Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 421: Spilling the truth to the girls

By the time Lucas, the King, and Commander Alexander reached the main camp, the atmosphere among the Valerion soldiers had grown even heavier.

Word had spread quickly.

No official announcement had been made, yet soldiers had eyes. They had seen the crown in Celestial Ken’s hand. They had seen the King’s reaction from afar. They had watched their ruler strike at Ken with a fury none of them had ever witnessed before.

Men spoke quietly among themselves as the three leaders passed through the camp.

Some stepped aside respectfully.

Others simply stared.

Lucas could feel the weight of their gazes as he walked beside the King.

They were looking for answers.

But none of them had any to give.

The King walked ahead of them without speaking, his face dark and unreadable. The earlier rage had not faded. It had simply settled deeper inside him, hardening into something colder.

When they reached the large command tent, the guards immediately pulled the entrance open.

The King stepped inside.

For a moment no one spoke.

The officers could see the damage to his armor and the blood along the edge of his sword. The tension in his shoulders made it clear that something had gone terribly wrong in the meeting at the valley.

One of the senior captains stepped forward carefully.

"Your Majesty, what happened out there? The soldiers are asking questions. We saw the crown..."

The King turned toward him slowly.

His eyes burned with anger.

"Leave."

Captain Varran.

"Your Majesty?"

"I said leave."

The command was sharp enough to cut through the air.

Another officer hesitated before speaking.

"But the army needs direction. If the crown truly was..."

The King slammed his sword onto the table in front of him.

The sound echoed through the tent like thunder.

"I will not repeat myself."

The officers fell silent.

The King’s voice dropped lower, but the fury inside it only became more dangerous.

"All of you leave this tent."

His hands trembled slightly as he gripped the edge of the table.

"I want to be alone."

No one dared argue further.

One by one the officers quietly exited the command tent. Even Commander Alexander lingered only a moment before giving the King a respectful nod and stepping outside.

Lucas remained near the entrance briefly, watching the King.

For the first time since the truth had been revealed in the valley, the King looked like a man carrying the full weight of his crown.

Lucas understood why.

The betrayal had not come from a distant enemy.

It had come from the woman who had shared his throne.

Lucas quietly stepped outside as well.

The camp stretched before him under the dimming light of evening. Fires had begun to appear among the tents as soldiers prepared their meals, though very few voices carried the usual energy of an army preparing for battle.

Most men spoke quietly.

Others simply sat in silence.

Lucas took a few steps away from the command tent when he heard someone call his name.

"Xavier."

He turned.

Nyx was walking toward him quickly.

Her eyes were still red from crying earlier and her expression carried a mixture of fear and desperate hope.

Behind her, Lira and Selene watched from a short distance away, both of them clearly worried.

Nyx stopped in front of him.

"Xavier," she said again.

Her voice trembled slightly.

"You spoke with Ken."

Lucas felt a knot tighten in his chest.

Nyx looked up at him with searching eyes.

"Tell me the truth."

She swallowed.

"Did he say anything about the palace?"

Lucas said nothing at first.

Nyx’s fingers slowly clenched together.

"My mother," she continued quietly.

"And Darius."

Her voice nearly broke when she said her brother’s name.

"Are they alive?"

Lucas opened his mouth.

Then he stopped.

Lucas realized he did not know how to answer her.

Nyx watched his hesitation.

Her heart immediately began racing faster.

"Xavier?"

Her voice grew more urgent.

"What has happened to them?"

Lucas stepped forward.

Before he could stop himself, he pulled her into a tight embrace.

Nyx froze.

Lucas rarely showed that kind of open emotion.

His arms wrapped around her firmly, holding her against him as though trying to steady her.

For a moment she did not understand what was happening.

Then fear rushed into her chest like cold water.

Her hands slowly gripped the back of his cloak.

"Xavier..."

Her voice trembled badly now.

"You are scaring me."

He did not answer immediately.

He simply held her.

Nyx felt her breathing grow uneven.

The silence was worse than any words.

Her thoughts immediately began racing toward the darkest possibilities.

"Xavier," she whispered again.

Her fingers tightened against his back.

"Please tell me."

Her voice shook.

"Did something happen to them?"

Lucas still had not spoken.

And that silence terrified her more than anything Ken could have said.

Nyx’s heart pounded in her chest as fear slowly swallowed the fragile hope she had been clinging to.

Lucas still held Nyx when he noticed the others standing a few paces away.

Lira and Selene had not approached any closer while Nyx spoke with him, yet neither of them had left either. They stood near one of the supply wagons, their eyes fixed on Lucas and Nyx with growing unease.

