Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
On the twelfth day of July, the Starhaven envoy delegation departed the capital in a grand procession, heading toward Orivenia.
Rafael rode alongside the group for five miles, only reining in his horse reluctantly when Dylan and Jacob both insisted it was time to stop. Sophie turned back to wave at him, her smile as bright as ever. There wasn’t a hint of sadness on her face.
Rafael gazed after her, his eyes filled with longing.
But under his breath, he muttered, “She’s heartless, truly heartless.”
The sun had risen high, and the road was still and stifling with the lack of wind. Still, Rafael waited until the last of the procession had disappeared from view before reluctantly turning his horse around and heading back.
This journey to Orivenia was a significant one. Sophie had brought along three hundred men from the Mystic Army, as well as Travis, Violet, and the others.
Though the two kingdoms enjoyed a temporary peace after the last conflict, Leroy had made public what happened with their late crown prince. The news stirred much animosity toward Starhaven among Orivenia’s people, which meant that a larger entourage was necessary for the safety of Kendrick and the rest of the envoys.
Sophie had little direct interaction with Kendrick. In fact, her dealings with him and his wife had been few and far between.
His princess consort, Adelaide, was Kylie’s cousin. At a previous banquet, Adelaide had publicly insulted Sophie, claiming the painting she had presented as a gift was a forgery. Since then, their relationship had been strained. In recent years, Adelaide had become remarkably reclusive. She avoided most social gatherings, attending only the mandatory affairs.
The two women, as sisters-in-law, maintained a distant and cordial relationship- nothing more.
For his part, Kendrick seldom visited Hell Monarch Estate. It was this quiet lifestyle that had allowed him and his family to remain in the capital, never moving to their fief. Salvador had never once considered him a threat, not in the slightest.
Rumors often labeled Kendrick as mediocre, though Sophie hadn’t bothered to verify whether there was any truth to them. But two days into the journey, Violet remarked that he seemed to have been dropped on his head as a child, which explained why he rarely made public appearances.
Sophie couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s sharp words. “That’s a bit harsh. He’s just inexperienced, nothing more.”
Violet couldn’t help herself and was as sharp as ever, adding, “If he were only three years old, you could say he was inexperienced. But at nearly thirty, it’s nothing short of foolishness.”
The incident that had set Violet off occurred during a night when they stopped at a relay station. Kendrick had claimed there were not enough rooms available, suggesting they all go to the nearest town and stay at an inn instead.
Michael had explained that the relay station could easily accommodate the number of adults in their party, and everyone had tents with them for camping if needed.
However, Kendrick insisted. He argued that being able to travel was a rare occurrence, so he didn’t want to be so miserly. He offered to pay for the inn himself, and even proposed treating everyone to a lavish meal. After all, they were on the road, and such comforts were needed to wash away the fatigue of the journey.
The rest of the group hadn’t really considered his suggestion, but Kendrick was persistent. He insisted on bringing his retinue to the inn and even instructed the relay station staff to distribute the pre-arranged food to nearby villagers, rather than let it go to waste.
Reluctantly, the group followed him to a nearby town, Longvale. It was a small town, with only three inns that were all fully booked. Not a single room was available.
With no place to stay, the idea of a lavish meal became even more impossible. The town hadn’t prepared for such a large group of visitors, and food couldn’t just appear out of thin air to serve dozens of tables.
The envoy delegation couldn’t be split up and left to fend for themselves either. If anything went wrong, the consequences would be unthinkable. In the end, they had no choice but to buy some dry rations and travel back to the relay station overnight, leaving everyone utterly exhausted and starving.
Violet considered herself someone who could endure hardship, but she had no patience for unnecessary suffering caused by sheer stupidity. That was why she said Kendrick must have been dropped on his head as a child.
The others were equally frustrated, secretly comparing him to Rafael and wondering how two royal princes could be so different.
Sophie could have stopped Kendrick’s foolish decision, but she noticed that he had been trying to assert his authority over the past two days. Instead of interfering, she decided it was better to let him learn the consequences of his actions. By nipping his ambitions in the bud, life would be easier for everyone in the days to come.
