The Royal Mark-Chapter 95: Ambush

The group reached the werewolf camp located in the southern region of Zemaria by taking a boat. The river leading to this spot was sufficiently wide, making boat rides feasible. The castle’s water mages provided assistance, enabling them to reach the camp much faster.

This journey only took two hours, a stark contrast to the usual five-hour horseback ride, which filled Elsa with excitement as it meant she could finally see and talk to Chris. To everyone’s surprise, the camp they arrived at turned out to be considerably larger than expected, catching Andrius and Drake off guard as they hadn’t anticipated such a large number of werewolves in their territory.

Perplexed, Prince Andrius inquired of the commander in charge, "What happened here? I received no reports indicating the scale of this camp."

The commander respectfully bowed before delivering his report, saying, "Your Highness, additional werewolf packs arrived earlier this morning. It’s possible that the messenger reached the castle after your departure. These people hastily sought refuge here, fearing the werewolf king’s threat to burn their homes if they refused to pledge their allegiance to him."

"Why can’t they simply deceive the king and tell him what he wants to hear? They could pretend to be on his side while secretly waiting for their prince," Prince Drake voiced his thoughts.

Fortunately, a passing werewolf overheard him and could provide a direct answer. "Allow me to address that, sir. King Alaric is affixing a magical worm to all those who align with him. It carries a dark curse, and if a person tells a lie, the worm will move toward their heart, extending and tightly coiling around it, slowly causing their death. This isn’t limited to just adults; it affects children and the elderly as well."

This revelation left them stunned. "I never envisioned that Alaric would resort to such underhanded tactics," Prince Andrius remarked.

"In that case, why would anyone choose to align with him? Aren’t werewolves strong? Why not resist?" Elsa inquired with curiosity. She couldn’t comprehend why they would tolerate such a ruler.

"The witch queen supports the current king, and we are not impervious to her magic. Our physical strength becomes irrelevant if we can’t approach a witch who wields magic from a distance, beyond our reach. We have young children, and we can’t take the risk. Those who ally with him are mostly rebels who seek the power that the witch queen is promising anyone who will turn their back on Prince Christopher.

As for us, we decided to run to Zemaria since we heard that Prince Christopher has returned, and with the help of Zemaria’s mages, we believe we might have a chance at victory."

"Speaking of Arcanis’ Prince, have you had a chance to see him?" Elsa inquired.

"Yes. He joined the alphas and betas from the first two ships that had arrived earlier to assist them. The third ship they were with got ambushed. The fourth ship stayed behind to retrieve it while the first and second ships continued their journey here to seek aid and transport the children and elders before heading back. That’s when Prince Christopher joined them," explained the werewolf.

"How many of our soldiers accompanied the Prince?" Elsa asked.

The werewolf, the commander, and Prince Drake exchanged glances before turning their attention to Prince Andrius.

Elsa furrowed her brow, puzzled by their silence and the knowing expressions they shared.

Prince Drake narrowed his eyes at Prince Andrius, silently urging him to speak, but it was Valeria who broke the silence. "I suspect the ambush didn’t occur within Zemaria’s borders."

The commander nodded, but Elsa still didn’t grasp the significance. "What does that mean?"

Prince Andrius clarified, "The current alliance treaty between Zemaria and Arcanis stipulates that Zemarian soldiers will come to the defense of anyone from Arcanis if they are within the Empire’s borders. So, if the conflict is happening elsewhere, even if it’s close to Zemaria’s border, our soldiers won’t provide assistance. They’re on their own."

"What kind of alliance treaty is that? That’s completely fucking bullshit!" Elsa exclaimed, surprising everyone.

"Um, please pardon the princess. She is still getting used to her role as a princess and our traditions," Mistress Valeria chuckled awkwardly while inwardly facepalming. Clearly, she still had much to teach her granddaughter, including proper ladylike behavior.

"Princess? Is she the princess our Prince claims as his mate?" inquired the werewolf.

"I suppose so," Elsa replied.

The werewolf promptly knelt in front of Elsa and said, "I apologize for my impoliteness, Your Highness. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Gavin Hartoff, Alpha of the Shadow Moon Pack. It’s an honor to make your acquaintance." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"It’s alright; it’s not a big deal, really," Elsa assured him. Just then, they heard screams and shouts coming from the shore. They noticed one ship had just arrived, with small boats approaching the shore.

Their group rushed toward the people gathering on the shoreline, and Andrius asked one of the soldiers, "What’s going on?"

"Your Highness, the Prince of Arcanis managed to rescue the ambushed ship, and that’s the one we’re talking about. Unfortunately, many of their fighters and civilians were injured."

"And what about the two ships that sailed to help?" Prince Drake inquired quickly, knowing that Elsa was eager to hear about Chris.

"They decided to remain at sea, within Zemaria’s borders, just in case there were more refugees or attackers. The Knight Commander has already dispatched two infantry units to join them. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve been tasked to assist the healers in transporting the injured werewolf fighters and civilians to the tents," the soldier bowed before heading to the shore to receive the incoming patients.

"Mistress! Mistress!" a woman’s distressed voice rang out before they could even leave their spot. She was wearing a blue vest, signifying her role as one of the healers. "Mistress, we’re delighted to see you! We need your help; some of the civilians have been affected by dark magic, and many of them are children!"

Valeria nodded and turned to Andrius and Drake, saying, "Do what you must. Elsa and I will be in the tent if you require our assistance." She then took hold of Elsa’s arm and added, "Let’s go, dear; it’s time to put your divine power to the test."