Ch. 221..225: Alpha King’s Lost Luna Chapter 221-225

Chapter 221

CAS SANDRA

Amanipulation?

My head began to ache as | tried to make sense of all that Kaleb had said. Had Emmett’s interference in saving me from the inferno truly been more than just an act of kindness and heroism?

As | thought of Emmett, | remembered the unfinished sentence Emmett had said to me in that dream.

| left something for you, Cas sandra, and you're the only one who could use it. And the thing

| felt suffocated by all of this. Between the necklace, my revealed identity, being taken to a foreign land, the downplayed marriage proposal, and now this business with Emmett and his sorcery, | felt as if | were about to break into a million pieces. There was simply too much going on at once, and | couldn’t handle any of it.

| wanted to tell Kaleb that everything he’d uttered was wrong- deeply, horribly, completely wrong, but | couldn’t let out a word. The lump in my throat felt like a boulder and my heart kept skipping in my chest. As | swam with dizziness, | began to wonder if | was about to pass out, but | managed to steady myself before my knees could buckle.

Kaleb studied me for a second and then took a step toward me. “I didn’t mean to push you, but you needed to know that Emmett wasn’t a great man. | couldn't let you continue on with this idea of him. He used you. That’s all he knew back then. Deception” He paused for a moment and then continued. “Did you know how my father discovered that Asher’s father was involved. with sorcery?”

“No,” | managed to say, but my voice was utterly quiet

“It wasn’t a coincidence,” he replied. “The way it happened, | mean, | had mentioned it briefly before, when we spoke in Anemond...Years ago, Emmett visited Asher’s father and told him that he knew of a way to become immortal. The former Alpha King, well fascinated by the idea, decided to listen to Emmett. Emmett was lying, of course, because there’s no such sorcery that could bring one immortality. Eternal life is nothing more than a myth.”

The Northern king paused, but | didn’t utter a sound. | had little to say until | knew the full story. Just as he’d said, he’d mentioned something about Asher’s father seeking out immortality, and though the details were fuzzy, | swore that he'd mentioned the Felix family in that story.

“The Alpha King asked Emmett why he hadn’t used magic to make himself immortal,” Kaleb continued. “If he knew the trick to it, why was he still mortal? He doubted Emmett’s proclamations at once.”

“Does this have a point?” | wondered.

“Be patient,” he sighed, and irritation flashed across his features. “Emmett managed to come up with an explanation to satisfy the king’s questions. He said that a sorcerer was not able to use the magic on themselves because the ability to cast spells shortened their life spans considerably. Most sorcerers and sorceresses weren't able to live past 40 years old. And to be an immortal required sacrifice. Since Emmett had no family, he had no one to sacrifice.”

| tried to make sense of it all. Was there any truth to that? If Emmett hadn't died in the woods, would he have passed away by age forty?

“Was the king convinced?” | wondered.

Kaleb shot me an impish frim. “He did. He began to consider the idea greatly. Living eternally meant eternal power. If he were to continue on past his intended years, he could remain king forever. It was an enticing offer for a man such as that.”

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| shook my head slowly

“When it came to the matter of sacrifice, there was little to consider,” Kaleb mused. “There was no one the king reall about at that time except his only son, Asher Collins.”

“He would never do that,” | insisted. “The king would never have sacrificed Asher. Their relationship was complex, but he would never agree to sacrifice Asher:”

“But he did,” Kaleb revealed. The king agreed to sacrifice his son for the greatness of his own soul”

“|_| don’t understand,” | said as another touch of dizziness came over me. Asher was clearly alive and well. So, what did any

of this mean?

“He decided of his own volition,” he said with a shrug. “At the end of the day, the king’s power meant more to him than his own son. Emmett was surprised by this. It was all a test, of course, to prove what kind of man the king truly was. If he had shown any sign of remorse for killing sorcerers in the past things may have ended differently.”

“So, what did he do?” | asked.

“Emmett deliberately allowed Darrin Felix, the Beta, to find out about this plot,” Kaleb stated, and my heart plummeted in my chest. “He wanted him to know what kind of man he was serving. Darrin Felix was a loyal and righteous man. He tried to persuade his king and convince him to make a different choice. He believed making a sacrifice like that would destroy Wegalla, But the king was determined. He didn’t care who he had to destroy.”

| fought to catch my breath and my lower lip trembled in shock.

“So, that’s why my father had to die,” | surmised. “Because he turned against the king?”

