Her Majestic Battle Cry

Chapter 1159

Isaac and Violet walked side by side along the wide street, leading their horses. The night breeze was gentle, clearing away the last remnants of the alcohol from the evening.

“I was impulsive tonight,” Violet admitted with a hint of regret. “I shouldn’t have dragged you there.”

“It’s fine,” Isaac replied.

“What’s going through your mind? Are you planning to acknowledge them?”

“No.” Isaac smiled, his expression becoming noticeably more relaxed. “She invited me and Madam Zoey inside, and talked for a long time. But not once did she ask me how I’ve been these years. Not once did she ask how I was after being taken away. She was just explaining and trying to clear her name.”

“Is that so?”

Isaac ran a hand through his slightly disheveled hair, his carefree demeanor returning.

“I remember my first time leaving the mountain. I was away for a month, and when I came back, Sage Adrian and Sage Everett surrounded me. They asked me a lot of stuff–what I ate, who I met, what inns I stayed at, whether I got into any fights, if anyone tricked me out of money, what sights I saw, among other things.”

“My mentor’s the same,” Violet nodded in agreement. “That’s normal.”

“Exactly,” Isaac chuckled. “I’ve been surrounded by love since I was a child. I’ve always had a family.”

Violet was unsure of how Isaac truly felt, but he seemed alright. “So, you’ve made peace with it?”

lips. “Made peace? Yeah, I guess. It’s not all good, but it’s not all bad either. No need for reconciliation,

had avenged his death by killing David,

children, but if he did and their lives were on the line, he would do anything to protect them. Even if it meant sending them far away to some place where so–called priests could offer their protection, he would go with them. And if he couldn’t, he would make sure someone trustworthy went

hadn’t done any of

too much, but Isaac finally saw through it all. When Caspian had held him, he had felt moved. But after hearing Evelyn’s story, everything became clear. Evelyn’s maternal love, he realized, had always been for

+25 BOARUS

or protecting her

her account, she mentioned how David sought out medical help for him,

Constantly changing his medicine–how could that be

care of

himself to think that way, he would suspect that, perhaps, she had quietly condoned David’s actions. Unfortunately,

theory, but it didn’t matter. Whether it was true or not, it no longer mattered. Fate had already sealed their story when

had believed the narrative Adrian had spun for

he felt light and

in her room, Zoey couldn’t shake the memory of the way Evelyn had so bitterly recounted poisoning David. The cruelty of it had lingered in Evelyn’s voice, as if years of buried hatred had

her son’s death- then surely, she would have simply brushed over the details when recounting it. It would have been a passing remark

repeated, deliberate

felt like Evelyn was saying it on purpose for Isaac to hear, or maybe even for herself -as if repeating it aloud would somehow ease

room. The older woman hadn’t slept. Her eyes were wide open, tears

you didn’t poison Father, did you? You only thought about

even more. Her lips trembled, but she couldn’t say a