Roderic
I literally ran all the way to the Sanctum.
The guards at the entrance took one look at me and stepped aside without a word.
Inside, the corridor smelled of dried herbs and candle smoke, and a healer intercepted me before I’d taken three steps.
“Your Majesty, Lady Lysara is awake but fragile. Her wolf has retreated deep, and it may take weeks before it resurfaces. Please be—”
“Which room is she in?” I cut the healer off, looking around.
“Third door on the left, but this is really important. She needs—”
I didn’t hear the rest of her words.
I was already racing down the corridor.
Since her suicide attempt, this would be the first time I’d be seeing her.
Lord Aven had made sure of that.
Her door was slightly ajar when I reached it.
I pushed it open and stepped inside, and everything about my life — the crown, the marriage, the Sorvanes, the woman in my bed this morning — fell away.
Lysara was propped against a bank of pillows, her red hair dull and tangled against the white linen.
Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and her wrists were bandaged neatly above the sheets.
She’d always been so full of life and energy.
Now she looked like a candle that had nearly burned out.
Her gaze shifted to the doorway, and her eyes welled with unshed tears as she stretched her hand toward me.
“Roderic,” she whispered.
I crossed the room in three strides, pulled the chair beside her bed as close as it would go, and took her hand.
Her fingers were cold, but I pressed them to my lips, held them there, and closed my eyes.
“I’m here,” I said.
“I’m right here. I’ll never leave you. Ever.”
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, her breath shaky.
“I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t want to lose you, Roderic.”
I opened my eyes and cupped her face, smiling at her.
“Don’t you dare apologise, okay? It was my fault too. I should have fought back and insisted it was you I wanted. I’m sorry. I’m still a weak Alpha King, Lysara. But I promise, one day, we’ll be together.”
She didn’t say anything.
She just studied my face, her thumb tracing a slow circle on the back of my hand, and said instead, “You look terrible. You didn’t have a good night?”
I thought about waking up to Princess Esmira on my bed when I’d genuinely thought it was Lysara.
That was enough grounds to make anyone have a bad day.
“I’m fine now that I know you’re okay.”
A ghost of a smile crossed her lips, and for a moment she was Lysara again.
Then the smile faded, and I could see the questions I had been dreading in her eyes.
“They told me about the wedding when I woke up,” she said quietly.
“They said you married Princess Esmira yesterday.”
I nodded, a pang of guilt twisting my gut.
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“I know you didn’t.” She paused, her expression shifting into something careful.
“How was the ceremony? Did everything go smoothly?”
“As smoothly as a farce can go.”
She nodded slowly.
“And the princess — was she… alright?”
The question struck me as odd.
I’d expected Lysara to fly into a fit the way she had when the court had first announced that I would be marrying Princess Esmira of House Eldarion instead of Lysara of House Vaelis.
The announcement had come as a shock to me because I hadn’t authorised it.
It was House Sorvane and Alpha King Eldric who had decided for me.
Lysara had blown over the top, and every attempt to pacify her had proven futile.
Hours later, she was found in her room, in her own pool of blood.
But seeing how calm she seemed now that the wedding had happened made me wonder if she was truly alright.
“She was fine,” I answered.
“She said her vows, and we both played our parts. She knows I would never love her.”
“So she made it to the wedding without any problems?”
I frowned slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing.” She looked away toward the window, her fingers still tracing circles on my hand.
“I just wondered. The palace was in such chaos leading up to the ceremony. There were rumours that something had happened the night before — servants whispering about guards being called to the east wing. I heard pieces of it when I woke up.”
My frown deepened.
“What kind of rumours?”
“I don’t know exactly. Something about a disturbance in the library. Raised voices. I assumed it was nothing — nerves before a wedding, perhaps.” Her green eyes returned to mine, wide and earnest.
“I’m glad nothing happened to her. If something had gone wrong with the princess before the wedding, after everything this kingdom has sacrificed for this alliance…” She shook her head.
“I don’t want to think about it.”
