FAZER LOGINLilian's POVI did not plan to spend my morning in the garden, but I found myself there anyway, my fingers moving slowly as I plucked one flower after another, barely paying attention to the colors or the shapes, only focusing on the repetitive motion as though it could somehow calm the thoughts running through my head.“My lady?”I did not turn immediately.I knew that voice.“What is it?” I asked, my tone calm as I continued what I was doing.“My lady, the seamstress has finished your dress,” my maid said.I paused slightly, then glanced at her over my shoulder.“So soon?” I asked.She nodded.“Yes, my lady,” she replied. “She has been waiting for you to come and try it on.”I straightened slowly, brushing my hands lightly against each other before turning fully toward her.“Then let us not keep her waiting,” I said.She bowed her head slightly before stepping aside, allowing me to walk ahead while she followed behind me at a respectful distance.The walk back to my chamber was unev
Alder's POV The preparations for the journey to the Lycan kingdom should have been simple, or at least that was what I told myself when I first received the invitation, but nothing about it felt simple the moment I sat down to go through the details, and the more I read through the reports, the more I realized that this was not just a visit, it was a statement, a display, and a moment that would be watched closely by more eyes than I cared to think about.I stood in the middle of my chamber, one hand resting against the table as I looked down at the list in front of me, my brows slightly drawn together while I went over the names of those who would be part of the delegation, and even though I had already reviewed it once, I found myself going through it again, making small adjustments where necessary.A knock came from the door.“Enter,” I said.The door opened, and James walked in, his usual ease evident in the way he carried himself, though his eyes moved briefly around the room be
Adella's POV I stood outside my mother’s chamber for a moment longer than necessary, my fingers hovering slightly above the door as though I needed to gather myself before stepping in, and I was not sure why my chest felt tight when there was nothing wrong, nothing threatening, nothing that should make me hesitate the way I was, yet I still took a slow breath before finally knocking.“Come in.”Her voice was calm.I pushed the door open and stepped inside, my eyes immediately finding her seated by the table, several scrolls spread out in front of her while a few servants stood at a distance, waiting for instructions.She looked up the moment I entered.“Adella,” she said, her tone softening slightly as she gestured for me to come closer.I walked toward her, my steps measured as I lowered my head respectfully.“You sent for me?,” I said.She nodded.“Yes,” she replied, her gaze studying my face for a brief moment before she motioned toward the seat across from her. “Sit.”I did as sh
Alder's POV The days moved slowly, dragging themselves forward in a way that made each hour feel heavier than the last, and I found myself buried in duties that never seemed to end, papers that needed to be reviewed, decisions that required immediate attention, and meetings that drained whatever patience I had left, yet none of it was enough to quiet the constant unrest sitting at the back of my mind.I sat behind my desk, my fingers pressed lightly against my temple as I stared down at the document in front of me, though I had read the same line more times than I could count without actually processing what it meant, and I let out a quiet breath before forcing my focus back to it, reminding myself that this was what I had wanted, that this was the position I had worked toward, and yet it did not feel the way I thought it would.A knock sounded against the door.“Come in,” I said without looking up.The door opened, and I already knew who it was before he even spoke.“You look like y
Adella's POVThe days that followed did not feel real at first, and I kept waking up each morning wondering if I would still feel the same weight sitting in my chest, wondering if the pressure would ease or if I would finally grow used to it, but nothing truly changed except the fact that I stopped breaking down in front of people and started holding everything in even when it felt like too much.I stood in the middle of the training ground one afternoon, my breathing slightly uneven as I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand, and even though my body ached in ways I had never experienced before, I did not stop, I did not slow down, and I did not allow myself to show weakness in front of anyone anymore.“Again.”The command came from one of the trainers assigned to me after Sigil had been pulled away from my training, and even though his voice did not carry the same weight as Sigil’s, I still obeyed without hesitation.I adjusted my stance, tightening my grip on the
Adella's POVI did not remember releasing the last arrow, but I remembered the sound it made as it cut through the air and struck somewhere ahead, and I remembered the way my fingers loosened around the bow right after as though the strength I had been holding onto suddenly slipped out of my grip the moment I was done.My chest was rising and falling unevenly, and for a brief moment I stood there on the field, staring ahead without really seeing anything because my thoughts were no longer on the test, they were no longer on the crowd, and they were definitely not on Brooke or whatever expression he might have been wearing at that moment.All I could think about was Sigil.The voices around me grew louder, but they felt distant, like noise that did not belong to me, like something happening far away from where I stood.“Adella.”I heard my name.I did not respond.“Adella?”I blinked slowly.The world came back into focus, but I did not stay.I dropped the bow.It simply slipped from m
I closed my eyes for a moment because the anger inside my chest was starting to feel like something alive and breathing, something warm and suffocating that pressed against my ribs whenever I thought about the way Brooke spoke to me as if I were some broken thing he could kick aside whenever it ple
Alder's POV The words Lilian had just spoken did not settle into my mind immediately because there are moments when the human body reacts before the mind fully understands what has been said, and I could feel my chest tightening slowly while my gaze remained fixed on her face as if I were waiting
Brooke's POVI pushed the heavy doors open harder than necessary and they slammed loudly against the stone wall behind them, the sound echoing through the corridor while the guards stationed outside my mother’s quarters immediately straightened the moment they saw my face. The anger inside my chest
Alder POVI thought the search for her would have ended but her father insisted on searching more. He believed Adella was still alive somewhere. Three teams were sent to search for her all through the day.The search continued for three days until one of the three search parties came with her other