“He never truly betrayed the king,” Kaleb said gently. “Even at the last minute, he didn’t tell others what the king had planned to do. He simply accepted his fate and allowed his family name to go up in flames, so to speak.”

My eyes felt sore and tears welled up instantly. | bit my lip to control the urge to cry. But as | stared at Kaleb, a thought crossed my mind and a sarcastic laugh escaped me.

“This all sounds well and good, but it’s all a lie. | accused through my laughter. “There's no way you could know the details of all of this.”

“Don't be so sure,” he replied evenly. “You know what | said is true. | can see it in your eyes. You know your father isn’t a traitor.”

| turned away from him, but he continued anyway.

“Despite Darrin Felix’s attempts at dissuasion, the king actually went through with the sacrifice,” Kaleb noted. “Though tragically, he died before he could discover it was all a lie. He never achieved the immortality he so desperately sought.”

“But Asher didn’t die,” | said, and | turned back to face Kaleb, “I don’t understand.”

“Sacrifice didn’t mean death,” the Northern King replied. “That's not what Emmett wanted from the king. It was control. A price was paid, Ca ssandra. Haven't you noticed something isn’t right with your Alpha King? With his body?”

| was instantly stunned.

Did he mean the black marks?

Was he talking about the disease? Had Emmett inflicted it as punishment for Asher’s father’s wrongdoings?

Just as | began to panir, Kaleb reached out to me and gently touched my face. | stiffened at his touch, and when he pulled back his hand, 1 noticed wetness on the tips of his fingers.

Chapter 222

Two days after my discussion with Kaleb, | found myself sitting outside with Ronald’s fiancee, Helene, on a large terrace. We were seated at a table laden with tea and a tray of delicacies. Despite the nice spread and otherwise nice patio, there wasn’t much scenery to observe.

The terrace was on the third floor of Ronald’s tower, and all we could see beneath us were the guards that patrolled the area. There was little else to do, and | found myself missing the trees in Wild Crawler. This place was cold and sterile, and the enormous wall that surrounded the fortress did little to add to the atmosphere. The high, grim wall reminded me that | was a prisoner here and made me deeply uncomfortable. Luckily, the sun was bright and provided some much-needed warmth.

When | came to visit Ronald, Helene received me and mentioned that Ronald had some business to attend to, | was about to leave, but she suggested that we enjoy some tea while we waited for him to return. While | wasn’t sure that | wanted to spend time with a stranger. | decided to agree anyway, so here we were

As | continued to glance out at that awful wall. | thought of Kaleb and his devil’s face. It was nearly impossible to cast aside. my horror and shock about the situation, and the memory of his cruel smile was difficult to get out of my head.

That night, after he’d left the room, | remained seated in my chir, frozen in place. | wasn’t sure how long | was there. | cried for a while as his story settled into my brain, but even after the tears disappeared from my cheeks, | didn’t want to go back to my chambers.

If what Kaleb said was real, Emmett and Asher’s father were the ones responsible for my father’s death and the ruin of my family. | wanted to tell myself that the king of Yurene was lying. But as the days went by. | had already started to believe him. As a result, my heart ached for my father and brother.

| had admired Emmett and taken him as the guide of my new life after that terrible inferno. He had taught me how to heal. both physically and mentally. He encouraged me and supported me in every aspect of my existence.

But it was Emmett who had taken my wolf soul and caused my inability to shift..

| felt complicated and didn’t know what to do.

| was panicked. | was freaked out. | felt helpless.

When | finally managed to calm down, | considered my situation thoroughly and thought a visit to Ronald might enlighten me. Kaleb had practically proposed marriage to me in that small, dismal room. | needed to know if | had other options.

“Cas sandra?” Helene spoke up, and | was suddenly pulled back into reality. Her light brown eyes stared at me curiously and she offered me a smile. “Would you like to try some tea?”

She finished filling her tea cup and then gestured at me with the pot. | stared at it for a moment and then nodded.

“Thank you,” | said as she filled my cup.

