Page 6 of Warrior Princess (Blood Weaver Trilogy #3)

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“ A re you insane , Leila?” Ronan's sharp voice was tinged with disbelief as we stepped out of the dim, oppressive atmosphere of the ritual hall and into the bright, lively village.

“She must be,” Shiro muttered, his tone low and incredulous. “I have never known someone so keen on dying for someone else’s cause.”

I couldn't help but snort at their dramatics. “That is certainly not the case,” I asserted as we dodged a group of laughing children who darted past, their joy a stark contrast to the grave discussion at hand. The air was rich with the scents of cooking food from nearby homes, and the distant clatter of a blacksmith's hammer provided a steady backdrop to our tense conversation. “But we all know this is our best option.”

“ Our ?” Ronan echoed, the skepticism clear in his voice. “You are Valorian, Leila. There is no our —”

I glared at him, stopping in my tracks. “I may not be from the Crimson Clan, but you are mine!” I retorted. My firm words were filled with an intensity that made a few villagers nearby glance curiously in our direction. “I will do anything and everything in my power to protect you. So yes, Ronan, this is our best option.”

He exhaled deeply and ran a hand through his long hair in frustration. “You know what I meant, Leila,” he murmured, his tone softening.

“Who is this Commander Mykal Kaiser?” Shiro interjected, clearly trying to understand more about the political landscape after being asleep for centuries. He stood with his arms crossed, his tail swishing thoughtfully behind him.

“He’s the commander of the Keldaran army,” Ronan explained, his expression turning grave. “As well as the adopted son of the Keldaran king.”

Shiro's brow furrowed. “Adopted son? The king has no heirs?”

I shook my head. “No. He doesn’t.”

“And you are close friends with this commander?” Shiro probed further.

I winced slightly at the description. “Well… I wouldn’t call us close, or friends, exactly, but we’re something, I guess.”

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 by King 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.”

Ronan and 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.”

“Why did she 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.”

Shiro's intense gaze met mine, searching, probing for any sign of falsehood. In my conviction, perhaps he saw a reflection of the forgiveness for which he yearned.

“If Celeste was anything like me, she never would have hated you. No matter what you did,” I added, hoping to strengthen his hope with my assurance.

“One can only dream.” His low voice was tinged with a melancholy that seemed to echo off the cave walls. “Now I am awake here in a new world that seems like the old one, left to wander it alone.”

“You’re not alone.” I stepped closer to bridge the gap his solitude had wrought. The flickering light from the entrance cast long shadows behind us, making the cave’s vastness feel less oppressive. “The Crimson Clan is your family, and as a descendant of the Moon Goddess, I am as well.”

His dry chuckle bounced off the cave’s stony interior. “Thank you… I do not even know what to call you. I have heard two different names. Which is it?” His question came with a raised brow, a lightness in his tone that wasn’t there before.

I laughed, the sound more cheerful in the gloomy cavern. “My given name is Lyanna, but I left my home in Valoria for ten years and traveled under the guise of Leila. Ronan likes to call me Leila, and honestly, I prefer it,” I explained with a shrug, finding comfort in the chosen identity that had seen me through many trials.

He smirked, and a glimmer of amusement in his eyes softened the hard lines of his face. “Leila it is, then.” Shiro's smirk lingered as he leaned back against the cool, rough wall of the cave, the earlier tension slowly easing from his shoulders. “It is fitting, somehow—both names are strong.”

“It feels right,” I agreed, allowing a small smile to play at the corners of my mouth. “It's the name I chose to live under, the one that's seen me through some of my darkest and brightest days.”

He nodded thoughtfully, and his gaze drifted away for a moment as if recalling his own past. “Names can be powerful,” he mused, then looked back at me with renewed interest. “So, your return to Keldara sounds… complicated .”

“Yes, it's complicated,” I admitted. Folding my arms, I considered the many layers of the upcoming journey. “But necessary. Keldara and the Crimson Clan need to find some common ground, or the tension between them will escalate beyond control. And if Mykal can help facilitate that, then it's a risk worth taking.”

Shiro pushed off from the wall, his movements fluid. “And what about Ronan? How does he feel about you leaving with Mykal?”

“Ronan understands why it’s important,” I said carefully, though the weight of his concern was never far from my mind. “He's worried, of course. He doesn't trust Mykal—not entirely. But he trusts me.”

Shiro chuckled softly. “Love and trust—a potent combination. It might be enough to keep you safe.” His expression grew serious again. “But promise me something, Leila. Be cautious. Mykal may be an ally today, but alliances can shift with the wind, especially in Keldara.”

“I know.” I felt the magnitude of his advice. “I'll be careful. I have a lot to return to, after all.”

“You do,” he affirmed, then paused, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that conveyed both his concern and his respect. “You remind me a lot of Celeste. You are both strong in your own ways without exerting physical force… although I reckon you are also one powerful blood weaver.”

I felt a warm flush of appreciation at his words. Coming from Shiro, they carried the weight of centuries of observation and experience. “Thank you, Shiro. That means a lot, especially coming from you.”

He gave a solemn nod. “Just remember that whatever happens, you have a place here with the Crimson Clan. And you have my support, should you ever need it.”

“Thank you.” The simplicity of my response belied the depth of my gratitude. “Oh… speaking of support, do you think you can help me with something?”

Shiro nodded. “Of course. Anything.”

I took a deep breath. “I want to learn blood weaving. No one’s ever taught me, and my parents are reluctant to help me. I know I’m powerful, but I’m not at the level I want to be. I want to be better.”

Shiro furrowed his brows. “Are you sure? I am no expert, but I did learn about it from Celeste. After many years, it took a toll on her body.”

I nodded firmly. “I’m sure.”

“Very well.” He extended a hand for me to shake. “When you return, I will teach you blood weaving.”

I shook his hand to seal the deal.

As I turned to depart the cave, I turned back to him. “Take care of yourself, Shiro. And maybe try to get out of this cave more often. The world has changed, but it’s not all bad out there.”

He gave a dry laugh, his crimson eyes twinkling briefly with amusement. “I will consider it. Safe travels, Leila.”

With a final nod, I stepped outside, leaving the cool shadows behind for the bright light of afternoon. As I wound back down the mountain path, I felt fortified, not just by Shiro’s words, but by the knowledge that whatever lay ahead in Keldara, I wouldn’t face it alone.