Chapter 34

Lucy.

After everything that happened with Ethan, I did my best to avoid Elizabeth. I couldn’t bear to face her. The anger and the betrayal in her eyes haunted me. I had never seen her so furious, so out of control. The slap from Elizabeth still burned on my skin, though the physical sting had faded. The emotional wound, however, remained fresh, gnawing at me every time I closed my eyes. I felt like I was walking through a fog of guilt and confusion, not knowing how to fix what had been broken.

But I couldn’t stay cooped up in that tension-filled space forever. I needed to escape, even if only for a little while. The palace had always been a place where I could go to clear my mind, even though it wasn’t exactly a sanctuary. At least the king was recovering in the hospital. That meant I had an excuse to visit. And I could take my mind off the mess I had found myself in, if only temporarily.

The hospital was quiet when I arrived. The smell of antiseptic hit me first, followed by the muffled sounds of footsteps and hushed voices from behind closed doors. It was oddly soothing in a way. The king was doing better, at least according to the doctors. I had heard as much from the servants who cared for him, but I still wanted to see for myself. I wanted to make sure that the king was truly on the mend, as much for his sake as for mine. After everything that had happened, it was important to keep up appearances, to remain useful in some way, even if I was tangled in messes I didn’t know how to untangle.

But there was another reason I came to the palace today. It had been too long since I saw Nolan. His father’s arrival had changed everything, and I had hardly gotten any time to spend with him. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been able to sit down and talk with him, to hold him.

I found Nolan sitting in the sitting room when I entered. The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up like a torch, his face breaking into a wide, bright smile. He jumped up from his seat, his small legs carrying him toward me faster than I expected. He didn’t even hesitate, just threw himself into my arms.

“Lucy!” His voice was full of joy. “I missed you so much! Where have you been? I thought you were gone forever.”

My heart twisted at his words. It hurt to see him like this, to know that his world was changing so rapidly and there was nothing I could do to slow it down. “I missed you too, Nolan,” I said softly, hugging him tighter, not wanting to let go. “I’ve been... busy. But I’m here now.”

“I’m glad you’re back,” he whispered, looking up at me with his big, innocent eyes.

I placed a soft kiss on the top of his head, then stood up. “I’ll make your favorite cookies, okay? How does that sound?”

He nodded eagerly, his face lighting up with excitement. “Yes! Yes, please! I love your cookies, Lucy!”

I smiled at his enthusiasm, grateful for this little moment of normalcy. “Alright, I’ll get started.”

I made my way to the kitchen, my thoughts drifting as I began preparing the dough. Baking had always been a way for me to clear my head, to focus on something simple and tangible. I mixed the ingredients slowly, the rhythmic motions of stirring, measuring, and folding helping to ground me. Maybe if I could just focus on something as mundane as cookies for a while, I could push all the messes aside and forget about them. But I knew that was a lie. The truth was, I couldn’t forget. I couldn’t escape. But it didn’t stop me from trying.

By the time the cookies were done, the warm, sweet smell filled the kitchen. I let them cool for a few moments before I carried the plate into the sitting room. Nolan was sitting quietly now, his small hands clasped in his lap, eyes staring into the distance. When he saw the plate of cookies, his eyes widened, and a grin spread across his face.

“Yay!” he exclaimed, hopping off the couch and rushing toward me. I handed him the plate, and he immediately picked up a cookie, taking a big bite. “These are the best!”

But my smile faltered when I looked around the room and saw Ivy sitting there, munching on one of Nolan’s cookies. Nolan, on the other hand, had his head down, tears running down his cheeks. I could feel my stomach tighten as I watched the scene unfold in front of me.

I didn’t know how to react.

“Ivy…” I began, my voice strained with confusion and frustration. “Why would you do that? Those were for Nolan. Why are you eating his cookies?”

Ivy didn’t even look up at me, her mouth still full of the cookie she had stolen. She chewed slowly before swallowing, then turned her gaze to me, though it was half-hearted and dismissive.

“Make another one,” she muttered. “Nolan’s crying like a mad dog. He won’t stop until you make him more.”

My blood boiled. The audacity. The nerve.

“You made him cry,” I said through clenched teeth, stepping closer to her. “You took his cookies, and now you’re telling me to make more? You’re a full grown adult and you will pick on a kid? You're a sick pathetic wolf.”

She rolled her eyes, clearly not taking me seriously. “Oh, please. I don’t have time for this. Just make him more cookies. Or, you know, you can just let him cry. It’s not like it matters to me.”

That was it. Something in me snapped.

I couldn’t control it anymore. Without thinking, I slapped her across the face. The sound of it echoed through the room, and for a moment, everything stood still.

Ivy’s eyes widened, her hand coming up to her cheek in shock. The look on her face was a mixture of anger and disbelief. But before she could say anything, I grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her out of the chair.

“You want more cookies, huh?” I spat. “You want to act like you just freshly got out of a psychiatric hospital? Like you're out of your damn mind?"

Before she could react, I slapped her again. And again. My hand found its way to her face over and over, the anger, the frustration, the helplessness all pouring out with each strike.

I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to stop.

When I finally released her, she stumbled back, glaring at me with a fiery hatred. I stood over her, breathing heavily. My chest was heaving, my hands trembling, but my heart was still racing with fury.

“Don’t you ever touch Nolan’s things again,” I warned her, my voice low and threatening. “If you do, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

I turned on my heel, ready to storm out of the room and leave her in the mess we’d created. But just as I reached the door, I froze. My eyes locked onto something that made my blood run cold.

The Luna Dowager was walking down the hallway, flanked by two guards. Her eyes met mine, and a flicker of something, disappointment? Anger? crossed her face. Before I could even react, the guards moved in on me. One grabbed my arms, the other my waist, and they seized me with a force I hadn’t expected.

“What’s going on?” I demanded, panic creeping into my voice. “Why are you doing this? What’s happening?”

No one answered. The silence was deafening as the guards dragged me through the hallway, my feet barely touching the floor.

I struggled, trying to pull free, but it was useless. The more I fought, the harder they held on.

And then, just like that, I was thrown into a dark room. The door slammed shut behind me with a loud sound that made my heart sink.

I shouted, screamed, pounded on the door, but no one answered.

Not a single sound came from the other side.