Chapter 4: The Weight of Consequences

Calista's POV

The silence after my words felt like drowning. Aldrid stared at me and the letter crumpled between his fingers. His knuckles went white.

"What did you just say?"

My throat tightened but I forced the words out. "I want a divorce."

He laughed. It was not a real laugh. It was the sound someone makes when they cannot believe what they are hearing. "You have lost your mind."

"I cannot give you an heir. You know this. There is no point in continuing this marriage."

His face changed. The shock melted into something darker and I took a step back without meaning to. He moved closer and I felt the weight of his Alpha presence pushing down on me. My knees wanted to buckle but I locked them in place.

"You belong to me." His voice dropped low. "You do not get to decide anything. I decide. The Council decides. Not you."

"I am done." The words came out shaky but I kept going. "I am done with all of this."

"Done?" He threw the letter on the floor. "You think you can just walk away? The Council will never let you go. You are too valuable. They saved you from that plague when you were a child. You owe them everything."

I opened my mouth to respond but he was already moving toward the door. He stopped and looked back at me.

"You will regret this."

The door slammed and the sound echoed through the room. I stood there staring at the closed door until my legs gave out. I sat on the edge of my bed and pressed my hands over my face. What had I done? But underneath the fear, something else stirred. Something that felt almost like hope.

Hours passed. I did not move from my room and no one came to check on me. The sun set and the sky turned dark. I sat by the window and watched the stars appear one by one.

A knock made me jump. Tina pushed the door open and slipped inside. Her face was pale.

"Your Highness, I need to tell you something."

My stomach dropped. "What is it?"

"The Council received your letter."

I frowned. "But I sent it this morning. How could they get it so fast?"

Tina looked down at her hands. "Prince Aldrid sent it himself."

The air left my lungs. Of course he did. He had not left in anger. He had gone straight to them to control what they heard.

"What did they say?"

"They want to see you. Tomorrow morning."

My hands went cold. "Did they say anything else?"

Tina shook her head but her eyes told me she was holding something back. "Just be careful. Please."

She left and I was alone again. I lay down and stared at the ceiling. Sleep took a long time to come and when it did, my dreams were full of whispers I could not understand.

Morning light woke me. I got dressed in a plain gown and looked at myself in the mirror. The woman looking back at me seemed like a stranger. Her eyes were hollow and her face was too thin.

Tina came to walk me to the Council chambers. We moved through the palace and I felt people watching. Their whispers followed me but I kept my eyes forward.

The guards opened the doors and I walked in. The Council sat at a long table. Lady Morwen Quinton was in the center. She had always been kind before but now her face gave nothing away.

"Calista Garrott. We received your petition."

I nodded. "Yes, Your Grace. I can no longer be Crown Princess. The marriage should end."

Silence filled the room. Lady Morwen leaned forward and her hands folded neatly on the table.

"We have considered your request."

My heart pounded. "And?"

"We cannot grant it. Not yet."

The words hit me like a slap. "What do you mean?"

"The Rite of the Red Moon is coming. It happens once every century. You must remain in Vargath until it is complete."

I stared at her. "How long?"

"One hundred days."

My breath caught. One hundred days. More than three months trapped here.

"Your Grace, please. I cannot stay here. Not after everything."

She raised her hand and I stopped talking. "This is not a discussion. You will stay. That is our decision."

I wanted to scream. I wanted to ask why they were doing this. But the look in her eyes stopped me. There was something cold there. Something that made my skin crawl.

I turned and walked out. My legs felt weak and my mind raced. Tina caught up with me in the hallway.

"Your Highness." She kept her voice low and looked around to make sure no one was listening. "They say you are to remain in Vargath for one hundred days... until the Rite of the Red Moon.”