Ch. 256..260: Alpha King’s Lost Luna Chapter 256-260
Chapter 256 ASHER Silas stiffened at once and then glared at Roxy. As his golden eyes shot daggers in her direction, he remained utterly silent.
We all knew that should anything be spoken wrongly, this alliance between us would be ruined. We needed Alpha Arthur on our side, and yet... this wasn’t a matter for Silas to solve.
Meanwhile, Arthur seemed quite focused on Silas. He appeared rather interested in the idea, and his dark eyes trailed over the young man.
“| didn’t expect you to be the son of Oliver Moses,” he remarked, and then he raised an eyebrow. “It’s quite interesting that father and son are against one another now.”
Silas nodded politely, and then Arthur’s smile widened.
“If what you say is the truth, | would be very willing to marry my daughter to Beta Silas,” he announced as he made eye contact with everyone in the room.
Kiara glanced at Silas as well, but her weak and tired expression remained the same. She was perfectly silent, which | assumed was a natural state for her.
“Unfortunately, Beta Silas has already found a mate in Anemond,” | cut in politely, and then | gave Arthur and apologetic smile. “A fated mate, in fact.”
Darwin spoke up. “As far as | have heard, Your Majesty, Beta Silas‘ mate is a low—born and the Beta declined the opportunity to claim her at a banquet. Is that correct?”
Arthur's brow lifted and he turned to me. “Is that true?”
Asmall sigh escaped me and then | nodded. “Yes, it’s true. Silas and Becky never claimed one another.”
The Sky Pride Alpha’s lips resumed their smile once more.
“An unclaimed mate isn’t that big of a problem,” he remarked as if the matter was simple. “And a fated mate at that...‘
His voice trailed off and his stare shifted back to me. “The last time people spoke about fated mates, it wasn’t a nice story. I’m not so certain that such a relationship is real nor is it a good thing. An arrangement, however... that is a much stronger idea, is it not, Your Majesty? My Kiara is a fine woman, worthy of only the most splendid of men.”
| froze in place as | tried to make a decision. | didn’t want to risk this alliance, yet | Yo
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didn’t want to force Silas to marry the girl out of obligation. What would become if | robbed the Beta of his potential relationship with Becky for good?
Arthur rose from his seat and carefully moved closer to Silas. The Beta stood tall, but | could detect a note of worry on his features, not that | could blame him, of course. This was an impossible situation, one | never thought we'd be in.
The Sky Pride Alpha examined Silas for a moment.
“You're a good-looking man, Beta Silas,” Arthur complimented him, his tone warm and genuine. “I hope you are just as clever as your father, though less... selfish.”
He turned back to me before Silas could utter a response. “What do you think, Your Majesty? Would you be willing to bless this union and marry this young man and woman?”
“It depends on Silas‘ own will,” | replied quickly, forcing all of my frustration and concerns deep into my belly. It was taking all of my restraint to keep from saying all the many ways this was a terrible idea.
Arthur shrugged, not all that amused by my answer. “If he’s loyal enough, he would just obey his king. Would he not?”
He stared at Silas in a challenging way. My brother-in-law, fists clenched at his sides, remained absolutely silent for a second, and then bowed his head and stamped his chest, showing obedience to his king.
| felt a great burden fall heavily on my shoulders. | hated this feeling. Was | supposed to make this decision? By what laws was | granted the right to decide the fate of another person’s life? Just because | was the king of Wegalla, | had to force Silas into such a terrible position.
| knew this much- Silas was the most loyal soldier and comrade one could ever ask for. He was devoted, intelligent, and dedicated. | knew with absolute certainty that he had my back in any situation.
Could | really force him into marrying someone he didn’t know when he already had a fated mate back in Anemond? Could | force him to solve my problems for me? Before | could utter a word, Kane rose from his seat and took a step toward the Alpha.
