📍 Chapter 79 – The Marsh Does Not Forget
The Dead Marshes weren't named for the dead.
They were named for what stayed alive inside them.
Fog drifted over black waters.
Thick vines hung like nooses from the trees.
Every footstep sunk ankle-deep.
Zara's horse snorted nervously, refusing to go farther.
Zaire dismounted first, sword in hand, and tied the reins to a rotten branch.
Leva was next. Bow slung over her back, boots wrapped in leather for silence.
Zara stepped into the mud last, armor wrapped tight across her ribs, her son's name on her tongue like a shield.
"Kaelen," she whispered. "Mama is coming."
---
They walked for hours.
Each step harder than the last.
Mosquitoes swarmed. The smell of decay clung to their skin.
Auren had marked the trail with runes only visible by moonlight, and Zara's hands glowed faintly as they passed each one.
"Wrenhill is ahead," he whispered. "What's left of it."
And there it was.
At the edge of the swamp stood a crumbling stone monastery — its roof caved in, walls split, vines climbing its bones like scars.
The gates were open.
Too open.
Leva drew her dagger. "They want us to enter."
Zaire looked at Zara.
She nodded once.
"We enter."
---
Inside was silence.
Not the peaceful kind.
The kind that made your stomach tighten.
No birds. No rustling. No wind.
Just shadows… and children.
They stood in the corners. Sat on ledges. Perched on beams.
Silent. Watchful.
No older than ten.
Their eyes were dark.
Their hands held blades.
Leva whispered, "The Hollow…"
Zara stepped forward.
One of the children stepped into her path.
A girl. Barefoot. With a braid coiled like rope around her waist.
She didn't blink.
"Why did you come?"
Zara didn't flinch.
"For my son."
The girl nodded once.
Then turned.
"Follow."
---
They were led deeper into the ruins.
Through moss-covered halls and old stone stairwells.
Until they reached a firelit chamber, still whole — and filled with scrolls, weapons, and quiet.
At the far end sat a woman.
Black cloak.
Half-burned face.
Cress.
Alive.
Zara froze.
"You should be dead."
Cress smiled faintly.
"You should be ruling."
Leva growled, hand tightening on her blade.
Zaire stepped forward, but Zara held up a hand.
"What do you want?"
Cress rose slowly.
"I want what you've never had."
"Which is?"
"Time."
---
Cress gestured to the children.
"They are all orphans. Taken by war. Forgotten by kings. Trained to survive."
She turned back to Zara.
"Your son was not taken. He was *rescued*."
Zara's voice cracked. "Where is he?"
Cress reached into a basket by her side.
Lifted a bundle.
A soft sound came from inside.
Zara's breath stopped.
Then the baby's hand reached out.
Tiny. Alive. Safe.
"Kaelen…"
She ran forward and took him into her arms.
Held him tight.
Smelled his hair.
Felt his warmth.
He was alive.
Unharmed.
And… smiling.
---
Cress stepped back.
"We fed him. Bathed him. Let him sleep on silk and silence. He has been safe here."
Zaire spat. "You kidnapped him."
"No," Cress replied. "I protected him from what's coming."
Zara narrowed her eyes. "Explain."
---
Cress walked slowly to the fire.
Dropped a log into the flames.
"Venmire has not withdrawn. They sent an assassin two days after their offer was refused. He failed, but not before carving a mark into your guard's chest."
She turned.
"The Raven is not your only enemy now."
She reached into her cloak.
Pulled out a scroll.
The same wax seal from Venmire.
Zaire took it. Read the contents. Swore loudly.
"They're building alliances. South and East."
Zara looked at Cress.
"Why warn us?"
Cress hesitated.
Then whispered:
> "Because someone else wanted you warned."
She reached for another scroll — this one older.
Torn.
Stamped with a lion's crest.
Zara's eyes widened.
"This is… my father's seal."
"Yes," Cress said softly. "He knew what was coming before he died. He left a message. For you."
---
Zara sat.
Held Kaelen close.
Opened the scroll.
Read:
> *Zara,*
>
> *If you are reading this, it means I failed to stop them.*
> *The south is rising. The Raven is only a mask — the true hand holds many puppets.*
>
> *I made choices you may not understand. I pushed away good men. I trusted the wrong ones.*
>
> *But I never stopped loving this kingdom.*
>
> *Your child is not just a prince.*
> *He is a key. A weapon. A threat to every kingdom that fears you.*
>
> *Protect him. Not through war. But through truth.*
> *Trust no crown. Only people.*
>
> *And when the Ghost finds you… listen.*
>
> *Love,
> Your Father*
---
Zara wept silently.
Not from grief.
But from clarity.
Everything made sense now.
The Hollow didn't take Kaelen to harm him.
They took him to keep him *hidden*.
Because someone — maybe more than one kingdom — wanted him **dead before he could speak.**
Zaire looked at her.
"What now?"
Zara rose.
Kaelen in her arms.
Voice steady.
"Now we return. Not with swords. But with truth."
She looked at Cress.
"Will you come?"
Cress nodded.
"The Hollow will follow you."
Zara raised her chin.
"Then let the kingdoms fear what's coming."
---
As they rode out of the Marsh…
Kaelen opened his eyes.
Looked at the sky.
And giggled.