redith.
She froze mid-step. Then slowly, she turned. As soon as she saw it was , she tilted her chin high, her smirk sharp enough to cut.
Behind , I felt Deidra’s quiet presence. I didn’t take my eyes off Wanda when I said, "Wait here."
"Yes, my lady," Deidra replied softly.
I walked forward, closing the space between us, each step deliberate. Wanda’s smirk deepened, as though she had been expecting .
"I received your letter," I said flatly.
Her brows rose a fraction, then she laughed under her breath, tilting her head in mock innocence. "And how can I help you?"
My stomach twisted with disgust at her arrogance, but my face remained smooth, unreadable. "I’ve read your letter, Wanda. But I have one question for you."
"Oh?" She chuckled, smugness dripping from her tone. "Don’t tell you want to ask how I knew about Draven’s unimaginable intentions for you?"
For a mont, I simply stared at her. This woman who had thought herself clever enough to ruin , by trying to use her words to nearly shatter my peace.
Then I exhaled slowly, wondering how I would have almost wasted an entire morning brooding over her poison.
"I’m not interested in how you got your information," I said calmly. "It isn’t important."
The chuckle faded from her lips, her smirk faltering just a little. "Then what is bothering you?"
I stepped closer, closing the gap until my shadow brushed against hers. My voice lowered, sharp and deliberate.
"In your letter, you said everyone was pressuring Draven to marry their daughters because he didn’t have a mate. And the way you wrote it, the way you tried to make feel worthless, as though I was nothing more than his chess piece, told exactly what you thought of . That I was of no importance to him."
Wanda scoffed, rolling her eyes. "So what are you getting at? Make your point straight."
I leaned in slightly, my lips curving in the faintest smile. "I bet you didn’t know... that I am Draven’s mate."
Her face completely drained of all color. Her lips parted, her confidence crumbling. "You are actually Draven’s mate? I thought—" her voice broke, "—I thought Draven lied?"
"Do you still think he would still use as a pawn?" I asked, not letting let her finish.
But not wanting to waste any more ti with her, I let my voice slice cleanly through her disbelief.
"I guess now everyone can stop harassing Draven and trying to force their daughters on him."
Wanda’s eyes darkened, her body stiff with barely contained rage.
I tilted my head, eting her glare with serene finality. "And Wanda... I think you should get help when you return to Stormveil. So sort of ntal assistance. You look like you will be needing it."
Then I paused for a beat, letting the barb sink in. "And be sure to get the help from my Moonstone pack."
Her face twisted, but I didn’t give her the satisfaction of watching gloat. I turned smoothly and walked away with my head held high.
Deidra lowered her head respectfully, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Let’s go," I said simply.
"Yes, my lady," she murmured.
We stepped back into the house and ascended the stairs together, step after steady step.
Satisfaction humd faintly in my chest at the fact that I had dismantled Wanda’s pride in less than five minutes. But beneath it, the unease remained.
Because the truth still lingered like a bitter taste on my tongue. Wanda’s letter was not entirely lies.
Though I had silenced her, I was far from at peace.
As we reached the third floor, I pressed my fingers briefly against my temple. No matter how sharp my words had been, the storm inside wasn’t gone. I still needed to confront Draven.
And when I did, it wouldn’t be with rage or silence. I would face him as his wife and demand the truth.
I wanted to do things the mature way and not risk creating a rift between us.
---
The history book felt heavier than it should in my hands. The words blurred, lines swimming together until they were nothing more than aningless black ink on white paper.
I blinked, then turned another page and realized I hadn’t even absorbed a single sentence of the last ten minutes.
With a sharp groan, I slamd it shut and pressed my palms against the cover. My chest felt tight, my mind a storm that refused to quiet.
No matter how I tried to distract myself, Wanda’s revelation kept clawing back into my head, dripping poison with every mory they touched.
I couldn’t keep sitting here like this—restless, suffocating and spiraling. At least, not until I had looked Draven in the eyes and gotten the truth out of his lips.
I rose from the sofa with a forceful breath. "I’m leaving for breakfast," I announced, startling my maidservants where they stood by the corner.
Azul straightened imdiately, concern flickering in her gaze. "Now, my lady? It is still a little early."
Kira chid in gently, "Yes, about twenty minutes early."
"I know." The words ca out clipped, firr than I intended, but I didn’t take them back. "I can’t sit in this room any longer."
The unease in their eyes was plain, but they bowed their heads. Azul stepped forward without hesitation. "Then I will accompany you."
I gave her a quick nod before heading for the door. My footsteps echoed down the quiet corridors as Azul followed a respectful distance behind.
The dining hall was already alive with the soft bustle of servants setting the table.
Porcelain clinked against polished wood, silver cutlery glinted under the chandeliers, and trays of steaming dishes were carefully arranged down the long spread.
The mont the servants noticed , they froze, surprise flashing in their eyes before they quickly lowered their heads. "Good morning, my lady."
Their voices overlapped in unison.
I forced a smile and inclined my head. "Good morning."
Azul was already pulling a chair out for . I sat down at my usual place, fingers tracing idly over the edge of the linen napkin as my gaze flickered across the empty chairs.
The vast table suddenly looked lonelier than ever. This was the first ti I was appearing at the dinning hall for a al, as the first person.
A sigh slipped past my lips. In my rush, I had completely forgotten about Xamira. Usually, I would peek into her room, take her hand, and bring her down with .
She loved it, and she had started to expect it.
But this morning, my head had been too clouded, too consud with anger and doubt. I hadn’t even thought of her.
My stomach knotted with guilt.
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