uched the palace rooftops when the r

red while prepa

asy glances during the

ns of the previous night's ceremony t

rang, the entire capital had

sing had ende

ed the Mo

blamed

amed th

he royal infirmary. Morning sunlight poured across shelves lined with neatly labeled herb

ender and mountain sage u

nothing to quiet the

d not

before Lady Vivienne, proudly lifting another woman's

no longer b

hind somet

ept

k interrupted

y El

ed to Mira, one of the yo

ay com

r opene

illed with fresh herbs, though her nervous exp

the worktable before twis

ake sure you w

red her a

iate your

woman looked

happened in

everyo

wered h

ying terrib

able and began sorting the he

ar what they can

ou tried to inter

did

kno

the question that had clear

ping the Alpha King

a pa

between her finge

palace gardens where she had spent countless

hoped for

carried no

he would one

filled wit

loved

smiled

till

n surprised

overnight simply becaus

nside the heart, refusin

tepped

n't you fight

healer for several long

somethi

rentice

d to love you, would that lo

mained

ued arrangin

were always

d them to become

nce settled

ied footsteps echoed

urst through the doo

y El

thing wa

l has issue

fro

the council

aler swallow

enne requested an

remain

he

l is alread

odded

there s

entice h

s someth

a wa

every noble fam

face

g this into a p

ces left, silence

den cabinet tucked into t

l carved box wrapped

it onto the table bef

epsakes re

once handed her absentmindedl

m the cloak he had

had used to bind one o

e obj

ss to any

omeone who had

gers across the

closed

memories had s

y longer would only make

ed at the doo

me it w

orit

nt

ped inside wearing

e had always treated El

however, was unu

y El

ed her hea

me to es

umed a

the infirmary bef

offer so

u m

uncil i

ected

ching for som

his gaze

y have c

did not

confirmed

e corridors together, servants s

ckly loo

stared

eased wherever

y transformed her int

who had saved c

d through every plague and

ga who dared stand ben

se seemed

ouncil Chamber, the towering

ery seat w

yal co

eld

ry com

s from every a

as though she already possessed

entered, every co

eyes settl

unced her arrival b

aler Elar

sured steps until she reach

nvited h

pected not

Garrick r

la

ed resp

ed this kingdo

only what was

eyes searched

have placed the kingdom

derst

enne lean

yo

nt enough to deceive any

e kingdom witnessed an Omega challen

ked direc

lenged

akened because you t

d

aused the d

id n

miled with

e to deny re

ss to something

grew noticea

had expec

xpected a

sperate pleas f

swered every accusati

exc

pan

beg

patience be

sk the counci

emained

r mercy when I have

through the as

hanged surp

s not d

s dig

ken since Elara e

lly broke h

la

ned tow

that leaving the palace

esit

u accept tha

n lingered

his face fo

thi

that he wish

t of everything

on to

ound

of a king trying to satisf

yes briefly before

e remain

to stay where I am

over the chamber

d not

id no

d Rowan of seven

ot demand

ed the truth he h

ain, those quiet words hurt more

tanding before him

im feel smaller than any

a palace guard rushed into the ch

one knee befor

Maje

n fr

t is

his head, his fac

e has sent an u

quests Lady Elara's

she s

wall

dess has already