Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 71 - Chapitre 80

CHAPTER 71KADEI was sitting alone in my study , The room was quiet except for the soft crackle of the fire in the hearth and the occasional rustle of papers on my desk as I reviewed the latest reports from the eastern provinces. The door opened slowly and the guard I instructed to follow Seraph stepped inside bowing low his face pale and his uniform slightly disheveled from whatever long hours he had spent trailing the silver-haired elder through the palace corridors. I set the report I was reading aside and looked up at him keeping my expression calm and unreadable.“Report,” I said quietly as I gestured for him to stand straight and speak freely. “Everything. Every detail. Do not leave anything out.”The guard straightened up his hands clasped behind his back as he began his report. “Lord Seraph was extremely careful during his movements Your Highness. He avoided most of the main surveillance routes inside the palace. He took side corridors service passages and lesser-used stairwe

CHAPTER 73ROWANThat evening the palace finally grew calmer after the long exhausting day of preparations for the Lunar Accord Ball and the constant noise of servants rushing around with ladders and decorations and the loud arguments about where to place the flowers and banners had slowly faded into a quiet hum that made the entire building feel almost peaceful again. I was sitting on the edge of my bed still wearing the comfortable hoodie and pants I had changed into after helping Varynia with the last of the centerpieces when the door to my room opened without a knock and Dante stepped inside looking as composed and cold as always but with a faint tightness around his eyes that told me the day had been harder on him than he would ever admit.I stood up quickly my heart giving a little jump because I had not expected to see him tonight and the sight of him after the chaotic preparations made something warm and nervous flutter in my chest. I walked over to him without thinking and wr

ROWAN Later that day I was sitting on the edge of my bed still trying to process everything that had happened the night before when the door to my room burst open without a knock and Varynia stormed in like a hurricane wearing a bright yellow top and jeans with her hair tied up in a messy bun. She had a huge grin on her face and was already talking before she even fully stepped inside. “Rowan get your ass up we are going shopping right now. I need new shoes and you need to get out of this room before you start growing roots in the carpet. I already cleared it with the guards and I swear if the kings try to stop us I will scream until they let us go because you deserve a normal day after all the royal bullshit you have been dealing with.”I looked up at her and smiled a little because her energy was always contagious even when I was still sore and tired from last night. “Shopping sounds good,” I said standing up slowly and stretching my arms above my head. “I could use some fresh air

CHAPTER 77ROWAN He looked at me for a long second then said in his deep low voice “Hey baby.”I froze right there in the middle of the room because they never used pet names and hearing him call me baby in that calm steady tone caught me completely off guard. My mouth opened but no words came out for a few seconds as I just stared at him trying to process it. Finally I managed to say “Baby? Since when do you call me baby?”Kade’s lips twitched. He walked over to me slowly and took the shopping bags from my hands setting them down on the chair beside the bed. “The others are still going over paperwork,” he said quietly answering the question I had not even asked yet. “Dante and Lucien will be busy for a while longer. It is just us right now.”Before I could say anything else he leaned down and kissed me. It was not soft or gentle like I expected from the quiet king. It was deep and hungry his mouth claiming mine right away as one of his big hands slid to the back of my neck to hold m

CHAPTER 79ROWAN A sharp knock sounded on my door a few hours before the Lunar Accord Ball was set to begin and I had barely enough time to stand up from the bed before the door swung open and a whole team of people poured into the room like they owned the place. There were at least eight of them carrying bags and cases and brushes and bottles of everything imaginable. A tall woman in a crisp black uniform led the group and she clapped her hands once as she looked straight at me. “Rowan Hale?” she asked in a brisk professional voice. “We are the royal preparation team assigned by the kings themselves. We have three hours to get you ready for the ball. No time to waste. Come with us please.” Before I could even answer two of the younger attendants gently but firmly took my arms and guided me toward the bathroom while the others followed carrying their supplies. I felt my face heat up immediately because this was all so sudden and so many people were suddenly seeing me in nothing but