The Dragon's Shield

The mermaid queen narrowed her eyes, her suspicion growing as she watched the wolf prince silently observing the young woman in the crowd.

"Who is she? You seem to know her quite well," the queen asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"She's no one," Kaelron replied dismissively.

However, the queen wasn't easily satisfied. She signaled for one of her attendants to approach Lynaria and deliver an invitation.

"Miss, the queen requests your company. She wishes to have a drink with you. Will you accept?"

Lynaria opened her mouth to decline, but before she could, Ares spoke up, cutting her off.

"It would be an honor for my wife to join the queen. Please, inform her that she accepts."

The attendant bowed and left to return to the queen. Lynaria shot Ares a glare, her frustration evident.

"What did you just do? I don't want to be involved with them!" Lynaria hissed, anger rising.

"You wanted to know more about them, didn't you? To uncover their plans, you need to get closer, become someone they trust," Ares explained calmly, his tone laced with conviction.

Lynaria gritted her teeth, her resolve wavering. Reluctantly, she agreed. Taking a deep breath, she made her way to the queen's table, trying to appear composed. All the while, the wolf prince's eyes followed her every step.

"Greetings, Your Majesty. My name is Lynaria," she said, bowing as she reached the table.

The queen studied her carefully, a spark of recognition in her eyes. "You look familiar... Have we met before?"

Lynaria smiled politely. "I am just an ordinary woman, Your Majesty. How could someone like me possibly know someone as important as you?"

"You might be right," the queen mused. "Perhaps I mistook you for someone else. Please, sit beside Prince Sun. I'm sure you know who he is?"

Lynaria gave a small, almost sarcastic smile. "Of course, Your Majesty. The handsome and admired Prince Sun, the one adored by countless beautiful women."

She glanced at Sun as she spoke, her eyes filled with disdain.

"You seem to admire him greatly. Enjoy your evening. I must go meet someone."

With that, the queen excused herself, leaving Lynaria alone with the wolf prince. Lynaria turned her face away, trying to hide the turmoil rising within her.

"It's been a long time, Lynaria," Prince Sun said, his voice smooth and full of hidden emotion. "You've grown even more beautiful."

"Really? And you're still the same jerk who gets close to women, only to abandon them when they fall for you," Lynaria retorted bitterly.

Sun leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. "Do you still remember what we shared in the past? Do you still love me?"

Lynaria recoiled as if burned by the question. "Love? Don't flatter yourself. You're not worthy of my love—or any woman's, for that matter. You're a coward and a liar!"

Her anger boiled over, the memories of their painful past flooding back. Sun had once helped her during difficult times, and she had fallen deeply for him. But when she had finally given him her heart, he had turned his back on her, disappearing without a word. Since then, she had been cold and distant with any man who tried to approach her.

At a distance, the mermaid queen noticed Kaelron, still watching Lynaria with a keen eye, and decided to stoke the fire of tension between them.

"So, you're quietly watching her, huh? The king has fallen for his general, but unfortunately, their love is one-sided."

Kaelron's eyes narrowed with barely contained fury. "Mind your own business."

The queen smirked, her voice growing more pointed. "Are you jealous? Look at how close they are. See the way they gaze at each other—full of longing and unspoken feelings. Do you really think she will stay loyal and complete your mission?"

Kaelron clenched his jaw, his heart heavy with conflicting emotions. He saw Lynaria's expression—she seemed to hate Sun, yet there was a deep, aching longing in her eyes. But he said nothing, choosing to suppress his growing jealousy.

Back at the table, Sun tried once more to sway Lynaria.

"Come back with me. I'll treat you right this time, I swear."

But Lynaria didn't hesitate to reject him again. "Our relationship ended the day you abandoned me. Don't expect me to return to you after everything that's happened."

Sun reached for her, trying to pull her close, but Lynaria pushed him away with force.

"Stop! Don't make the same mistake again, or you'll regret it."

Sun released her reluctantly, and his tone softened. "I'm sorry for how I treated you before. And I'm sorry for not being honest about who I really am."

Lynaria took a deep breath, trying to keep herself composed. "It's too late for apologies. Everything between us is over."

Sun's eyes grew dark. "So, why did you come back to the human world?"

Lynaria's voice faltered for a moment but steadied. "I want to take revenge on all humans."

Lynaria was taken aback by his words but remained calm. "Even me? Why would you want to take revenge on me?"

Sun's eyes gleamed with pain and determination. "Because their people killed my father."

Lynaria's heart clenched. "So you want to punish innocent people? It wasn't everyone who wronged you—only one person. Why destroy an entire civilization?"

Sun's suspicions about Lynaria grew, but he kept his thoughts to himself. "I want to prove that the wolf kingdom is not to be trifled with. But how do you know there was only one person responsible?"

Lynaria paused, then spoke cautiously, "I was just guessing. But do you know who truly killed your father?"

Sun's gaze darkened. "No, I only know that my father was killed by a woman from the human side during a battle."

Lynaria's mind raced. Could it be that Sun was kept in the dark about the true nature of the battle? Why didn't he know what had happened? Where had he been during all of this?

"But you're the crown prince. How could you not know what's happening in your own kingdom?" she asked.

Sun sighed, his expression clouded. "I was on a mission outside the palace at the time."

Lynaria's mind quickly formed a conclusion: either his father had purposely kept him from knowing the truth, or the whole thing had been a tragic accident. She resolved to investigate just how close Sun was to his father and what connection he had with the mermaid queen.

After some time, Lynaria decided it was best to leave, but Sun quickly blocked her way.

"Where are you going? You should come back with me to the wolf palace."

Lynaria was caught off guard by his insistence, but she stood her ground.

"I'm sorry, Prince, but I have no interest in royal affairs. I prefer being an ordinary woman without titles."

One of Sun's guards stepped forward, threatening Lynaria for refusing the prince's request.

"How dare you refuse the prince's command?"

Sun raised a hand, stopping his guards and protecting Lynaria from their hostility.

"Return to your post!" he commanded.

Lynaria, looking at Ares for support, quickly devised a plan to escape.

"I'm sorry, Prince, my husband is waiting for me. I don't want him to get jealous because of your behavior. You should find someone else to take to the palace."

She started to walk away, but Sun's guards blocked her path.

"What do you really want from me?"

Sun stood up, grabbing for Lynaria's arm, but before he could force her to comply, Ares stepped in, intervening just in time.

"Prince Sun, isn't it inappropriate for the crown prince of the wolf kingdom to cause such a scene in a public place? Forcing a woman to accompany you against her will?"

Sun's eyes flared with anger, but he reluctantly backed down, signaling for his guards to return to their posts. Lynaria quickly left, Ares close behind her.

"It seems like Sun has quite an interest in you," Ares commented, a hint of amusement in his voice.