“| believe the captured soldier’s information isn’t very plausible,” he remarked, and he shot an annoyed glance in Roxy’s direction. “Silas respects his mate in Anemond very much. And the only reason why he didn’t claim her that day at the banquet was because she was unwilling yet to be claimed.”
| raised an eyebrow at him. Kane, sticking up for Silas? It was a quite strange thing to witness, though | was glad to see them finally getting along.
“If that’s the case, Beta Silas is clearly still available,” Darwin huffed. “Unclaimed mates mean nothing. The rule of werewolves say as such.”
“That’s right,” Kane replied, and then he uttered a short laugh. “As far as availability, Beta Silas is lacking a mate mark, so physically, he is obviously open. But emotionally... that’s another story. Alpha Arthur, would you truly be willing to marry your daughter to someone whose heart is set on another woman?”
Arthur frowned deeply. He seemed to be quite affected by Kanes’s words, and stared off in the distance for a moment before turning toward his daughter. Just as he did so, my stepbrother smiled and stepped toward Kiara.
“| believe this young princess deserves a better fate than this,” he said after he offered her a graceful bow. “Better?” Arthur let out a sharp exhale. “Who would be better for her than the king’s Beta?”
Kane stared into the young woman’s hazel eyes in a questioning way and then extended his hand toward her. Her cheeks flushed lightly as she accepted it, and she smiled sweetly at him. Kane gently kissed the back of her hand and when he let go, he then turned back toward us. He offered Arthur a small bow of respect.
“Would the king’s brother be a good choice for this lovely lady?” he asked, and his violet eyes twinked with happiness.
My stomach twisted into knots and it took all of my power to not drop my jaw in shock. As | glanced around the room, it was clear that | wasn’t the only one surprised by this sudden utterance.
Alpha Arthur seemed especially stunned. He didn’t seem thrilled by Kane’s bold move of kissing his daughter’s hand, but as the seconds passed by, he looked both confused and surprised.
Before the Sky Pride Alpha could say a word, Kane introduced himself.
“My name is Kane Collins,” he said clearly and concisely. “Though | am only an adoptive son of the former king, | share his royal surname, the same as the current Alpha King’s. He and | are quite close, you see, so | believe | could be a suitable replacement for Silas,”
He smiled at Kiara. “I would like the privilege to court dear Kiara. She has already stolen my heart. | would like the chance to earn her hand in marriage.”
Chapter 257
That night in Sky Pride was far colder than it had been in our forest camp below the mountain. The wind outside of the fortress blew intensely, so much that it rattled the window, and it made me shiver instinctively as we were escorted to our rooms.
Much to my surprise, our designated quarters were warm and cozy, the beds decorated with plush, thick blankets, and the wood floors were covered in several soft rugs. The furnishings were simple yet lovely, and when | finally had a chance to relax, | flopped down onto the bed and allowed the blankets to flare up around me. | sank into the softness for a moment and stared up at the ceiling as | reflected on the evening.
Alpha Arthur hadn't been very content with Kane’s declaration at first, but after he proposed the idea of courting Kiara, the Alpha escorted us to a small banquet hall. A feast in our honor commenced, and as the night went on, Arthur began to come around on the idea. Kane always knew how to smooth the tension and make everyone satisfied. He was kind and charismatic enough to sway anyone in his favor.
Kiara seemed equally enticed by him. All evening, her bright hazel eyes kept glancing over at my stepbrother, and her full lips curled into a small yet happy smile.
However, as this display continued, a complicated feeling swelled within me. | didn’t understand Kane’s decision, nor did | get why he would make such an offer to court Arthur’s daughter. Why would he step in to save the day when Silas was on the line? | wanted to understand and yet | couldn’t. This was all so strange and confusing.
Just as | tried to come around to the idea, a knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.
“Come in,” | called out, and | forced myself to sit up and appear presentable. Assuming it was Alpha Arthur, | ran a hand through my hair and smoothed the wrinkles from my shirt, but much to my surprise, in walked Kane with a chessboard in his hand. “Brother,” he greeted me warmly, and then he gestured at the table in front of me. “If you’re struggling to sleep, perhaps you would like to play a game with me? It’s been quite some time since our last match.”
