After Cassandra left the royal citadel, Derek hurried into the private study, his boots clicking against the polished stone floor. "Your Majesty, the Queen Dowager sent an attendant over from Serenity Palace. She requests your presence as soon as you are available."
Salvador let out a heavy sigh, setting down his quill. "Mother is undoubtedly anxious because of Cassandra’s situation. Prepare the carriage."
At Serenity Palace, blood-red roses clung to the courtyard walls, their heavy scent filling the crisp afternoon air. Deep red pack banners hung along the stone pillars, giving the residence an air of quiet power and royal authority.
Seated upon the carved wooden chair in the main hall was the Queen Dowager, Victoria Lancaster. She wore a deep crimson robe fastened with a white jade hairpin, her usually serene face drawn with exhaustion.
"Blessings upon you, Mother," Salvador said, bowing as he approached the elevated platform.
Victoria looked at him, waving her hand to dismiss the attending guards and servants before letting out a soft, bitter sigh. "The marriage decree you issued at the city gates was extraordinarily unwise, Salvador. Your actions not only disrespected the late Marquis of Northwatch, but they set a dangerous precedent for every pack in the territory."
Her tone sharpened as she sat forward. "In Starhaven, our laws are clear. Pack commanders and court officials are forbidden from taking secondary mates within five years of marriage. Five years is already a brief window. In my view, a male warrior should only be permitted to seek another partner if he reaches forty years of age without an heir to carry his bloodline. Only then should the pack council allow it."
She paused, her eyes narrowing at her son. "Now, by publicly granting an official decree for General Yates to enter Adrian’s household with equal standing as his Luna, you have shattered that rule. What hope is left for the women of this kingdom? On Adrian’s mating day, he marched off to the Southern Border. He has not even consummated his bond with Cassandra, and now he brings home another woman. Are you trying to drive the girl to her death?"
As Victoria finished speaking, tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. "That poor child. She is the last surviving bloodline of the Sinclair family, and now she is being humiliated in front of the entire territory."
Victoria’s distress was deep and personal. She and Cassandra’s mother, Melanie Sinclair, had been sworn sisters in their youth, bound by shared pack ties long before Victoria married into the royal lineage. Victoria had watched Cassandra grow up from a quiet, observant child into a dignified young woman.
Seeing his mother’s tears, Salvador felt a heavy knot of guilt in his chest. He lowered himself to one knee before her chair. "Mother, I acted too hastily. At the city gates, Adrian requested the decree in front of the entire vanguard as his sole reward for repelling the border invasion. I knew the request was inappropriate, but he claimed he desired no land, no gold, and no higher rank. Had I refused him publicly after such a massive victory, the army would have seen it as a slight against their commander."
"So because a headstrong Alpha refused to yield, Cassandra must suffer?" Victoria asked, her voice trembling with anger. "Has the Sinclair family not sacrificed enough blood for this kingdom? Do you have any idea how difficult her life has been over the past year, keeping that failing Warren estate afloat by herself?"
Salvador looked down, unable to meet her gaze. "Mother, Adrian’s heart has completely shifted. Even if I forced him to turn Aurora away, he would never treat Cassandra with the honor she deserves. In truth, Cassandra came to my study just moments ago. She asked for an official decree of separation. I granted it."
Victoria’s brow furrowed in shock. "What? That headstrong child! Why would she ask for a separation? Where can she possibly go now?"
"She stated she will return to the Sinclair ancestral grounds at Northwatch," Salvador replied quietly. "She intends to adopt a male heir from a secondary branch to honor her father’s lineage and carry on the family name."
Victoria closed her eyes, letting out a ragged breath. "Return to Northwatch? How can she survive in that empty, silent place? She saw the bodies of her mother, her grandmother, and her kin scattered across those halls. Will she not be haunted by nightmares every single night?"
Her heart aching for the girl, Victoria pressed a hand to her chest. "If she came to the royal citadel, why did she not come directly to Serenity Palace? I could have stepped in. I could have taught her how to put Aurora in her place and keep control of that household. There was no need for a separation. Adrian has earned immense military standing. If she had demanded a different royal decree, she could have secured endless wealth and prestige for the rest of her life. Why choose such a painful, difficult path?"
"Mother, her mind was completely made up," Salvador said softly. "She told me she refused to waste her life fighting over a man’s broken promises. Think of it. If she were forced to stay in Grace Mansion and watch Adrian display his affection for another woman every day, how could her pride bear it?"
Those words struck a raw nerve, and Victoria’s face paled. She had loved the late Alpha King, but his heart had been divided among many mates and concubines over the years. She knew the silent, lingering death of watching a mate’s devotion drift elsewhere.
"A woman’s life in the pack hierarchy is rarely easy," Victoria whispered, staring out at the blooming roses in the courtyard. "Aurora Yates is a female general, and I once admired her strength. I truly believed she would elevate the standing of female warriors across our lands. I never imagined that the moment she gained power, she would use it to crush another woman of high bloodline. I am deeply disappointed in her."
Salvador stood up, his expression dark and troubled. He felt the same disappointment toward Adrian and Aurora. Yet, with the border conflict barely settled and the army still returning from the front, he could not openly strip the general of her command without causing unrest among the troops.
All he could do was send his personal guard to Grace Mansion and summon Adrian Warren to the citadel for a harsh, official reprimand.