جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 440

KylanThe halls leading to the dungeons were narrow, the only source of light being the flickering torches across the stone walls.Although I had heard the stories, I had never visited, never bothered, because I hadn’t expected to ever have to. At least that was before the king decided to lock everyone away, from the people in the mountains to his very own Beta.He had truly lost his mind, and he wasn’t the only one. I walked slightly behind Kayden, making sure to keep my eyes on him.Once in a while, he would turn around with a tight expression, his gaze shifting from the path ahead to Thorne on my shoulder, and then back again.He didn’t fully know where to look or what to do with himself, and I couldn’t blame him. Everything had gone to shit, and part of that was on him. His jealousy, his greed…My thoughts drifted back to Violet. To the way she had looked before walking into that room. I should’ve been there, I was supposed to be there, but I knew exactly why the king wouldn’t wan

KylanVarius’s eyes bore into mine. “There is no clear timeframe,” he said. “It could be months…years…decades, but it will happen.”None of that helped at the moment.“That is why you must do it,” he added. “And you must promise me.” His eyes held mine. “For the world, for her.”I thought of Aelius. Back in the caves, he had once told me to worry about my own fate. Was this what he had been talking about?Because he must have seen this too. I let out an exhausted huff and just accepted whatever he was saying. “Sure. I promise,” I nodded. “And I also promise to get you out of here. All of you.”Varius’s lips curled into a small smile. “Do you think they do not deserve the fate that meets them?” he asked.I squinted. “No,” I said immediately. “Of course not.”What was he even asking me?If I thought they were innocent in all of this?His gaze stayed on me. “And what about the girl?” he asked. “Do you believe she deserves the fate you have chosen for her?”My brows pulled together as I t

VioletThere were guards in every corner. They stood between the rows, near the entrances, behind the council seats, and there were way too many of them for this to be anything close to normal.I was seated at the side of the room, under strict surveillance. Many council members had already entered, but it wasn’t just them.There were nobles, elders. The mistresses had come as well, laughing and joking around like this was some sort of feast rather than what it actually was.My fingers curled against the fabric of my dress as I searched the room again. I was starting to get anxious now, and Kylan still hadn’t returned.And the longer he stayed gone, the more that feeling doubled.Even the Bloodrose had come. Fergus, Sonya, all of them. They were supposed to leave today and shouldn’t have been here at all, and yet they stood among the others, pulled into this mess.As if it couldn’t get any worse, I had already seen Fergus nearly lose his patience with one of the guards when they tried

Day 1VioletTrue’s eyes darted from side to side, looking anywhere but Jack. Her chest rose and fell as she started moving forward, her teeth almost chattering.Anyone could see she didn’t want to be here. So why was she here?Her steps were slow.“I have spared the rest of your family,” he said calmly. “They have been placed under house arrest until further notice.”Jack’s body stiffened, his eyes fixed only on True as she passed. “True…” he said softly. “What are you doing?”He tried to move toward her, but the guards held him back instantly, their grip tightening as he fought against it. True didn’t stop, didn’t turn, but kept walking.Cecilia tried to calm him, attempting to place her hand on his shoulder, but before she could reach him, Jack had already shrugged her off.“True!”The worst part of it all was the satisfaction on the king’s face. No one knew exactly what he was doing, but that didn’t stop him. True reached the stand and sat down, her hands resting in her lap.“Welc

Day 2VioletDay two felt no different, but I had a gut feeling that it would be worse.Although Kylan had managed to save the night yesterday, this was not how I expected my morning to go. Still, I sat in the same courtroom, in the same seat, with Kylan beside me again. It was like nothing had moved forward, and we were stuck in the same moment.My fingers rested in my lap as I glanced around the crowd below me. It was packed again. The council had returned, the nobles, the bloodroses, including Fergus, and mistresses, though some had skipped day two, perhaps fearing they would meet Lady Mona’s fate as well.There were newer faces as well that I hadn’t seen before, all gathered like this was some kind of spectacle they couldn’t afford to miss.I had expected to be summoned again, and the king did not disappoint. I was pretty certain today was not yet my day, but of course, he needed me here to sit and watch.My eyes lifted to the king. He stood in front of the bench, his arms crossed