Helete wasn’t very young. In fact, she was older than I'd expecteil perhaps in her late forties. She wasn’t haggard by any means, but her caramel-colored eyes had light crow’s feet in their uptilted corners

Regardless of her age, Helene was undeniably beautiful She had shoulder-length hair of a similar color to her eyes, and it fell in soft waves. Her skin was extremely fair and her cheeks were rosy. She had a strong, aristocratic nose, and when she smiled, her teeth were white and perfect

| forced myself to stop admiring her and took a sip of the tea it took all of my effort to keep from making a face. It was

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quite bitter, just as strong as those Ms. Benn had brought to my room. Unfortunately, Yurene didn’t seem to with their tea either, so there was nothing to soften the taste.

toet

5.91% a

Helene smiled at me. “I take it you aren’t fond of the tea?”

“I'm just not used to it.” | said politely.

“When | first came here. | couldn’t get used to it as well,” she replied casually. “But after a few years, | learned to enjoy it.”

My lips parted in surprise. “I didn’t know you weren’t from here

Helene nodded. “Of course not. Northerners would never enjoy something like afternoon tea. They believe it's a waste of time. They appreciate savageness over elegance.”

Her last sentence was just as bitter as the tea, but she recovered quickly. “I’m from the South. | grew up in a very small Pack. | heard from my husband that you’re from Wegalla?”

“Yes,” | confirmed.

“| always wondered what Wegalla looked like, but | never had the opportunity to visit,” Helene remarked. “Some have said it's quite wealthy. Is it true?”

“In some places,” | replied. “Others are perfectly ordinary

“| bet that even the most ordinary parts of Wegalla are much richer than here,” she sighed, and then she raised an eyebrow. “Were your parents wealthy?”

| shrugged, taken aback by the question.

In Wegalla, Anemond particularly, questions about money and wealth were considered crass. We avoided the topics as often as possible or shifted the subject when they were brought up.

Even though Helene was a Southerner from birth, | supposed that she had picked up some traits from the Northemers. namely their bluntness. | couldn’t fault her for asking such an innocent question, even though it came across as a little socially unaware. “| suppose they were fine,” | said simply. “But they both passed away when | was young, so | can’t be too sure. | don’t remember much about them.

It wasn’t a complete lic, but | didn’t know yet if | could trust Helene, so | needed to remain guarded.

“I'm so sorry,” she apologized. “I didn’t mean to speak poorly or out of turn.”

“Don't apologize,” | assured her. “You didn’t know. It’s okay.”

“My parents have passed as well,” she said. “Unfortunately, | remember it all too well. It was a terrible situation. | worry that I'll never be able to forget the image so long as | live.”

Silence hung in the air and | didn’t know what to say, | studied Helene’s face and fought to find something to comfort her. It was clear from the haunted look in her eyes that she’d witnessed something unthinkable, but | didn’t want to pry. We'd just met and it wasn’t my business to ask for more information.

For a moment, | thought Helene was going to cry, but before her eyes could well over and tears could fall onto her pink cheeks, she rolled her shoulders back and smoothed her hair.

She seemed to have a story to tell and | pondered whether | should ask her after all, but before | could, Helene’s full lips curled into a broad smile. She glanced behind me and waved.

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“Here comes Lord Ronald,” she said, and all traces of her saddened demeanor disappeared completely.

Chapter 223

| turned around and sure enough, Ronald was behind us. He stepped onto the terrace with an equally broad smile on his face, and as he approached, Helene rose from her seat. | did the same thing out of politeness and courtesy. Ronald was the king of Yurene’s cousin after all, so he deserved at least a little respect.

Helene met him halfway, and Ronald drew her into a kiss. He held her close and ran his hand through her soft hair affectionately. Once their embrace came to an end, Helene turned to face me.

“I'll let you two talk,” she said in a warm, pleasant voice. “It was nice to see you, Cas sandra, Let's do this agains

“Thank you.” | replied with a smile. “I would like that very much

Soon..

he Ronald kissed the top of her head and then Helene left the terrace. Ronald watched her leave, and once she was gone, his hand through his long brown hair and took her seat opposite me. “Hello, Cas sandra. So good to see you. What brings you here on this line day?”

THN

“| was wondering if we could speak,” | said vaguely, and then | glanced around. “Though | wonder if it would be best to talk in your study or somewhere more private.”

Ronald gestured around us. “Actually, this terrace is better than my study. No one else has access to it, so there’s no chance of eavesdropping”

1 frowned. “Who would be eavesdropping on our conversation?”

The king’s cousin simply shrugged at me and smiled. “You never know. There are some nosy individuals around her. It’s best to assume the worst and be pleasantly surprised.”

He reached over, picked up the teapot, and poured himself a cup of tea. He then raised it to his lips and took a long drink.

