Page 10 of Warrior Princess
Shiro looked between Ronan and me and then back to Ronan, a hint of suspicion in his gaze. “And you are okay with this?”
Ronan straightened, his stance firm. “It’s not what you think,” he clarified sharply. “I don’t share. Ever.”
Shiro nodded, seeming to accept Ronan’s answer, then turned back to me. “So you trust this commander?”
“Somewhat,” I admitted. “When we were fleeing Valoria and needed to cross Keldara to reach the edge of the Central Plains and then to the Grasslands, he granted us safe passage. I think we can trust him.”
“As much as I hate to agree with her on this, she’s right. Mykal did help us before, and he might be willing to help again,” Ronan conceded with a sigh. “He’s also highly favored byKing Eduard, so his influence might be beneficial. It was smart thinking, Leila.”
Shiro let out a long breath, clearly still uneasy. “Well… I will give these peace talks a try. But if they refuse to comply—”
“They will,” I interrupted confidently. “No one wants war.”
“Keldara might,” Ronan countered, his voice low. “They’re a military-run country. War is all they know.”
I bit my lower lip. “Everyone has a price, Ronan… let’s see what theirs is.”
Ronanand I spent several tense days waiting for Commander Mykal to arrive. His messenger had relayed a missive confirming he would escort me back to Keldara. Despite Mykal’s assurances, a thread of anxiety remained; his unpredictable nature made me wary. He was due later this afternoon, and with Ronan occupied discussing logistics with his father, I took the opportunity to seek a few moments of solitude.
I was drawn to the mountains, to the very cave where I was sacrificed—an eerie reminder of my recent past. I hoped to find Shiro there. He’d been conspicuously absent and quiet these last few days. Concern for him gnawed at me.
The trek through the mountains was more challenging than I remembered. The path wound steeply upwards, and the rocky terrain was uneven. The air grew cooler and thinner as I ascended, forcing me to pause several times to catch my breath and push past the remnants of my recent weakness.
At last, I reached the mouth of the cave. Its entrance was a gaping maw in the mountainside, the edges jagged like broken teeth silhouetted against the sky. “Shiro?” I called into the darkness, my voice echoing back at me. “It’s Leila!”
Silence greeted me, so I ventured further into the cave’s shadowy depths. The air inside was cool and damp, the walls rough and encrusted with mineral deposits that glinted faintly in the scant light that filtered in from the entrance. I called out again, my footsteps echoing in the vast, empty space.
Suddenly, Shiro emerged from a dark corner, his presence startling me. “I heard you the first time,” he grumbled, meeting me halfway. “What are you doing here?” His tone was gruff, his brows furrowed in a mix of irritation and curiosity.
I shrugged, feeling both relief and apprehension. “I wanted to see you before I left this afternoon.”
“So you have decided? You are really going?” His gaze was intense as he searched my covered neck and back up to my face again.
I nodded firmly. “It’s best for everyone.”
“Not for you,” he murmured, his voice low. “But that does not matter to you, does it? You would sacrifice it all for Ronan.” His observation was not a question, but a statement.
“I would,” I affirmed. “I love him.”
Shiro snorted dismissively. “Right. I said that once too, but I still betrayed her in the end. I guess Valorian women are different from us Crimson Clan men.”
I stepped closer to him, shaking my head. “You didn’t betray her—”
“How do you know? You were not there,” he countered sharply.
I exhaled slowly as I searched his tormented expression. “True, I wasn’t. But you seem remorseful, Shiro. And I can tell you still love her deeply.”
He chuckled dryly and his gaze dropped as he kicked at some loose pebbles on the cave floor. “The best she could do was put me to sleep because she could not bring herself to kill me. Gods,I wish she would have,” he muttered darkly. “But she loved me too deeply, and I did not love her enough.”
“Whydidshe put you to sleep?” I asked, my curiosity piqued by his raw, unguarded confession.
Shiro restlessly paced the length of the cave. “Keldara was threatening our very way of life. They were planning to invade the Grasslands. I was so blinded by love for Celeste, the world just disappeared when she was around. I did not see the danger until it was almost too late.” His voice was laden with self-loathing and regret. “By the time I realized we were on the brink of war, I was furious. Furious at Keldara, and even worse, furious with Celeste because my love for her distracted me from my duty. I blamed her for everything, even when none of it was her fault. I was about to lay waste to all Asteria when she stopped me, but nothing she said could change my mind. I was too far gone,” he finished, his whisper echoing in the chilling expanse of the cavern.
As I watched Shiro pace back and forth across the dimly lit cave, the subtle play of shadows accentuating the tension in his form, I decided to voice my thoughts, hoping to pierce the veil of his despair. “I don’t think she would feel betrayed,” I began cautiously, observing his reaction. “I think she was giving you a second chance.”
He halted his restless movements and turned to face me with a questioning look. “A second chance? A second chance for what?”
I took a deep breath. The cool, musty air filled my lungs as I sought the right words. “A second chance at life, Shiro. You needed time to think, to cool down, and she gave it to you. She wasn’t mad at you when she died; she knew you loved her. I can almost guarantee it.”
