Chapter 38

*(Melty's Perspective)*

I couldn't sleep. The dying embers of the campfire cast flickering, warm light across the clearing, but the chill of what had just happened still lingered in my bones.

I pulled the thick traveler's cloak tighter around my shoulders and looked across the fire. Maya Lin was sitting on a fallen log, quietly cleaning the dirt from her heavy silver Gauntlet. Her dark hair fell over her face, obscuring her sharp, focused eyes.

She was nothing like the terrifying phantom I had pictured in my head.

Weeks ago, I had sat in my mother's grand study in Faubrey, listening to the magically distorted voices of the Shadow operatives reporting on the summoned Heroes. The Sword, Spear, and Bow sounded like arrogant boys playing a game. The Shield sounded like a tragic outcast. But the Gauntlet?

The Shadows spoke of Maya with a mixture of profound awe and deep caution. They reported how she had flawlessly manipulated my older sister, Malty. How she was secretly funding the Shield, inciting rebellions against the corrupt Church, and commanding the battlefield with ruthless, iron-fisted precision. Mother had called her a "terrifying tactician."

I had begun my journey back to the capital of Melromarc shortly after, desperate to speak to my father and beg him to stop this madness before the kingdom tore itself apart. I expected to find a warzone. I certainly never expected my royal carriage to be attacked, leaving me stranded and alone in the woods with poachers.

And I definitely never expected the legendary, mastermind Gauntlet Hero to drop from the trees to save me, looking less like a political schemer and more like a silver valkyrie.

When we first met, she was so cold. *"I travel alone,"* she had told me, her voice flat and uncompromising. She was strict, demanding, and pushed me to my absolute limits, forcing me to cast my water magic over and over until my mana reserves ached.

But as the days passed, I saw the truth. She wasn't cold; she was entirely focused on keeping us alive.

Every time she barked a harsh order, it was followed by a subtle, protective shift in her stance, placing herself between me and the monsters. When I successfully healed her minor wounds, the corners of her eyes would soften with genuine, warm pride. Beneath that impenetrable, calculating exterior, she possessed a fiercely kind and protective heart.

My cheeks flushed hot as I remembered earlier that evening by the river.

I had waded into the cool water to help wash her back. As I ran the soapy cloth over her shoulders, I had been mesmerized by the quiet strength radiating from her. Her skin was marked with faint, fading bruises from the hits she had deliberately taken just to train me.

*She is beautiful,* I had thought, my hands trembling slightly as I rinsed her dark hair. *She is so strong, and so incredibly caring. She doesn't just wield power; she uses it to elevate the people around her.* I had found myself staring at her, a strange, fluttering feeling blooming in my chest. In the royal court, suitors only looked at me as a political stepping stone. But Maya didn't care that I was the Second Princess. She only cared that I was safe, and that I was growing stronger.

*She would be a good match for me,* my treacherous mind had whispered over the rushing water. *Malty always gets whatever she wants, but she doesn't deserve someone like Maya. When I am older… when I am a true Queen… I would want someone exactly like her by my side. Someone I could truly love.* And then, the night had shattered.

My own sister had sent assassins to murder me in my sleep. Malty, my own flesh and blood, wanted me dead just to secure her claim to the throne. The heartbreak would have crushed me, but before the tears could even form, Maya was there.

She had anticipated the trap. She had turned the forest into a lethal web and dismantled the elite killers in seconds, moving with breathtaking, terrifying grace. She had even trusted me enough to let me cast the final *Aqua Prison*, making me a true partner in our survival rather than just a helpless hostage.

"You did perfectly, Melty," she had told me, her voice anchoring my spiraling thoughts.

I looked at Maya now, sitting quietly by the fire. The admiration I had felt for the tales of the "Fifth Hero" had completely vanished. It was replaced by something entirely different. A deep, undeniable, and entirely overwhelming crush.

I didn't just want to be escorted by her. I wanted to fight beside her.

Maya looked up, catching me staring. The cold, tactical look in her eyes instantly melted away, replaced by that hidden, gentle warmth.

"You should sleep, Melty," Maya said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "The assassins are gone. I've got the watch."

"I'm not scared," I replied, and to my surprise, it was the absolute truth. I pulled my knees to my chest, a small, determined smile crossing my face. "Not when I'm with you."

Maya blinked, a faint dusting of pink suddenly coloring her cheeks before she quickly looked back down at her Gauntlet, clearing her throat. "Right. Well. Rest up. We have a giant bird to find tomorrow."

I laid my head down on my pack, closing my eyes. *Yes,* I thought, my heart beating a little faster. *I am going to become a mage worthy of the Gauntlet Hero.*