ADELE’s POV.I wave Zara and the others goodbye before making my way towards the lady. As soon as I get to her, she starts walking towards the other side of the courtyard away from the others, not bothering to say anything to me. Everyone who sees her bows to her lightly. It can only mean one thing is a high ranking officer.I use this opportunity to study her and she looks really formidable. Tall and slim with her brown hair tied neatly. She has several daggers strapped to her body with two swords in her scabbard trapped to her back. I can’t help but wonder who she is, I haven’t seen her since we got here and it's been three days.We didn’t stop until we get to a secluded part of the barracks. There is no one around, no one in sight and she looks scary. What are the odds that she would kill me? Well, it’s not my fault that I always think like that when I am near people like hr.“MacAlister?” She calls my name and I nod, “I never expected it to be you” she further adds and a look of c
ADELE’s POV.Training for the day is done and almost everyone has retired to their dorms. If you ask me the name of the gods that gave me the audacity to sneak out of my room to where Bastian said I should meet him, I would not be able to tell you but here I am sneaking past soldiers towards the big three at the back of the armory. Where the heck did I get the courage from and how did he even know of this place?I flatten my body against the wall when I see a group of soldiers patrolling. I swear I will give Bastian a tight slap if I am caught.Luckily they pass by me in the silent night and I continue to get to the tree but there is no one there.Did he not come after he made me risk my life to be here? What a jerk.“Hey” a voice calls out behind me and I turn around to see him walking towards me, bare to the waist. I swallow hard at the figure in front of me, he looks good, too good if you ask me.Bastian has always been a handsome man but seeing his well sculpted body that has been
ADELE’s POV.All of us are gathered in the main hall, Lance and another blonde boy are both on the sparring mat. Cheers and applause rise from the crowd at intervals. Lance is a strong contender, not a single stain of blood on him but the blonde looks like he bathes in blood. The only rule is not to kill, you are free to do anything else.“Man, that one is strong,” Zara says beside me, her lips into a smirk.“Who is your opponent?” I ask her.“Her” she points to Caroline who is looking my way and I swear I can see hate and anger inside her eyes. Why exactly does she hate me? It’s not like we have any kind of history together.“Seems like she wants to beat me more than you” I whisper to Zara, “she has been glaring at me for a while now”“I will break all of her fucking bones if she dares to act coy with me” Zara threatens and I stifle a smile.I look up and I see Bastian staring at me from where he is seated with some boys. He made friends fast, I give him that. He is saying something
ADELE’s POV.Loosening the lace of my boots, I move them under the bed before falling limply on the bed. The training session yesterday was much more intense than last time. I was paired with a girl who came last year and she beat the shit out of me, snapping my shoulder blade off in the process. Bastian and Zara rushed me to the infirmary where I would say I was stitched together but it still hurts. Xerxes gave me a four day holiday from all activities and I can’t help but be thankful to him.The whole place is chilly and quiet, the others are in class learning about the history of the borders and why the barracks was shifted out of Drakesworth. Luckily I know all that already so I wouldn’t miss much.My mind drifts back to the general and I let out a sigh. It’s been two whole weeks and I haven’t seen him since then. Then why did he marry me? Why did he go through this trouble if he knew he wouldn’t commit? What was the need of getting married to me? It’s not like I have anything t
ADELE’s POV.Loosening the lace of my boots, I move them under the bed before falling limply on the bed. The training session yesterday was much more intense than last time. I was paired with a girl who came last year and she beat the shit out of me, snapping my shoulder blade off in the process. Bastian and Zara rushed me to the infirmary where I would say I was stitched together but it still hurts. Xerxes gave me a four day holiday from all activities and I can’t help but be thankful to him.The whole place is chilly and quiet, the others are in class learning about the history of the borders and why the barracks was shifted out of Drakesworth. Luckily I know all that already so I wouldn’t miss much.My mind drifts back to the general and I let out a sigh. It’s been two whole weeks and I haven’t seen him since then. Then why did he marry me? Why did he go through this trouble if he knew he wouldn’t commit? What was the need of getting married to me? It’s not like I have anything t
As soon as he walks into the room, I immediately jump off the bed. I didn’t know he would come, no one made mention of it. It's been quite some days since that wedding shenanigans and I have a lot to ask him. I need to know why he chose me when he can readily choose anyone else.My eyes travel over him and I gulp. I can’t lie, he looks scary, very scary and from the way he looks, it seems like he has been on the battlefield for a while. His hair is pulled into a messy bun and his mouth is pressed into a thin line. He has a new scar running through his left eye up to his brows but that doesn’t reduce his beauty, rather he looks more beautiful and more ruthless.I shake my head to remove such thoughts. I shouldn’t be thinking about him in that way, he almost killed me the day I stepped into the barracks.Swallowing hard, I keep looking at him waiting for him to say something. We both clearly hate each other and I am not going to give him that satisfaction to think he has any effect on
