Chapter 259: Chapter 259 Dark Kingdom Awaits
Phoebe’s POV
The drive to the harbor stretched across three brutal days. Then came the real test—over a week at sea to reach Valerium Kingdom.
Our ship would dock at Ashford Pack first. The territory closest to the capital. The last civilized stop before we entered hell itself.
Water travel was completely foreign to me. My stomach twisted with nerves just thinking about it.
By the second day, the ocean turned vicious.
Waves crashed over the deck like angry fists. The ship pitched and rolled beneath us. Seasickness hit me like a sledgehammer.
I spent the next several days confined to our cabin. Flat on my back. Miserable. Helpless.
Perry hovered over me constantly. His worry was a living thing, radiating through the mate bond until I could barely tell where his anxiety ended and mine began.
"Feeling better?" His voice pulled me from a drowsy haze as we approached our final day at sea.
I managed a nod. Forced myself upright. Drew in a shaky breath that tasted like salt and impending storms.
"Yes. I’m fine."
"I should have brought Marcela." His jaw clenched with frustration. Self-blame carved harsh lines around his eyes.
A weak smile crossed my lips. "She’s drowning in palace duties. Besides, I’m okay now. This is all new territory for me—I just need time to adapt."
Perry looked ready to punch something. I could see him making mental notes. The lack of a healer on board clearly ate at him more than he’d admit.
"I want some fresh air." I announced after forcing down my meager meal. "I haven’t stepped outside once since we boarded this floating prison."
"The deck’s rougher," he warned, that protective edge sharpening his voice.
"I can handle it now." I met his gaze with determination. "I’m feeling much stronger."
After studying me for a long moment, he gave in. But his hand stayed glued to my elbow as he guided me outside.
"There’s nothing to see anyway," he said, managing my expectations.
Night had fallen like a black curtain. But distant lights sparkled on the horizon—the glow of Ashford Pack’s city cutting through the darkness like scattered diamonds.
"Look! I can see the lights!" I pointed toward the twinkling display, excitement bubbling up despite my exhaustion. "They’re absolutely gorgeous."
Perry pulled me against his chest. His warmth cut through the sharp night wind like a shield.
"Careful." His breath was hot against my ear. He helped me settle onto a wooden crate, then shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders like armor.
"Thank you." I tugged the jacket tighter. It smelled like him—cedar and power and something uniquely mine. I pulled him down beside me, craving his solid presence. "Tell me about Valerium Kingdom."
I knew Perry planned to unite all six kingdoms under his rule. But his approach with Valerium was purely military. The others got diplomacy and negotiation.
This one got war.
"It’s a shithole," he said bluntly. No sugar-coating. No gentle preparation. "Nothing worth saving there."
I frowned at his harsh assessment. "Surely it can’t be that awful?"
"See for yourself." His fingers traced my cheek with devastating gentleness. "Then you’ll understand what I mean."
He pressed a kiss to my hair. The familiar scent of me seemed to affect him instantly—I felt his body tense. Heat pooled low in my belly despite everything.
Even Perry wouldn’t be cruel enough to push when I was barely recovered.
Would he?
"Really that bad?" I grimaced, remembering the stories he’d shared about Valerium’s previous king. Tales so horrific I’d struggled to believe anyone could rule through such vicious cruelty without facing constant rebellion.
Women treated as breeding slaves. Forced to produce more warriors like livestock. The complete rejection of mate bonds. Shared partners passed between men like property.
The whole thing made my skin crawl.
"How could they..." Curiosity got the better of me. "I mean, watching your mate with another man—doesn’t that cause unbearable pain?"
His touch gentled on my face. I caught his amused expression at my endless questions. Sometimes I wondered how I’d managed months of silence when words bubbled out of me so easily now.
"They don’t mark their mates." His fingers found the claiming mark on my shoulder. The touch sent shivers racing through my entire body. "Without marking, the mate bond weakens significantly. A little discomfort won’t stop traditions that run centuries deep."
I absorbed his explanation. My heart ached for those people trapped in such a system. The scenario hit too close to home—I understood forced submission all too well from my time under Kevin’s control.
Even with Perry, our beginning had been rocky. Built on misunderstandings and his overwhelming need to possess me completely.
"That’s why diplomacy won’t work with them?" I concluded, earning a flash of approval from him.
"Smart girl." He rewarded me with a kiss on my cheek that made my pulse stutter.
"But you’ll be painted as the villain." The thought made my chest tight with protective anger. "Waging war will make people misunderstand your motives completely."
He shrugged carelessly. "People have misunderstood me before. Nothing new there."
He was right. But I hated when others saw my mate as some kind of monster.
"You’re the best thing that ever happened to me," I said softly, meaning every word. "Don’t you ever forget that."
His chuckle rumbled against me like thunder. "Feeling sorry for me now?"
He nudged my cheek teasingly. I swatted him away with mock indignation.
"Why would I?" I shot back. "My life was complete shit too. Until you."
"Until I got my act together, you mean?" Self-awareness flickered in his eyes. He remembered exactly how roughly he’d treated me initially.
I stayed quiet. Some truths didn’t need speaking.
We sat in comfortable silence as dawn painted the sky in brilliant streaks of gold and crimson. The sunrise was the most breathtaking thing I’d ever witnessed.
Perry’s arm tightened around me. "Whatever you see in Valerium," he said quietly, his voice carrying a warning. "Remember that these people have known nothing but brutality for generations. They’ll be afraid of you. Of me. Of change itself."
"Will you hurt them?" The question slipped out before I could stop it.
His eyes met mine. Dark. Serious. Completely honest.
"Only the ones who deserve it."
An hour later, we reached the Ashford Pack’s harbor.
The sight that greeted us stole the breath from my lungs.
