LOGINSCARLETT'S POVThe rebellion was over, but peace didn't arrive with the silence of the battlefield. For the first time in weeks, the palace corridors felt strangely quiet, yet I knew the hardest part was still waiting for us. Cassian and Elaine would finally have to answer for everything they had done.The trial began three days after the rebellion ended, with the entire royal council gathered inside the great hall. Warriors lined the walls while nobles filled the seats behind them, all waiting to hear the evidence that would determine the fate of the two people who had nearly destroyed the kingdom.Cassian stood between two guards with his usual arrogance gone. Elaine stood several steps away, pale and silent, refusing to look at me for more than a few seconds at a time. I watched them without satisfaction because revenge no longer felt as important as it once had.The first evidence came from the hidden chapel, where the royal documents and forged letters had been discovered. Every
JORDAN'S POVI woke to the sound of steel striking steel and wolves howling somewhere beyond the smoke. For a few seconds, I couldn't remember where I was or why my body felt so heavy, but then the sharp pain beneath my ribs brought everything back. The battlefield, the rebels, the northern ridge, and Scarlett waiting for me.I pushed myself onto one elbow and immediately felt warmth spreading beneath my armor. When I looked down, blood covered the side of my uniform. The wound was deep enough to hurt badly, but I could still move, which meant I wasn't going to lie there while my warriors fought without me.One of my commanders spotted me and rushed across the battlefield, his expression changing from relief to alarm when he saw the blood. “Your Majesty, stay down until the healers reach you,” he pleaded urgently, dropping beside me as he tried to inspect the wound without making it worse.I shook my head and forced myself upright despite the pain. “I'm not staying down while those me
SCARLETT'S POVThe moment Jordan disappeared beyond the palace gates, I forced myself to stop watching the road and turned toward the courtyard. Fear was clawing at my chest, but I couldn't afford to let it control me. Jordan had trusted me with the palace, and I intended to prove that trust wasn't misplaced.The commanders gathered around me as another war horn sounded from the northern hills. I could see uncertainty in their faces, but nobody questioned why I was standing where Jordan usually stood. I straightened my shoulders and reminded myself that this kingdom was mine too.“Seal the inner gates and double the guards around the nursery,” I ordered calmly, pointing toward the eastern corridor. “Nobody enters Charles's wing without my permission, regardless of their rank. I also want messengers stationed at every tower so I know exactly what happens outside these walls.”The first report arrived less than ten minutes later. The enemy had breached the outer wall, and several warrio
JORDAN'S POVThe war horn sounded before sunrise, shaking the palace walls hard enough to wake every warrior stationed inside the capital. I was already dressed when the first messenger reached my chambers, carrying news that confirmed my worst suspicion. Cassian's remaining supporters had gathered beyond the northern border, and they were preparing to attack.I read the report twice, studying every detail before looking toward the commander standing before me. The rebels were no longer trying to negotiate with the council or rescue Cassian quietly. They knew his conspiracy was collapsing, and they believed killing me before the trial would destroy the evidence against them.“How many warriors are outside the capital?” I asked, keeping my voice controlled as I folded the report between my fingers. “And how long before they reach our gates?” I needed numbers, not rumors, because whatever happened next would depend on how quickly we understood the enemy approaching us.The commander bow
JORDAN'S POVI didn't need time to think about Scarlett's question because I had already answered it for myself long before she found the courage to ask. I tightened my fingers around hers and looked directly into her eyes, determined to make sure she understood exactly what I meant.“I would choose you,” I told her without hesitation, my voice steady as I held her gaze. “Even if we had met somewhere completely different, without a kingdom behind me, without a crown on my head, and without a contract forcing us into the same room.”Scarlett stared at me silently, and I could see how badly she wanted to believe my words while another part of her was still waiting for me to give her a reason not to. I understood that hesitation because trust wasn't something she could rebuild overnight.“I would still choose you if you were just Scarlett,” I continued, gently brushing my thumb across the back of her hand. “I wouldn't care whether you had a title or whether anyone thought you were worthy
SCARLETT'S POVI stood completely still after Jordan's confession, staring at him as though I had suddenly forgotten how to understand the man in front of me. The words kept repeating inside my head, especially the part where he admitted the contract was the only thing he regretted.I had spent so long convincing myself that our marriage was nothing more than an arrangement that hearing him reject that idea made my chest tighten. I wanted to believe him immediately, but years of disappointment had taught me to question anything that sounded too good to be true.“What exactly do you mean by that?” I asked carefully, searching his face for hesitation. “You said the contract is the only thing you regret, but Jordan, that contract is the reason we are standing here together. Without it, none of this would have happened.”Jordan remained quiet for a moment, and I watched his expression soften as though he was choosing his next words carefully. He stepped closer before answering, refusing t







