Contract With The Alpha King by Brey Mitchylle

Chapter 96

"Lady Fiona, you look exhausted. Please, if you want to rest, | can let the others know. We are willing to wait for

you to feel better," Merra, Aken is wife, said with a smile. "No one expected you to immediately start healing

people. Perhaps you could take stto rest in the cabin and start

Joniorrow instead?"

"I'm line, Merra," Fiona said as she examined the child. When she arrived, she deckled to immediately start

healing people. The state of this place made her think that there would be a lot of people who didn't have access

to the infirmary. And she was right. "Is my son alright!"

From smuled. "He is go

"Alright, """ Mena siid.

going to be fine. Please take him to Lady Karlana over there" She looked at Merra. "Please help them."

Fiona nodded, her gaze landing on the

village square.

The village square was bustling as Fiona began working, assessing one villager after another under the watchful

eyes of both Aken and his wife Merra.

She chose to stay under a small shed near the stage as guards and local volunteers patrolled the edges of the

clearing, keeping a close lookout for any sign of danger while villagers queued up, waiting anxiously for their

turn.

Fiona turried her attention to the task at hand and smiled as a young mother approached with a baby clutched to

her chest. Fiona glanced at the child, noting the faint purple hue beneath his eyes. "How long has he been sick?"

she asked. "Since last winter," the mother replied. "He gets fevers, his breathing turns shallow. Nothing we've

tried has helped."

Fiona placed her hands on the child's forehead, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she

nodded thoughtfully. "He has a lingering poison in his system, though not enough to be immediately life-

threatening. Take him to Lady Kariana" She gestured to a tent set up with medical supplies, where Kariana was

working, ready to treat anyone Fiona sent her way. Finina was beginning to wonder why the poison seemed to

have only affected young children.

ily, it was too early to draw a conclusion.

Sadly, it was too

She watched as the mother's face lit with relief. "Thank you, Lady Fiona. Thank you

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As she left, Fiona noticed a young boy, no older than twelve, stepping forward with a limp. A large gash ran along

his leg, poorly bandaged and dark with infection. He was accompanied by his older brother, who held his arm to

steady him.

"Lady Fiona," the older brother said, his voice laced with desperation. "He was cut by a blade in the forest. We

didn't know it had gotten this bad. | know we heal fast, but since you are here."

"Please, let him sit down" Fiona examined the wound carefully, her fingers grazing the swollen skin around it.

"This wound is infected. | can heal the infection, but he'll need to rest and avoid any strenuous activity for a few

days. Aken," she called over, glancing at the village chief. "Can you arrange a place where he can recover?"

Aken nodded immediately, signaling to one of the villagers to prepare a resting area nearby Fiona focused,

letting a faint light glow from her hands as she placed them over the wound. The infection began to subside, the

swelling easing as the skin started to knit itself back together.

The boy stared in wander, his eyes widening as the pain dulled and then faded entirely. "Thank you," he

whispered.

His older brother looked at Fiona with tear-filled eyes. "Thank you, Lady Fiona

Fiona gave them a small nod, sending them off to rest

She continued her work, treating minor injuries and diagnosing lingering poison symptoms among the villagers.

Ssuffered from chronic fatigue or sharp pains that seemed to have no cause-signs of low-dose poisoning

that the villagers had endured for months, possibly years. Whenever the encountered such cases, she directed

them to Karlana for further treatment, who diligently took each patient and organized them wish the utmost

care. "Lady Fiona!" a young girl called out, holding her mother's hand tightly as they approached. "My mom she

has a bad cough. Can you help her?"

Fiona smiled warmly. "Let's take a look"

The mother coughed again, her face pale as she clunched her chest. Fiona placed her hand on the woman's

back, focusing her energy. She sensed a foreign toxin lingering in the woman's lungs. This isn't too serious, but

you'll need to rest and take sherbs from Sir Cillian. He'll tell you exactly what you need"

Chapter 96

The mother's face softened with gratitude. "Thank you, Lady Fiona. We've tried everything, but nothing has

worked. You're a blessing"

The peaceful atmosphere shattered as screams and shouts erupted from the village square. Fiona felt Elijah's

grip tighten on her arm, his other hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his sword

A moment later. Regos appeared, his Eace tense. "Your H

Highness, Lady Fiona," he said. "The villagers, they're turning on Lady Carisa and the

Elijah raised an eyebrow, exchanging a quick glance with Finna, Even she couldn't mask her surprise.

"Shall we?" Elijah asked a faint spark of intrigue apparent in his eyes.

