Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair) novel Chapter 921

Dominic looked at his granddaughter's thin shoulders. His heart ached with a feeling of unbearable sorrow.

After all that she had already gone through, how could he bear to ask her to endure even more? How could he let her use the tragedy of her family's destruction as a bargaining chip to fight for his survival?

"Grandfather, Carissa's right," Rafael said gently. "All of this is interconnected—it's impossible to separate them. And it's not just for your sake, but to avoid war between the two kingdoms as well."

If they were to tackle the issues separately, Westhaven might indeed admit their wrongs. They might even apologize and offer compensation, but doing so would weaken their bargaining position.

Dominic understood that logic. Still, it was too cruel to ask Carissa to bear the weight of it all. He couldn't continue the conversation.

At this moment, grandfather and granddaughter faced each other. There was nothing they could say. Family matters were too sensitive, while national affairs were too painful to discuss. But it was rare for them to meet, so neither of them wanted to part ways so soon.

Rafael found the safest topic to bring up—Meadow Ridge.

He smiled and said, "Carissa, why don't you tell Grandfather about your time at Meadow Ridge? I'm sure he'll find it very interesting."

Dominic's eyes lit up immediately. "Ah, yes! You trained under Sage Adrian at Meadow Ridge, didn't you? I've met him a couple of times. It's a shame we didn't get to talk more. What's he like? Is he strict and stern? With your martial arts skills, you must have gone through a lot of hardship under his guidance. I imagine he's been a very strict teacher."

Carissa laughed. "Sage Adrian isn't strict at all. He's more like our big brother, and he's even more mischievous than we are! That's why our martial uncle, Sage Everett, doesn't like his style. Every time he finds an excuse to punish us, it's just to teach Sage Adrian a lesson."

Dominic was surprised. "Mischievous? That doesn't sound right. I've met him, and my impression was that he was always cold and serious, distant and unapproachable. How could you call him mischievous?"

Carissa laughed again. "He's been fooling everyone. His so-called cold and serious demeanor? He's just shy around strangers and afraid of socializing. Once you get to know him, he talks non-stop and shares everything. After a little wine, there's no secret he can keep. He also loves to tinker with things and makes a mess at the Pathfinders Guild. That's what drives Sage Everett mad."