Though part of me wanted to climb back into bed, the other decided to oblige Kane’s request, so | nodded my head and approached the table.
At first, we played in half-silence. While | remained quiet, Kane would comment shortly when | clearly made a wrong move. He uttered a few stinging remarks, and after | lost two games in a row, he shook his head slowly.
“You seem greatly distracted, Asher,” he mused thoughtfully, and then he tilted his head
slightly as he studied me closely. “What’s going on in that lovely mind of yours?”
| didn’t know what to say. | simply stared at the brother who sat opposite me and always smiled. Words felt impossible given the circumstances, and | didn’t know what to do.
“| know what you're thinking,” Kane spoke again, and he leaned forward against the table. “But | want to make it perfectly clear that | didn’t make this decision purely for you or for Wegalla. | don’t want you to think of this as a sacrifice. Being the Alpha of an undefeatable Pack is a glorious thing and I’m perfectly content with the idea. Besides, Kiara is quite pretty, isn’t she?”
He let out a soft chuckle. “It’s time for me to settle down, And she seems like she would be a kind partner.”
| wasn’t convinced by his words even a little bit. His attitude toward the matter was far too casual, and I'd known him long enough to see that something was amiss.
My lips parted, but before | could say a word, Kane held his hand up to stop me.
“This is going to benefit everyone,” he assured me firmly. “I’ve already made my decision, Asher, and | won't take any further considerations. Besides, Alpha Arthur isn’t someone we can easily toy with. If we want to act quickly, we need his allegiance.”
I let out a soft sigh and then nodded.
Kane glanced down at the chess set and then figdeted with a couple of pieces.
“Now, | didn’t just come here to play chess,” he revealed. “In truth, ‘m here to tell you something important. | heard from my soon- to-be father-in-law, that there is going to be a wedding in Yurene soon.”
My stomach dropped and a lump formed in my throat. My heart began to race with panic, but Kane reached out and touched my arm.
“Don't worry,” he assured me. “It’s not Cassandra. It’s the wedding of Kaleb’s cousin. Arthur told me that on the wedding day, the capital of Yurene, Viokwell, will be accepting hundreds of guests from outside the city.”
My eyes widened at the idea. “Do you mean to suggest-”
“Yes,” Kane cut me off, and then he nodded. “It would probably be the best time to sneak in and find Cassandra. Arthur got a private invitation from Ronald Adams, the cousin, who seems to be seeking alliances with Packs from outside Yurene behind Kaleb’s back. Arthur agreed to help him. But let’s not focus on that now. | don’t intend to attend the wedding, so I’m willing to give you the invitation card.”
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“Thank you, Kane,” | managed to say as | grappled with all of this information. “This is
[e)
great news.”
in
®)
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m still against this bold idea of bringing Cassandra back by force,” he reminded me. “But | know that no matter what | do, | can’t stop you. Besides, I’m unable to accompany you for the rest of your journey because | have to remain IN
here, as required by Alpha Arthur. The wedding will be in three days, and guests usually arrive two days early. You'd better depart tomorrow.”
“You won’t come with me?” | uttered before | could stop myself, though | knew the answer. We both fell silent and then Kane smiled at me.
“| hope this won't be the last time we can play chess,” he said quietly, and then he rose from his seat. “In fact, | know it won't be. But it's very late now, and you need to get some rest. You have a long day ahead of you.”
| rose from my chair and crossed over to him. He held his arms out to me, and we embraced tightly. This hug lasted longer than usual, and heaviness filled my chest. | didn’t want to leave Kane behind. My stepbrother meant the world to me, and doing this alone filled me with dread. But he made his choice and | had to respect the great deed he’d done on my behalf and honor his wishes.
“Return safely, Asher, alright?” he asked me once we parted.
“| will,” | swore, and after we shared one more quick hug, Kane left the room, and | returned to the bed.
Awedding in Yurene.
This was going to be a strange affair indeed.
Chapter 258
ASHER
Once Kane left the room, | changed into a pair of nightclothes and then went to bed. | dozed off quickly, but my sleep was quite light.
