of them against me and the scent of sunshine in their hair. In their eyes, I saw our future and hope. For them, we would hold fast against the tide that threatened to engulf us.

I tried not to think about the “what ifs” and “should haves.” We should have sent the children somewhere far away from Pyroth’s wrath so they wouldn’t be harmed. Maybe they should have gone to Rhys’ sister in the Light Realm. Anywhere would have been safer.

The graduates’ protective barriers had held throughout the night, so we were confident they would hold now. When Pyroth’s forces finally began their attack, they would hold then too. They had to.

What were they waiting for?

Rhys’ eyes met mine. A storm of concern brewed within them. He reached out and ran calloused fingers across my cheek before tangling them in my hair and pulling me close. He pressed his forehead to mine and just held me. I clung to him and our children as I tried to bury my fears and hope for the best. We could do this. We could win. We would.

Rhys pulled back, searching my eyes as something strange flashed across his own. He pressed a hard kiss to my forehead before meeting my lips in a soft kiss that said everything.

"I’m so sorry, Saoirse," he said, his voice carrying the weight of unspoken fears. “So sorry, my love.”

"Sorry?" My heart quickened, confusion lacing my words. "I don’t... For what, Rhys? You have nothing to be sorry for. We have done everything we can to ensure our victory. We knew this battle was coming. We prepared for it."

He didn’t answer with words. Instead, he stood, handing Aiden off to me before stepping back.

“Rhys?”

He closed his eyes as though he was in pain. He then turned away and called out, "Daxton!"

The familiar figure appeared at once, materializing from the shadowed archway that led to our quarters. Daxton’s usually easy grin was absent, replaced by a grim line. "Yes, My King?"

"Keep Saoirse and the children safe. Confine them to the royal quarters and prepare for an evacuation if needed," Rhys ordered, his command brooking no argument.

My breath hitched, a silent gasp lost among the rustling leaves. The gardens around us seemed to echo the sudden tension between us. "An evacuation? Rhys, you can’t mean–"

"Please, Daxton. This is not open for discussion." Rhys’ eyes found mine again, imploring me to understand.

I couldn’t move or breathe. The children clung to me, sensing the shift in the air. I knew I couldn’t frighten them and let the tremor in my soul shake my voice, but it was so hard.

"Rhys," I finally managed, my voice cracking despite my best efforts. "You promised. You promised we’d face this together." The gardens blurred through my tears, a watercolor of greens and gold.

He stepped forward, his hand reaching out to brush a tear from my cheek. "I am doing what is best as a king, husband, and father." His apology was sincere, but it was also final.

"Best?" I choked on the word, anger and hurt warring within me. "To leave me behind while you..." I couldn’t finish the sentence and give voice to the fear that he might not return. “You promised me, Rhys Crimson. I thought you didn’t break your promises.”

"Love," he whispered, "I must protect you above all else."

"Even from fighting by your side?" My question hung between us, heavy as the coming dusk.

"Even from that," he murmured. His eyes closed briefly as if to shut away the pain.