Chapter106Please respect copyright.PENANAfFNdFyp5ee
43
He felt something warm and heavy on106Please respect copyright.PENANAOrIkLCh5UP
his chest. At first, he was confused106Please respect copyright.PENANAdO9tMjQt5d
because he thought that he had been killed, but he felt very much alive. He106Please respect copyright.PENANAjJqWDecBgu
slowly opened his eyes, but promptly closed them again as the bright light106Please respect copyright.PENANAopYkGFJatO
blinded him. He stirred, but heavy hands kept him still.
“Your106Please respect copyright.PENANAe1qB9nCZdq
wounds haven’t fully healed.” The man said. “You need to lie still.” He106Please respect copyright.PENANAIGDpMAJRLb
recognized the voice of Topal which meant he had to be back in the Capital.
“What106Please respect copyright.PENANApujw24QqCK
happened?” Vander groaned. He tried to sit up, but again Topal pushed him back106Please respect copyright.PENANAQQrkwgESat
down.
“Don’t106Please respect copyright.PENANAsfuYFKB8sh
worry about that now.” He scolded. “Rest and be well. There are plenty of106Please respect copyright.PENANAWwNPgJCgLD
people who wish to see you.” Slowly nodding his head, Vander drifted off back106Please respect copyright.PENANAMpZ3LVh4QM
to sleep.
Over106Please respect copyright.PENANA4Nah7iMHLm
the next few days, he heard many people entering and leaving the room he was106Please respect copyright.PENANABOtA1UKT3C
staying in, but he didn’t hear anything that was being said. The only thing he106Please respect copyright.PENANAWkWfOhshtl
noticed was when Shea came in to sleep on his bed. He could feel how worried106Please respect copyright.PENANAOgJOiFc0vV
she had been and how excited she was that he was back. He held her close, not106Please respect copyright.PENANAnZgli4fSrO
willing to be parted with her again. Alex came to visit him on the fourth day106Please respect copyright.PENANAovjmj3v1kp
to tell him what had happened.
“We106Please respect copyright.PENANAjDm4odiiAt
came back as quickly as we could.” Alex sat in the chair; his hands clasped106Please respect copyright.PENANAhtOGzf0p8F
together. Since arriving he hadn’t looked his friend in the eye, not once.106Please respect copyright.PENANAhvnLuNADOk
“After I explained what happened, the Commander came as well. He was worried106Please respect copyright.PENANAGSAOjFjWx9
for you and when he saw you lying on the ground near death, he was beside106Please respect copyright.PENANAeI3VTPVwLX
himself. He wouldn’t stop until you could be seen by Topal.”
“What106Please respect copyright.PENANAdHOUnOtSrS
about Eve and Jogun?” Vander asked. “Where they found?”
“No,”106Please respect copyright.PENANAH2JOORpuVp
Alex shook his head. “They were gone along with twenty other Serpents, but106Please respect copyright.PENANAgOe2KBIAG3
because of you we have vital intel about where they have been hiding out. The106Please respect copyright.PENANA6qJwfOjLbU
army has been dispatched to hunt them down.”
“That’s106Please respect copyright.PENANA3bgmoSHMU3
a relief.” Vander sighed.
“It’s106Please respect copyright.PENANAPpOF6d8KWU
in the hands of the council now. They will decide on our next steps.” Before106Please respect copyright.PENANAK8dxZAnzIL
Vander could say anything, there was a knock on the door. Alex stood as Cuvera106Please respect copyright.PENANATdhhnu0uV6
walked in with Kiara right behind her.
“My106Please respect copyright.PENANADGpSMbo2WD
prince.” Vander went to sit up, but Cuvera shook his head.
“Stay,106Please respect copyright.PENANA8y9D4f5wRc
as far as I’m concerned, you’re a hero and I should be bowing to you.” Cuvera106Please respect copyright.PENANAY7kGcEzkOG
looked at Alex. “Do you mind if we have the room?”
“Certainly.”106Please respect copyright.PENANALOqKltDkZg
Alex bowed his head and shuffled out. Kiara slowly closed the door behind him.106Please respect copyright.PENANAb3kexTHGV8
They waited a couple of moments to make sure they were truly alone before he106Please respect copyright.PENANAQDISIbWbtA
sat down in the chair.
“Thanks106Please respect copyright.PENANAHsXFKAyF9k
to you, my Queen has returned.” Cuvera smiled. “If there is anything in the106Please respect copyright.PENANAi8mvYKRZ4o
country you would like, it is yours for the asking. My family owes you an106Please respect copyright.PENANAlGKfsHfiZR
enormous debt.”