“You’re so kind-hearted, Lysara.” I drew in a deep breath, bringing her knuckles to my lips again.
“Still caring about the people who jilted you out of what was rightfully yours. Don’t worry, my love. The wedding happened, and the alliance holds.”
“Good.” She exhaled softly.
“That’s good.”
She fell quiet, and I sat with her in the silence, still holding her hand.
Something nagged at the back of my mind.
A faint unease I couldn’t name, but the relief of seeing her alive and breathing was overwhelming.
My wolf, dulled as it was, pressed toward her instinctively, recognising her even through the fog of Lord Aven’s herbs.
“Roderic,” she said after a while.
“I need to ask you something.”
“Anything, my love.”
“Last night.” She paused.
“Did you consummate the marriage bond?”
The silence that followed was deafening.
I could lie.
I could tell her I’d refused, that I’d slept alone.
But Lysara had never lied to me, and I owed her the same honesty.
“They drugged me with wine and dressed her in your scent,” I explained, lowering my eyes as guilt filled me.
“I didn’t know it was her until this morning.”
A sad smile crossed her face, and she nodded.
“I see.”
“Ly, I swear to you, I thought it was you—”
“I believe you, dear.” She sighed, giving me a soft smile.
“House Sorvane would do anything to drive us apart. As long as your heart doesn’t belong to her, then I can survive this.”
“It doesn’t. I swear by the goddess. You’re the only one meant for me, Lysara and one day we’ll stand next to each other and mates.”
She turned her face toward the window again.
The morning light caught the tears on her cheeks, and I sat there holding her cold hand, knowing the Sorvanes had found yet another way to break the people I loved.
“How did they get my scent?” she asked suddenly, turning to look at me.
The question caught me by surprise.
I hadn’t thought about that.
In the chaos of the morning, in the fury and the shame, I hadn’t stopped to ask the most obvious question: where had Lord Aven obtained Lysara’s scent?
Before I could pursue the thought, the door opened.
Caelan stood in the doorway with a tight expression.
“Roderic, the second bell has rung. You need to go get dressed for the assembly now.”
“Five more minutes.”
“You don’t have five minutes. The lords are already seated. Any longer and Aven’s people will start asking questions you don’t want to answer.”
I closed my eyes.
Every instinct screamed at me to stay, but Caelan was right.
I leaned forward and pressed my lips to Lysara’s forehead.
She closed her eyes, and for a moment, the tension left her body.
“I’ll come back,” I said.
“As soon as the assembly is done.”
“Be careful,” she whispered.
I squeezed her hand once more, then stood and walked out.
Caelan fell into step beside me, and we moved quickly through the Sanctum corridors.
“A word came from the Luna Queen. She says she must see you, that it is urgent,” Caelan informed me.
“Urgent?” I scoffed.
“Tell her to seek out Lord Aven. I will not allow myself to become her puppet, too.”
“Maybe you should listen to her. Who knows, she might have something really important to say.”
“Let’s just get dressed for the assembly. Did you lay out my clothes?”
By this time, we were in front of my room.
A servant opened the door, and I entered, still talking to Caelan, who had frozen mid-step.
He nudged me with his elbow, and I turned toward the direction he was looking.
Princess Esmira was standing in the centre of my room, her cheeks streaked with tears.
As soon as she saw me, she fell to her knees, sobbing bitterly.
Caelan and I exchanged surprised glances.
I felt my wolf whimper, and for a second, I felt ashamed of myself.
Was she crying because of how I’d acted this morning?
“What is this act?” I said instead, walking toward her and yanking her to her feet.
“Did they put you up to this again? What else do you want from me, Esmira? Haven’t I given you and your father enough?”
“Nothing, Alpha,” she hiccupped.
“You must save me from Lord Aven. Please. I don’t want to die like the rest of my family.”
My brows furrowed as I looked at her.
This wasn’t a performance.
The tears were real.
“What do you mean? Why do I need to save you from Lord Aven?” I asked.
“Because…” she wailed.
“I am not the real Esmira.”