Dominance of Veiled Heart

Chapter 67

Tuk exhaled, feeling the weight of the moment settle over her. There was something sacred about this place, something far deeper than a simple training ground. Before she could dwell on it further, Rouge’s voice broke through her thoughts.

“It’s a bit overwhelming, isn’t it?”

She turned to see him standing there, his ever-present smirk softened just slightly, as if he knew exactly what was running through her mind. His tiger lay beside him, its massive tail flicking idly against the dirt. A few paces away, Scarlet stroked the fur of her black wolf, who regarded Tuk with sharp red eyes that gleamed with quiet intelligence.

“Overwhelming? Sure, let’s call it that.” Tuk gestured toward the children. “I mean, it’s not every day you see a place like this. What is this, some kind of... orphanage for future warriors?”

Rouge tilted his head, the corner of his mouth quirking. “Close enough. Though I’d call it more of a sanctuary. These kids are here by choice, not force. The prince created this place for those who didn’t have a future elsewhere. War orphans, abandoned children, even former slaves. He wanted to give them something no one else would: a chance.”

Tuk frowned, her arms crossing over her chest. “A chance to do what? Fight for him? ”

Rouge chuckled, his laughter deep and rich like aged whiskey. “Not exactly. He’s training them to be more than fighters. Leaders, scholars, diplomats. The next generation is capable of guiding not just a kingdom but an empire. He doesn’t care about their bloodlines—only their potential.”

Tuk tilted her head, her thoughts racing. “Wait… are you telling me he’s grooming one of these kids to take the throne? ”

Rouge’s smirk faded, replaced by something quieter, something more serious. “That’s right. Whether they’re royalty or not doesn’t matter to him. He believes the throne belongs to the one who earns it, not just to the one born to it.”

Tuk’s breath hitched slightly. Her gaze swept over the compound once more, over the children who trained, studied, and played without knowing the weight of the future being placed upon them. A ruler chosen by merit, not by birth? She had never heard of such a thing.

She watched the boy struggling with his wooden sword again. He stumbled once more but didn’t hesitate before picking himself up, his jaw set in fierce determination. Something in her chest tightened.

Leon’s voice drifted into the moment, his usual grin still present but softer than before. “He’s a peculiar one, our prince. Isn’t he?”

Tuk turned to him, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Peculiar? That’s one way to put it. Why go through all this trouble when he could just ‘bang’—get it over with? Doesn’t he actually want an heir? Or… wouldn’t he have had one by now if he did? ”

Rouge and Scarlet exchanged a glance, and Scarlet’s grin widened like she had been waiting for this moment. “Oh, he could. He definitely could. Plenty of women would throw themselves at him, willing to give him an army of heirs if he so much as smiled their way.”

Scarlet’s black wolf let out a soft huff, as if unimpressed by the idea. She smirked, her fingers absentmindedly scratching behind its ears. “Besides, he’s not exactly the romantic type. Always busy with something more important than ‘love,’ as you called it.”

Leon leaned against a nearby railing, his smile fading slightly. “It’s not just that. The prince doesn’t believe in ruling by legacy or inheritance. He believes in merit. He’s seen what happens to people who hold power for the wrong reasons. He doesn’t want to create another generation of rulers who care more about their lineage than the people they serve.”

Tuk hesitated, glancing between them. “But why wouldn’t he… Isn’t royal bloodline everything to a ruler? I mean, I understand, but in a way I couldn't?”

Leon shrugged, exhaling as he ran a hand through his hair. “The prince has his reasons. Maybe he doesn’t trust himself to raise an heir. Maybe he doesn’t want to risk the throne falling into weak hands. We can only guess. But what matters is the cause.”

Scarlet leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Or maybe he’s just too busy being a brooding, mysterious hero to settle down.”

Rouge rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Ignore her. She’s been saying that since we were kids.”

Leon smiled faintly. “He’s trying to change the future, Tuk. To break the cycle of corruption, greed, and power struggles that have plagued the empire for centuries. It’s not easy. The throne is too heavy a burden for just anyone. So he’s making sure the right person is ready for it—ready to contain and control it.”

Tuk let out a slow breath, absorbing the weight of it all. Her gaze returned to the children—these future rulers, warriors, and scholars—unknowingly preparing for a destiny greater than themselves.

“And what happens to the ones who aren’t chosen? ” She finally asked.

“They’re free to do as they please,” Rouge answered simply. “The real goal is to give them a choice—to protect what they want to protect.”

His eyes lingered on the training grounds for a moment too long. 

“But not all of them make it,” he added, his voice lower now, more weighted.

Tuk glanced up. “What do you mean? ”

Rouge tilted his head toward the ivy-covered wall across the field. “Some kids come in with too much hurt. They train, they smile, they try. But sometimes… the pain wins.”

She followed his gaze and noticed it: claw marks etched deep into the stone, long faded but unmistakable.

“The prince carries every one of them,” he said softly. “That’s the part no one sees.”

For the first time in a long while, Tuk wasn’t sure what to say.