So much so, that when a noise rang out from the corridor, | woke up immediately and began to look around in surprise. For a moment, | wondered if the sound was just my mind playing tricks on me, but something in my gut told me that wasn’t the truth. Something was amiss, something | couldn’t dismiss straight away without investigation.
| rubbed my eyes and immediately rushed outside of the room and into the courtyard just down the hall. As | walked, the metallic scent of blood reached my nose at once, and | hastened my pace.
| was the first to arrive, followed by Kane, Alpha Arthur, Kiara, Darwin, and a few soldiers. Everyone was outfitted in their nightclothes, and one by one, we each fell stunned at the sight before us when it was illuminated by the torches of the soldiers. My. stomach twisted into painful knots and for a moment, | thought | was about to retch in disgust.
Bodies lay on the ground, covered with rich, viscous dark blood. Two of them were Myriad soldiers, outfitted in their uniforms. One of them was a strange masked man that | didn’t recognize. As | slowly approached, it was clear that they were all dead.
All except Silas, who lay beside the masked stranger. He was severely injured, and my lips parted in horror when | saw the blood gushing from his lean chest. Though he was breathing faintly, it was clear that he was fading quickly. We needed to intervene at once.
Everyone was disoriented by the insane sight.
Kane frowned deeply. His skin had turned quite pale at the sight of Silas, but he forced himself to go to Kiara, who was weeping out of horror. He held her tightly as she dissolved into s obs.
Arthur was angry at the sight of it all. He cursed aloud and commanded one of his soldiers to call the healers. He ordered them to care for Silas at once and launch an investigation into what had commenced in the courtyard.
“We need to determine what has happened here!” he growled at Darwin, who shrank into himself after the harshness of the Alpha’s tone reached his ears. He nodded obediently and then rushed out of the courtyard.
Meanwhile, | tried to make sense of what had happened..
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Everything must have commenced in a short amount of time, otherwise, the night watch soldiers would have come and joined the fight. The two Myriad soldiers, | recognized, were the ones who were tasked with watching over Roxy in turns. | didn’t know their names, but they were respectable men.
So,
PHC
what had occurred here?
Had the sorceress hurt them in an attempt to escape?
HIGH
The sound of sputtering interrupted my thoughts, and I quickly snapped out of my haze and turned to see Silas. A thick, wet cough escaped him, and | crouched down beside him and held his hand.
TU
The Beta’s chest had almost been ripped apart. It was a gruesome sight, one | knew would haunt me for quite some time. There was so much blood everywhere it was a miracle he was still breathing.
The attacker must have been someone with great strength and fighting techniques. They’d managed to kill two elite soldiers and severely injure Silas Moses. Whoever they were, they were strong and ruthless.
Silas coughed again, and | wiped his dark hair away from his sweat-drenched forehead. His golden eyes were distant, and his breaths became fainter and fainter. When | gently squeezed his hand, he locked eyes with me and managed to speak.
“It was the same man I'd fought with the other day,” he explained, his voice strained from the pain of his injuries. “The one sent by Kaleb who wanted to save the sorceress? I’m sorry | didn’t catch him alive, Asher. And I’m sorry | might not be able to help you anymore-”
“Don't say that,” | interrupted him, and | squeezed his hand. “You're going to be alright, Silas. We're going to get you some medical attention. You're going to be just fine.”
Agroup of healers arrived just moments later, and they carefully took Silas away on a stretcher. Once he was gone, Alpha Arthur let out a small growl.
“This is not going to be tolerated,” he said quietly and he shook his head slowly. “I’m going to contact Yurene and demand an explanation. How dare they send an assassin to
land. To my
my
home?”
“It's no use,” Kane replied shortly as he continued to hold Kiara close. “The man wasn’t an assassin. We need to block any messages and pretend the man never snuck in. The sooner Kaleb learns about the deaths that happened here, the sooner he'll send more to finish the job. Besides, what would happen if the sorceress were to find out Kaleb hadn’t given her up after all?”
| nodded as | processed this information. Roxy’s cooperation was more than important.
