Chapter 312
Chapter 313
3rd Person’s POV
VPH
The day of judgment had come. At the Academy of Lunar Grace, the annual Best Paper evaluation was more than a scholarly event-it was a quiet battlefield. Within the Healing Department, ten carefully selected students now stood on the precipice of distinction.
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Thirteen judges presided over the decision, all of them graduates who had risen to become Verdanth’s most esteemed healers. Their names carried weight. Their voices, even more so.
The proceedings were long and exacting, and for years, they had been anything but fair.
The prize was prestigious, and every mentor was fiercely devoted to securing that throne for their pupil, no matter the cost.
So as dawn bled across the horizon, staining the sky in muted crimson, Corvin Vale had already begun laying his groundwork.
He had summoned two of the judges privately.
Andrei of Blackmaw Pack, the lead judge, had been his first choice-but fate, or perhaps inconvenience, had kept him away. In his stead came two others: Sable and Hilal.
Old acquaintances, once his companions in the healing arts.
The room they met in was closed off, heavy with the scent of power-aged parchment, polished wood, and beneath it all, the unmistakable musk of wolves testing territory without ever baring their teeth.
“I won’t waste your time with empty courtesies,” Vale said smoothly, though his eyes gleamed with something far less courteous. “You both know why I called you here p>
Sable leaned back slightly, sharp-eyed and perceptive as ever, “Let me guess,” she replied. “You want our votes, Professor Vale. For your student p>
A faint smile tugged at Vale’s lips-a confirmation.
“Yes. Because, why squander your voices on mediocrity?” Vale continued smoothly. “My student, Cora, is exceptional, a young wolf with a razor-sharp dedication to the healing arts. She built her knowledge from the ground up, despite having the status to simply purchase a title and a name p>
He paused, letting the weight of his next words settle.
“And more than that, she is mated to Rowan Blackfang. A future Luna.” His gaze flickered with
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Chapter 313
quiet intent. “In time, she will know how to return such loyalty p>
Sable and Hilal exchanged a glance.
Favor given now could be repaid tenfold later.
And they know Cora would not hesitate to offer her own price.
Still, Vale continued, his tone sharpening.
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“I would have no doubt in Cora’s victory, if only Clark Grimwood’s student hadn’t entered the competition,” He said, his voice edged with quiet disdain. “You remember what he was like back then, ambitious to a fault. The sort who would do anything to force his pupil to the top, no matter how unworthy she might be p>
Sable’s gaze sharpened slightly, thoughtful. “I heard his student was nothing more than a junior assistant from the traditional class p>
“Exactly,” Vale said, his voice darkening. “And imagine the insult if someone like that were to win. Not by merit, but because Grimwood no doubt crafted her work himself.” A low, almost inaudible growl stirred beneath his words.
“It would tarnish this academy. Lower the standard of the Healing Department p>
Silence followed.
Vale stepped closer,
“So I ask you, Sable, Hilal,” he said, voice smooth once more, “consider my offer carefully. I swear it in Selene’s name… your votes will not be wasted on Cora p>
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15:46 Mon, Apr 20
The Betrayed Princess Rising
Ruby Walker
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