LOGINSCARLETT'S POVThe foreign delegations stayed longer than anyone expected, and by the third morning, I had learned that pretending to be deeply in love with Jordan required far more public appearances than our contract had prepared me for. We ate breakfast with Valerian advisers, walked through the palace gardens with Northreach representatives and attended dinners where everyone seemed more interested in watching us than discussing the agreements they had travelled across kingdoms to negotiate.“Your hand,” Jordan whispered as we entered the receiving hall that morning. I looked down before asking, “What about it?” He moved closer and replied, “You are supposed to be holding my arm.” I frowned and said, “I didn't realize there was a schedule for touching you.” His mouth curved as he answered, “There is now.”I placed my hand on his arm and whispered, “Happy?” Jordan glanced toward Alpha Theron and his advisers before replying, “Completely.” I smiled for the watching guests and mutter
JORDAN'S POV“This is the woman your kingdom calls Queen?” the ambassador asked, and the silence that followed was so complete that I heard one of the fires crack near the far wall. Scarlett stood beside me without moving, but I saw her fingers tighten around the fabric of her gown before she calmly released it again.I looked at the ambassador and said, “I will give you one opportunity to correct yourself.” The amusement on his face weakened slightly as he asked, “Correct myself, Your Majesty?” I stepped away from my throne and replied, “You entered my palace, accepted my hospitality and laughed at my Queen. I suggest you choose a different way to introduce yourself.”The ambassador bowed, although the movement carried little respect. “Ambassador Lucan of the Crimson Territory,” he introduced himself before looking at Scarlett again. “And I meant no personal insult. I was simply surprised.” Scarlett raised an eyebrow and asked, “Do your people usually laugh when surprised?” Lucan smi
SCARLETT'S POV“Rowan has begun investigating the identity of your unborn child's father,” Jordan said, and I read the final paragraph of the intelligence report twice before folding it again. My hand moved instinctively over my stomach as I asked, “Why now?” Jordan's expression hardened before he replied, “Because Rowan has finally realized the woman he discarded is carrying a child while sitting beside another man's throne.”“He knew I was pregnant before I left,” I reminded him as I handed the report back. Jordan took it and said, “Knowing you were pregnant and seeing your child recognized as a royal heir are different things.” I looked toward the palace windows where guards were preparing for the first foreign delegation and replied, “Then Rowan can continue investigating. We have more important people to disappoint today.”Jordan stared at me before asking, “Disappoint?” I adjusted the sleeve of my green gown and explained, “Three kingdoms are coming to see whether your assassina
JORDAN'S POV“Your father will protect you,” I had whispered, and hours later, I still could not explain why the words had felt so natural. I sat alone in my study long after the palace had gone quiet, staring at a security report I had already read three times without understanding a single sentence because my mind kept returning to Scarlett's chambers and the movement beneath my hand.The child was not mine. I knew that truth better than anyone because Scarlett had never hidden her pregnancy from me, and our contract had addressed the matter before we married. Her child would be publicly recognized as the royal heir while our arrangement lasted, but my personal claim ended when the marriage did. At the time, I had agreed without hesitation because the baby had been nothing more than another detail requiring protection.“So why did you call yourself the father?” I asked the empty room. No one answered, which was fortunate because I doubted I wanted to hear another person's explanatio
SCARLETT'S POV“Because the thought of losing you terrifies me,” Jordan said, and for the first time since I had met him, I had absolutely nothing to say. I stared at him while the room seemed to become painfully quiet around us, and although part of me waited for his usual teasing smile or some clever comment that would make the words less serious, neither came.Jordan looked away first and cleared his throat before saying, “What I mean is that losing the Queen now would create serious problems for the kingdom.” I continued staring at him as he walked toward the table and picked up a report he clearly had no interest in reading. “The council is already divided, foreign delegations are arriving, and our marriage contract would become difficult to explain if something happened to you,” he added.“You are explaining too much,” I told him quietly. Jordan's fingers tightened around the report as he replied, “I am explaining the situation.” I folded my arms and asked, “Which situation? The
JORDAN'S POV“Someone paid them to challenge the Queen's position,” Lord Theron repeated after I ordered him back into the council chamber. Scarlett stood near the window with her arms folded, while Elias closed the doors behind us and dismissed the remaining guards. I looked at Theron and asked, “How certain are you?” The older adviser met my gaze before replying, “Certain enough that I would not have approached Her Majesty without evidence.”“Then show us,” I ordered. Theron reached inside his coat and placed a folded document on the table before explaining, “My nephew works with the western treasury houses. Three days ago, he noticed unusual payments connected to families represented on this council.” Scarlett moved closer and asked, “Which families?” Theron hesitated before answering, “Harland, Marius and two western nobles who attended today's meeting.”I opened the document and studied the numbers. “These amounts are too small to purchase an army,” I observed. Theron nodded and







