MasukKing Alaric's POV I leaned back in my chair and looked at the ceiling for exactly three seconds. Long enough to think but short enough that Cedric would not mistake it for uncertainty."We hold her," I said.Cedric blinked. "Your Majesty?""Astrid stays where she is.
King Alaric's POVI was in the middle of reviewing border reports when Elder Cedric walked in.He did not knock. He never knocked when the news was urgent, and I had long since stopped expecting it from him. The man had served my father before me, and he carried that history like armour. It gave him a particular kind of boldness that I tolerated because it was always earned."Your Majesty," he said, closing the door
Evander's POV I had not meant to eavesdrop.I had only come to check on them. That was all. Just a quiet check before I retired for the night, making sure the door was secure, that Erik had settled, that Ravena was not sitting alone in the dark the way she sometimes did when the grief crept back in and she thought no one noticed.But then I heard her voice through the cracked door, and I stopped.
Ravena's POV In the days that followed, whenever Evander and I were in the same room, Erik would immediately position himself between us.If Evander tried to sit beside me, Erik would squeeze into the space, using his small body to create a barrier.If Evander reached for my hand, Erik would grab it first and hold tight.If Evander spoke to me, Erik would make those broken sounds, drawing my attention back to him.It was constant and relentless. Almost comical if it were not so heartbreaking.Evander noticed, of course. How could he not?And being the perceptive man he was, he changed his approach.He stopped moving with the commanding presence of a general and stopped filling rooms with his alpha energy.Instead, he became gentle and… soft spoken. Almost scholarly in his behaviour.He thought it would help. Thought Erik would feel less threatened.But it had the opposite effect.Erik became more agitated and fearful.He would stare at Evander with wide, terrified eyes. Like he was w
Ravena's POV I held Erik, my tears soaking into his hair."I'm so sorry," I whispered over and over. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault. All of it."Erik pulled back slightly and looked at me with those haunted eyes. Then he shook his head and reached for the paper and the brush again, his hand still trembling from exhaustion.
Ravena's POV After our discussion, Evander sent for a physician.An older man arrived within the hour, carrying a worn leather bag, and moving with the calm efficiency of someone who had seen everything.He examined Erik thoroughly, checking his injuries, his leg, his throat, his overall condition.
Ravena's POVI looked at Lucien, my expression calm despite the frustration burning in my chest."Why on earth would he lie?" I asked steadily. "What does he stand to gain if he lies against her? Think, Lucien."He opened his mouth, then closed it again. His brow furrowed as he processed my words.
Ravena's POV"I still stand by my words that Astrid is innocent," Lucien said, his voice shaking but resolute. "Someone is trying to ruin her. Frame her. Destroy her reputation."I stared at him in shock. Despite the overwhelming evidence, the numerous testimonies, and the undeniable truth presente
Ravena's POVBefore I could answer, Astrid turned her gaze to Lucien. Her expression twisted with something that looked like betrayal."You brought her," she rasped, her voice filled with hate. "You brought her here to humiliate me. To watch me suffer. Is that what this is?""Of course not," Lucien
Ravena's POV"I don't know," Evander said quietly. "But I hope he does."The words hung between us for a moment, filled with honesty and doubt.Then he gestured ahead. "Let's go. You need to rest."I followed him until we arrived at a camp, my mind still turning over everything that had happened. T







