Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 41 - Chapitre 50

Aria’s POV I didn’t wait, I turned and ran again, the echo of my footsteps chasing me down the hall until I reached their quarters.I shoved the door open, breathless, praying that I'd find any proof that it was either of them. But there was none.The room was bright with fire, the air warm, the smell of stew thick and honest. Marv sat at the table with his sleeves rolled up, sorting through patrol reports. Kellen leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his head bent toward a young warrior, giving him quiet instructions. Their boots were caked with the day’s mud, their cloaks hung by the fire to dry, everything about them screamed the daily beta routine, steady, unbroken nothing was suspicious.They looked up when I entered, surprised, but not fearful. Not like men who had slipped away into the night to poison someone and then watch by the woods.I stood frozen in the doorway, my throat tight, my chest aching.It wasn’t Darren. It wasn’t Elara. It wasn’t Marv. It wasn’t

Aria’s POV Something in the way he said it made the air heavier and my throat tighten. “So why did you bring me here?”He stepped closer, slow, and deliberate, until the space between us was only a breath. His voice dropped low, serious, each word edged in steel.“Because we have a lot to talk about, and I won’t let you keep running from it.”I stood stiff near the doorway, arms wrapped around myself, trying to hold together the storm inside me. “I don’t want to talk to you about anything,” I muttered, my eyes flicking anywhere but him. “Whatever you think you have to say, keep it to yourself. I didn’t ask you to drag me here, and I certainly didn’t ask for your contribution.”His jaw tightened, his chest rising as though I had struck him. “Can’t you see?” he said, his voice low, rough with emotion. “Can’t you see that I’m trying to help you? I left my kingdom, Aria. I left my people to come here, to stand by you, and you push me away at every turn. Why? Why are you so set on bu

Aria’s POV My maid’s small figure slipped in, her eyes widening at the sight of me crumpled on the floor. She rushed over, kneeling beside me, her hands warm as she reached for mine.“My lady, what’s wrong?” she whispered, her voice soft as a lullaby. She helped me up, guiding me to the bed, her movements tender, careful, as though I might break apart completely if she pressed too hard.She brought me tea, the steam curling between us, but I turned my head away, my chest still heaving, the tears refusing to stop.“What happened? I know that it’s because of the king's condition, but he’ll be fine.” Lila pressed, setting the cup aside but I said nothing. She stayed with me, her presence gentle, her hands smoothing the blankets over me. When she saw I wouldn’t speak, she began to hum softly, a tune I recognized from childhood, one my mother used to sing for me whenever I was sad.Her voice was shaky, but it wrapped around me anyway, and when that didn’t ease me, she said. “Maybe a litt

Aria’s POV After everything I had just seen in my dream, after the fear still pulsing in my veins, he thought I would just get up and follow him?“No,” I said quickly, shaking my head, pushing the blankets off me. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”His jaw tightened, but his eyes never lost their calm. “Aria,” he called, voice deep and steady, “please, don’t fight me on this one again, at least not right now.”I stood, crossing my arms over my chest, lifting my chin like a shield. “You don’t get to tell me where to go. I don’t need your help and I don’t want to go anywhere with you.”He sighed, low and heavy, and ran a hand through his dark hair. Then he stepped closer, close enough that I could feel the quiet storm of his presence, the kind of power that made even the air tremble. But when he spoke, it wasn’t with command. It was with something else, something that tugged at the fragile thread of my heart.“I don’t want to be hard on you,” he said softly. “I’m trying, Aria. I’ve

Aria’s POV “But what?” “But it’s the truth.”He let his gaze linger on me, not in a way that felt heavy or demanding, but in a way that made me feel seen. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” he continued, his voice lower now. “Not just in how you look, but in your strength, your fire. You carry yourself like someone who has already lived before. Do you know how rare that is?”My throat tightened, and I hated it. I hated how his words slid past my defenses, how they reached places I had locked away. And yes, I had lived before. I rolled my eyes hard, desperate to shield myself. Darren used to say beautiful things to me too before. He used to call me strong, brave, and perfect. He used to swear he loved me more than his own life. And in the end, he was the one who ended my life. Sweet words were poison, and I had drunk them once before but never again.I swallowed, gripping the fabric of my mother’s dress against my knees. “That still doesn’t answer my question,”