Lirael sighed, leaning back as she processed the information. "I see," she said after a long pause. "We'll have to tread carefully. The last thing we need is another enemy, but at the sa ti, we can't afford to trust anyone blindly."
Shona nodded in agreent, though her insides churned with guilt. She was already betraying Lirael by hiding the truth—that she was now a slave bound to Aiden's will, forced to act as his mole. Every word she spoke felt like another step down a path she could never return from.
But what choice did she have?
As Lirael stood and dismissed her, Shona couldn't help but steal one last glance at the princess. There was still a flicker of warmth in her eyes, a faint glimr of the bond they had once shared. But that bond was fragile now, teetering on the edge of breaking completely.
And when it did, Shona feared there would be no saving either of them.
"What do you think Aiden wants?" Lirael asked, her gaze sharp as it pierced through Shona. Though she already knew the answer—it was her. Aiden wanted her. But this question was a test for Shona, a way to gauge her loyalty and see if she would speak the truth.
Shona hesitated for a mont, feeling the weight of the question pressing down on her. She couldn't afford to lie too obviously, but revealing too much could also endanger her. Finally, she answered, her voice soft but steady. "He wants you," she said. "He wants to marry you. He doesn't care about anything else...
you're all he wants."
Lirael's eyes narrowed slightly as she processed the response, then she looked away, her expression unreadable. After a mont of silence, she spoke again, her tone cold and distant. "You said it's an all-won organization, yet Aiden is its leader."
Shona's heart raced. Lirael was testing her again, pushing to see if she'd slip up. "Didn't you ask him? It doesn't sound convincing, does it?" Lirael added, her voice laced with suspicion. "He surrounds himself with won, yet he claims he's only interested in ."
Shona swallowed, her throat dry. "The won... they were saved by him," she said, trying to sound as calm as possible. "Most of them were captives of bandits or slaves. They follow him out of gratitude. He's their protector, not...
not just a leader."
Lirael's eyes softened ever so slightly, but the tension between them remained thick in the air. She didn't fully trust Shona, and Shona knew that. But for now, her answer seed to have been enough to keep Lirael from probing further.
"And you trust him?" Lirael asked coldly, her voice carrying a heavy skepticism. "Didn't you try to find out if the other won are being controlled?" She watched Shona carefully, seeking any hint of deception.
Shona shook her head, feeling the tension rise as she prepared her response. "I asked him that," she began, "and he said if he has so many won, why would he want ... or rather, you? He told to go and ask you yourself."
Lirael raised an eyebrow but said nothing, so Shona continued, sensing she needed to justify herself further. "I then asked all the other won why they follow him," Shona explained. "Their answers were similar. They said he's their savior, that they have no place else to go. Aiden created an organization for won like them, a place where they can feel safe and have a purpose.
None of them are slaves or controlled."
Lirael remained silent, processing Shona's words. But the cold look in her eyes hinted that she wasn't fully convinced, not yet. The princess was wary—too much was at stake for her to take anything at face value, especially when it ca to Aiden.
Lirael stood quietly, her gaze distant as she processed Shona's words. The tension in the room was palpable, and despite the calm deanor she tried to project, there was an underlying sense of unease.
"You think this is genuine?" Lirael finally asked, her voice softer but still carrying an edge. "Aiden just wants , and , he's created a haven for lost won? No strings attached?"
Shona hesitated, unsure how much of the truth she could reveal without making things worse. She knew Aiden's true intentions, but sharing them would only deepen Lirael's mistrust. So she chose her words carefully. "It's not just about you," she said. "He wants sothing bigger, but he sees you as a key part of it. As for the other won, they seem genuinely loyal to him.
No one spoke of coercion or control."
Lirael sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration. "It's too perfect," she muttered, mostly to herself. "He swoops in, saves the helpless, and builds loyalty. But what happens when his plans don't align with theirs anymore? What happens when his goals shift?"
Shona had no answer to that. She knew Aiden was manipulative, but she also believed he had a vision that went beyond simply collecting followers.
"I need to know more," Lirael said, looking back at Shona. "I can't let myself get caught in a web I don't fully understand. I need you to keep your eyes open. Don't let him manipulate you any further. We need to figure out his real endga."
Shona nodded, though a sense of guilt weighed heavily on her. She was already tied to Aiden, bound to him in ways Lirael couldn't even begin to imagine. Yet she had to maintain her role, had to keep Lirael from realizing the truth.
"Of course, Your Highness," Shona said softly. "I'll keep watch."
Lirael nodded, her expression still guarded. "Good. We'll play along for now, but I won't let him use without knowing what I'm walking into."
Shona nodded as she stood up " I should get going or least those pigs try to harm my mother"
Lirael nodded as Shona left, as she left Lirael eyes shifted as she thought ' She was telling the truth'
'But...Aiden might have known it wasn't ' She rembered how Aiden knew it was her that day despite her wearing a disguise mask.
"Aiden, you made one mistake there" She chuckled to herself as she thought of it.
"But indeed you could help getting rid of those Ministers and then what stopping from killing you?" she thought as she mumbled " betrayal, Its an ga many can play"
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