Chapter 1122
Chapter 1122:
Before words could escape my lips, the three princes, alongside Alden and Jett, had already surged to their feet.
“Makenna, you mustn’t go. My father surely schemes something devious. We need to exercise extreme caution,” Clayton warned. Dominic nodded gravely. “Exactly. If he’s made the effort to come personally, his intentions are anything but benevolent.”
Alden stepped to my side, taking my hand in his. “Makenna, Leonardo is as cunning as he is ruthless. Meeting him would be walking into danger!”
I stood motionless, torn by conflicting thoughts.
Leonardo’s sudden appearance was troubling, but refusing him might provoke retaliation against Marehelm’s innocent citizens.
Drawing a deep breath, I steadied my resolve. “I have to see him. If I refuse, he’ll likely use it as justification to launch an even fiercer attack on the Marehelm citizens.”
“NO!” Bryan objected immediately, grasping my hand anxiously. “Makenna, it’s far too risky! He’s my father—the three of us know firsthand how calculating he can be. He won’t show mercy.”
Gently extracting my hand from Bryan’s desperate grasp, I offered a reassuring look. “I’ll position myself atop the front city wall where he cannot reach me. Every precaution will be taken—I refuse to become a pawn in whatever game he plays.”
Bryan remained unconvinced, his jaw tightening. “If you’re determined to go, then I’m going with you. Otherwise, you’re not leaving this room.” Dominic nodded in agreement, echoing Bryan’s sentiment.
I felt warmth spread through my chest at their genuine concern. Their protective instincts touched me deeply.
“Leonardo specifically requested to see me alone,” I explained gently. “Your presence might only inflame the situation further.”
ℍ𝑒𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝓢 𝒅𝒆𝓯𝓮𝑛𝒅𝓮𝒓 ga l no v els .co m
Bryan hesitated, falling silent as he wrestled with my logic. After a moment, he reluctantly conceded. “Fine. But take Amon with you for protection. We’ll position ourselves below the front city wall—if anything seems amiss, we’ll be at your side in an instant.”
His compromise struck me as reasonable, and I nodded my acceptance. Soon after, we made our way toward the front city wall.
Standing tall at the edge of the battlements, I cast my gaze coldly beyond the defenses to where our visitor waited.
Below stood Leonardo, his face a complex mask of emotions as he looked up at me. His eyes held unmistakable hatred, yet there was something else there—something unreadable that I couldn’t quite name.
His expression caught me off guard.
I regarded him warily, my voice laced with icy resolve. “Leonardo, what purpose brings you here to demand my presence?”
Leonardo didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he deliberately raised his hand and delivered slow, soft claps.
Moments later, a commotion erupted below the wall. Several soldiers emerged from the ranks, roughly dragging forward a group of captives. When their faces came into view, my heart lurched violently in my chest, disbelief crashing over me like a wave.
Connolly and his family stumbled forward, manhandled by Leonardo’s merciless guards.
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