LOGINRavena's POV "You did not care enough to find out," I spat. "That is the same thing."I let that sit for a moment before I crouched down in front of her so we were at the same level, and I looked her directly in the face."And on top of everything," I whispered, "you let your jealousy consume you. For years. Constantly targeting me. Constantly pushing at me over Lucien, as though that man was the center of everythi
Ravena's POV Astrid opened her mouth to argue, but I didn't let her.My hand suddenly connected with her shoulder and I shoved her hard. She went down to the floor with a sharp sound that rang through the receiving room like a statement.The maidservants standing by the walls froze in place.
Ravena's POV The knock came before the sun was fully up.I heard it through sleep, and then Liora's voice at my door, low and apologetic in the way she only got when the news was something she would rather not deliver."Princess. I am sorry to wake you. But it is Astrid."
Ravena's POV Garrick Blackstone had spent years watching me move through his son's household like a woman who was there by mistake. He had never said it to my face. Men like Garrick rarely did. But it had been in every room he entered, in the way he looked through me at pack gatherings, in the way he had said nothing when Lucien started humiliating me publicly.Doris was staring at my face closely. I could see the moment she realized she had said more than she intended, the slight widening of her eyes, the small inward pull of someone reassessing how much they had just handed over."I should not have said all of that," she said."Doris." I looked at her warmly. "You have spent years being the only honest person in that entire household. Please do not stop now on my account."She let out a breath that was almost a laugh. "I just don't want to cause you any distress before your wedding.""You haven’t," I said. "Really. Everything you have told me today I am filing away as gossip and no
Ravena's POV Suddenly, her mother reached over and touched her arm. "Mara. Your tone.""It is fine," I said, before the woman could work herself into a full apology. "Honestly. I would rather she ask me plainly than sit here wondering."Mara's mother looked at me with the gratitude of someone who had been holding their breath and was not sure yet if they were allowed to stop.
Ravena's POV By the time we arrived home, Erik was deeply asleep and I carried him to his room without waking him.Evander was waiting in the study.He looked up when I came in and something in his expression told me before he spoke that this was not a casual conversation."Sit
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
The news spread like wildfire through the kingdom.Victory in the north. Lost territory reclaimed. The enemy defeated.And at the center of it all were two names, Prince Evander and the female general.In taverns and market squares, people gathered in clusters, exchanging stories they had heard fro
Ravena's POV "Do you think I'm scared of you?" I asked back.Astrid's face twisted with rage. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, and she looked like she wanted to lunge at me again. But she had learned her lesson. She knew what would happen if she tried.So instead, she just stood there.
Astrid's POVPain was the first thing I felt when consciousness dragged me back from the darkness.Excruciating, bone-deep pain that made every breath feel like swallowing glass.I tried to move, but my body wouldn't respond. My limbs felt heavy, useless, like they belonged to someone else.Slowly,







