The Warlord's Unexpected Affection
Prologue
The Warlord's Unexpected Affection
The Sound of Footsteps Echoing
The branches scratched her arms as she ran, her breath ragged.
The voices of men, rough and eager, closed in.
"Find her! She couldn’t have gone far!"
She didn’t know where she was, only that she had to keep running.
Ava Harrison
*Pressed her back against a tree*
The forest stretched endlessly around her, unfamiliar and untouched by modern life.
Ava Harrison
Where am I…?
* whispered, her voice trembling *
Ava Harrison
This doesn’t make sense.
The feeling of being hunted settled deep in her bones.
Sunlight filtered through the dust as Ava carefully brushed away the earth from the relic in her hands.
Its carvings, intricate and ancient, pulsed under her fingertips.
A blinding flash. A feeling of weightlessness. A scream swallowed by time itself.
Gareth leaned against the training post, smirking.
Gareth
You’ve changed, my lord
Damien barely glanced at him, his fingers tightening around his sword.
Damein Valorian
Don’t be ridiculous
Damein Valorian
You’re imagining things.
Adrian leaned back in his chair, swirling his wine
Adrian Valorian
So, she’s the one who caught Damien’s attention?
*let out a low chuckle*
Adrian Valorian
Then I’ll just have to snatch her from him
Ava Harrison
I miss home..
*murmured*
The sky stretched endlessly above them, a canvas of twinkling lights.
Ava Harrison
*sat beside Damien, hugging her knees*
Damein Valorian
*remained silent, staring ahead*
But then—his gaze shifted, just for a moment. Not at the stars. Not at the sky.
Ava Harrison
*Fingers grazing the ancient texts*
Was this prophecy speaking of her?
Ava Harrison
*Glanced down at the relic, still glowing faintly in the dark corner*
It was too much of a coincidence.
Ava Harrison
*looked at him*
Ava Harrison
Damn it
*whisper*
Before she could stop herself, she grabbed the front of his tunic and pulled him down, pressing her lips to his.
Damein Valorian
*froze-surprise*
Ava almost panicked, almost pulled away—
Damein Valorian
*hand slid to the back of her neck*
His fingers tangling in her hair, and he deepened the kiss.
The world faded, the war, the danger, the prophecy—none of it mattered.
chapter 1
Sunlight filters through the swirling dust, casting golden streaks across the excavation site.
Inside a tent, stacks of aged manuscripts, brushes, and tools are neatly arranged on a wooden table.
Ava Harrison, in her mid 20s, kneels before the table, eyes locked onto the relic in her hands
Ava Harrison
*Exhales slowly*
She wears a white tank top, layered under an unbuttoned long-sleeve shirt with sleeves rolled up. Short cargo pants hug her frame.
Her boots rest lightly against the ground as she leans in, carefully brushing away the remnants of earth from the object in her grasp.
A golden dragon-shaped key pendant.
The dragon’s scales, carved with painstaking precision.
Its tail curls protectively around the bow of the key, where a pale stone rests, almost translucent. A large blue gem, nestled in the dragon’s chest.
Ava Harrison
If I didn’t know better, I’d say this belonged in a fantasy novel.
*slowly*
The larger blue gem pulses faintly under her touch
Her breath catches, but she quickly dismisses it as a trick of the light
Ava Harrison
*turns the pendant over in her fingers*
*notices something beneath the dirt*
Ava Harrison
*reaches for her brush*
The engraving begins to reveal itself under careful strokes.
The back of the pendant is engraved, faint inscriptions running along the dragon’s spine.
At the bottom, a single phrase stands out, clearer than the rest, as though meant to be read:
Ava Harrison
For the chosen, time yields; at their touch, fate unravels.
*read slowly*
A sudden gust of wind rushes through the tent.
The lantern flickers violently.
The pendant in her hand begins to hum.
The air feels heavy, thick with unseen energy.
The blue gem pulses, its glow deepening, as if coming to life.
Ava Harrison
*panicked, trying to let go of the relic*
Ava Harrison
No, no, no—what the hell is this?!
But she can’t let go—her fingers are locked around the pendant.
The compass at her belt spins wildly, the needle jerking in random directions.
The air ripples around her like heat waves, and the tent fades into a blinding light.
Ava screams as the world around her disappears.
chapter 2
Ava awoke to the sound of rushing water.
Her head throbbed as she pushed herself upright, the damp earth cold against her skin.
The dry heat of the excavation site was gone.
Instead, crisp, pine-scented air filled her lungs.
Tall trees loomed around her, their dense canopy filtering the sunlight.
A gentle stream ran nearby
This wasn't the excavation site
Ava Harrison
Think, Ava. This had to be a dream. A hallucination.
Ava Harrison
Maybe I had hit my head?
*panicked*
The relic lay beside her, now dull and lifeless.
Ava Harrison
Hello? Is anyone there?
*shouted, trembling voice*
She turned in circles, scanning the trees.
No distant roads, no signs of modern civilization.
Ava Harrison
*clenched her fists, forcing herself to focus*
Her best chance of survival was to follow the stream.
If there were people nearby, they would likely be downstream.
Ava Harrison
*slipped the relic’s chain over her head, letting it rest against her collarbone*
Ava Harrison
*Began walking along the stream*
The forest was eerily quiet except for the occasional rustling of leaves.
Ava Harrison
*turned toward the sound*
Relief flooded through her.
Ava Harrison
People! Maybe they can help me!
*to herself*
she hurried toward the voices, stepping carefully over rocks and uneven ground.
As she drew closer, she saw figures standing near the riverbank.
Ava Harrison
Hello?
*called out, stepping forward*
Then, as she stepped closer, she caught sight of them-men dressed in rough, worn clothes, armed with swords and daggers.
They weren’t travelers. They weren’t villagers. They were warriors.
One of them turned his head sharply, eyes locking onto her.
"Now, this is a rare sight"
the men said, smirking
Ava’s instincts screamed at her.
Ava Harrison
*turned around and ran*
Branches scratched her arms, her feet stumbling over roots and rocks, but she didn’t stop.
Heavy footsteps pounded behind her.
Ava pushed herself harder, lungs burning as she weaved through the trees.
But she was no match for them.
A hand suddenly grabbed her arm, yanking her back.
Ava Harrison
Let go of me!!
*screamed*
Ava Harrison
*Struggled, kicking out*
Ava Harrison
AHHHH!! LET GO OF ME!!!
One of them, a gruff-looking man with a scar across his cheek, smirked.
"Don’t bother screaming, love. No one will hear you."
The man's fingers reached for Ava's cheek, a lazy smirk curling his lips as if she were some exotic prize for his amusement.
"The gods must favor me today—look at the gift they’ve dropped into my lap."
Ava Harrison
Don't You Dare Touch Me!!
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