Contract With The Alpha King by Brey Mitchylle

+5 Chapter 50 Fiona crouched beside the soldier, her hands moving swiftly over the deep gash on his arm. Blood oozed from the wound, staining her hands as she pressed a cloth to slow the bleeding. Around her, the training ground was in chaos.

The practice session had spiraled out of control, turning into a deadly skirmish when someone had swapped the practice weapons for real ones. Now, the consequences were severe-there had already been one fatality, and several others were critically injured. "Hold still," she instructed the soldier, who winced as she applied pressure. Kariana worked beside her, tending to another soldier who had been hit in the leg with a sword.

"His pulse is weak," Kariana muttered, glancing at Fiona as they moved quickly to stabilize the injured men.

Fiona nodded and reached into her pouch, pulling out a vial of herbs. She sprinkled the dried mixture over the wound before adding a liquid from another vial. "This will help stop the bleeding," she explained to the soldier, though her voice was more focused on the task than on reassurance.

As the herbs began to take effect, the soldier's breathing steadied slightly, but the tension in the air remained thick. The sound of groans and panicked shouts filled the training grounds. More soldiers were being carried in from the far side of the field, sunconscious, others limping. Fiona glanced up and saw Queen Luna approaching, her face tight with concern.

"Get them to the infirmary immediately," Queen Luna commanded, her voice steady despite the chaos. She turned to the healers with a look of urgency. "Make sure all who can be saved are treated at once." Fiona glanced over at Kariana, who had managed to stop the bleeding on her patient's leg. "We need to move him," Kariana said, already preparing to lift the soldier with the help of another guard. Fiona nodded in agreement, knowing there wasn't much tto waste. As they worked, Fiona couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration and anger bubbling beneath the surface. This was supposed to be a practice, but whoever had tampered with the weapons had turned it into something far more dangerous. She wondered briefly if it had been deliberate-a sabotage-but there was no tto dwell on the thought.

Another soldier was brought to her, his chest wound gaping and deep. Fiona quickly set to work, her hands moving with the precision and speed she had honed over the past weeks in the infirmary. She mixed a fresh batch of herbs, this tusing a different combination to prevent infection, and applied it to the wound. The soldier winced but stayed silent, his eyes glazed with pain.

"You're going to be alright," Fiona murmured as she worked, though the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on her. One man had already died, and she feared there might be more if they didn't act quickly enough.

A commotion near the entrance to the training grounds caught her attention, and she looked up to see King Nicholas himself arriving. His expression was grim as he assessed the scene, his eyes landing briefly on the Queen, who was already coordinating the evacuation of the most critical cases.

"Fiona!" Kariana called, her voice tight with urgency. Fiona turned her attention back to her work, focusing on saving the soldier in front of her.

"Keep the pressure on the wound," she instructed one of the guards assisting them as she moved to check the soldier's vitals, His pulse was still weak but steadied slightly. "We need to move him to the infirmary now." Kariana helped lift the soldier, and together they carried him toward the waiting stretchers. The Queen watched them with a mixture of worry and determination as she continued to issue orders. "Make sure they get the best treatment, she said to one of her aides, who nodded and hurried off.

The situation was dire, but with the combined efforts of Fiona, Kariana, and the other healers, they managed to stabilize the worst of the injured.

However, just as Fiona was about to leave the training field, she heard the Queen call her. "Healer Fiona 173 16:56 Sun, Dec 1 Chapter 50 B 000 3,55% # Fiona froze. She had avoided meeting the Queen since she arrived here, and that was partly because of Elijah's words. She knew Elijah would protect her, but she didn't want to add to his already difficult situation. Fiona immediately turned and lowered her head toward Queen Luna Lyanna. "Your Majesty." Fiona straightened her back as Queen Luna approached, her heart pounding in her chest. She kept her eyes lowered, waiting for whatever cnext.

gaze "Look at me," Queen Luna commanded, her tone firm but not unkind. Fiona hesitated for a moment, then lifted her cautiously. The Queen stepped closer, her sharp eyes scanning Fiona's face before settling on the necklace that hung arour her neck. Without warning, Queen Luna reached out and gently grabbed the pendant between her fingers. Fiona stiffened in surprise, not daring to pull away. "Where did you get this?" the Queen asked, her voice cold, but her expression unreadable.

Fiona swallowed hard, trying to keep her composure. "A very important person gave it to me, Your Majesty," she answered carefully. It was the necklace that belonged to Elijah's ancestor.

The Queen narrowed her eyes, studying Fiona's face for a moment longer. Fiona felt the weight of the scrutiny, knowing full well that the Queen had recognized the necklace. There was no mistaking the knowledge that passed behind Queen Luna's gaze-she knew that Elijah had given it to her.

Without another word, the Queen released the necklace, letting it fall back against Fiona's chest. "Get back to work," Queen Luna ordered. "Do not return to the infirmary until all of the soldiers here have been taken care of." Fiona bowed her head quickly. "Yes, Your Majesty," she replied, then turned to resher duties, relieved that the conversation had not gone further. She hurried back to the field where more injured soldiers awaited her help.

She crouched beside the next soldier, quickly assessing the extent of his wounds. He had suffered several deep cuts across his arms and torso. Fiona applied pressure to the worst of them, her hands steady as she worked. She reached for her pouch of herbs again, knowing she needed to stop the bleeding and prevent infection.

As she continued diagnosing more soldiers, something strange caught her attention. One of the men she was treating had unusually dark blood oozing from his wound. She frowned, leaning in closer to inspect the injury. There was a faint, acrid smell coming from the cut that made her stomach turn.

Just as she was about to ask Kariana to cover, the soldier she was tending suddenly screamed. His body jerked violently, and he began vomiting blood. Fiona jumped back, shocked by the suddenness of the attack.

"Kariana!" she called out, her voice urgent. The situation was far worse than she had realized. Something was terribly wrong with the soldiers who had been injured.

Queen Lyanna's voice rang out sharply, cutting through the chaos. "Stay away from him!" Fiona froze, her eyes darting to the Queen, unsure how to respond.

"Kora!" Queen Lyanna called, her tone commanding. One of the women at her side immediately stepped forward. "Tend to the son of Alpha Wastin," the Queen ordered, her gaze fixed on the situation, leaving no room for hesitation, Then she looked at Fiona, her eyes narrowed. "Detain the healer who touched the Prince." Prince? Fiona's eyes widened in shock. Was this man another contender in the Rite of Kings? Before she could even glance back at the soldier, two burly guards had already hauled her to her feet.

"Prepare her for questioning!" Queen Lyanna ordered sharply.

"Your Majesty, I have nothing to do with this!" Fiona protested immediately. She glanced at the King, glanced at hoping for sintervention, but he remained silent, offering no support. Not that he was obligated to, but as King, she had at least expected him to say something. Why was Queen Lyanna taking control a everything? 2/8 16:56 Sun, Dec 1 Chapter 50 Q 55%

"Enough," Queen Lyanna replied coldly, not bothering to look at her. "Take her to the dungeon. The questioning begins in an hour.

Summon the council members!"

Fiona's heart sank. Council members? For what? She hadn't e done anything wrong! 3/3 SEND GIFT COMMENT 16:56 Sun, Dec 1