The betrayal

Mariana’s POV

A couple of days passed, and Frostcrest was ready for war.

The council chamber was filled that morning with the kingdom’s highest-ranking soldiers, commanders, and council members. Maps of Mountcrest and the surrounding territories were spread across the long table, with markers indicating the Graham mansion, the roads leading into the territory, and the safest places for Frostcrest’s army to camp.

Zayan stood at the head of the table, still carrying faint traces of his injuries beneath his armor, but there was no weakness in his posture anymore. He looked every bit like the warlord the entire empire feared. I stood beside him, listening carefully as he went over the plan one final time.

“Mariana will travel ahead in the carriage,” Zayan explained, pointing toward the Graham territory on the map. “She’ll enter the mansion alone with only the guards assigned to her. Our forces will remain outside the borders of Mountcrest and establish camp where they won’t be detected. We wait for her signal.” He looked around the room.

“If she gives the signal that the peace talks have failed, we move immediately. If she calls for help through the bond, we move immediately. No hesitation. We don’t give the Graham forces time to regroup.”

One of the commanders nodded. “And if the peace talks succeed?”

“Then we stand down,” Zayan answered. “But only if I am certain Mariana is safe.” His eyes shifted toward me. “Her safety comes first. Everything else comes second.”

I couldn’t help but smile slightly.

The council continued discussing the strategy until everyone understood exactly what was expected of them. By the time the meeting ended, the entire army was prepared. Horses were saddled, weapons checked, armor secured, and soldiers moved through the courtyard in organized lines. The air was heavy with anticipation.

Before I entered the carriage, Zayan walked toward me.For several seconds, neither of us said a word.

He simply looked at me and then he reached for my hands.

“You better be safe.”

I smiled. “I will.”

“I’m serious, Mariana.”

“I know.”

“If anything happens to you…” His jaw tightened. “I will burn that entire kingdom to the ground. I won’t spare a single person who stands in my way.”

I leaned forward, squeezed his hands. “Zayan, I’ll be fine.”

He leaned closer. “Do you remember what I taught you?”

“How to reach you through our bond?”

“Yes.” His eyes searched mine. “If you feel threatened, if something doesn’t feel right, if you even think you’re in danger, call me. You don’t have to speak out loud. Just reach for me through the bond.”

I nodded.

“I heard you”I said through the bond.

Zayan’s expression softened immediately.

“And you need to stop being scared.”

His eyebrow lifted.

“People are going to start talking if the terrifying Warlord of Frostcrest keeps acting this gentle”. I continued.

I laughed softly.

Zayan shook his head, but a smile appeared on his face.

“You’re impossible.”

“And you love me.”

“Unfortunately.”He laughed and pulled me into his arms.

Then his voice became quiet against my ear. “We’ll be right behind you.”

I nodded.

“I know.”

He kissed my forehead before finally letting me go.

I climbed into the carriage and as the horses began to move, I couldn’t help but look through the window one last time.

Zayan was still standing there, watching.

The journey to Mountcrest felt longer than I had remembered.When the carriage finally arrived at the Graham mansion, the massive gates opened slowly.

The moment I stepped down, the atmosphere changed.The servants froze and guards stopped what they were doing.

Heads turned,whispers spread through the courtyard.

“Is that…?”

“Mariana?”

“She’s alive?”

“I thought the warlord killed her.”

I plainly ignored every whisper.

I had once walked through these halls hoping someone would look at me and see me as family but now, I walked through them knowing i belonged somewhere else.

I approached one of the guards.

“I want to speak with Master Graham.”

The guard immediately straightened.

“Yes, my lady.”He glanced toward the mansion.”I’ll inform him of your arrival.”

“Thank you.” I waited outside the library.

Of all the places in the mansion, i knew my father would most likely be.He had always spent hours inside that room, surrounded by books and documents, acting as though the rest of the world was beneath his attention.

A few minutes later, the library doors opened and I stepped inside.

My father stood with his back toward me,staring through the large window.

Then he slowly turned.A faint smile appeared on his face.

“Well,” he said. “Who knew fate would bring us together again?”

But I said nothing.

“What brings you here, Mariana?”

“I’ll make this quick.”

His eyebrow lifted.

“I’m here to prevent what’s left of this kingdom from being destroyed.”I walked farther into the room.“Zayan is coming.”