“So, | hear you’re going to marry my dear cousin,” he remarked, and heat spread to my cheeks instantly.

“| haven’t agreed to his proposal yet, | stammered, Had word spread already of Kaleb’s terrible question? Did all of Viokwell know of the king’s intention to make me, the new foreign guest, his queen?

Had they known it before he’d even arrived?

As the awful thought crept into my mind, Ronald nodded. “No one’s ever gone against my cousin's will. At least no one living, of course. | suppose that’s why you came to visit me today?”

“Is your offer still effective?” | wondered as | gulped back my anxiety.

“Of course,” Ronald replied, and then he raised an eyebrow and leaned forward in his seat. “But Miss Cas sandra, this isn’t an Offer, it's an exchange, remember?”

“| remember,” | assured him

The king’s cousin tilted his head to the side and his soft blue eyes trailed over me. “Are you ready to tell me why Kaleb brought you to Yurene?”

“Only if you tell me everything you know about your cousin.” | countered.

“A somewhat greedy request, Ronald said bluntly, and his expression grew somewhat unamused. “Everything | know about Kaleb That kind of recounting would take days, and Kaleb would be suspicious if you came to see me daily. Especially now that he intends to make you his queen”

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“Then you'd better inake it short,” | replied boldly, and | raised my chin. We could go back and forth on th wanted, but there was no time for that. If we were to work together, we needed to do it quickly, before Kal thing.

“Indeed,” Ronald agreed. “My words are all yours. I'll tell you whatever you want to know. But before we get to you to tell me the real reason for your visit to Viokwell. | know this arrangement goes beyond marriage. So tell me.

| shook my head. | want you to tell me something about Kaleb first.”

Ronald chuckled and then smirked. “You're a clever girl. | understand why my cousin is so utterly obsessed with you. What do you want to know first?”

| tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and took a deep breath. | hadn’t expected to get this far, but now that | was here, | needed to remain level-headed. There was much | wanted to know, but | had to prioritize my questions.

“Did Kaleb kill his father?” | blurted out before | could stop myself.

Ronald blinked his eyes at me in surprise. “That’s a very sharp question, Cas sandra.”

“It's one | need an answer to,” | replied. “Did he do it?”

“Yes,” he answered with no hesitation, and then he brought the teacup to his lips and took a long sip. | inhaled sharply and my eyes widened.

| hadn't expected my suspicions to be confirmed so quickly. | was surprised by this revelation, but | didn’t have much time! and needed to continue getting answers.

“How?” | asked.

Ronald took another drink and then delicately set the teacup back down. His eyes lingered on the table for a moment, and then they met mine.

“The former king was quite ill then.” he began, and after a deep breath, his expression grew solemn. “Kaelb dismissed the servants and guards and left his father alone in the King’s chamber. He knew it wouldn't take many days for a weak old man such as him to perish and succumb to his illness.”

“What was he sick with?” | wondered. “Why was he ill?”

Ronald frowned at me. “I believe the king was infected with some weird disease. | couldn’t tell you the name of it. It was quite a strange ailment-”

“It wasn’t a weird disease, | informed him quickly. “It was a poison. A poison crafted by sorcerers.”

Ronald raised an eyebrow in my direction. “And how would you know this?”

| didn’t answer his question and simply delivered one of my own. “Who created the poison?”

The king’s cousin studied me carefully, clearly surprised at how much | knew about the matter. “It’s rumored that the king got it during the fight against Dark Abyss, So, it was likely given to him by some unknown sorcerer-

“But it’s not,” | stated clearly. “Why would Dark Abyss use poison against their ally? It had to be from someone else. They got the poison from the sorcerers and used it on the king. So, now | need to know was the sorcerer who created the poison the greatest magic user in Dark Abyss? The one whose son was named was Emmen Keller?”

Ronald's face paled at once and his eyes darkened Though he didn’t speak, his expression gave me the answer | needed.

“| can now tell you the real reason | me” | said calmly. “Emmett Keller was my husband”

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| watched Ronald carefully, and under my gaze, his hands wrapped around the arms of the chair and squeezed tightly until his knuckles were white. He stared at me as if he wanted to see through me.

