Chapter 123

The sky was still dark when I slipped out of bed, moving carefully so I wouldn't wake Rowan. He barely stirred, his arm loosening from around my waist as I sat up and slid off the bed.  

I dressed quickly, pulling on a cloak to shield myself from the morning chill. My heart was pounding for reasons I couldn't quite explain. Maybe it was because I had no idea what I was about to walk into.  

I let a few of the guards follow me, informing them that I was going to the moon goddess temple early, before the crack of dawn for some prayers. They obliged me. After all, I was their queen. 

The temple was quiet when I arrived. The air inside was thick with incense, and faint candlelight flickered along the stone walls. I moved quickly, weaving through the narrow halls until I found the priestess.  

She saw me immediately—and turned the other way.  

"Wait," I called, quickening my pace.  

The priestess  did not stop.  

I caught up to her near the altar, stepping into her path before she could disappear down another corridor. "You can't just run from me. You left so abruptly the other time. You didn’t tell me what was wrong with me. 

The woman sighed, her worried face shadowed in the dim candlelight. "I have nothing more to say to you, Your Majesty."  

"You barely said anything to begin with," I shot back. "You screamed and ran. Now you owe me an explanation for that reaction. I asked you to read my future. You haven’t told me what you saw yet.”

The priestess shook her head. "It is not safe for you here, Your Majesty."  

A chill ran down my spine. "What do you mean?"  

She hesitated, then her gaze flickered downward. Slowly, her fingers reached out, hovering over my belly. When they finally made contact, a sharp gasp escaped her lips, and she yanked her hand away as if burned.  

"The vision," she whispered, pressing a trembling hand to her chest. "The same vision. I can see it again. This time, even more clearer.” 

I swallowed hard. "What did you see?"  

Her gaze met mine, and the fear in her eyes made my stomach twist.  

"War," she murmured. "Your child... your child will die. The moon goddess is warning you. Something is coming, my Queen, and if you wish to prevent it, you must leave this place at once. You must leave the throne."  

My breath hitched. "Leave?"  

The priestess nodded. "This place is no longer safe for you. Stay, and you risk everything. You risk losing your child.” 

My heart clenched.  

I took a step back, shaking my head. "No. There has to be another way. I can’t just leave everything here.” 

The priestess only looked at me with pity.  

I turned on my heel and hurried out of the temple, my thoughts a chaotic mess.  

Death . Suffering.  

The words echoed in my head, threatening to drown me.  

How could it be? 

Everytime it seemed like Rowan and I were close to our happy ending, someone or something somewhere would come and snatch it away. 

___  

I wasn't paying attention as I walked through the castle grounds, lost in my thoughts. That' was why I didn't notice Lucian until I nearly bumped into him.  

"Queen Arin," he greeted, his voice smooth. "You're up early. I wonder, is there something on your mind? I saw you and your guards leave a while ago rather urgently.” 

I forced myself to steady my breathing. "Lucian."  

He tilted his head, studying me. "Take a walk with me, your Majesty. Before you leave.” 

It wasn't a question.  

I hesitated. Every part of me wanted to refuse, to get as far away from him as possible. But if I declined, I wouldn’t be able to learn what he knew. Or what he planned to do.

So I nodded. "Alright."  

We walked side by side through the courtyard, the early morning air crisp around us.  

Lucian was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "I didn't sleep last night."  

I glanced at him. "Why not?"  

He let out a humorless chuckle. "Because I saw something I can't unsee."  

I kept my expression neutral. "And what was that?"  

Lucian stopped walking and turned to face me fully.  

"Your mark," he said. "How long will you keep pretending? You’re an otsayak. A forbidden and vile creature. How did you manage to get this far?” 

I felt my body tense, but I forced my voice to stay calm. "You're mistaken."  

"Don't lie to me," he snapped. "You and I both know what I saw. I confronted Lilian right after that incident and she confirmed my suspicions. She knew about you. She knew about your mark. She said she found out recently.” 

I said nothing.  So Lilian had talked. 

I wondered what was her plan. That was if she even had a plan in the first place. 

It didn’t make sense to me that she would reveal their biggest secret against me in such a clumsy way. 

Unless, unless their plan was to get rid of me using Lucian. 

Lucian exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "I don't understand how you're under the same roof as us. How are you here, living among us, married to my brother? Was it all a lie? Did Braam know that you’re an otsayak? Or did you infiltrate their ranks too? How has no one noticed what you are?"  

I stared at him for a long moment. Then, slowly, I made a decision.  

I would tell him.  

Not everything. But enough.  

"You don't remember, do you?" I said quietly.  

Lucian frowned. "Remember what?"  

"The otsayak your mother condemned to death over a year ago," I said. "The one who was accused of pretending to be Lady Isabelle Carstairs. The one your mother sent to be executed like some animal.” 

Lucian's eyes narrowed.  

"That was me," I continued. "I was the one your mother wanted dead. I was the one she sentenced to death. She probably thought she got rid of me didn’t she?” 

Lucian's entire body went rigid. His breath caught, and I watched as realization dawned on his face.  

"You—"  

"Yes," I interrupted. "I escaped that night. I survived. And now I am here, as someone else."

For a moment, he said nothing.  

Then, all at once, his expression darkened, and he took a step closer. "So you're cosplaying another identity again, then? This is like your third time. Aren’t you tired of these games?” 

I swallowed hard. "Games?! I wouldn’t be in this position if it weren’t for the likes of you in the first place. You wolves—"  

Lucian let out a short, bitter laugh. "I cannot believe this. Someone like you, in my court, I almost married you!” 

He moved so suddenly that I barely had time to react. One second, he was standing in front of me. The next, he was gripping my arm tightly.  

"I was going to marry you disgusting creature," he hissed.  

I jerked my arm back, glaring at him. "Let go of me."  

He didn't.  

"Does my brother  know?" he demanded.  

I hesitated for half a second.  

It was enough.  

Lucian's eyes narrowed. "He does, doesn't he?"  

"No," I lied.  

Lucian studied me, his grip tightening.  

"You're lying. I know how much my brother loved you. How he searched for you for months when he thought you had just disappeared.” he said.  

I forced my expression to remain impassive. "Think what you want."  

Lucian exhaled sharply. Then, after a moment, he released me.  

"Doesn't matter," he muttered. "Because either way, this ends now. I won’t allow you soil my court any longer with your disgusting presence.” 

Dread curled in my stomach. "What do you mean?"  

Lucian smirked. "I mean that I'm going to the council. I'll tell them everything. I'll tell the wolf clans, too. They'll turn against you. Against my foolish brother. They’d call for your execution again and my brother’s. Only this time, you’ll be gone for real, erased from existence like the vermin you are."  

Panic surged through me. "Lucian—"  

"Unless," he interrupted smoothly, "you give me what I want. We can do this the easy way. You can walk away unscathed.” 

My mouth went dry.  

I already knew what he was going to say.  

"What do you want?" I asked anyway.  

Lucian's smirk widened.  

"The throne."