The look on Lucas’s face had already told them that something was very wrong.

Now, as Nyx trembled in his arms asking question after question, both girls felt the same creeping dread rising in their chests.

Selene’s fingers slowly tightened around the edge of her cloak.

Lira stood beside her with her lips pressed together, her gaze shifting between Lucas and Nyx as though she was trying to prepare herself for whatever answer was about to come.

Lucas finally loosened his grip and gently pulled back from Nyx.

Her hands remained clutching his cloak for a moment before slowly falling away.

Her eyes searched his face desperately.

"Xavier," she whispered again.

He looked at her.

Then his gaze shifted toward Lira and Selene.

"Come closer," he said quietly.

The two girls exchanged a brief glance before walking toward them.

Neither of them spoke.

They simply stood beside Nyx, their expressions tense.

Lucas exhaled slowly.

He knew he could not delay any longer.

But the words he needed to say carried consequences far beyond this small group.

If this truth spread through the army tonight, the fragile spirit holding the soldiers together might shatter completely.

Thousands of men were already struggling with the news that Valerion had fallen.

If they also learned that the fall had come from betrayal inside the royal family itself, the damage could be catastrophic.

Lucas looked at the three girls carefully.

"I need you to promise me something first," he said.

Nyx frowned slightly.

"What is it?"

Lucas spoke slowly.

"What I am about to tell you cannot leave this group."

Selene’s brows knitted together.

"Why?"

Lucas answered honestly.

"Because if the soldiers hear this tonight, it could destroy what little resolve they still have."

The girls fell silent.

Lucas continued.

"The army is already shaken by the crown Ken showed us."

His eyes moved between them.

"If this spreads now, it will break their spirit before tomorrow’s duel even begins."

Lira’s voice came out softly.

"So you want us to keep it secret?"

Lucas nodded.

"For now."

Nyx stared at him.

Her heart was already pounding again.

"What is it, Lucas?" she asked.

His gaze settled on her.

"I need your word first."

Nyx hesitated.

Selene glanced at Lira before speaking.

"If it protects the army, then we will keep it quiet," she said.

Lira nodded slowly.

"You have our word."

Lucas then looked back at Nyx.

She swallowed.

"I promise," she said.

Lucas studied her face for a moment, making sure she meant it.

Then he spoke.

His voice was calm, but the weight of the words felt heavy even before they left his mouth.

"Ken told us how Valerion fell."

Nyx’s fingers slowly curled.

Lucas continued.

"It was not his army that took the capital."

Her breath caught slightly.

Lucas finished the sentence.

"It was someone inside the palace."

The air seemed to grow colder around them.

Nyx’s eyes widened.

"What do you mean?"

Lucas held her gaze.

"The usurpers did not break Valerion from the outside."

He paused for a moment.

"They were helped from within."

Nyx shook her head slightly.

"No."

Lucas spoke the truth plainly.

"It was the Queen."

The words landed like a hammer.

For a moment Nyx simply stared at him as if she had misheard.

"What?"

Lucas did not look away.

"Ken said she has been working with the usurpers from the beginning."

Nyx took a step back.

"No," she said quickly.

Her voice rose in disbelief.

"That is not possible."

Lucas remained silent.

Nyx shook her head harder now. "My mother would never do that." Her breathing grew uneven. "She loves Valerion."

Lucas said nothing.

"She would never betray the kingdom." Her voice cracked. "She would never betray Father."

The silence from Lucas only made the truth feel heavier.

Nyx’s eyes searched his face desperately.

"Tell them," she said suddenly, turning toward Lira and Selene. "Tell him he is wrong."

Lira looked down and Selene did not speak either.

Nyx turned back to Lucas.

"You are mistaken," she insisted.

"My mother would never betray Valerion."

Lucas finally answered. "Nyx..."

But she was already shaking her head. "No." Tears filled her eyes again.

"You are wrong." Her voice trembled. "You must be wrong."

Nyx’s gaze hardened suddenly.

"I am going to ask Father."

Before Lucas could stop her, she turned and ran toward the command tent.

The guards barely had time to react before she pushed past them and disappeared inside.

Lira and Selene stood frozen.

For several seconds neither of them spoke.

Then slowly they both turned their eyes toward Lucas.

Their expressions were pale with shock.

Selene’s voice came out quietly. "Is it true?"

Lucas did not hesitate...He nodded.

The simple motion was enough.

Both girls understood immediately. Lucas had never lied to them before. Not once.

Lira lowered her gaze slowly.

Selene’s eyes widened with disbelief.

Neither of them could find words.

The truth had left them completely stunned.