“| have another proposal for you, | announced, and | leaned into the table and maintained eye contact with the king’s cousin. “And | want you to consider it thoroughly before you turn it down. | think we should ally”

Chapter 224

| knew my statement was blint and honestly, quite bold to blurt out, but | couldn’t stop myself. | still had no idea if Rona could be trusted, but | supposed | had no other choice. | needed someone on my side who could curb Kaleb’s power, and Ronald appeared to be my only option. As a sorcerer, the king’s cousin was immensely talented. He could be the key | needed to make it out of this intact.

| opted not to tell Ronald what Kaleb had mentioned about the milisman. | didn’t quite believe what the king of Yurene had said because it sounded far crazier than anything | could accept, but on the other hand, something in my gut told me not to bring it up. If Kaleb was correct and the talisman had something to do with me, being utterly frank with Ronald could be dangerous

Ronald stared at me for a moment with an expression that was both full of awe and concern. He raised a dark eyebrow at me and remained silent for what felt like an eternity, but finally, he cleared his throat and raised his chin slightly.

“| suppose | should keep my promise and tell you the story you desire to hear,” he remarked, his tone airy and borderline lofty. “But it will take quite a while for me to explain, so | will tell you over the course of a week.”

While | wasn’t thrilled by this, | agreed to the plan. We would meet every so often over the next week, but only in short increments. | couldn't stay too long in the tower, or else | would mass suspicion.

We began the next day, and by the end of our first meeting. | realized | hadn’t been as prepared as | thought to hear these stories.

| had always known that Yurene was built on war and the bloodshed of smaller Packs, but | didn’t know how it was ruled. Our history lessons in Wegalla were limited when it came to the Northern regions, and | felt completely out of my element as | listened to Ronald’s recounting. These were all things that the citizens of my country deserved to know. If | was lucky enough to make it back to Anemond, | would tell Asher that we needed to adjust curriculums to include this information about our Northern neighbors. It was crucial for us to be more knowledgeable.

With each story Ronald told me, | kept being shocked by the savageness. He told me of cruel tortures that | thought only existed in ancient tomes: burning at the stake, tearing and severing limbs, waterboarding.

| was even more horrified to learn that these methods of torture were still being actively utilized. Ronald told me that if 1 wanted to see it with my own eyes to confirm that he wasn’t exaggerating the facts, he could take me to the grounds where the executions took place. He mentioned that the amount of torture had been reduced these days, but in the past, they occurred daily.

| left every encounter with Ronald sick to my stomach, and on numerous occasions, my insides were so upset that by the time | returned to my chambers, | sprinted to the bathroom and retched until | ached.

Erika would wait outside the door with a glass of water, and after accepted it gratefully, she would sit me down on the bed and rub my back. She would remain silent until Finnick was asleep, and once we were certain he couldn't overhear us, | would share what Ronald had told me.

My dear maid was even more shocked than I was, but she managed to hold her disgust inside and simply shook her head in disbelief once | finished.

“This country is so savage,” she would whisper. “More than we could have known. You must be careful, Ca ss andra. Promise me you'll be careful.”

1 assured her daily that | would tread lightly to avoid these savage tortures myself, but with every passing interaction with Ronald, my fear grew more intense

| hadn't believed Kaleb to be so dangerous when | was in Anemond, but now that | was here in his homeland, | knew he

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wasn’t what he seemed-Under the cool exterior was a brutal, potentially violent man, whose savagery knew no b

On what Ronald told me would be the final day of storytelling, he presented me with the most brutal tale yet. It w more sickening than the ones prior, and | hadn’t been remotely prepared to handle it all.

You mentioned to me a bit ago that you only survived because you were a sorcerer,” | said once we sat down. “What did you mean by that? Were there any disasters here in Vlokwell? What did you survive?”

“Disasters?” Ronald repeated back, and he seemed amused by the idea. “Well, | guess you could say that what happened here was indeed a disaster. A tragedy, one that happens every few decades.”

“Go on."1 prompted him as my curiosity swelled.

There was a brief pause, and then he continued.

“| suppose that in Wegalla, when the old king is about to die, his heir would be his eldest son or daughter?” Ronald remarked, and when | nodded, his expression grew somber. “It doesn’t quite work like that in Yurene. According to the tradition here, the king’s firstborn child doesn’t necessarily become the rightful heir to the throne. If multiple offspring exist, they must compete for the crown.”

My lips parted in surprise. “Compete?”

Had | heard him correctly?

