جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 230

Whatever Alexander had been about to say died the moment Gianna's expression hardened further, her jaw tightening as fresh anger surged through her, sharper now, more focused."No," she said, before he could even finish laying out whatever alternative he'd prepared. "I'm still furious with you, Father. You kept the truth from me for weeks while I searched desperately for answers, while I nearly died more than once trying to save my husband, and all because you couldn't bring yourself to break a promise made to a woman who has been gone for years. I understand why. I do. It was Mother's wish, and I know you loved her enough to honor it even at great personal cost. But that doesn't give you the right to keep deciding my life for me now."Alexander opened his mouth to respond, but she pressed forward, unwilling to let him interrupt."What I want," she continued, her voice rising with conviction, "is freedom. For myself. For every Fae still hiding in fear across this kingdom. And for my c

Over the following days, word of Nolan's bill spread rapidly throughout the surrounding territories, and gradually, cautiously, Faes who had spent years, sometimes entire lifetimes, hiding their true nature began appearing at the mansion gates, seeking confirmation that the proposal was real, that freedom might genuinely be within their reach after generations of persecution.Gianna met with as many of them as she could, though she carefully withheld her own identity throughout each conversation, not yet ready to reveal herself publicly before the formal vote had taken place. Instead, she encouraged each visitor to spread word among their communities, urging them to come forward in greater numbers, to make their voices heard when the time came for the pack and council to cast their votes."The more of you who step forward," she told an elderly woman who had arrived trembling with nervous hope one afternoon, "the harder it becomes for anyone to deny you the freedom you deserve. Numbers

Over the following weeks, Nolan watched with growing astonishment as the number of Faes emerging from hiding continued to swell, far beyond anything he had anticipated when he'd first drafted the bill. Families who had lived in isolated pockets throughout the surrounding territories for generations, individuals who had disguised themselves so thoroughly that even their closest neighbors had never suspected the truth, began arriving in steady streams, until their combined numbers were enough to fill an entire village on their own.He hadn't imagined there could be so many. He had believed, as most did, that centuries of persecution had all but wiped them from existence entirely, leaving only scattered survivors clinging to secrecy in the shadows. To see them now, gathering openly, cautiously hopeful, filled him with a pride he hadn't expected to feel so deeply.Through Gianna, these people, who had lost nearly everything, hope included, were finally finding their purpose again.He deci

After their passionate moment finally settled into something quieter, Gianna curled against Nolan’s chest, her fingers idly tracing patterns across his skin as their breathing slowed into a shared, contented rhythm.“Thank you,” she said softly, “for standing up for me tonight. For not hiding what I am, even knowing it might complicate things.”Nolan pressed a kiss into her hair, his arms tightening around her. “I will always stand for you,” he said. “I won’t ever watch you be bullied or diminished, Gianna. Not by council members, not by frightened crowds, not by anyone. That’s a promise I intend to keep for the rest of my life.”She smiled against his chest, warmth spreading through her at his words, and eventually sleep claimed them both, deep and untroubled for the first time in what felt like ages.Gianna woke early the next morning, well before Nolan stirred beside her, and she slipped quietly from the bed, careful not to wake him as she made her way toward the kitchen. The maids

Gianna pulled back slightly, wiping at her own tears while offering Nolan a teasing smile. “You’re such a big baby,” she said, though her voice carried nothing but affection. “Missing your parents, getting all emotional over a grave visit.”“I’m allowed to miss them,” Nolan protested, though a small smile tugged at his lips despite the lingering wetness in his eyes.“You are,” she agreed, squeezing his hand. “And speaking of which, I want to visit my mother’s grave too.”Nolan nodded immediately, understanding without needing further explanation, and helped her back into the carriage, directing the driver toward the smaller, quieter burial ground where those without royal blood were laid to rest.When they arrived, Nolan gave her space, remaining a respectful distance away as she approached the simple headstone marking her mother’s resting place, the modest carving offering none of the elaborate detail that had adorned Nolan’s mother’s grave, though it held no less significance for th