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V alda stood at the edge of the stone balcony, her gaze sweeping over the line of soldiers assembled below.

She never thought Edemus of all people would welcome her with open arms, not after what happened in the last hearing. Seeing the Skylian soldiers and a couple of civilians looking up at her with mismatched and battered armor made her chest expand with pride. Perdita had been abused with countless attacks by both Vulcanians and rogue Skylians, and yet, Edemus sided with her, even it meant he would be put to his death by Arwin Yet, the men she sent months ago had held firm in protecting the city.

“These are all the men and women I can offer,” Edemus said. “I know it is not much, Your Highness, but their loyalty runs deeper than any steel I could forge.”

“You got us weapons as well, Edemus. We are more than thankful for your help in trying to get back to Oberon Castle,” Isen said, standing next to Valda.

Valda’s jaw clenched as she appraised the weapons stacked along the edges of the training grounds. There were spears, swords, and daggers.

Valda turned her head just enough to catch Edemus’ expression. The older man looked tired and full of regret. She was more than sure that he was doing all he could to make amends after how he treated her at the last hearing. Maybe he wanted to be on the right side of war.

“I managed to gather supplies as well,” he continued. “Food, water, even medicine, whatever we could spare and scrape together. The people of Perdita know who the rightful ruler is, and we will not bow down to Arwin or any fake queen who might come to us.” Edemus swallowed hard, his trembling hands rubbed against one another. “We’ve lost many, but we will not lose our pride in serving the rightful queen.”

Valda’s eyes flicked to Isen, who kept his hand on the handle of his sword, ready for any order she might give. She shook her head at him, and his stance relaxed.

“You didn’t sound so eager to let me rule in the last hearing.”

“I know. I’ve said things I am not proud of. But I will make this right. Stay. Use Perdita as a sanctuary if you wish. I will put everything at your disposal.”

Valda’s eyes met his, unblinking. She studied the man before her, and albeit scared, he seemed to be speaking the truth. “I could use a respite from all of this,” Valda said, her attention turning once again to Isen. “What do you say, Captain Hurley?”

Isen shrugged, then nodded. “We could all use it...”

***

Valda cursed under her breath as Cerberus leapt onto her lap, distracting her for just a second from the raucous din of the tavern. The screaming laughter and off-key singing had become unbearable.

She had agreed to stay, knowing her presence would reassure those still on the fence about joining her army. Yet now, as the night dragged on, her patience wore thin.

Isen had already mentioned he was retiring for the night, but Valda lingered, nursing the remnants of her ale. Her pitcher was nearly empty, though her desire to endure the impromptu party was completely drained.

Patting Cerberus’s flank, she watched the cat leap gracefully to the floor, her golden eyes flickering up to Valda’s face with a curious tilt of her head. Valda jerked her chin toward the exit, and Cerberus followed her. Leaving a few golden coins on the table next to the empty pitcher, Valda pushed her chair back with a scrape and headed toward the door.

The inn was a couple of houses next to the tavern, and Valda couldn’t wait to go back inside and rest for the night. She hadn’t felt Maris today. Maybe tonight she could see her.

Inside, she greeted the innkeeper with a curt nod before ascending the narrow stairs. Cerberus trailed closely behind, her soft paws barely making a sound.

The moment Valda opened the door to her room, Cerberus padded inside, claiming her usual spot by the crackling fire. The cat stretched luxuriously, extending her front paws before letting her tail flick lazily. Finally, she plopped onto her side with a contented sigh.

“Ready for bed, aren’t you, girl?” Valda asked, peeling off her orange blouse, neatly folding it before placing it at the foot of the bed. Left in her chest wraps and slacks, she ran a hand through her hair, her shoulders loosening with relief.

Cerberus replied with a wide yawn and an adorable trill before pawing at the rug beneath her, making a small nest.

A sudden knock on the door pulled Valda’s attention away from Cerberus.

The cat’s ears perked, and her purring stopped. Valda frowned, her attention shifting from her pet to the door. Maybe it was Isen coming in to give the final report for the night.

Without hesitation, she opened the door.

A woman stood on the other side, leaning casually against the frame. Valda recognized her immediately—a Skylian she had noticed back in the tavern as she was leaving for the inn. Placing a hand on the hilt of the Heaven Sword, Valda tilted her head back to have a better look at her. The way the woman fidgeted suggested she wasn’t entirely there of her own volition.

“Can I help you?” Valda arched a brow.

“Edemus… he sent me,” the woman said.

Valda’s hand released the hilt of her sword, her arms crossing over her chest as she leaned against the doorframe. “What for?”

The woman fidgeted with her fingers before taking a deep breath. “Distraction?” she murmured before hesitantly touching Valda’s forearm.