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64%i
She was the only person who was familiar with Viokwell. We needed her on our side as much as possible if we were going to pull off this mission.
Darwin didn’t seem to agree with this idea.
“Your people have caused too many problems for Sky Pride,” he hissed at us. “Besides, Silas cannot remain here. If the son of Oliver Moses dies here, what would that crazy Beta do-”
“Silas is still the Lord Beta of Wegalla,” | reminded him somewhat harshly with a raised eyebrow. “You are obliged to serve him by the law.”
“Who cares about a law at a time such as this?” Darwin fired back. “We have an entire Pack to consider, Your Majesty. We cannot risk the safety of our Pack members for one
man-
37
“Enough!” Alpha Arthur demanded, and his nostrils flared as his dark eyes darted around the courtyard. “I can lock down the information, but Darwin is correct. We are unable to cure Silas Moses. He cannot remain here in Sky Pride. He shall need to be transferred out of here at once.”
Kane opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Arthur raised a hand in warning.
“Consider the benefit of Sky Pride,” he reminded him firmly. “This is to be your Pack, Kane. You must act on its behalf.”
My stepbrother’s violet eyes darted over to me. | felt the pain in his expression. | didn’t like that they were shoving Silas aside, but what choice did we have? We had to cooperate or this would all fall apart.
“Fine,” | spoke up. “Kane, get in touch with the royal healers immediately and make arrangements to send Silas back to Anemond.”
“| don’t know if that’s a good idea, Asher,” he replied as his eyebrows creased together. “What about Oliver Moses?”
“| don’t see another choice,” | said. “After all, Oliver wouldn’t kill his son. He’s a conniving manipulator, but he’s no murderer. We need to get Silas to safety, no matter what it takes.”
Kane hesitated for a moment and then nodded. He pulled himself away from Kiara and then walked over to where | stood. “Asher, | don’t think you should go to the North,” he advised quietly. “Look at this attacker. Kaleb’s soldiers are ruthless. You could get yourself killed.”
Though | knew he was right, | saw no other option.
Chapter 259
Though Lila couldn’t read my mind, it wasn’t difficult for me to prove that her abilities were real.
At Finnick’s request, | met with the girl when Ms. Benn had dropped her off for a playdate. We waited until the head housekeeper was gone, and once we were certain the coast was clear, we sat down at the table and began an assessment.
Lila seemed hesitant at first, as if she were worried that | wouldn't believe her but after some light coaxing, she managed to relax and agreed to display her powers to me.
She wasn’t able to read my mind at will, but she still displayed some form of clairvoyance. For example, she predicted quietly that Erika was going to go to the counter and turn on the kettle to boil some water. She could even specifically assess which cup she’d use, what tea she'd collect, and the very mannerisms she would display as she prepared the hot drinks.
| stood there in complete shock as all of her predictions were proven correct. It took all of my effort to keep my jaw from dropping. Though | had seen Raven and Ronald perform some impressive acts themselves, | still wasn’t used to displays of magical ability. Sorcery was still such a foreign concept, yet | supposed | would have to get used to it.
Lila quietly explained that she didn’t need to see the person in order to read their minds. She could do it as long as her intended subject was within twenty feet of her. She told me with a small smirk that she used it often to predict when her mother was coming home early and utilized it to ensure she wouldn’t get caught reading books or papers she wasn’t meant to read. Unfortunately, there were also some deficiencies in her abilities.
First of all, she couldn’t multi-task. If there were two or more people within her twenty- foot radius, she couldn’t read their minds at the same time and if there were too many people in a small space, she could barely use it at all.
Second of all, her ability depended largely on the clarity of people’s ideas. She explained that what she could read was not the idea itself, but a picture- a visualized idea. That meant if the idea hadn't been visualized properly, Lila couldn’t pick up on it clearly. That was why she couldn’t always determine what Ms. Benn was thinking about. She often read some fragments of pictures that didn’t form a cohesive thought and couldn’t compose the meanings.