Fiona nodded without a word, though inwardly, she noted the imony of the situation. Lady Carissa and the

envoys had been starved of acknowledgment and attention since they started helping her. She thought they

would restrain themselves from seeing the current situation. She was wrong. It seems that they had finally drawn

it-thongh perhaps not in the way they'd intenderl

Thiah kept hold of her hand as they moved quickly out of the shed and into the siptare, where villager hur

garbered in a throng around Lady Carissa and the envoys. Carissa, looking pale but composed, stood with her

hands raised, attempting to placate the crowel, while the envoys hovered behind her, visibly uncomfortable as

the villagers shouted and pointed.

The villagers pressed closer around Lady Carissa and the envoys, their voices growing louder and more fervent

with each passing moment

"Why did you have to put your names on everything?" a man in the front shouted, pointing accusingly at the

envoys "Why is it that every herbs bundle and sack of grain has a council seal or slord's crest on it?"

One of the envoys shifted uncomfortably, glancing toward Lady Carissa, who raised her hands as if to calm the

crowd. But the villagers weren't willing to be placated

Another voice, an older woman with lines of hard years etched into her face, called out, "You want us to know

exactly who gave what is that it? You want us to grovel in gratitude for supplies we should have had years ago?"

"Yes" shouted a younger man beside her. "Where were you when our children were falling sick When our elders

were dying from infection that a single healer could've saved them from? Where was your help, then?"

Lady Carissa's composure faltered as she looked around at the faces glaring back at her. She took a step

forward, her gaze imploring, but slic villagers were unmoved.

"Now that Lady Fiona is here a woman with a baby on her hip said, her eyes blazing with anger. "Now you come

with bags of potatoes and dried meat? Now you want to be seen helping"" She scoffed, casting a scornful look at

the marked sacks beside the envoys. "We see right through it."

"Don't think we're fools!" another villager spat. "You're here because Lady Fiona's here, and you're scared of

what she's doing! Scared she'll help us without your interference and that we'll remember her for it, not you."

One of the envoys, struggling to maintain his dignity, held up a hand. "Please, we only meant to offer assistance,

to show support-

nas

To show yourselves, the old woman interrupted, her voice sharp. "That's all you care abour Putting on a show to

save face while Lady Fiona does the real work."

"You think we don't notice?" called a young man from the back of the crowd. "Your sacks of food are half-routed

by the tinse they reach us. You mark them as 'gifts' from the council, but they're scraps. And yet, you expect us

to bow and thank you for it?"

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Lady Carissa's gaze darted from face to face, but she was silent, unable to counter the accusations that poured

from the villagers.

-Why don't you save your charity?" the man continued, his face twisted with resentment. "The council

abandoned us long ago. If not for Lady Fiona, we'd still be left in the dirt, sick and starving

Another villager pointed directly at Carissa, her eyes filled with anger. "You pretend to help us, but it's only

because you're afraid Lady Fiona's efforts will make the council look bad. You think we don't see that?"

The crowd murmured in agreement.

to save your own reputation"

"Hypocrites" someone shouted, "That's all you are. Pretending to care just to save

Elijah and Fiona observed the scene from a short distance, watching as the envoys and Lady Carissa stood,

trapped in the center of the villagers' growing resentment. Elijah glanced at Fiona, a faint glint of amusement in

his eyes, but Fiona's expression remained steady, her gaze fixed on the sorne before her. One of the villagers

stepped closer to Carissa, his expression hard. "You don't deserve our thanks. Not after all these years. We've

survived on our own, without you, without the council. And we'll keep doing so."

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Chapter 96

Carissa finally spoke. "Please, we truly cto offer aid. There is no hidden motive," Out of nowhere, she looked

at where Fiona and Elijah were standing. Seeing that they two didn't look interested in helping them, Carissa

looked at Rio, who stood beside her. "Then why now!" the older woman shot back. "Why not months ago? Years

ago? You abandoned us when we needed you most, and now you want to pretend you're on our side because

Lady Fiona's here?"

The envoys exchanged uneasy glances, realizing the depth of the villagers' anger. They had miscalculated,

thinking they could win over these people with a few supplies and titles. The villagers loyalty and gratitude were

not as easily bought as they'd assumed. "Go back to your walls and leave us alone!"

"Go back!"

"Take your meat! We have plenty of it!"

"Leave!"

"How embarrassing!"

"Is this how the council works?"

Fiona couldn't help but sigh inwardly. She glanced at an herbs that had been thrown on the ground. Just like they

said, there was indeed a seal on it How stupid, she thought How unbelievably stupid!