Claimed by the vampire prince

Chapter 550: Chapter 550

"Inform the other generals that we leave for the capital the moment the injured are fit enough for travel," Ragnar said.

Only then did he look away from Morana and meet Casilo’s stare.

"She can stay. Have someone check on her wounds as well." He offered no further explanation yet his words were clear, delivered in a tone that left no room for questions or objections.

That alone was proof enough. No matter how much Ragnar tried to deny it, no matter how fiercely he resisted the bond between them, he cared about her.

Casilo glanced toward Morana, his gaze lingering briefly on the wings she still made no effort to conceal. Then he looked back at Ragnar.

"As you wish," he said.

He bit back a smile when Ragnar responded with another dismissive grunt..

The camp physician was an austere older man who had spent years tending wounded soldiers, including Ragnar himself. During that time, he had learned one important fact about the king.

Ragnar was an extraordinarily uncooperative patient.

Not because he was dramatic or difficult to manage, but because he possessed the deeply inconvenient opinion that injuries were inconveniences rather than a thing of urgency. The physician examined the puncture wound at Ragnar’s side. His expression darkened as he carefully checked the surrounding bruising.

"You have a cracked rib beneath the wound," he informed him bluntly. "If you do not remain still long enough for it to heal properly, I will not be responsible for what happens next."

Normally, Ragnar would have argued.

Normally, he would have brushed aside the warning and been back on his feet before the physician had finished speaking.

This time, however, exhaustion had drained him of the energy required to protest.

He simply nodded and allowed the physician to do his work.

Morana remained outside his tent, waiting patiently.

The physician’s words had done little to ease her concern. She stood quietly near the entrance, listening to the faint sounds of movement within and forcing herself not to push past the tent flap every few moments to check on him.

When the physician finally emerged and departed, Morana seized the opportunity immediately. She slipped inside without announcing herself.

Her steps were light and careful as she crossed the tent, carrying a pitcher of drinking water from the camp supplies. She placed it gently upon the small table beside where Ragnar lay.

"I brought this for you," she said softly.

Straightening, she clasped her hands together in front of her.

Part of her expected him to send her away.

After all, she had entered uninvited. Yet waiting outside had become unbearable. The longer she remained separated from him, the more restless she had grown. Not even the physician’s reassurances would have been enough to calm her fears.

She needed to see him with her own eyes.

Needed to know for herself that he was alive. That he was safe.

Ragnar’s gaze had not left her since she entered the tent. Yet he made no move to dismiss her.

He had already stripped away his blood-soaked clothing. Fresh bandages wrapped his torso, covering the wounds the physician had cleaned and treated.

Though he would never admit it aloud, a part of him was deeply touched by her concern. Genuine affection had been a rarity in his life.

He had always felt like an outsider, even within his own family. He knew what it was like to be overlooked, to feel unwanted, to grow up without the comfort of a mother’s love.

He had convinced himself that he wanted nothing from Morana. That she meant nothing to him. That their separation had severed whatever bond might have existed between them.

Yet every act of kindness, every protective gesture, every moment she spent worrying over him chipped away at the walls he had spent decades building around his heart.

Walls that were beginning to crack.

Seeing that Ragnar had no intention of sending her away, Morana quietly settled into the only chair available.

She did not attempt to fill the silence with conversation. She simply sat there.

Her hands rested neatly in her lap as she watched him. The fact that he had allowed her to remain was enough. More than enough.

Slowly, Ragnar’s eyelids began to droop.

The medicine the physician had given him for pain was finally taking effect.

Fatigue settled heavily over him, pulling him toward sleep with irresistible force.

This time he did not fight it. The battle was over. The danger had passed. For the first time in weeks, he allowed himself to rest.

His breathing gradually slowed. The tension eased from his body. And before long, sleep claimed him completely.

Morana remained exactly where she was.

She did not leave after he fell asleep.

Hours passed.

Outside the tent, the sounds of the camp slowly changed. The voices of soldiers became distant murmurs. Fires crackled softly in the evening air.

Still, Morana stayed. Her gaze never strayed far from Ragnar.

She watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest, reassuring herself with every breath he took.

She had been denied this for so long.

Denied the chance to watch him grow. Denied the opportunity to comfort him when he was afraid. Denied the countless small moments that formed a lifetime between a mother and her child.

As she sat there watching him sleep, she felt the full weight of those lost years. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

She wished she could turn back time. Wished she could hear his laughter as a boy, celebrate his victories, and shield him from every hardship he had endured alone.

But time could not be undone. The years they had lost would never return. All she could do now was ensure that she missed no more of his life than she already had.

All she could do was remain beside him and protect him however she could.

A faint smile touched her lips.

"I am here," she whispered. The words were barely audible. "I will always be here when you need me. I know you will not simply let me into your life, not after all the years we have spent apart. But you have already given me more than I ever expected. Thank you. I am happy simply being allowed to exist beside you."

And with that, she settled deeper into the chair and continued her silent vigil, content to spend the entire night there if it meant being close to the son she had finally found again.