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As I stood there, holding the box of mementos that spoke of a love that had been concealed from us all, I knew that this revelation would change everything. I couldn’t help but wonder if their love had played a role in the events leading up to Cassandra’s tragic fall.

Feeling a mix of anger, hurt, and confusion, I couldn’t find the right words to express my emotions. My heart ached for Lilith, who had been through so much already, and now she would have to bear the weight of this new revelation. But first, I wanted to speak to Luke and tell him that his secret was out. I wanted to demand an explanation before Lilith herself had thechance to do so. I wanted to pound him into nothingness for causing pain to Lilith in any way.

With the weight of the revelation still heavy on my heart, I rushed out of the room, my mind racing with a myriad of emotions. I needed to find Luke, to confront him, to understand why he could do something so terrible. But as I scoured the corridors of the castle, he was nowhere to be found.

“Have you seen Luke?” I asked a passing servant, my voice louder than I meant it to be. But I didn’t care whether the king would see me here or not. The most important thing was finding Luke and demanding an explanation.

The servant shook his head. “I saw him leave the castle grounds this morning. He seemed preoccupied.”

A sinking feeling gnawed at me. Luke had left the castle, but for what reason? The king urged him to stay on. Was Luke trying to avoid something, or someone? Was he afraid that the truth would finally come to surface, as it did?

My mind was flooded with questions. How long had this been going on? Why did he do this behind Lilith’s back? Did he truly love Cassandra or was it something far more sinister, was it just a fleeting affair, something irrelevant to pass the time with?

I rushed out into the garden, continuing my search for Luke. I couldn’t help but feel conflicted. A part of me wanted to rush back to Lilith immediately, but another part wanted to stay on and find out firsthand why Luke did all this. I wanted to keep the truth hidden from Lilith, because I knew that it would cause her even more heartache, after everything she had been through. But I knew that I couldn’t save her from this. She needed to know.

I retraced my steps, thinking of places Luke might have gone. The gardens, the stables, and even the village flashed through my mind. I searched the garden and the stables. He wasn’t there. The village was too far away. I didn’t have enoughtime to go there. I promised Lilith I would return as soon as possible. Riding to the village would have taken another day.

“Adrian!?” I heard the king’s voice, just as I was about to mount my horse and gallop back to the witch’s cottage. I was hoping to return unseen by the king, but that ship had sailed. “What are you doing here? Where is Lilith!?”

I turned to the king, bowing respectfully. “I know this looks bad, Your Highness, but, please, let me explain.”

“You shall explain right now!” he exclaimed, trembling with rage. “Why aren’t you looking after my daughter, making sure that she is safe?”

“She is safe, I assure you,” I urged. “She is with the witch. I had to come back… for something.”

He lifted his eyebrow. “For what?”

I knew that Lilith would probably want to tell her father everything, but I was torn here. I knew that the king demanded the truth of me, and nothing less would suffice. I also knew that I couldn’t come up with a plausible lie on the spot. I didn’t have that skill in me. I had always prided myself on my honesty. This time, it would be my downfall. So, be it.

“I’ll tell you everything,” I said inhaling deeply.

I told him in as few words as I could, explaining that I had returned to search Cassandra’s room for evidence of her secret boyfriend. Then, I revealed who he was.

“Luke!?” the king exclaimed, looking as if he was about to pass out. He pressed his hand to his heart, breathing heavily. “Luke was…” he started, but he couldn’t finish. It was too much.

“It looks so, yes,” I nodded, sorrowful that I had to be the bearer of bad news. “I was about to go back to the witch’s hut and tell Lilith everything. I tried finding Luke before that, to… give him a piece of my mind, but I was told he left early this morning.”

“He did?” the king asked, sounding shocked. “This is my castle, and I have absolutely no idea what goes on inside these walls!”

I couldn’t even imagine how helpless he must have felt at this point, to find out something so heartbreaking.

“Go back to Lilith,” he told me. “Let me take care of Luke. When he comes back, he will have a lot of explaining to do.”

I nodded gratefully, mounting my horse and lifting my hand to wave goodbye. He didn’t respond. I left him with the commotion of his own thoughts, wondering how he would welcome Luke back. I sure as hell didn’t want to be in that man’s place.

My journey back seemed somehow longer than on the way here. It probably had a lot to do with my own thoughts, bearing heavily on my mind. I had no idea how I would tell Lilith all of this. But then, I remembered something. She wouldn’t want to marry someone who betrayed her.

No, no. I spoke to myself silently. I couldn’t take advantage of someone in such a state and tell her that I loved her, when her mind would probably be all over the place. But I could be there for her. I could be the support she needed. I could be her shoulder to cry on. I could be whatever it was she needed at this moment, and maybe, just maybe, we could find our way to each other somehow, through this haze.

Chapter Thirty-One

Lilith

“You know, I’ve met your father a long time ago,” Evangeline surprised me with her words, as we were seated at her wooden table, I was leafing through one of her books and she was separating the dried leaves off of a twig and putting them into a glass jar to her right.

“You have?” I wondered, lifting my gaze from the book and focusing it on her.

“Oh, yes, yes,” she nodded several times, as if in an effort to further convince me of the veracity of this claim. “A long time ago. I’m not sure if he even remembers it.”