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Three minutes later, Aria glides into my office with practiced elegance. She curtsies deeply, the gesture precise and formal.

“Griffin,” she says, her voice honey sweet. “I’m so pleased you could see me on such short notice.”

“Aria.” I acknowledge her with a nod. “I understand you’ve recovered from your illness.”

She straightens, a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes curving her lips. “Yes, fully recovered, thanks to the antidote. The healers tell me I was quite fortunate. Others weren’t so lucky.”

“Indeed. Why are you here?”

Aria settles into an armchair with fluid grace. “The elders are growing concerned, Your Majesty. There have been...rumors circulating about your intentions regarding this upcoming mating ceremony. It is said that you have not yet declared the name of the woman to whom you will be mated.”

I stare at her, astounded. After our last exchange, does she truly believe I will choose her? Especially when it is common knowledge now that Maya is my fated mate and that she is residing within the palace, in my personal chambers?

I sit behind my desk, keeping my expression neutral. “I don’t see what that has to do with your visit.”

“You have someone in mind,” she says, watching me carefully. “The elders believe you should choose a mate of noble birth. One who understands our ways, our traditions.” She leans forward slightly. “The elders feel strongly that such a choice would stabilize the kingdom at a time when strength and unity are paramount.”

“The elders are overstepping,” I say mildly. “The choice of mate is mine alone to make.”

“Of course,” Aria agrees smoothly. “But surely you understand their concern. A king’s mate isn’t merely a personal choice. She becomes queen, with all the responsibilities that entails. The noble families have been preparing their daughters for such roles since birth.”

“As they have made abundantly clear,” I reply, remembering the parade of eligible noblewomen presented to me over a decade ago, before my captivity. “But I’m afraid they’ll be disappointed. I already have a mate.”

Aria’s smile freezes. “I beg your pardon?”

“I said,” I repeat calmly, “I already have a mate.”

The door connecting my office to the adjacent study opens, and Maya steps through. She carries herself with a quiet dignity that outshines Aria’s carefully constructed elegance. Or maybe I’m just biased.

Aria’s head whips around, her eyes widening as she recognizes Maya. She rises from her chair so quickly it nearly topples backward. “Her?” she hisses, turning back to me with disbelief etched across her features. “The human scientist? This is whom you’ve chosen?”

Maya approaches calmly, coming to stand beside my chair. Her hand rests lightly on my shoulder, a gesture both possessive and reassuring.

“This human scientist,” I say, my voice hardening slightly, “is the one who just saved all three kingdoms. If anyone deserves to be queen, it is Maya. And I don’t understand why you’re surprised, Aria. You knew Maya was my fated mate. Did you really think I’d choose someone else when the woman the Goddess chose is before me?”

Aria’s face contorts with fury. “This is unacceptable! She’s not one of us. She doesn’t understand our ways, our history. The noble families will never accept this!”

“They will,” I say with quiet certainty, “because they have no choice. The bond is already formed, the mark already given.”

“She’s human,” Aria spits, as if the word itself is dirty. “Fragile. Weak. How long do you think your precious queen will last?”

I feel my control slipping, my wolf stirring at the insults and veiled threat to my mate. “Is that why you had people set fire to her cottage?” I ask, my voice dangerously low. “Because you thought Maya would burn alive inside?”

Aria’s expression flickers, guilt and fear darting across her face before she masks them with indignation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I open the top drawer of my desk and withdraw a thin file—the same one Erik delivered to me the last time Leanna and Cedric were here. I throw it onto the desk between us, and papers spill out across the polished surface.

“I know everything,” I say coldly. “Every detail, every accomplice. Your father was given a choice: save you or save himself. He chose himself. He won’t be protecting you anymore.”

Aria’s face drains of color, but fury quickly replaces fear. “You can’t possibly believe these lies! I would never—”

“Spare me,” I cut her off. “The evidence is irrefutable. You arranged for the fire that killed Helen Sorin. You assumed Maya would be asleep inside, as well.”

“You have no proof,” Aria insists, though her voice wavers.

I push one particular document toward her: a signed confession from one of the guards she bribed. “I have more than enough.”

Aria’s composure cracks completely. “I deserve to be by your side!” she shouts, her carefully cultivated poise evaporating. “Not her! I’ve done everything right! Everything I was supposedto do! My bloodline is pure, my position secure. You were going to marry me before you disappeared—we both know it!”