Vander106Please respect copyright.PENANA5VhFpUPWZa
took a few minutes to ponder if before shaking his head. “Nothing comes to106Please respect copyright.PENANAkS6mKqb8yG
mind. Can I think about it for a bit?” Cuvera nodded his head. He opened his106Please respect copyright.PENANANRLJAaCTDo
mouth to speak again but closed it shortly after. Vander could tell that his106Please respect copyright.PENANAaMdYNCBiKc
friend was fighting biting back his anger, but he didn’t know why.
“Perhaps106Please respect copyright.PENANA1uTPvqq92t
I should be the one to tell him.” Kiara placed her hand on her fiancé’s106Please respect copyright.PENANA8FwYN0o6Vu
shoulder. He interlocked his fingers with hers but gave an apologetic smile.
“No,106Please respect copyright.PENANAmV0SBTHrPC
it’s better if it comes from me.” He took a deep breath. “Despite Peyton’s106Please respect copyright.PENANAiSBUPqUoot
betrayal there are still many on the council who blame you for what happened.106Please respect copyright.PENANATFlOCoL2p1
They decided to keep you from the Blades since it was also one of your recruits106Please respect copyright.PENANAXZI74pUjJM
who betrayed us.”
“That’s106Please respect copyright.PENANAlGr64AwoCp
outrageous.” Alexander shouted. He came back in from the hallway angrier than106Please respect copyright.PENANAEP4eA5abYU
Vander had ever seen him. “He saved the Queen and ousted a traitor. What are106Please respect copyright.PENANADuo7DBpHDe
they thinking?”
“Politicians rarely think, Alex.”106Please respect copyright.PENANAFpAezrMnnF
Cuvera said. “However, that decision ultimately rests in my hands, so I have106Please respect copyright.PENANAsvXRnrCUSs
decided to ignore their judgement. Vander, this next part is for you to106Please respect copyright.PENANAiFPrU3dQfg
decide.”
“Yes?”
“I’m106Please respect copyright.PENANAJlnNX88fW8
currently short a Commander, would you do me the honors?” Cuvera smiled down at106Please respect copyright.PENANAXY8Pk7kqa8
Vander, holding out his hand hoping his friend would accept. He didn’t even106Please respect copyright.PENANAcGw74Ke5Pn
have to think twice. He took the hand and smiled.
“Yes,106Please respect copyright.PENANAKtmivq9bn5
my King.”
…
A106Please respect copyright.PENANAk1XeheskJo
week later Vander stood in front of the mirror struggling to put on his106Please respect copyright.PENANAlDIv0SUpXR
uniform. Today was the day he would be coronated as Blade Commander and he106Please respect copyright.PENANAH2YZ8ywUq3
wanted to do it right. It had taken a long time for Topal to give permission106Please respect copyright.PENANAckVxZs64aP
for Vander to walk around, but it would still take a few more months until he106Please respect copyright.PENANAYCiplso6Hn
was back to normal. However, a couple of things did change. His hair had gone106Please respect copyright.PENANAodbpyS2L53
back to its normal color as the coming together of his demon and him changed it106Please respect copyright.PENANAlM44PLoNLC
back. It showed that he fully accepted his abilities instead of finding them.
The106Please respect copyright.PENANA61IQXrGIqT
other thing that changed came into the room and wrapped her arms around106Please respect copyright.PENANAAXHqCxjOCN
Vander’s shoulders placing a kiss on his cheek. “Have I thanked you today for106Please respect copyright.PENANAE0ybmHaEt0
saving my life?” Eliza whispered in his ear.
“No,106Please respect copyright.PENANAk65HQoeV8B
but you can do so by helping me get dressed.” Vander said. “I have to be there106Please respect copyright.PENANAmgbmY68zYx
soon and I’m nowhere near ready.”
When106Please respect copyright.PENANAt9ye8TzyLn
he awoke from his coma, he wasted no time marrying Eliza. Despite knowing each106Please respect copyright.PENANAQ2s0uXWZ8z
other for only a little while, he couldn’t deny there was a connection between106Please respect copyright.PENANAB4xw8KB8bX
them that hadn’t existed with anyone else he had been with before. He had106Please respect copyright.PENANAvIU7BlVAJm
nearly lost her once and he wasn’t willing to go through it again. Their106Please respect copyright.PENANALkdF5do1CB
matching gold bands glinted as she fixed his baldric to his belt.