Ronald continued. “Yes. They must take part in a tournament. All eligible heirs are locked in the dungeon of the castle, and once the doors are closed, they must fight and slaughter their opponents. The one who survives to the end of the tournament rings a bell. The ringing of the bell is the only way to get out of the dungeon. During the tournament, no food or drink is provided. It usually takes a couple of days for the bell to be rung

His solemn look grew even more serious.

“If more than two are found on the other side of the door, the dungeon gets locked again and fighting continues until only one remains. Whoever lives takes the throne.”

Achill ran down my spine and | shook my head slowly.

Death or the crown.

There was no third choice.

Such savagery was incomprehensible.

“My father died competing with Kaleb’s father, Ronald revealed quietly. “According to our country’s tradition, my mother and | were supposed to be executed. | was just a babe then, but my life was meant to be forfeit to avoid future vengeance. But Kaleb’s father didn’t carry our sentence out because my mother was a sorceress. She was too precious to waste.

His soft blue eyes grew distant and welled up slightly.

“Kaleb’s father locked her in the prison tower and made use of her when needed.” he lamented. “After | was born. | too became a pawn”

I'm so sorry, Ronald,” | whispered.

He simply nodded and then cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders back

“You asked about Kaleb, he stated, and then his eyes locked on mine with great intensity. “You should know, Cas sandra, that the tournament of tradition didn’t happen among Kaleb, his two brothers, and sister. He killed them all before the tournament could even be scheduled”

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| gasped sharply and my eyes widened.

“They were all killed in their sleep by Anubis, a well-trained killer, and a nasty opportunist,” Ronald said with a slight snarl. “I suspect that Anubis was meant to take my life as well, but he didn’t go through with it because I'd already come into my magical powers and had gained alliances in Yurene. Kaleb probably realized he couldn't kill everyone just on a whim, so he allowed me to stay alive.”

Even though | wanted to, | didn’t say a word. | could never imagine how it felt to kill a sibling. | didn’t even want to imagine. Ector meant the world to me. | could never kill my own brother to gain power.

“| suppose this is the final part of the story,” Ronald mused, and then he folded his hands in his lap. “I’ve considered your proposal Ca ssandra, and | see the potential of our alliance. We share some of the same good values and wills. You want to stop Kaleb and return to your country, while | want to change Yurene and stop its traditions of savagery. But... | have one condition before | can agree to this.”

“What is it?” | asked cautiously with a raised eyebrow.

Ronald leaned closer to me. “You need to agree to marry Kaleb. It’s the only way you can get close to him and find out what he’s planning.”

Chapter 225

Bile rose up my throat and my eyes nearly fell out of my head at this suggestion.

The idea of marrying Kaleb sounded crazy in so many ways, not to mention terrifying. My body stiffened involuntarily at Ronald’s suggestion and | felt as if | were about to lose consciousness. Was this truly the only way he would collaborate with

me:

Yet, Ronald made a good point when he said that Kalch wouldn't let me know anything if | went against him. The more | cooperated, the more privy to information | would be.

As it stood right now, Kaleb might not want to mistreat me, but he was unpredictable. The longer | dragged the situation out, the worse things could be later.

And now that Kaleb knew my true identity... like it or not, he would make use of it and use my real name and social standing as a way to manipulate me. There was only one option: to take the initiative and use my circumstances to get more information.

But as | stared out at the fortress surrounding Viokwell, my mind drified to Asher.

What would the Alpha King of Wegalla think if he knew | was to marry the cruel and conniving king of Yurene?

Knowing Kaleb’s flair for the dramatic, there was no way Asher wouldn't find out about this. He might even get an invitation to the dreaded affair.

The idea made my stomach twist even further still.

As usual, my life was far more complicated than | wished it could be. | needed to take some time and consider the pros and cons before | delivered a finite answer to Ronald.

The next day, | was still pondering the idea of marrying Kaleb when | received an invitation from Helene.

Aletter was hand-delivered to me by a young servant girl in the early afternoon, and when | read the contents of the paper. 1 found myself quite confused.

My prior meetings with Ronald had been held in the name of Helene to avoid extra attention. | didn’t know if Kaleb was even aware of these meetings, but just in case, we had done everything in our power to make it seem as if were were just two ladies meeting with one another.

But as | stared down at Helene’s letter, | found myself confused, Ronald had mentioned to me as we parted the day before that he would be away visiting friends. He said he would be gone for a few days and wanted me to use that time to consider

his offer

So why would his fiancee request my presence anyway?