It made complete sense to me. After all, Lila was still such a young girl. Her mind-
10:33 Wed, 28 Feb GG.
reading ability likely hadn't fully blossomed yet. | theorized that given more time and practice, she could really be a formidable force.
Lila told me that she had been careful enough not to let Ms. Benn notice what her ability truly was. Ms. Benn had always known that she was capable of something, but she wasn’t certain what it was.
However, lately, she began to put things together and questioned if Lila was clairvoyant.
“That’s why | have to escape,” she whispered to me with a stressed expression on her little face. “I have to get away from her.” | could sense that her relationship with Ms. Benn was complicated. At certain times, she seemed quite spiteful and expressed hatred toward her. Lila called her an evil woman who must have stolen her from her parents in order to manipulate her for some benefit. Yet at other points... she seemed upset. The poor girl seemed greatly attached to Ms. Benn, who despite everything, had raised her for all of these years and was her mother.
However, Lila’s determination to escape never wavered.
“| know you're planning to escape,” she said boldly, and she lifted her chin slightly. “Finnic told me that you’ve been studying some sort of map every night.”
| was a little taken aback by her statement. | hadn’t known that Finnick had noticed the map at all and was surprised he had even spoken to Lila about it. But at the same time, it was true what they said about adults underestimating their children. Kids noticed everything and Finnick was a smart boy.
Before | could come up with a response, Lila leaned forward in her seat and spoke again, much softer than earlier.
“| won't tell anyone,” she assured me gently. “If you agree to take me with you.”
| offered her a regretful expression. “I’m sorry, honey. | can’t do that. Besides, the escape isn’t for me.”
Lila pouted for a moment and then studied my face, as if she were trying to figure out if | was lying or not. Then, her lips parted. “| see,” she remarked, and then her face brightened. “I know the truth now! Is it Lady Helene who wants to escape?”
| felt heat spread to my cheeks, but I did all | could to maintain composure.
“What makes you say that?” | uttered as | felt my palms grow sweaty. | tucked my hands beneath me and tried to stay calm. 64%
Lila smirked proudly. “If | wanted, Miss Cassandra, | could know everything. I’ve read my mother’s mind and saw her speaking with you. I’ve also seen her sneaking around Lord Ronald’s residence. | know something is going on.”
The little girl was indeed quite smart.
| knew that given Lila’s clairvoyance, | couldn’t deny it.
“Ultimately, it doesn’t matter,” | lamented. “Since | can’t meet with Lady Helene anymore, there’s nothing | can do now. Any plans we may have made... | can’t follow through on them with her. Things have grown complicated. I’m sorry, Lila.”
Lila frowned and then her expression brightened again.
“| could use my ability to help you find out what happened to Lady Helene,” she suggested. “But only if you talk with her and ask her to take me with her.”
“How would you be able to help?” | wondered as | tried to understand.
She considered this for a moment and then spoke up. “I could let my mother take me near Lord Ronald’s residence. I'll find an excuse to get over there. If I’m close enough, | might be able to find out what’s going on. I’m smarter than my mom, so you won't need to worry-”
| shook my head. “Lila, that’s too dangerous. You can’t get involved in this-”
Before | could finish my sentence, there was a knock at the door, and Lila and | stiffened up. We fell silent, and when Erika answered the door, Ms. Benn walked into the room.
Lila rose from her seat and ran over to her mother obediently. Ms. Benn patted her head and then asked her daughter to leave the room. Lila did so without hesitation, and once the girl was gone, the housekeeper approached me.
“| have the guest list, Miss Cassandra,” Ms. Benn revealed quietly, and then she reached into her pocket and retrieved a bit of paper. After she passed to over to me, she glanced at the door. “Did Lila cause any problems for you?”
| shook my head and smiled. “Of course not. She was polite as usual.”
Ms. Benn nodded.
“Thank you for this,” | said as | gestured at the paper.
She nodded again, and then silently left the room. Once the door was closed, | opened the piece of paper and scanned it.
