The Abandoned Luna's Journey to Power (by Emily Reed) novel Chapter 69

Chapter 69 A Monument on the Wasteland

Chapter 69 A Monument on the Wasteland

Prince Adam’s POV:

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I rode with Cindy on a war wolf, leaving the noise of the castle behind. We headed to a small, nameless hill about a mile outside the city.

The view was wide and open. From here, you could see the whole battlefield as it once was.

Cold wind cut across the land, lifting dry, yellow dust into the air.

At the top of the hill stood a rough stone statue.

It was not made by any master craftsman. The lines were uneven and simple. It was clearly carved bit by bit by local herders using crude tools.

But the spirit of it was right. It showed a silver wolf howling at the sky with one front paw pressed on a broken sword.

That was Benjamin’s totem.

“This was where your father fought,” I said. I slid off the wolf and walked up to the statue, brushing sand from the stone. “Ten years ago, when the vampires tried their first flanking attack, your father brought 30 suicide fighters from Silverpeak Pack here. They held this hill for three days and three nights, until reinforcements arrived.”

I turned to look at Cindy.

She stood frozen in front of the statue, stiff as stone.

Her hand trembled as she touched the rough surface, as if she were trying to feel her father’s warmth through the rock.

“The local herders built this in secret to honor him,” I said softly. “My father always valued you.”

Cindy’s fingers stopped moving. She did not turn around, but her back looked lonely and small.

“He once spoke to me about you,” I continued, watching her back, my chest tight with a dull ache. “He said Benjamin’s daughter was a born warrior. He planned to recruit you into the Royal Guard after you graduated from the academy. You were meant to train under the senior generals or under me for a few years. One day, you will take your father’s place.”

I paused. “But then news came that you married James.”

I let out a slow breath. “My father was furious. He said your talent had been wasted away. He thought you chose to limit yourself to a quiet life behind closed doors. That’s why he was so angry the day you begged him in the hall. When he said you were being reckless, it wasn’t cruelty. He was disappointed because he believed you could have been so much more.”

Cindy’s shoulders began to shake.

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Chapter 69 A Monument on the Wasteland

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Slowly, she dropped to her knees. Her forehead pressed against the cold stone base of the monument.

She didn’t scream. She didn’t wail.

There was only a low, broken sound held deep in her throat. It came out in short bursts, like an injured animal licking its wounds.

I knew what she was crying for.

She was crying over her past choices. For the trust she gave to the wrong person. For years, she dulled her edge in exchange for stability. And most of all, for the family who died because of it.

If she had not married James but chosen the battlefield, maybe everything would have been different.

These “what ifs” are the sharpest knives of all.

I stood behind her and watched the woman who ruled the battlefield without mercy. Right now, she looked fragile, like a leaf trembling in the wind.

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