Despite my confusion, | asked Erika if she would watch Finnick in my absence, and after she happily agreed, | followed Helene’s maid

When we stepped outside of the building. | was surprised to see that someone else was waiting for me. The weather was quite cold, so the person was wearing a large black coat with a white fur hood thar concealed their face. It wasn’t until | walked closer and the person dropped the hood that | recognized it was Helene herself.

Ronald's fiancee greeted me with a warm smile

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L

“Hello, Ca ssandra, she greeted me. “Thank you for meeting with me”

“Hello,” | greeted her kindly but cautiously, and | glanced around. “What’s going on?”

Helene simply smiled. “Since it’s such a lovely day, | would greatly love for you to accompany me to the nearest town. | went to place some orders for my wedding and would love some company”

| fought the urge to frown in confusion as my brows tried to knit sogether. It was not a lovely day at all. It was chilly and the sun was hidden behind some thick clouds, rendering the sky a muted, dreary gray

| supposed that Helene’s request wasn’t very honest as well. | wasn’t sure if | was allowed to leave the fortress, but | decided to nod my head anyway. This was a good chance to test if | was as much of a prisoner as | suspected.

Fortunately. | didn’t seem to be strictly grounded to the walls of Viokwell. We smoothly walked past the iron gate after Helene showed a pass of some sort to the guards. The guards even stamped their chests and saluted us respectfully as we moved past, so clearly, things weren't all that they appeared.

Acar was waiting for us outside of the iron gate. It wasn’t as large as the one that had brought us to Yurene from Wezilla, but it was still rather nice, and the driver held the door open for us. Helene and | climbed in, and once we were settled, the car started and drove down the road

As | stared out the window and the castle vanished in the distance. | wanted to shake my head in disbelief. | couldn’t believe I’d just left the fortress so easily. Though it wasn’t as if I'd escaped completely, | was still amazed.

“| thought it was impossible to leave, | uttered before | could stop myself.

Helene smiled at me. | understand how you feel. Life in the fortress can certainly seem... oppressive. But Ronald gave me a pass

She reached into her pocket and retrieved the thin paper she’d shown the guard. “Sometimes Ronald allows me to have some fun in town when things get too dull.”

“| wish | had a pass like that, | joked

Helene offered me a thin smile but didn’t say anything further.

The rest of the car ride continued in silence. Even though we weren't in the castle anymore, | noticed that Helene didn’t seem all that relaxed. Though she sat quietly with a smile on her face, her caramel brown eyes kept glancing at the rearview mirror. She was on edge about something, though | wasn’t sure what.

Half an hour later, we arrived at the town. It was a nice little place- not very modern, but charming all the same. There were a great number of coffee shops and bakeries everywhere, which made pleasant aromas fill the cold air. It was much more developed than Glolis, the small town we'd stayed in the night we'd arrived in Yurene.

Helene asked the driver to stop on a populated street and then turned to me once the car came to a halt.

“| placed an order with a jewel dealer on this street and want to see the progress,” she explained to me. “Once we're finished there, we can just walk around and see if there are other shops we’d like to go to”

“Sounds great,” | offered

Helene asked the driver to find a place to park, and after he agreed, we stepped out of the car. Helene’s young maid had occupied the passenger seat and got out with us She led us down the street and once we reached the jewel shop, she held the door open for us

When we walked in, the owner, a tall man with large glasses grees d us warmly and then ushered Helene over to a glass display. They exchanged a few words and then he stepped away and returned with a small velvet box. When he opened it. 1 was surprised to ser a gold ring with a large gemstone on it

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It was a beautiful, deep greep jewel that gleamed under the light.

“It's from the South, the owner explained in a deep. heavily accented voice. “Quite precious. Would you like to try it on

Helene nodded and then slipped it onto her finger. She admired it and then showed it to me. “What do you think. Ca ssandra? “It's exquisite.” | uttered as | studied it. It was one of the most gorgeous gems I’d ever seen,

Helene smiled and then turned to the owner. “It’s lovely, but | worry it’s too large for a ring. Could it be fashioned into a necklace?”

“Of course, the owner nodded happily.

Helene gestured to her maid, who instantly produced a small brown sack from her pocket. When it jingled. | knew it contained coins, and likely quite many of them

The owner accepted it and then fawned over Helene. “Is there anything else | can do for you, my lady?”

Helene considered the idea and then shook her head.

“| can’t think of anything at the moment.” she said politely. “But I’ll let you know when | have an idea. Thank you for your help

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