It was a long list with various Pack names, most of which I’d never heard of. However, |
recognized a few Packs from Wegalla. | was hoping to find Wild Crawler or some of the other Packs I'd visited with my father when | was a child, but | had no such luck. The only one that stood out was Sky Pride, and it wasn’t for good reasons.
All | could remember about Sky Pride was their arrogant Alpha, who had received my father rather poorly when he went there for inspection. Apparently, the whole Pack had been quite standoffish.
Nevertheless, | made sure to memorize and note the Wegallan Packs. Perhaps one of them would be of use to me when they arrived at the castle.
Chapter 260
The information that Ms. Benn had told me about Lady Helene seemed to spread through the castle like wildfire. The stories from the maids traveled fast, and servants began to gossip and wonder if Helene had died. These rumors spiraled on and turned absurd by the time it was three days before the wedding. People suggested they were going to see a monster at the altar because surely, that was what Helene had turned into.
So, when Ronald announced that he and his fiancee were holding a party at his residence two days before the wedding night, everyone was surprised.
Before | had received my invitation that day, | was summoned by Kaleb and taken to the same meeting room we’d spoken in before. When Ms. Benn quietly escorted me from my chamber and dropped me off in the corridor, | heard whispers about Lady Helene and did my best to drown them out. | didn’t want to pay these awful stories any mind, especially if something really had happened to my friend. Lila had yet to disclose any information to me, so | was completely in the dark about the situation. When | walked into the meeting room, Kaleb was seated at the table. His dark blue eyes were distant, as if he had much weighing on his mind. It wasn’t until | took a seat that he finally glanced up at me.
“Cassandra,” he greeted me emotionlessly. “Welcome.”
“Your Majesty,” | said back politely.
He sighed and ran a hand through his golden brown hair. “While | appreciate the niceties, there’s no need for the stiffness, Cassandra.”
| wasn’t sure how to respond, so | simply nodded. The king of Yurene seemed satisfied by that and continued on.
“| suppose you want to know why you're here,” he mused. “I wanted to ask you some questions regarding Emmett-”
“I've told you all that | know,” | interrupted him, and then | softened my tone and forced a calm expression. “As I’ve mentioned before, | don’t know anything special about him, nor have | remembered any new details from the past. I've told you everything.” Kaleb exhaled heavily and began to rub his temples. There was a restlessness about him and from the dark circles beneath his reddened eyes, | had the feeling it had been going on for days. He seemed on edge, more so than usual.
Something was bothering the Northern king.
10:21
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But what?
As he massaged his temples, he closed his eyes and | wasn’t sure what to do or say. | needed a distraction, something to shift the focus to rather than Emmett.
“How are Raven and Roxy?” | wondered. “I haven’t seen them in quite some time.
Kaleb suddenly opened his eyes at the mention of Roxy’s name in particular, and his deep navy irises bore into mine with intensity. My heart beat swiftly in my chest as | worried that | may have said the wrong thing.
But just as quickly as he reacted, he softened his gaze and sat back in his chair.
“Roxy is on a mission,” he noted nonchalantly.
It was immediately obvious that Kaleb was stressed about something. Perhaps this so- called mission that Raven’s intense and angry twin sister was on? Though he was trying to maintain a certain coolness, | saw right past him.
He was hiding something.
Kaleb shifted slightly, and as he turned away from me, | noticed the pallor of his skin. He looked much paler than usual like he was feeling ill. If his mannerisms were any indication, he likely wasn’t sleeping well, which would only make things worse.
For the first time, Kaleb appeared weak.
| had an impulse to take advantage of the situation and ask him about the things that had bothered me- Raven’s research, the mind-controlling, the impending fight against Wegalla. Part of me was almost deluded enough to think if | asked, Kaleb might communicate with me openly and in the process, reveal something about himself. Perhaps a weakness | could make note of or some vulnerable bit of information | could keep in mind for the future.
But no matter how much | wanted to try, | said nothing.
| couldn't risk making things worse for myself, or for Finnick or Erika. While we were all trapped here in Yurene, | couldn't act rashly or on impulse. | had to be smart in case something backfired.
