Marco’s POVMarco stood in front of the group of warriors, his face showing that he was both determined and worried. He felt very responsible as their leader, looking at the people who had chosen to stand with him. He cleared his throat because it was so quiet."Hello, everyone in the clan," Marco said, sounding like he had authority but also like he was friendly.People quietly agreed with him. Marco looked at all the faces, seeing that they were determined too. He kept talking, telling a story about how they were all together and had a big reason to fight."I brought you here not just to get ready for the next fight, but to remember why we're really here."We need to help Thane because we care about each other. Just like we promise to help our friends, we can't ignore it when one of us has problems. We all know we're on a mission to save Scarlett from Swiftclaw.The warriors nodded, showing that they understood."We have to help Thane, like we hope others would help us," Marco said,

Marco’s POV Amid all the fighting and loud noises of the battle, Marco looked round to see if he could find Thane. Then he saw Thane. Thane was fighting really bravely off some Swiftclaw men that were at the edge of the forest. Marco signaled to Arin and Sage with a nod, and then he left the group that was defending themselves. He moved quickly, running towards Thane. When Marco got to Thane's side,. Thane looked at him, surprised and thankful. Over the noise of the battle, Thane shouted, "You came!" His voice was excited. Marco smiled with determination as he met Thane's eyes. "Yes, I'm here," he said. Thane's grip on his sword tightened for a moment before he managed to briefly disengage from the fight, creating a small gap between himself and the encroaching Swiftclaw men. "Marco, this battle's getting more intense! We need to find a way to turn things around. What can we do?" "We need to draw them deeper into the forest, where the terrain is more challenging. It'll disrupt

Scarlett's POV As I tried to listen more , I suddenly realized something had changed. The quiet talking I had been hearing was getting quieter, and I could hear footsteps coming closer. I felt really scared because I understood that they were finished talking and Michael was coming towards me. My heart was beating so fast, and I looked around quickly to find a new place to hide. The room was a bit dark, and the curtains were making long shadows that looked like they were moving. I looked all around, trying to find somewhere to hide from Michael. Then I saw an old wooden cabinet nearby. It had pretty carvings on it that showed pictures of nature. I decided really quickly what to do. I ran quietly over to the cabinet and opened the doors. I was hoping they wouldn't make noise and give me away. Inside, it was small and smelled like old wood and books. I squeezed myself into the tight space, and my heart was beating so loud that I was scared Michael might hear it. I held my breath and

Scarlett's POVThe guard began to talk. He said, "For the meeting, the King has arranged dresses for both of you. The palace maidens will send them to your rooms."This was surprising news. Dresses? It seemed strange, but it showed that the meeting was important. I started to think about what this could mean.Elara seemed as curious as I was. She asked, "Dresses?" Her voice had surprise and interest in it.The guard nodded again. "Yes, Lady Elara. The King wants you both to wear special dresses. They will be brought to your rooms secretly."I thought about the guard's words. Lots of questions filled my mind. Why dresses? What did it mean? And what would be talked about at the meeting?The guard looked at both of us. He didn't show any emotion. "Lastly, the King wants you to be on time," he said with importance. "The meeting will be about important things, and he wants it to start without waiting."His words made me feel like there was no time to waste. Important things. That phrase st

Marco’s POVI felt really angry as I heard Swiftclaw's mean laughter. His words were like a sharp knife, cutting through my patience. But I didn't want him to know that his teasing was bothering me. I squeezed my teeth, my hands shook, and I took a deep breath to calm down.Swiftclaw's smile got bigger when he saw I was mad. He said in a mean way, "Oh, Marco, yelling won't fix your problems. It won't make Scarlett safer."I clenched my teeth, my voice shaky with anger. "Stay away from her! Don't touch her!"Swiftclaw laughed louder, and the sound bounced off the trees. "Look, the protective husband is here," he said in a mean voice, enjoying my upset. "But guess what, Marco? The more you fight, the more fun I have."I got really, really mad. I imagined Swiftclaw being mean to Scarlett, and I tried hard to control my anger."Why not come to my place?" Swiftclaw teased, sounding mean and amused. "You should join the fun. I mean, I'm just spending time with your special wife."I held my