After nearly twenty days of grueling travel, they finally arrived at Victory Pass on the third of August.
The heat had been unbearable along the way, causing many in the party to fall ill. Fortunately, Sophie had come well-prepared with plenty of medicine. They had also brought along a royal physician, Dorian, who was able to manage the illnesses without any major issues.
But Kendrick, having never endured such hardship, was exhausted beyond measure. By the tenth day of their journey, he could barely speak. His face and lips were pale, and the exhaustion was evident in every line of his features.
When they finally reached the outskirts of Victory Pass and saw the Sullivan family and the troops come out to greet them, Kendrick collapsed. The sight of him fainting right there gave everyone a fright, and they quickly rushed to carry him back.
However, Sophie barely noticed Kendrick’s condition. As soon as she saw her family, she ran straight into her grandfather’s arms, tears streaming down her face without stopping.
Dominic looked at her with affectionate eyes, gently patting her head as he, too, fought to hold back his emotions. He had thought their farewell in the capital might be their last, never expecting they’d have the chance to see each other again.
After a moment, he softly said, “Enough now, don’t make a scene. Wipe your tears and go greet your uncles.”
Sophie lifted her head and hastily wiped her tears, only to stop when she saw the weathered, aged face of her third uncle and the empty sleeve of his tunic. As her heart broke all over again, she turned away, tears flooding down her cheeks once more.
She had known for some time that Wyatt had lost his arm, but seeing it firsthand was another kind of pain altogether.
When the Sullivan family’s second son, Wilson Sullivan, saw Sophie, he couldn’t help but think of her mother, his own sister. His eyes reddened at the thought.
Wyatt knew his niece was crying because of him. Swallowing the emotions welling up inside, he forced a smile and flicked his sleeve.
“Want to test out your uncle’s sleeve technique?” he quipped.
Before she could react, he infused his strike with inner force and sent a gust of force her way. Caught off guard, Sophie nearly lost her footing, stumbling back two steps before steadying herself.
“Wyatt, stop teasing Sophie,” Wallace said with a laugh, stepping forward to steady her with a hand on her shoulder.
His tan skin, much like his brothers, only seemed to accentuate the bright gleam in his eyes.
“Let me take a good look at our Starhaven female general. Truly, we are all so proud of you. Well done! Well done indeed!”
Sophie wiped her tears with a laugh, her sunburned cheeks turning even redder. “Uncle Wallace, you’re making fun of me. How could I possibly compare to you?”
Since there were still other officials present, the family’s excitement at being reunited was momentarily restrained.
Davis noticed they were looking their way and immediately led his group forward to greet them. No matter how high-ranking the officials present were, they all had to bonet and greet Dominic, who held no official title but was still regarded with deep respect. Dominic humbly waved them off, though he accepted their gestures with the dignity of an elder.
After exchanging pleasantries, the group headed to the marshal’s residence, Stormwatch Keep.
The cooks had already prepared a feast to welcome them, but Sophie first went to visit her aunt. Violet and the others, understanding the family’s need for a private moment, did not want to intrude, so they went to have their own meal. They weren’t concerned about Sophie, who would certainly be well taken care of.
When Cindy saw Sophie, she immediately embraced her and cried, overcome with emotion. Her other aunts were similarly teary-eyed, unable to take their eyes off their beloved niece.
Word of the troubles back in the capital had reached them, including Harvey’s involvement in the rebellion and Heather’s subsequent imprisonment. Naturally, Sophie’s aunts asked about Leona.
Sophie reassured them that Leona was doing well and living a good life.
As for Heather, while they all said she deserved her fate, deep down they were still somewhat worried Sophie explained that ve arrangements had been made in prison. Heather would endure some hardship, but it wouldn’t be unbearable.
“She deserves it!” Cindy fumed.
She recalled how Dominic had been confined to Sullivan Estate previously, and how Heather never once visited. The bitterness in her heart still ran deep.
Sophie didn’t dwell on it, excusing herself to visit the memorial plaque of her grandmother, Edith Evans.