Mabel glared at her husband, King Raidan, who held a wedding invitation delicately between his fingers.
"Look, darling," Raidan said, unable to hide the joy in his voice. "Gabriel sent us the first wedding card. Isn’t that wonderful?"
Mabel’s expression darkened, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Wonderful?" she scoffed. "There’s nothing wonderful about it. I will never accept Alie as the daughter-in-law of this family."
Raidan’s smile faded as he exhaled heavily, his shoulders sagging. "Mabel, please. You’re only hurting yourself, and Gabriel. I’ve told you before, you shouldn’t place your trust in baseless fears. We have no proof of what the late high priestess said."
Mabel crossed her arms tightly. "And yet we believe in the Moon Goddess without ever seeing her," she snapped back. "Believe what you want, Raidan. Attend their wedding if you wish, but I will not be a part of it." Without waiting for a reply, she rose from the couch and left the room.
Left alone, Raidan stared at the invitation in his hand, a deep frown etching his face. "This isn’t right," he muttered under his breath.
At that mont, Butler Lester stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty, if I may," he began cautiously. "Perhaps you should consider seeking the help of a witch. I understand you have always been wary of superstitions, but... Her Majesty has been consud by the sa fear for years. Consulting a witch might offer reassurance. If a witch confirms that these worries are unfounded, it may finally soothe the Queen’s heart."
Raidan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It’s not a bad suggestion," he admitted. His mind drifted back to the day Gabriel was born, the day a powerful witch, the High Priestess herself, had delivered a prophecy. It was that prophecy Mabel had clung to ever since.
"But would Mabel even believe the words of a witch I bring?" Raidan asked, more to himself than to Lester. "It won’t be easy to change her mind after all these years."
Lester gave a silent, understanding nod and retreated, leaving Raidan alone with his troubled thoughts.
~~~~
"Alie, I have a friend here who personally invited for lunch," Katelyn said warmly, gently taking both of Alie’s hands in hers. "I’d love for you to co with ."
Alie glanced over at Gabriel, who was busy scrolling through his phone, unsure if she should agree.
Noticing her hesitation, Katelyn smiled and reassured her, "Gabriel isn’t going to stop you from going out."
Then, walking over to her brother, she tapped his shoulder and cleared her throat to get his attention.
Gabriel looked up, first at Katelyn, then at Alie, before putting his phone down.
"I’m taking Alie out with ," Katelyn inford him. "My friend invited for lunch, and I think it would be nice if Alie joined us. Please don’t refuse," she added in a gentle, almost pleading tone.
Gabriel’s eyes softened as he turned to Alie.
"You should go," he said simply. "Denzel will accompany you both," he added firmly, ensuring their safety.
Katelyn bead. "Perfect. Alie, I’ll see you later. Make sure you dress up nicely," she said, giving her an excited wink before leaving the dining hall.
As Alie and Gabriel walked out together, she glanced sideways at him. "Honestly, I thought you would say you wanted to stay here," she said with a small smile.
Gabriel chuckled under his breath. "I do want you here," he admitted. "But I also want you to et a few of the won around here. Katelyn has so good friends, it’ll be good for you. Just make sure don’t go alone anywhere."
"Hmm. By the way, I have sothing to tell you," Alie said, her tone growing a bit more serious.
"Go ahead," Gabriel encouraged.
"Prince Casaio... he’s not in a good state," Alie said carefully. "I think you should talk to him, Gabriel."
Gabriel sighed. "Albus told this morning. The servants cleaned his room and found a lot of... concerning things," he replied. "He rejected Zilia. He’s probably struggling with the betrayal. If I approach him now, I’ll only make it worse. Sotis it’s better to give soone space."
"Wait, what happened between them?" Alie asked in confusion. As far as she knew they both had been with each other for a long ti.
Suddenly, a sharp sll hit her nose, making her stomach churn violently.
She instinctively covered her mouth and nose, her eyes searching for the source. A servant nearby was sprinkling a strong-slling cleanser over the furniture, what might have been faint to others felt overpowering to her heightened senses.
Feeling the nausea rise rapidly, Alie turned on her heel, heading toward the staircase to escape. Gabriel noticed imdiately that she was no longer beside him.
"Alie?" he called out, his voice laced with concern as he hurried after her.
Seeing her hunched slightly, still covering her mouth, he quickly closed the distance between them and gently guided her upstairs.
After throwing up, Alie returned to the bedroom, dabbing a cool towel across her mouth. Gabriel was right beside her, one hand tenderly stroking her back in slow, comforting circles.
"I’m calling Skye," Gabriel said, already reaching for his phone.
"No, Gabriel," Alie stopped him, her voice still a little hoarse. "It’s normal in pregnancy."
Gabriel frowned, clearly unconvinced. "Are you sure? You threw up... I don’t think that’s fine," he said while panicking.
"It’s normal. Skye told this before," Alie said with a small smile, trying to reassure him. "I’m not sick, Gabriel. So, don’t worry."
Gabriel, however, didn’t look convinced. "I’m still going to talk to Skye. I need to make sure everything stays fine. You and Noa have to stay safe until the delivery," he insisted, already dialing Skye’s number.
As the call connected, he pressed the phone to his ear, pacing slightly as he waited. After a few rings, Skye finally picked up.
"Gabriel, why are you calling ?" she mumbled.
"Were you sleeping?" Gabriel asked.
"I was," Skye said, letting out a sleepy stretch on the other end.
"Alie threw up," Gabriel said imdiately, the worry clear in his voice. "There’s nothing serious to worry about, right?"
"It’s normal in pregnancy. Don’t fret too much," Skye assured him casually.
"Okay... but what can we do to ease the nausea?"
"You can’t do much," Skye replied. "Just make sure Alie avoids strong scents. That’s the best thing for now."
"Hmm. Got it. Thanks, Skye. You can go back to sleep," Gabriel said, ending the call quickly.
On the other side, Skye chuckled to herself as she tossed her phone back onto the bed. "Seriously?" she muttered with a sleepy smile, pulling the duvet back over herself and snuggling in to continue her interrupted nap.
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