LOGINFINNIANI later came to see Elsa. She had finally calmed down, and for the first time in hours, I saw a faint smile on her lips. When Eve walked in, Elsa practically threw herself into her arms. Her laughter was small, but it was there... soft, tired, and real.I hoped she’d find happiness too. She deserved that much.Daze stayed by the door, pretending not to care, though his eyes lingered on her every move. I didn’t push him anymore. The bond between them was his battle, not mine.The door opened, and two familiar scents filled the room... sweet berries and lavender. Arianna and Marie stepped in, each carrying a tray. One held bowls of hot stew, roasted meat, and another bowl of rice. The other carried fruits which were apples, grapes, sliced peaches, and a jug of wine.Elsa blinked in surprise. I did too.She had just complained about being hungry, and Eve had almost gone to fetch her food. So how did these two get here first?Arianna’s eyes met mine for a second before she quickly
FINNIANDamn it.Why would she cross Velin?Why would she use her power?She should’ve known better. Velin was trying to provoke her. She always does. Isolde should’ve kept her patience like she always did. But no, she had to react.And now look where it got her, locked in that damn cell, and I couldn’t even do anything about it. I couldn’t convince my brother to let me take her to my own building. He didn’t even let me speak on her behalf.Everything was falling apart.And he... my own brother dared to raise his hand at her. The same man who had been playing sweet and gentle with her just days ago.Or was I hallucinating?I stopped outside Isolde’s chamber when I heard soft sobs. My chest tightened. That was Elsa's voice.Don’t tell me she hadn’t stopped crying since it happened.I kicked the door open, the wood banging hard against the wall.Elsa lay on the bed, her head resting on Daze’s lap. Daze looked up quickly and bowed. “Prince.”Elsa jumped to her feet, eyes red and tremblin
ISOLDE“Oh, goodness!”I heard my sister’s voice before I even saw her. Elsa ran toward me, her steps echoing through the Rowan's corridor, but two guards caught her before she could reach me.“Why are you holding me back?! I want to hug my sister!” she yelled, struggling to free herself. “Prince! Prince! Tell them to stop holding me back! And why are you pulling her like that? What happened here?” Her voice trembled between anger and confusion.Finnian said nothing, he just shook his head, a silent sign that even he couldn’t interfere.“What?” Elsa’s voice cracked. “Sister, what happened? What did you do?”I couldn’t speak. The only thing that escaped my lips were silent sobs.She shook her head rapidly, refusing to accept what she was seeing. “No… no, they can’t take you away from me.”I heard Eve’s soft cry behind her. “Elsa, calm down,” she whispered, rubbing her shoulder. But Elsa was far from calm.“King! Yes, King!" She jerked herself away from the guards but they stopped her a
ISOLDEBlood.I froze the moment I saw it, it was dark, fresh blood running down Velin’s neck, painting her skin red. My chest tightened, and the strength in my legs gave out. She staggered backward, swaying, almost falling but Rowan caught her before she hit the floor.My breath hitched. Did I do that?My hands began to tremble as I stared at the faint traces of black under my nails. Oh no. No, no… what was wrong with me?“What did you do to her?” Rowan’s voice sliced through the air like a whip. He was checking her neck, his fingers brushing her skin, his eyes dark with anger. Velin whimpered, pressing her body closer to his chest, pretending she couldn’t speak.“Rowan…” My voice cracked. “I-I didn’t...”“Do nothing?!” His voice deepened, dangerous.Before I could say anything more, Finnian stormed in. His boots hit the marble with heavy thuds, and when his eyes fell on Velin bleeding in Rowan’s arms, his jaw clenched.I shook my head, backing away slightly. “No-no. I didn’t do any
ISOLDEIt had been a week since my parents left, and no matter how much I tried to focus on anything else, I couldn’t stop thinking about Rowan.Something about him had changed. Maybe it was me hoping, maybe it was real, but lately he had been… different. Gentler. More attentive. Trying to make me feel at home again. Trying to remind me of the man I once loved.But then the question always came crawling back, sharp as a blade.'Will you accept him back?'And every time, I shook my head because I didn’t know. I didn’t know if this new version of him was real or just another illusion. I didn’t know if I could trust him again, not after everything he had done. I needed to be sure. Truly sure.GBAM!The double wooden doors of Rowan’s chamber flew open with a thunderous crack, slamming against the wall. My heart jumped into my throat. I grabbed my royal black top and pulled it over my half-naked chest, startled.“Your Highness, I told you.. His Majesty isn’t inside,” one of the guards pant
FINNIANShe walked toward me with fire in her eyes, and before I could even move, her palm met my cheek, hard. My head turned to the side.“I didn’t come here so you could embarrass me!” she yelled, her voice trembling with anger and pain. “I came because I missed you!”I chuckled bitterly, rubbing the sting on my face. “Really? You missed me, or you just needed someone to fill your time again?” My voice dropped, colder. “Rowan hurt you again, right? Because that’s the only time you come running to me.”Her lips parted. “What are you saying?! I couldn’t come because there was no way I could. But tonight, Rowan went out with my parents. They said they wouldn’t be back until morning. Even Elsa went with them. I finally had a chance to sneak out and this is how you treat me?”I knew she would say that. She always had a reason.“You always have a reason,” I muttered, stepping back. “If it wasn’t him, it was your title. If not that, it was your fear. There’s always something keeping you aw







