Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 21 - Chapitre 30

LIORA’S POVI forced a smile onto my face, the expression feeling brittle and fake.“Thank you, Lady Elora. You’re too kind.”Elora’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction. “Actually, I was just about to have tea with some of the ladies. Why don’t you join us? It would be the perfect opportunity for you to meet everyone before the party tomorrow.”My stomach dropped. The last thing I wanted was to spend an afternoon with Elora and her friends, being scrutinized and judged while she played her perfect hostess act.“That’s very generous, but…”“We’re in the middle of a lesson,” Lady Maelis interrupted smoothly, her voice crisp. “Lady Liora has several more hours of instruction scheduled for today.”Elora’s head turned toward her, and the warmth drained from her face. She looked at Lady Maelis with thinly veiled disgust.“I’m sure the lesson can wait,” Elora said, her tone still sweet but with an edge beneath it. “Socialization is just as important as book learning, wouldn’t you agree?”“I wou

LIORA’S POVI moved through the corridors as quickly as I could, trying to follow Myra’s instructions exactly. Third corridor on the right. Then back through the door to the servants’ passages.But everything looked the same. Ornate walls, expensive carpets, portraits of people I didn’t know staring down at me with judgment in their painted eyes.I turned a corner and found myself in an unfamiliar hallway. This wasn’t right. I should have reached his door by now.The palace was like a maze, twisting and branching in ways that made no sense. I wasn’t even sure which floor I was on anymore.I heard voices echoing ahead, growing louder. I ducked into an alcove behind a large tapestry, pressing myself against the wall as footsteps approached.“Did you hear? Lady Liora tried to attend court functions today.”“The surrogate? How pathetic.”“I heard she can barely manage basic etiquette. Lady Maelis has her hands full trying to make her presentable.”My cheeks burned with humiliation as the

LIORA’S POVI stood frozen, water dripping from my hair and dress, staring up at the balcony where the maid had disappeared.Then suddenly, the other maids surrounded me.“Oh, my lady, how terrible!”“Let us help you…”“Come, you need to get out of these wet clothes…”Too many hands touched me at once, pulling at my arms, guiding me away from the courtyard. Their voices were glazed with false concern, their smiles stretched too wide.I looked back over my shoulder.Myra still crouched on the ground where I’d left her, one hand pressed to her bruised cheek. Our eyes met for a brief moment before the maids steered me around a corner and she disappeared from view.They ushered me back to my chambers with efficiency, chattering the entire way about what an unfortunate accident it had been, how clumsy that girl was, how they would make sure to report her carelessness.Inside my room, they began helping me out of the soaked dress, their fingers quick and impersonal.“So sorry, my lady…”“Su

LUCAS’S POV“The northern trading route has been compromised for three months now,” Jensen said, his voice rising with barely contained frustration. “We’re losing thousands in revenue every week that we delay action.”“Action?” Valor scoffed from across the council table. “You mean reckless military intervention that could spark a war we’re not prepared to fight?”“I mean protecting our interests…”“By sending troops into disputed territory? That’s precisely the kind of shortsighted aggression that…”I sat at the head of the table, watching them argue with the same detached boredom I’d felt through countless meetings like this one. The same arguments, posturing and predictable dance of council politics.“The northern clans have been testing our borders for years,” Jensen continued, leaning forward. “If we don’t respond with strength, they’ll see it as weakness. We need to…”“Negotiate,” Valor interrupted. “We need to negotiate like rational leaders instead of warmongering fools. The t

LIORA’S POVI choked on my tea, the liquid going down the wrong way. I coughed violently, and pressed my napkin to my mouth as my eyes watered.Seraphina was immediately at my side, patting my back. “Are you alright? Breathe, just breathe.”But before I could recover, Elora’s voice cut through the room.“What an inappropriate question, Lady Serena,” she said, her tone still sweet but with an edge beneath it. “I don’t think that’s anyone’s business but ours.”The dark-haired woman, Lady Serena, smiled innocently. “Is it inappropriate? I thought we were all friends here, sharing openly. Besides, everyone’s wondering about it. I’m just brave enough to ask.”“Wondering about something and demanding answers are two different things,” Elora replied, her smile tightening.“Oh, I’m not demanding. Just curious.” Serena took a delicate sip of her tea. “After all, it’s such an unusual arrangement. The mate and the surrogate, sharing the same man’s bed. Some might find it… uncomfortable.”“Some m