CHAPTER THIRTY-ONEThe three elders occupied their seats, watching with wary eyes as Ragnar paced the room furiously, while Ryan stood nearby. Ragnar's jaw tensed, his fists clenched as the surge of anger boiled within him. His face bore a scowl, his gaze laced with fury that laid rooted in the depths of his eyes. Every step he took echoed the storm raging within him.He fought to control himself and tried to suppress the rage, making it hard for anyone in the room to remain unaffected. He wanted to pick up every single thing — and person in that room and shatter them into pieces, but even that won’t be able to calm the anger that roared in him. Amidst the hard-as-rock tension that existed in the throne room, he cleared his throat, "Your Lordship, will you be visiting Lilith in the hospital? The doctor has informed me that she has come to be." "Never." Ragnar hissed, not even pausing his pace to give Ryan a glance. "But your Lordship—" Ryan began, only to be silenced by the vio

Wasn't she supposed to be the savior, the one who would bring an end to this calamity? Yet, even the harvested crops within the palace walls rotted away, and the storehouses filled with spoiled food. She was supposed to do something — anything, not necessarily because of the people of this Kingdom, she hated them and they hated her. But, she had a feeling that this extended far beyond the walls of this Kingdom. Others were in danger as well. She sighed, her gaze shifting away from the window. When she turned back, her eyes met Ryan's — who from the look of things and the momentary shock on his face, had been staring at her. However, once their gazes met, his brows preases together in a scowl and he averted his gaze in evident anger. Unfazed, she shrugged as he left, she had little concerns to his emotions at this time. Suddenly, a hushed voice called out to her. Startled, she turned to find a guard beckoning her discreetly. Her brows furrowed, "What is the matter?" She asked.

Ragnar stirred from his slumber and his eyes opened. He lifted himself from his position, proceeding to now sit atop of his bed. And then, he became aware of the disheveled state he was in – shirt undone, pants haphazardly clinging to his waist, and a loosely hanging belt. He sat up on the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes as if trying to shake off the remnants of sleep.And then, immediately, the memories of the previous night flooded back to him – Astrid.He had fucked her ruthlessly, in the ass. And that mustve hurt like crazy, but at that point, he didn't care. All he wanWell, well, well…if it wasn’t the consequences of her own actions?She rested her head on the bed and at that moment, she made her decision: Whatever had happened between her and Ragnar, it would never occur again. She resolved to stand her ground against him and, in the same breath, made up her mind to avoid Ryan as well.It seemed easier to be on her own.

The three elders occupied their seats, watching with wary eyes as Ragnar paced the room furiously, while Ryan stood nearby. Ragnar's jaw tensed, his fists clenched as the surge of anger boiled within him. His face bore a scowl, his gaze laced with fury that laid rooted in the depths of his eyes. Every step he took echoed the storm raging within him.He fought to control himself and tried to suppress the rage, making it hard for anyone in the room to remain unaffected. He wanted to pick up every single thing — and person in that room and shatter them into pieces, but even that won’t be able to calm the anger that roared in him. Amidst the hard-as-rock tension that existed in the throne room, he cleared his throat, "Your Lordship, will you be visiting Lilith in the hospital? The doctor has informed me that she has come to be." "Never." Ragnar hissed, not even pausing his pace to give Ryan a glance. "But your Lordship—" Ryan began, only to be silenced by the violent crash of a vas

-Astrid watched as the maids and servants darted through the hallways, their faces etched with panic. Some scribbled hastily on pieces of parchment, letters to loved ones perhaps, while others huddled together in frantic conversations. As Astrid moved through the scene, wary eyes followed her every step. Their accusatory glances bore into her. Pausing near a window, she gazed out at the red fog that cloaked the skies She knew why they gazed at her like that and if she were in their shoes, she would do the same as well. Wasn't she supposed to be the savior, the one who would bring an end to this calamity? Yet, even the harvested crops within the palace walls rotted away, and the storehouses filled with spoiled food. She was supposed to do something — anything, not necessarily because of the people of this Kingdom, she hated them and they hated her. But, she had a feeling that this extended far beyond the walls of this Kingdom. Others were in danger as well. She sighed, he