Awakening Love Reborn to Be His Duchess (Elowen Hale) novel Chapter 781

Chapter 781 A Storm Is Coming

Stepping out of the main courtyard, servants had already brought out the horses.

Finished

Valessa swung onto her saddle with crisp, agile grace. Looking down from her mount, she asked Elowen, “Do you know how to ride?”

“I do.”

Elowen nodded, gently stroking–the horse’s mane.

The stallion gave a soft snort, and Elowen praised it. “Good boy.”

With that, she hoisted herself smoothly onto the saddle, her movements clean and completely devoid of hesitation.

Watching her, Valessa felt a massive wave of pleasant surprise and admiration wash over her.

She couldn’t help but think, If I were a man. Cassian wouldn’t even stand a chance.

Elowen told her, “You wouldn’t know this, but when I was little, I absolutely loved riding, and I was actually pretty good at it.”

Valessa gave her a long, meaningful look, a smirk pulling at her lips. “Once we bring Flowira home, let’s go riding on the steppes together.”

Elowen agreed happily. “It’s a date. But for now, let’s go bring Flowira home.”

With no time to lose, the two women dug their heels into their horses‘ flanks and took off.

Behind them, twenty–plus elite guards fell into formation.

The squad tore straight out of Kingsport. The thunderous clatter of hooves echoed through the long streets. sharp and dense, like a sudden, violent downpour in the dead of winter.

Outside the city, at the Shrine of the Oracle.

Noah stood inside the shrine, his hands hanging loosely by his sides as he stared silently at the weathered, peeling statue of the Oracle.

It looked like her, yet it didn’t quite capture her essence.

Maya whispered, “Doctor Wren… do you truly worship the Oracle?”

Noah offered a faint smile. “It’s not worship. It’s love.”

Maya froze in surprise

Just as she was about to ask more, Noah suddenly hushed her, “Shh.”

Maya instantly clamped her mouth shut

Noah’s ears twitched, listening intently

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Unsure, he stepped out of the shrine.

The Nordian plains were vast, and with nobody around for miles, he picked up the faint, muffled thunder of galloping hooves.

Dozens of horses, at least. And by the sound of it, they were charging straight south.

Toward Oracle Peak.

Hearing the stampede, a deep sense of dread pooled in Noah’s stomach.

He listened for a long time, only returning inside when the sound completely faded.

Unable to shake her anxiety, Maya asked him, “Doctor Wren, is something wrong?”

Noah told her, “A squad of cavalry just rode out of Kingsport.”

Maya instantly tensed up in pure panic. “Are… are they the royal guards? Are they coming for me?!”

Noah shook his head. “The Prince’s consort selection ended today. They have zero reason to chase you down now. You and your fiancé are completely safe.”

Maya let out a massive sigh of relief, her rigid shoulders dropping in exhaustion.

But the tight knot between Noah’s brows didn’t loosen for a second.

Because his gut was screaming that something was wrong.

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Almost every time Noah felt this kind of dread, it meant something monumental was about to happen- and it was never anything good.

The last time he felt this terrified was years ago. He had been seeing a patient up in Willow Ridge when a sudden, suffocating panic hit him so hard he nearly blacked out.

Not long after, he received the news: his daughter was dead.

That tragedy completely destroyed him. He barely survived the grief.

On top of that, in his early years, he had treated himself as a human guinea pig to push the boundaries of medicine. Countless needles and toxic remedies had left his body permanently damaged.

Over the years, his health had been hollowed out, like an old tree eaten away by termites–standing tall on the outside, but completely rotting on the inside.

When the news of his daughter’s death broke, the mental collapse was so utterly devastating that his brain seemingly shut down to protect itself. He completely lost his memory for several years, his mind violently split in two. Half of him clung to the warm past where his daughter was still alive, while the other half was banished to a freezing, empty void.

For years, he had stayed in Willow Ridge, healing the sick and saving lives.

It wasn’t until the first half of last year that his memories slowly began to return.

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Chapter 781 A Storm is Coming

He remembered that he had once governed the twelve provinces of the Southwest, ruling as the absolute, uncrowned king of Avenlor’s southwestern border.

He remembered his unforgettable romance with Nordia’s Oracle, Ulana.

They had a daughter together, who fell in love with an Avenloran general named Hale and became his wife.

Because he couldn’t bear to break his daughter’s heart, he gave up the empire he had spent half his life building, handing over the twelve southwestern provinces to Avenlor on a silver platter.

Later, he was blessed with a grandson and a granddaughter.

Especially that granddaughter–so tiny and soft, feeling like a little kitten when he held her in his arms.

Noah adored her more than anything in the world.

She loved riding, so he gifted her the finest stallions and tack the world had to offer.

For her birthdays, he gifted her entire sweeping landscapes, mountains, and rivers.

As a master physician, his personal seal used to just be the twinleaf herb representing his chosen name. But later, he carved a brand new seal, preserving the tiny fingerprint his granddaughter had accidentally left on

1. it.

His wife, his daughter, his granddaughter–they were the most important people in his entire life, and he was willing to sacrifice absolutely anything for them.

The first time he felt this gut–wrenching dread, he soon learned of his wife’s death.

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