Chapter 38: PRINCESS
Word arrives from the surrounding islands: Amazon tribes emerge with newfound vigor, harnessing Zii artifacts to enhance their natural might. They reject direct Jingozi rule yet paradoxically covet the very relics they claim to despise. Their strength is admirable, but the Jingozi are always patient in forging alliances—by any means.
***
Kyra's muscles screamed as she emerged from the wooden crate, stretching limbs that had cramped during weeks of confinement. The familiar weight of Ebon pressed against her leg as the massive dire wolf squeezed out behind her. Her mother would have her head for this—princesses didn't stow away in cargo shipments. But Alec's face haunted her dreams, and she hadn't seen him since their shared trials.
"Quiet now," Kyra whispered to Ebon, running her fingers through his thick black fur. The wolf's amber eyes gleamed in the darkness of the supply tent.
She crept toward the entrance, parting the heavy canvas just enough to peer outside. Moonlight bathed the temporary Amazon camp in silver, revealing rows of identical tents housing her mother's warriors. The siege of the Monk temple had drawn most of their forces south.
Kyra's heart pounded as she slipped between the tents, Ebon a silent shadow at her heels. Each step could mean discovery. If any of the warriors recognized her as Queen Zenobia's daughter, her chance to find Alec would vanish. Her mother's disapproval was heavier than the weeks spent hiding in that crate.
The forest beckoned beyond the camp's edge, but Kyra hesitated as she reached the tree line. Through gaps in the canopy, she glimpsed the temple's spires rising against the stars. Curiosity tugged at her—what had driven her people to attack the peaceful Monks?
"Just a quick look," Kyra murmured to Ebon, veering away from her planned escape route. The dire wolf's ears flattened in disapproval, but he followed as she picked her way through the underbrush toward the siege lines.
***
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Kyra crouched behind a fallen log, watching her mother's forces maintain the siege. Wooden towers rose from the devastated forest, Amazon officers scanning the temple grounds from their elevated positions. The sight made her chest flutter—she'd trained for combat since childhood but had never witnessed actual warfare.
Queen Zenobia's words echoed in her mind: "The Monks hide behind false neutrality. Their pacifism is a shield for cowardice." Her mother's disdain dripped like poison whenever she spoke of them. Kyra had hidden in the shadows of enough council meetings to know how she dealt with those who sought sanctuary with the Monks.
The Queen preferred to outsource her vengeance.
"Let the Ninja handle it," she'd say, sliding tokens across the table to hooded figures. They'd return days later with bloody trophies—proof that another Amazon defector had met their end. Her mother took particular pleasure in targeting Emperor faction members, though Kyra never learned why.
Ebon's wet nose pressed against her hand, drawing her attention to movement below. A patrol passed beneath their position, weapons gleaming. Kyra touched her pendant, conflicted. Part of her still yearned for Amazon victory—each win meant more opportunities for their people to become Jingozi apprentices and grow stronger through the ancient arts.
But then Alec's face floated in her mind, his smile during their shared trials and his eyes crinkling at the corners when they laughed together. She would trade her titles, position, and inheritance to be with him. The realization settled like a stone in her stomach.
Kyra turned away from the siege, gesturing for Ebon to follow as she retreated into the hills. Her mother's ambitions would have to do without her.
***
Kyra's feet slowed as the reality of her situation sank in. The dense forest stretched endlessly before her, unfamiliar and threatening. She'd never ventured beyond the Amazon islands. Even during her trials, she'd been confined to a secluded island with apprentices from other Emperor houses.
Her stomach growled loudly, making Ebon's ears twitch. Heat crept up her neck as she patted her empty pockets. No food. No water. She'd even left her spear in the crate. Her combat instructors' voices rang in her head, scolding her lack of preparation.
"Always dreaming of tomorrow while today threatens to kill you," they'd say, shaking their heads at her scattered attention during lessons.
A strange numbness settled over her, part terror and part disconnect from reality. The magnitude of leaving everything she'd known hit her like a wave. Ebon nudged her leg, golden eyes reflecting concern.
"You're right," she whispered, scratching behind his ears. "We need a real plan."
The hills above the siege camp offered decent cover. She could hide until morning when most warriors would rotate to the front lines. The servants always prepared meals at dawn—she knew several who might sympathize with her situation. She could track and find her father, Lord Aric, with supplies and a proper map. He'd welcome her, along with Tavian and Elara.
"What do you think?" she asked Ebon. "Should we first find our family and then locate Alec?"
The dire wolf's tail wagged once, which Kyra took as agreement. She turned toward the hills, already planning which servant to approach—someone who wouldn't immediately report to her mother.
