เข้าสู่ระบบLucian's POVThe palace had transformed into a symphony of controlled chaos.War preparations and coronation preparations ran side by side, two rivers of activity flowing through the same corridors. Soldiers drilled in the courtyards while seamstresses measured velvet and silk in the great hall. Smiths forged weapons in the lower forges while jewelers polished the crown that would rest on Elara's head. The contrast should have felt jarring—blood and steel beside satin and gold—but somehow it worked.The elders had been surprisingly supportive of the coronation. I had expected resistance, arguments about resources and timing. Instead, they had nodded with solemn approval."The people need hope," Elder Riven had said. "They need to see the White Witch crowned, to know that their queen stands with them. This is not a distraction. This is a weapon."I had not argued.Now I stood at the window of the war room, watching the bustle below. Servants carried armloads of fabric. Warriors marched
Elara's POVThe days after the news of my pregnancy went by quickly.Gaius had ordered strict bed rest—no training, no strategy meetings, no healing the wounded, no anything that might strain my body. Lucian had taken the orders as law, posting Dana outside our chambers with instructions to let no one in unless the palace was on fire. Kylan brought meals at odd hours, always with a joke and a worried glance at my stomach. Gwen visited twice a day to check my pulse and mutter about herbs and tonics.I was going mad.Not because I wanted to train—my body was still heavy with exhaustion, and the thought of sparring made my stomach turn. But because I was useless. The war preparations continued without me. The generals argued without me. Darius was out there, growing stronger, and I was lying in bed eating pickled eggs and honey cakes."It is not fair," I said to Lucian one evening. He sat in the chair beside the bed, reviewing reports by candlelight."What is not fair?""You are out ther
Lucian's POVGaius arrived within minutes, his bag heavy with vials and herbs, his face lined with concern. He and Gwen conferred in low voices at the foot of the bed, their words too quiet for me to catch. I did not ask them to speak up. I did not care about their theories or their guesses, I just wanted her to be okay. Elara lay motionless beneath the blankets, her white hair fanned across the pillow, her chest rising and falling in a rhythm that was too slow, too shallow. I had not moved from the edge of the bed since I laid her there. Her hand was still in mine, cool and limp, and I rubbed my thumb across her knuckles, hoping she could feel it, hoping it would pull her back.Gwen approached the bed with a small crystal vial filled with pale liquid. He uncorked it and held it under Elara's nose. She did not react. He frowned, then pressed two fingers to her throat again, holding them there longer than before."Her pulse is steady but weak," he said. "There is something different a
Lucian's POVThe war room smelled of old parchment and too many people. Generals and pack leaders crowded around the long table, their voices overlapping, their fingers stabbing at maps. Supply routes. Troop placements. The best locations to set up defensive lines if Darius came through the eastern pass. The Shadow Wilds had grown enormous after the merge with Eclipse Pack and the territories Darius had seized over the years. Too much ground to cover. Too many weak points.I had heard the same arguments for three days, and my patience was wearing thin."We need more men on the northern ridge," one of them said."We need more men everywhere," another countered. "The Shadow Wilds stretch from the eastern mountains to the southern marshes. We cannot guard it all.""Then we conscript from the outer villages.""The outer villages have already given what they can. Their young men are training. Their old men are standing watch. There is no one left."I rubbed my temples. The fire in the hea
Elara's POV The next few weeks buried us in preparation. By day, I trained with Gwen until my arms ached and the light in my palms flickered from exhaustion. Lucian met with generals in the war room, reviewed battle plans, reinforced the walls. Dana scouted the borders twice a week, returning with reports of strange movements in the Shadow Wilds. Kylan managed the chaos of supplies and soldiers and spies, somehow still finding time to leave notes outside our door that made me laugh. "If you need me, I'll be the one hiding from Dana." "Congratulations, my lady. Please stop glowing. It's distracting the servants." By night, Lucian and I collapsed into bed together. Sometimes we made love—slow and tender, the way I remembered from before the potion. Sometimes we just held each other, whispering about the future, about the peace that would come after, about the small, ordinary things we wanted: a garden, a quiet morning, a day without fear. He traced the mark on my neck. I traced
Elara's POVLucian held me for a long time before he asked any questions.His arms were warm around my shoulders, my face pressed against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat, steady and strong, and I let it anchor me. The tears had stopped, but my cheeks were still damp, and I knew he could feel them through his shirt."Elara," he said finally. "What happened?"I pulled back just enough to look at him. "The fate sisters came to visit."His eyes widened. "All three?""All three." I wiped my face with the back of my hand. "My mother. My grandmother. And Morganna.""Morganna." He said the name like it was fragile, like it might break. "The one who cursed my bloodline.""Yes."He led me to the bed. We sat on the edge, facing each other, his hands holding mine. The fire crackled. The morning light was soft through the curtains."What did they want?" he asked.I told him. Not everything—some of it was too raw, too sacred, too much for words. But I told him about Morganna's fury and her tea
Lucian’s POVI burst into Elara’s chambers without knocking, the door banging against the wall hard enough to rattle the hinges.The royal physician was already there, bent over the bed, pressing a cool cloth to her forehead. Elara lay under the covers, cheeks flushed, skin glistening with sweat. S
Elara’s POVThe cage bars dug into my back as I pressed myself against them. The metal was cold and rough, smelling of rust and something sour that made my stomach turn. I wrapped my arms around my knees and tried to breathe slow. My heart hammered so loud I could hear it in my ears.This was worse
Elara’s POVI felt hurt and bad that he could get angry like that even after our morning encounter. The teasing, the laughter, the way he had stayed with me through the nightmare — I thought things had changed between us. But the moment I stepped into that room, his anger returned full force, sharp
Lucian’s POVI burst through the palace gates with the unconscious girl cradled against my chest. The full moon still hung high, bathing everything in cold silver light. My bare feet slapped against the stone courtyard. Blood from the rogues still coated my skin and matted my hair.The two guards a







