Carissa couldn't bring herself to tell Rafael about Helen and Ryan moving into the palace—she feared it would upset him.
She received a letter from Rafael, which came along with the report of their victory in the second battle. Salvador had specifically summoned her to the palace to hand it over.
Carissa knew Rafael had intentionally sent the letter through Salvador's hands, signaling that they hid no secrets. It was a gesture of transparency, even if it was a mere formality.
But it seemed to please Salvador, who didn't put on the usual fake smile. Instead, he told her not to worry too much about the situation at the Southern Frontier. Victory was within their grasp.
After her audience with the king, Carissa went to Serenity Palace to offer her greetings to Victoria and check on Helen and Ryan.
However, she didn't find Ryan or Evan there. They were in class; as they were Connor's study partners, they had to follow him to the study.
Moreover, Connor's tutor had changed. Trevor was now personally teaching him.
In the past, Salvador had suggested this, but Trevor had turned it down, citing health concerns. Now that Ryan was in the palace, Trevor immediately agreed, clearly doing it as a show of respect to the late Hector.
Although Salvador was a little displeased, he didn't say anything since he still benefited from it.
Carissa didn't find Helen, either. Victoria mentioned she had gone to see Dakota.
"Helen never got along with her, but now that she's back at the palace, it's like they're close sisters. She's truly heartless, even turning her back on her own sister," Victoria said. She complained about Helen without holding back, though she couldn't hide the smile at the corners of her mouth.
Carissa couldn't help but laugh along. "It's not really a deep feud. They argue when they're together, but they start to miss each other when they're apart."
Victoria rubbed her forehead, a weary look in her eyes. "Yes, that's family for you. Sometimes you can't stand each other, but other times you find yourself missing them."
Carissa nodded quietly, then changed the subject. "Has Ryan been any trouble? If he's not behaving, don't hesitate to punish him."
Victoria's expression softened at the mention of Ryan. "How could he be trouble? I've never seen a child so well-behaved. He's neither servile nor arrogant, just respectful. You've done a wonderful job raising him."
She hadn't expected Ryan to listen so intently—and to remember it all. He really did have the same spirit as her.
Due to her busy schedule, Carissa couldn't stay until after Ryan's lesson. She had to leave the palace to return to the Capital Guard headquarters.
Ian retained a small team of elite guards, while the rest were reassigned to Carissa's command. Even Kevin was now under her leadership.
Kevin had improved rapidly. Whenever he had some free time, Travis would give him pointers, and occasionally, Carissa would spar with him.
Kevin had been incredibly unlucky on his journey to find a mentor. But now, his luck had finally turned around at this age. Though he was the last apprentice accepted by Violet, his martial arts had already surpassed that of Michael, Max, and Alistair.
Alistair had been in a half-suspended state due to what Oliver had done. Salvador had never officially removed him from his post, mostly because Alistair and Oliver had never gotten along. Their feud was well-known throughout the capital, and even Salvador was aware of it.
However, after Carissa took charge of reorganizing the Mystic Army, she didn't care about that. She needed capable people, and she was prepared to use whoever had the skills.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Her Graceful War Song
What happens to the other chapters, I've been waiting to read more of this story, the character's and the screening are fantastic, very intriguing story...
Next chapter please, what's happening...
Very captivating novel....
Both content and context are very intriguing, the writer style of pulling out characters in their unique ways are profound,I have recommended this book because it's very captivating...