So, | remained quiet.
However, the moment | committed to silence, Kaleb turned back to face me and spoke softly.
“After Ronald’s wedding, we can consider our own thing,” he offered vaguely. “Our wedding.”
THE
The heaviness in my heart
grew.
Kaleb was unable to communicate, wasn’t he?
| wasn’t sure what to say, so | forced a small smile and nodded.
The king of Yurene reached out to me as if he wanted to hold my hand. It was a strange gesture, and while | knew that in his current state, it was a meaningless thing, | avoided his touch.
“Finnick is expecting me,” | said awkwardly, and | glanced at the door. “I promised to play chess with him today.”
Kaleb’s hand lingered halfway between us and then he nodded and pulled it back.
“Of course,” he said quietly, and then he gestured forward. “You're free to go, Cassandra.”
Later that day, a maid arrived at my chamber to take me to Ronald’s residence. She was a middle-aged woman I'd never seen before and she wore a pleasant smile. She introduced herself as Helene’s maid and mentioned that her mistress looked forward to
seeing me.
After | said goodbye to Erika and Finnick, | agreed to go with her, and as we walked to Ronald’s residence, | studied the maid closely. She was acting normal, much to my surprise, and | realized that the information Ms. Benn had given me was true. Helene’s former maid was truly gone.
But was it really a suicide?
| felt both agitated and worried. | didn’t understand why Ronald had decided to throw this party. If he wanted to show everyone that Helene was fine, he could have done so in two days at the wedding.
| wished | could find a way to talk with Helene privately and figure out what was happening.
When we arrived, | was taken aback at the sight. The first floor of Ronald’s residence had been decorated with multi-colored fragrant flowers and gauze. It was lush and dreamy, not to mention the perfect backdrop for an allegedly romantic event.
As | glanced around, | realized | was quite early. There weren’t many guests in the room yet, just a few here and there. Helene and Ronald were speaking with a dark-haired woman on the opposite side of the room. Helene was smiling elegantly, and even from my vantage point, | could see
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10:21 Thu, 29 Feb GG.
her cheeks were flushed a deep rose color. Her light brown eyes twinkled, and she looked radiant in a pale cream-colored dress. She didn’t seem ill or depressed at all.
However, the longer | stared at her face, the more worried | grew. | had a weird feeling that | couldn’t explain. Something was amiss.
As | walked closer, | realized the person the couple was talking to was Raven. The sorceress was dressed in a simple black dress, and when | approached, the conversation ended, and she offered me a smile.
“Hello, Cassandra,” she greeted me warmly, and after she gave me a quick hug, she turned and left to mingle with another guest. | was a little taken aback by the interaction but forced myself to remain collected as | turned to see Ronald.
The king’s cousin smiled. “Cassandra, how lovely it is to see you.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” | said as he and Helene fixed their gazes upon me, and I gave them a kind smile of my own.
“It's a shame Kaleb isn’t able to attend tonight,” Ronald remarked as his soft blue eyes trailed over me. “He would be stunned by your beauty tonight.”
Heat spread to my cheeks. | had taken the time to brush out my waist-length hair and wore a pale blue dress, but it wasn’t anything extraordinary. His flattery was nice. enough, but | didn’t trust it.
“Helene is the one whose beauty is a sight to behold,” | complimented his fiancee. “She’s so radiant that no one else matters.” “Indeed she is,” Ronald agreed, and he kissed Helene’s hand. “She’s the prettiest lady in my eyes.
Helene blushed. “Cassandra, you are too kind, as well as modest. You are very lovely as well.”
While her words were kind, there was something strange in her tone and expression. She seemed off and spoke to me like | was just a friend of Ronald’s she wasn’t familiar with at all. There was no depth in her voice or gaze.
While | was unnerved, | continued to speak with them, and after we chatted a little, Helene mentioned that she needed to use the ladies’ room. | picked up on the opportunity immediately and offered to escort her there.
Thankfully, Ronald didn’t object and nodded with a fond smile.