“Do106Please respect copyright.PENANAGOnWKaxrHb
you still wish to go to the beach?” he asked her. Her golden eyes met his as he106Please respect copyright.PENANABIQXsgT6B0
saw her smile.
“Are106Please respect copyright.PENANAoMcYhQG41X
we going there soon?”
“After106Please respect copyright.PENANAchm6YBAGQj
the ceremony.” Vander nodded. “I have a few months of vacation I have to take106Please respect copyright.PENANAYJst6D6HkL
to recover from my injuries. Alex, Chicken and Rooster will be busy reforming106Please respect copyright.PENANA4TOutxWAD2
the Blades in my absence, I just must get better.”
“I106Please respect copyright.PENANAJLRKRDrLho
bought a new outfit I can’t wait to show you.” She teased him gently.
“One106Please respect copyright.PENANAmIv5V9ooWs
thing at a time.” He smiled. “Let’s get through this.”
Hand106Please respect copyright.PENANAHDoSRXEfki
in hand, the two of them left the room and entered the throne room, which was106Please respect copyright.PENANAzIlv1pamf0
filled with Blades and council members, many of which frowned at his entrance,106Please respect copyright.PENANAW1ynxTcAuN
but there wasn’t much they could do about it. This was Cuvera’s choice, it106Please respect copyright.PENANAIWHPjNBaY8
didn’t matter what they wanted.
The106Please respect copyright.PENANA3osLCtN3Bi
Warden’s had all gone home to their territories to begin the hunt for the106Please respect copyright.PENANANFc13k0jD6
missing Serpents. No one would rest until they were caught and brought to106Please respect copyright.PENANAvy2vyhLxYr
justice. No one kidnapped the queen and got away with it. The Cranton family106Please respect copyright.PENANAG798yAi8TJ
was also being investigated for their ties to the Black Order and Serpents, but106Please respect copyright.PENANApSwz2Cp7vX
nothing had come up yet. Cuvera wouldn’t rest until the matter was settled, but106Please respect copyright.PENANAI3Jb7T4eAu
that was for him to do.
Eliza106Please respect copyright.PENANArx79DBavgN
walked over to stand by Alex and Shea who couldn’t hide their pride at Vander’s106Please respect copyright.PENANAljwfrdJltd
promotion.
Vander106Please respect copyright.PENANAgZm49z8php
walked up to the center floor, just in front of Cuvera, then got down on one106Please respect copyright.PENANAYr7DSWAOEA
knee and bowed his head. He heard the king remove a sword from his scabbard and106Please respect copyright.PENANA8DaO11fgFX
hold it aloft.
“Do106Please respect copyright.PENANASJsmsYjeOk
you, Vander, accept the title of Commander and everything that comes with it?”106Please respect copyright.PENANAS5bTq7yPWX
Cuvera asked.
“I106Please respect copyright.PENANAgAqLW9lkjp
do.” He shouted back.
“Do106Please respect copyright.PENANAs7KccbulAD
you swear to give your life for me and the citizens of this realm if I ask of106Please respect copyright.PENANA1JJErb0QK2
it?”
“Only106Please respect copyright.PENANAOXRmoD3HA4
death will release me from my vow.” He responded.
“Then106Please respect copyright.PENANAhfbLlA7PFt
I name you Vander, my Blade Commander.” Cuvera said. “Please rise and accept106Please respect copyright.PENANArVj5MMtZXb
this sword.” Vander stood then walked up to the platform as the crowd cheered,106Please respect copyright.PENANAtUZebohUgd
chanting his name. He accepted the sword that had been created for him. The106Please respect copyright.PENANAZ3BpVziLtk
scabbard had been painted to resemble a white wolf while the weapon was made106Please respect copyright.PENANAN1ZyVGspfC
from white titanium found deep within the northern mountains. It was sturdy and106Please respect copyright.PENANAjy8tF0uI0B
resilient, just like him.
As106Please respect copyright.PENANA0i2Rxd5Mwa
he looked over the gathered crowd, he knew the next few years would be106Please respect copyright.PENANAy3tRZeOIPD
challenging, but he would have to do his best to protect the people here from106Please respect copyright.PENANAkWBA1XZNdF
the vision Humi had shown him. He still hadn’t told anyone, and he likely never106Please respect copyright.PENANAJzIxnr7rZb
would. This was his burden to bear and bear it he must. For he was the only one106Please respect copyright.PENANAdl26XnmpWs
capable of protecting them all.
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He106Please respect copyright.PENANAuFf1u1Osby
is, the Eluvian Blade.