Chapter 117
Rowan's chambers were warm, lit by the soft glow of candlelight. My things had already been moved in, yet it still felt strange standing here, in his space, knowing that it was now ours.
Rowan was seated by the fireplace, unlacing his boots, when I took a deep breath and stepped closer.
"There's something I need to tell you," I said quietly.
His sharp golden eyes flicked up to meet mine. He must have noticed the tension in my voice because he immediately sat up, fully alert. "What is it?"
I exhaled, steadying myself. "It's about Lilian, the girl that was supposed to be your bride."
Rowan's expression darkened. "What about her?"
I swallowed. "She's a spy."
Silence stretched between us.
Rowan didn't move, didn't even blink.
Then, in a dangerously low voice, he asked, "For who?"
I hesitated, then said, "Braam."
Rowan's entire body went rigid. He clenched his jaw, his hand tightening around the armrest of his chair.
"Are you certain?" he asked, his voice controlled but lethal.
"Yes." I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "She was planted here, just like me. I don't know the full extent of her mission, but she's been gathering information and sending it back to Braam. I don't know for how long, but clearly she was planted well for her to have been an option for you as a new bride."
Rowan let out a slow breath, his jaw ticking as he processed my words.
"Does she know that you know?"
"Yes," I admitted. "Kaelin does too. I confronted her about it. They never even told me about her. They didn't trust me enough to tell me there was another spy."
At that, Rowan's eyes snapped to mine. "Kaelin?"
I nodded. "That woman you once saw me with the night you found out. She came to see me tonight. She cornered me on the terrace, demanding to know if I was really pregnant and if I had truly turned my back on Braam."
Rowan stood abruptly, his golden gaze burning into me. "And what did you tell her?"
"That I have truly turned my back on Braam." I met his eyes firmly. "That I don't want revenge anymore. That I just want a life with you and our child. That is all."
Something flickered in his expression, something warm, but it was quickly overshadowed by the storm brewing behind his eyes.
"What did she say?"
I exhaled. "She threatened to expose me."
Rowan's face darkened further, his hands balling into fists.
"But I threatened her back," I continued. "I told her that if she exposed me, I'd expose Lilian and everything else I know about Braam's spies here in Zaire."
Rowan's lips curled into a smirk. "That's my girl."
I rolled my eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at my lips. "She backed down... for now. But she gave me three days to change my mind. She sounded convinced that I would. It makes me fearful that she may be planning something."
His smirk vanished. "Three days?"
I nodded. "She'll try again, Rowan. And if she fails... Braam will retaliate." I hesitated before adding, "They won't take this lightly. They will fight back. They might expose me, as a fraud."
Rowan was silent for a moment, his jaw tightening as he mulled over my words. Then, he exhaled sharply.
"Let them," he said simply. "We'll be ready. Won't we?"
I frowned. "You say that, but Braam is not an enemy to take lightly. I lived with them for eight months. They're a large and ruthless empire. They don't fight fair."
"I don't fight fair either." His voice was low, unwavering. "They can try, but I will protect you. I will protect our child. I won't lose you again. Ever."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It's not just about me anymore, Rowan. If they think they've lost me for good, they'll find a new way to strike."
His eyes darkened. "Then we need to strike first. Teach them that you are not to be messed with."
I swallowed. "Which brings me back to Lilian. What do we do about her? We can't let a Braamin spy be roaming free."
Rowan exhaled, pacing slightly before turning back to me. "We expose her."
My stomach twisted. "Rowan—"
He held up a hand. "If we don't, Braam will think we're weak. We need to send a message that spies will not be tolerated in my kingdom."
I bit my lip. "And I suspect that's exactly what they want—a reason to retaliate even harder. We'd be playing right into their hands if we do something like that."
Rowan frowned. "Then what do you suggest?"
I hesitated. "We need to be as secretive and as stealthy as they are. If we move openly, they'll counterattack before we even have a plan. We need to use Lilian before we dispose of her."
Rowan arched a brow. "Use her how?"
"Feed her false information," I said. "Let her think she's still in control. Let her think she has valuable information to give them. That way, Braam won't suspect we're onto them. And we can monitor to see whether or not she is feeding them the wrong information."
He considered my words for a long moment, then nodded. "That... is not a bad idea."
I exhaled in relief, but the tension in my chest didn't ease. "Rowan, we're surrounded by enemies. The wolf clans barely trusts me, your family despises me, and now Braam will be coming for me too." I looked him in the eye. "We have to make sure we gain the upper hand before something bad happens. What will happen to me if they figure out that I'm not really from Braam? Or that I am an Otsayak? Or if Lucian decides to take revenge for me humiliating him?@
Rowan's eyes flashed with something primal. "Lucian won't dare."
I let out a humorless laugh. "Won't he? You humiliated him, Rowan. You stripped him of his power, took away his marriage, and locked him in the dungeons. You think he'll sit quietly after that?"
Rowan clenched his jaw. "He wouldn't be stupid enough to come after you when you're right next to me. He won't attempt something so reckless. I also intend to have him watched closely, just to be sure he's not planning anything."
I arched a brow. "Well, he's already proven how reckless he can be."
Rowan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So what do you suggest we do about him?"
I hesitated. "It's just like you said, we watch him. Closely. For now we just need to keep him under watch."
Rowan nodded slowly. "I'll handle Lucian." He stepped closer, his hands resting on my waist. "And you... will not worry about anything but yourself and our child. I know you're worried about all our enemies and all but I don't think that's good for the baby. Think about you only. About yourself
I exhaled. "Rowan—"
"No," he cut me off. "You've done enough, Ariadne. You’ve come this far. You've been fighting your whole life. It's my turn now." His fingers gently caressed my stomach. "Let me take control. Let me keep you safe. You and our baby."
My heart twisted at the raw sincerity in his voice.
For the first time in a long time, I let myself believe him.
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