Hughie quickly blocked the furious soldier, saying urgently. “No matter what her past was, she now belongs to His Highness. She’s no longer that rebel’s daughter. With the enemy still around us, we can’t afford to tear ourselves apart.”
Finally, Waldo stood up:
He was still Waldo–the man who had once been their undefeated war god
The moment he rose, the entire camp fell silent.
Waldo walked forward, facing his battered men. His voice was hoarse but steady. “This disaster is my fault I misjudged the enemy, and I led you into danger. But don’t lose hope. I swear I’ll find a way to get us out of here.”
Somewhere in the crowd, a soldier muttered hesitantly, “Will the court send reinforcements?”
They all knew the truth in their hearts. It wasn’t that they hadn’t tried to escape.
They had. Many times.
ry time t
Every
they charged toward the edge of the store forest, they were met with slaughter.
Some crushed under falling rocks, others pierced by hails of arrows
tart, there had been over three thousand men. Now, barely two thousand remained.
At the start,
The ground around them was soaked with blood, littered with the corpses of their fallen brothers
The stone forest had become a graveyard.
Staying put meant a slow death, Charging forward meant instant death
In this grim silence, another soldier croaked out, his voice rough and broken, “Will Miss Yates come for us?”
They were Walda’s personal troops–men who had followed him through countless battles.
And for years, Jessica and Garbisch had been fight!!
wude them, fighting, bleeding, surviving.
In this army, every man knew–Jessica might look delicate, but when it came to strate
strategy.
she w
was second to none.
Those who had fought under her command couldn’t help but respect her.
Soldiers from the border cities might not understand, but Waldo’s veterans knew that even Waldo’s legendary victory over the Sandspire warlord fat had been won with Jessica’s cunning
it Jessica were here, would she have found a way out by now?
The thought stred the faintest ember of hope among the men. But just as that fragile Hope was beginning to rise, Priscilla, who had been standing off to the side pale and trembling, suddenly exploded
“You think Jessica would save you?” she
- d. her voice
voice sharp and grating. “What did she ever give you that makes you worship her like dogs?”
No one answered her. No one even looked at her.
The more she screamed, the more invisible she became
And Precia–Priscilla.could endure poverty, endure hardship, but she could not endure being ignored. It wi
13:32 Wed, 4 Jun:
Chapter 155
4 Jun
Her eyes reddened as she raged, “If Jessica cared about you, she would have been here by now! Where it show, huh? She’s sitting comfortably back in Capitalia, cuiled up in some man’s bed!”
“Priscilla!” Waldo snapped, his voice thunderous with anger.
He had never realized how utterly stupid she could be. At a time like this to slander Jessica in front of the men who had once bled with her, trusted her, Did Priscilla have a death wish?”
Priscilla turned on him, not flinching in the least
“Why are you yelling at me?” she hissed. “I’m only telling the truth. I’m Pat’s daughter. I’m the Desert Rose. I don’t fear death!”
Priscilla sneered, her voice dripping with venom. “Tell me am wrong? Wasn’t Jessica always clinging to you, following you into every battle, refusing to let go? But now? Where is she now? She’s found someone new, Waldo! You pathetic fool–she doesn’t love you anymore. She’s already wrapped herself around another man!”