CAHIR’s POV.The very moment she stepped into the barracks, I knew she was the one. The daughter of the treacherous MacAlister who almost put the whole country into turmoil and danger, she had guts, she didn’t have a filter over her mouth and mumbled whatever she wanted and that red hair of hers would make her prone to the enemy's attack.But then despite the instant hate I developed for her the moment I saw her, I had to marry her, she had to become my wed bride and I am still very much upset about it. I didn’t spend years and years of my life cultivating immense power to get wed to someone who can’t even use a sword. The more I think about it, the more upset I become.I remember that night when ivar, my dragon, spoke to me about her and I almost went berserk.“You must be joking” I tell him, “and you know it”“Well, we both know you have to do it” he snickers, “take her as your bride and build her through the journey. General, you clearly do not have a choice now, do you?”I rememb
ADELE’s POV.After he leaves, I just can’t get the thought of the kiss out of my head. He hates me, I didn’t expect him to kiss me and even smirk about it. That man is more sly than I actually thought, he actually kissed and looked like he enjoyed it.“Pathetic” I mutter under my breath, His reputation is just bad overall. I look out of the window hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever Is happening outside but nothing. It feels like he purposely chose this room for me so I won’t be able to see anything.The door creaks open and a man saunters in followed by one of the soldiers.“He is here to check on your wounds” she says before making her way out.I think I remember this man, he looks vaguely familiar but I can’t fathom where I have seen him. Could be back in Drakesworth.“Macalister” he calls out and the frown on my face intensifies, how did he know?”“How do you know my name?” I manage to ask him, walking back to the amazingly soft bed, “I have a feeling that I have seen you somew
CAHIR’s POV.If I had known she was up to no good, I wouldn’t have left her alone in my room. How did heartfyre find her? He has been sealed off for years, how was he able to communicate with her? And to think that she even found the door to the cave at the first attempt. Adeline is even much more than I expected.Thinking about that dragon, I grit my teeth in anger. I won’t let it anywhere near her no matter what. She has been at bay for the longest time and I am going to keep it that way.“You can not stop fate, general” Ivar’s voice reaches my ear and I can feel a tinge of pain from it. I also understand how he feels. Not being able to be with the one who is bonded with causes a lot of pain which I have seen in Ivar’s eyes all these years. Ivar and heartfyre are two dragons bonded by heart but separated by circumstances.“Not now, Ivar” I cut him off, “where are you? We need to leg for Drakesworth now”“Are you sure you want to leave her young cadet alone here?”“I am going to war
ADELINE’s POV.When I open my eyes, Cahir is nowhere to be found but I can hear the sound of water splashing in the washroom. Fuck, a while ago I was almost screaming my lungs out because of how good it felt to have him inside of me again even though I knew it was just for that moment.My eyes travel to the wall again and I let out a sigh. I wouldn’t be able to check it out now but I am glad I have been able to find it.The bathroom door opens up and he steps out, a towel wrapped around his waist.Gods, this man is fucking hell. It must have taken years and years of intense workout to achieve this perfect body. From all the men I have seen, he has the most pronounced stomach abs and coupled with the few scars he has on his chest, he looks so good.. like someone straight out of a storybook. I know because I have read some of bryer’s books and looks exactly like the way those authors describe them.“If you are done staring, why don’t you get dressed?” His voice is so low and gruff and I
CAHIR’s POV.The moment I entered the room, I felt her presence and I knew she was here somewhere. What I didn’t know was why she came here. She made it clear to me that she doesn’t want anything to do with me again but here she is in my room and hiding behind my curtains.She heard everything about me, everything about my love and my life. I can’t lie, I was upset but it’s not like she wouldn’t find out sooner or later.Even as I told her to leave my room, she keeps standing watching me pull my shirt. I can only get into her head for a moment, how I wish I can know what’s going on in her head. These days, she has become so close to Bastian and I am sure he knows a lot more about her than me.“Aren’t you going to leave?” I ask, not bothering to look at her.“Did that hurt?” Her voice reaches me and I frown upon hearing that, what does she mean?I turn my head and I see her standing a few feet from me, her face has a puzzled look on there.“Your tattoo, did it….She comes close to me,
