Chapter 11 – False Heroes
MARCIA’S PERSPECTIVE
The war hadn’t been what they claimed it to be.
They were no heroes; just liars.
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General Eunice Hale had broken wartime accords. She had
massacred surrendered soldiers, killed children and torched an entire village—full of civilians.
And in the aftermath, Rum hadn’t declared retaliation; they sent spies instead.
Quiet. Precise. Ruthless. The infamous Shadow Forces.
My grandfather and father had spent decades holding that border. They were known and feared in all of Rum. So when Eunice committed her slaughter, Rum didn’t go after her—they went after the people they blamed for raising her sword.
The Moonshadow pack.
My mother, my pack, my entire estate had been wiped out in a single night of misplaced revenge. And it was all because of her. In just one year, I’d lost everything I held dear, only because of Eunice Hale.
I sat down hard on the edge of the bed, hands trembling at my
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Chapter 11 – False Heroes
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sides. Tears pricked my vision, but I blinked them back. Rage burned through me, raw and unchecked.
I released a heavy breath, mind racing with a million questions.
Too many things didn’t make sense. Why hadn’t Rum launched a counterattack? Why did they surrender? If they were furious enough to butcher my entire family, why had they agreed to a treaty led by the very person who caused the outrage?
Why was Eunice, with her flimsy combat history, credited as the hero of that war?
Where was my grandfather’s name in the war reports? Or my father’s? They were the real commanders, the ones who had actually defended Prim for so long.
And the king—Dravic’s brother—I had my reservations about him, but he wasn’t known to be cruel. After ascending the throne, he forbade harming civilians, even during wartime. He’d even stripped titles from generals for unnecessary violence.
So how did Eunice Hale walk away from a massacre with rewards and recognition? Why was she allowed to shine?
Had the King not known?
Or had he chosen to ignore it?
My stomach twisted.
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Chapter 11 – False Heroes
And worse—what if Rum wasn’t finished?
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It hit me then, like a cold gust down my spine. The Shadow Forces had gone silent, yes. But silence was only ever a warning. I knew how they operated. I’d studied my family’s war records well enough. If Rum hadn’t retaliated openly… it meant they were waiting. Calculating.
With the Prim Kingdom now locked in conflict with the West, it wouldn’t take much for Rum to strike. And if the two enemy nations aligned behind the scenes, they could crush Prim’s borders while our armies were still distracted.
Dravic’s division would be the first to fall.
I stood up so fast the chair scraped against the floor. I had to do something. Warn the King, force him to act—anything. He wouldn’t listen to me alone, not without proof.
So I forged it.
A single parchment. Sealed in Wizard Maxin’s personal code. I copied his writing stroke for stroke. Word for word. Enough to make the king believe this warning had come from the kingdom’s most prestigious wizard.
That night, I rode to the capital. No guards, no announcement. Just me slamming through the palace doors breathlessly.
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Chapter 11 – False Heroes
The guards recognized me. They let me through.
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The King sat on his throne, flanked by advisors. He raised an eyebrow when I entered, cloak damp with rain.
“I bring intelligence from Wizard Maxin,” I said, handing over the letter.
He read it in silence. Then, slowly, he set it down.
“Wizard Maxin is left–handed,” he said coldly. “You wrote this with your right.”
My breath caught.
He leaned forward. “Why did you lie, Lady Xendale?”
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