My father’s expression didn’t change.

“You need to call your soldiers back. Tell them to stand down. Then you can formally apologize to Zayan for the attack, and we can end this before anyone else gets hurt.”

I took a breath.

“You don’t have to lose everything. You don’t have to fight Frostcrest. Just admit that what you did was wrong, and maybe Zayan will spare this kingdom.”

I stepped back and waited for him to explode.

I had expected anger,Insults or maybe even a mocking laughter.

Instead, he looked toward the guard standing near the door, then he looked back at me.

“You know,” he said calmly, “you’re right.”

I blinked.

“I should apologize to the mighty Warlord Zayan.”

My eyes widened slightly.

“And to my beautiful daughter, Mariana,” he added.

I hadn’t noticed the sarcasm in his voice.

Hope flickered inside my chest.

“So you’ll do it?”

“Of course.”My father gestured toward the door.“I’ll send a word to my men. I’ll meet this mighty warlord myself in a few moon nights and offer him my apology.”

I finally let out a breath i hadn’t realized i had been holding.

“This is the best decision you’ve made for this kingdom.”

My father simply smiled.

“You should take my message back to Zayan.”

“I will.”

I turned toward the door to leave.

“Goodbye, Father.”I had barely taken two steps when I heard a familiar voice.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in.”

I froze.

Wren.

I turned slowly.

Wren stood near the doorway, a smug smile spreading across her face.

“You actually came back.”She narrowed her eyes.

“Wren.”

“Oh, don’t look at me like that.” Wren stepped closer. “You thought you were too good for us, didn’t you?”

I opened my mouth to respond and just then Wren suddenly flicked something toward me.

A cloud of shimmering powder exploded across my face.

My eyes burned instantly.

“What—”

The room twisted and the walls seemed to move.My vision became blurred and distorted, everything around me bending into waves.

I stumbled backward.

“Wren!”

I immediately tried to reach for Zayan through the bond.

Nothing.

My mind felt heavy.

Clouded.

Like something was pressing down on my thoughts.

“No…” I let out a whisper.

Wren laughed.

“You really thought you could come back here and save everyone?”

I struggled to focus.

“You ruined everything for me,” Wren continued. “You ruined my plans. You took Nicholas from me.”

My breathing had became unsteady.

“I’ll make you pay for it.”

“You can’t—”

“Oh, I can.”Wren stepped closer.”And I’m going to make you suffer in a way you never imagined.”

I tried again to reach for Zayan again.

Zayan…

Nothing.

My thoughts wouldn’t travel.

Wren smiled.

“You’re going to have Nicholas…like you’ve always wanted.”

My eyes widened,I thought I had misheard her.

“What?”

“In his current state, of course.”

I shook my head.

“That won’t happen.”

Wren laughed.

“Why not?”

“Zayan would never take you.”

Wren’s smile became vicious.

“Who said Zayan is going to take me?”Wren leaned closer.”He’ll think I’m you.”

My blood ran cold.

“You foolish girl,” Wren whispered. “By the time he realizes what happened, it will be too late.”

“No…”I turned toward my father.

He was smiling.

“You really haven’t changed,” Master Graham said. “Still so naive.”

My heart sank.

“You actually believed I would kneel before you and beg for forgiveness?”

He laughed.

Wren joined him.

“You’ve come back to where you belong,”he continued. “The dungeon. The chains. The life of a slave.”

“No.”

I backed away just as my vision continued to blur.

“No, you can’t do this.”

Wren turned toward the guards.

“Take her to the dungeon.”

The guards moved forward.

“Wait!” I shouted.

Wren smiled.

“Prepare her properly.”

My eyes widened.

“For what?”

Wren laughed.

“Your big day…you’ll be getting married to crippled Nicholas,silly.”

“No!”

I tried desperately to reach for Zayan again.

Zayan!

But still Nothing.

My mind was still clouded.I couldn’t feel him. I couldn’t hear him.

And for the first time since awakening the Golden Phoenix Wolf, I felt completely helpless.

“No,” i whispered, stumbling backward as the guards reached for me. “This cannot happen.”My breathing quickened.”Not now.”

I closed my eyes and tried one more time.

Zayan… please.

No one answered.

My eyes snapped open.

“No, no, no, no…”

Not now.