Chapter 48: Conquest { VIII }

Morning arrived pretty quickly, and the sun was already active, hanging in the bright sky and smiling over the world as usual, illuminating it with its divine, brilliant glow.In Glenwood prison, Liara could be seen sitting on the ground inside the rough and dimly lit cell. The only light sneaking into the room was filtering through a few small holes in the walls.

Liara now looked way better and healthier than she had several hours ago. Her eyes were no longer lifeless and dim like someone who had given up on life but were now filled with hope and a willingness to continue living. Her pale expression had become rosy and healthy.

Though her face still displayed an uncomfortable expression, there was a hint of willingness in her features.

She could still recall the interaction from several hours ago with Ren. She had mistaken him for one of the vile and lustful men of Glenwood, but she had been proven wrong.

If it hadn't been for the bread he gave her, she didn't think she would still be alive by now.

If it hadn't been for his intervention, she might have already given up and taken her own life by now.

Sh still recalled his kind words as he spoke to her like a father to his daughter. It made her think of her late father.

'I will make sure to keep him safe when Elara and the others return. Good people like him do not deserve to be punished with the bad,' she resolved in her mind.

Almost as though her thoughts had summoned him, the cell door creaked open, and Ren appeared outside with the same guard who had opened the door for him earlier.

Ren walked into the cell with a joyful smile on his face, carrying a small basket in his hands. The guard gave Liara a nod before closing the cell door behind Ren.

Liara couldn't help but wonder about the guard's position in all this, and why he was allowing someone to feed her even though Lord Fagin had clearly ordered no food should be given to her until she revealed the whereabouts of Elara and the others.

"You look much better this morning, young lady," Ren greeted with a smile.

This time, Liara didn't try to fight the chains binding her and instead returned his greeting with a faint smile.

"Thank you for the bread," she responded, her voice filled with sincere gratitude.

"Haha, no need to thank me. It was just bread. I brought something better this time," Ren lifted the basket in his hands. "I asked my daughter to prepare this for you. It's filled with vegetables; it'll help you recover much faster."

Ren brought out the food from the basket. It contained three large plates—one with boiled potatoes, another with soup filled with vegetables and hearty-looking proteins. As he set them down, a sweet aroma wafted across the room, and Liara almost began to salivate.

"Thank you," her voice softened as she thanked him again, more genuinely this time.

Ren simply waved it off and gestured for her to eat.

The guard returned with two bowls of water—one for washing her hands and the other filled with clear drinking water.

Liara quickly washed her hands and devoured the food as fast, yet gently, as she could.

After finishing, she thanked Ren once more.

Ren remained for a few more minutes before bringing up an important topic.

"Liara, do you really think your sisters will be able to make it to Winterseed in time and prepare your people against Lord Fagin?" he asked.

"They will surely make it," Liara replied.

Ren sighed at her response, then informed her of Lord Fagin's plan to start marching his soldiers toward Winterseed in just a few hours.

"This is not good," Liara said, her voice tinged with worry.

"Elara and the others won't make it to Winterseed in time. They're traveling on foot," she added, distressed.

According to her calculations, Elara and the others wouldn't reach Winterseed until the next day if they continued on foot. With horses, they could have traveled faster, but they had none with them.

Lord Fagin's strong horses and soldiers would likely catch up with them if they began moving soon. S~eaʀᴄh the nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

As Liara became lost in thought, worrying about the predicament her people faced, Ren made a suggestion that left her wide-eyed, filled with shock and disbelief.

---

_WINTERSEED_

It was the brightest part of the early morning. However, unlike every other day when the villagers would leave to carry out their daily tasks, today they could all be seen heading toward the village square.

Three beautiful middle-aged women could be seen making their way down to the village square. Two of them carried babies, while the third held her 7-year-old son's hand.

"This is the first time Lord Rowan has summoned the entire village since he recovered," one of them said, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"I'm a little nervous," another added. "It must be something really important. I just can't tell if it's good or bad news."

"My husband mentioned last night that a stranger came to the village. He said the man could use some kind of strange powers. He said the man was able to clean the meeting hall that has been abandoned for a long time with just the swipe of his hands, can you believe it?"

"Are you serious? That's unbelievable! If someone like that is real, then this meeting must be about him."

"Probably."

Behind and ahead of the three women, other villagers could be seen heading toward the village square. Some were running, while others walked at a steady pace.

At the village square, Rowan stood with D'andre, Riela, Brandon, and the five captains in the central part of the vast space, which was now filled to the brim with villagers.

'Hmm, it's been less than thirty minutes since the announcement was made, and everyone is already here. Even the strongest president on earth wouldn't be able to control his people like this,' Rowan thought with a sense of pride.

He glanced to his right, where Riela stood, staring at the crowd with an amazed expression on her pretty face. Apparently, she had never seen this many people gathered together before.

Rowan had invited her to stand beside him when she came to deliver his morning meal as usual. He told her to get used to it as she would be standing by his side more often in the future.

Of course, this sentence created an awkward but romantic moment, and Rowan didn't missed the chance to taste her lips before they left for the village square, hand in hand like some teenage couple.

Rowan smiled as he recalled the kiss, then turned back to the crowd gathered in front of him who stared at him with eyes filled with adoration, respect, curiosity and panic.

He tilted his head, observing their faces, his eyes fell on a particular young man with bruises all over his faces, he wondered what might have resulted to such ugly bruises but did not concern himself too much about it.

He cleared his throat and began his speech, unaware of the danger moving towards his territory.

....

AUTHOR NOTE: Thanks for reading everyone and thanks for your support so far!