ADELE’s POV.“If you are his woman, why are you telling me?” I force myself to ask her, “you do not know me and I do not know you, you shouldn’t be bothered”“Of course” her eyes travel around me before settling on my face again, “but tell me, what are you doing here?”“I had something to discuss with the general so I came to find him”“He isn’t here, he is at the tent”“Okay, thank you”After that, I try to leave but she halts me.“You haven’t even told me your name”“It doesn’t matter, priestess”Not waiting for her response, I hasten away. What the heck was I thinking even coming here? He clearly doesn’t want me and I keep clinging onto him. Why would he chose me when he has someone like her?I haven’t gone far when I see him and Xena coming towards the fort. As soon as he sees me, he stops walking but I walk past him, not on my life. He has seen me vulnerable once, I won’t let him see that again.“Cadet!” His voice halts me, “what are you doing here?”“I came to look for Bastian”
ADELE’s POV.We haven’t spoken in days and the first thing he asks me when he sees me Is why I am chit chatting in class and before I can even say anything, another lady comes calling him in the sweetest voice I have ever heard. Before I left, I saw her and I can’t lie, she is pretty and she looks like someone worthy of standing beside him. I guess this is why he rejected me, she could be the person xena told me about but a little part of me still hurts. I mean, he married me for reasons best known to him then he discards me and brings his lover to make me upset.I can’t lie I was jealous and upset throughout until he showed up at the dining room. Part of me wants to walk to him and throw my hands around his neck and kiss him but his lover could be somewhere behind him. Our gaze met for a moment but he didn't linger, I guess this is what we are now.But best believe I was happy when he asked Caroline to be thrown into the dungeon. She has been on my case for a while now and my joy kno
CAHIR’s POV.She hasn’t looked at me since the day i rejected her, she has immersed herself in training sessions, not bothering to even spare me a glance.I watch her like a hawk when she hangs out with her friends and even more when she hangs out with Bastain. She laughs with him when he says something amusing which irritates me. She doesn’t know him like I do yet she acts like he is the best thing that has happened to her.The other day, they were both in the same sparring group and I watched him allow her to win. Is that the way he wants to help her? By not letting her reach her full potential? I think he doesn’t know what lies ahead of her and he thinks he would be able to protect her every fucking day.Now they are having a lecture and from where I am seated, I can see the two of them chit chatting during classes. I clench my jaw together, maybe I need to go harder on her than I already am.“General” xerxes’s voice reaches my ear and I raise my head to see him standing beside me.
ADELE’s POV“What do you mean you are bad for me, Cahir?” I go ahead to ask him, “what exactly is so dangerous about me loving you and you loving me? You married me, you feel something for me”“I married you because you are useful to me” he sneers, his eyes lingering on my lips for a while, “and with everything I have going on in my head, I do not have the strength to fall in love”“But….” I touch his arm lightly, “it’s not my fault that I fell for you..you.He grips my shoulders violently and I wince in pain.“Don’t you hate me?” He asks, “you said you would hate me forever right? You should keep hating me, that’s the only thing that can keep you alive. Do not love me Adeline”Letting go of me, he walks out of the tent. Part of me wants to follow him but I stop myself. He has clearly told me he didn’t love me, I shouldn’t cling onto him again. He made it clear to me, I would only be stupid if I kept clinging onto him.Sniffing back a tear, I clean the tears glistening my eyes and clo
ADELINE’s POV.A light groan leaves my mouth and I slowly open my eyes. My eyes travel round the room as I pull my body to a sitting position. This is my room back at the fort. How did I get here? I can’t seem to remember what happened but I remember telling Cahir that I do not wish to stay in the fort anymore.My thoughts are interrupted when the door pushes open and Xena saunters in with a tray of food.“You have finally woken up”I don’t bother answering, I genuinely do not have the strength to exchange words with her.“Have your food” she says, drops the food on the table beside me, “Cahir said you should finish every single morsel”“I am not hungry” I tell her, pulling my body off the bed, “I think I need to leave now”She watches me pull out my boot from under the bed and get dressed before grabbing my scabbard.“Thank you”“Where are you going?”“The other cadets should be returning now, I will join them”“The general has not given you permission to leave”“I do not need his pe
BASTIAN’s POV.It is already two hours after Adeline left my house so I decided to go see her again. It’s not like I was doing anything at home but as soon as I reach her house, I see her mother sitting on the stone bench outside, Adeline is nowhere to be seen.“Good evening aunt” I greet her.“Bastian” she calls out to me, “didn’t you leave with them?” She asks and a look of confusion appears on my face.“What do you mean, aunt?”“Adele has left for the barracks, this general came to take her away”Anger immediately built up inside of me, why the heck won’t Cahir take no for an answer. She clearly doesn’t want him and he still continues to chase after her. When it comes to her, I don’t mind killing him.“When did they leave?”“A few minutes after she got here”“Thanks aunt” I immediately rush out of the compound, my mind connecting to my coatyl almost immediately.“Come to me,” I tell her“Will you keep stressing me for that weak human?” She asks drowsily from her sleep?“That weak w