Valda’s eyes snapped to the spot where the woman had touched her. For a moment, she stood still, allowing the woman to become bolder and take one step closer to her, enough for Valda to smell the faint scent of ale and the stew cooked in the tavern.

It would be so easy to let the woman in, to give in, and feel something real, something physical, not a dream. But even now, as the bond felt weak, and she couldn’t reach Maris, Valda felt… nothing. No spark, no pull, no fire. Her body was silent.

Her lower lip trembled as she reached up, her fingers brushing the place where the woman had touched her, rubbing the sensation away as if to erase it completely.

Oh, how the tables had turned…

Valda’s chest tightened as the realization settled in. She had spent so long wanting to break and ruin Maris for anyone else, to make her crave no one but Valda. But the cruel irony was that it had happened the other way around .

It was Valda who had been ruined; it was Valda who wanted no one else but Maris.

“Leave,” Valda said finally, her voice low and even. She stepped back, her arms dropping to her sides.

The woman blinked, confused. “What— Edemus paid—”

Valda slammed the door before she could finish, leaning heavily against it as she exhaled. Her chest rose and fell, her breaths uneven.

Cerberus padded up to her, brushing against her leg with a soft meow. Closing her eyes, Valda let her head fall against the door with a muted thud. She opened her eyes to look down at her precious pet. Cerberus stared back, golden eyes wide with concern, as if asking if she was okay.

She wasn’t…

“I can’t fucking take this…” Valda whispered, the words breaking into a sob. Pushing off the door, she crossed the room and collapsed onto the bed. Cerberus followed, curling up beside her, her small, warm body pressed close before her purring filled the silence.

Closing her eyes tightly, Valda let the bond guide her into sleep.

It wasn’t long before she was standing in the fog.

The connection was faint and distant, as if something was obstructing it.

Maris...

Something was blocking their connection; something in her body was interrupting them. Shrouded in dense darkness, Valda could barely breathe. Somehow, she found her way through the labyrinth-like shadows. Her hands brushed against unseen walls, guiding her like they had when she was blind.

Her breath quickened when she heard it—a soft sigh, faint but unmistakable.

Maris.

For the briefest moment, Valda smiled before her pace quickened. Maris was close, and she couldn’t wait to see her once more.

The ground beneath her shifted, and she stumbled upon shards of broken glass, crunching underfoot. The jagged remains of a pitcher lay scattered alongside two glasses. She crouched, picking up a piece and holding it to her nose.

The scent hit her immediately.

Alcohol.

Was Maris drunk? Was that why she couldn’t create a connection?

A door shifted open. Its creak pulled Valda’s attention from the broken glass. The door frame was glowing, signaling the way. Pushing the door open and stepping outside into a room that pulsed with faint music. It was hazy, but Valda could make out the square of New Agenor.

And there, amidst the crowd, was Maris.

She was flushed, her cheeks flowing with a sheen of sweat. Her laughter rang out as she spun in the arms of another woman.

Valda’s narrowed her eyes.

Eyphah .

The other woman was focused on Maris’s face, searching for something Valda couldn’t quite pinpoint. Something at the bottom of her stomach turned into a violent knot.

Her throat tightened, her feet carried her closer, the scene sharpening as if the bond between her and Maris struggled to reassert itself. The music in the square grew louder, loud enough to mute the rage beating inside Valda’s head.

Eyphah’s hand brushed against Maris’s waist, lingering too long, her lips close to Maris’s ear as she whispered something that made her laugh again.

Her mate’s arms draped over the other woman’s shoulder and the sickness inside Valda dared to come back.

“ Maris!” Valda screamed, her voice shaking in disbelief. It was as if no one could hear her.

Maris turned, her movements unsteady. She was clearly drunk…

Her eyes, though half-lidded, met Valda’s for a fleeting moment. Valda froze, her breath hitching as the familiar tug of bond coursed through her chest. But then, Maris blinked, and the connection broke. Her head tilted back with another laugh as she let Eyphah spin her once more.

“No,” Valda whispered, her chest tightening with the primal need to grab Eyphah by the throat and bash her head against a wall. She surged forward, her body like a fog going through the dancers. Her jaw clenched as she reached for Maris, but her hand passed through, grasping at nothing but air. She stared at her fingers, incredulous at what was happening.

“Maris! Wake up!” Valda bellowed, her voice raw with frustration.

Eyphah’s form grew sharper, her teasing smile morphing into something smug while her hand slid down Maris’s back.

Valda saw red .

“Stop touching her!” Valda snarled, lunging at her, but her fist passed through Eyphah as if she was made of smoke. Valda stumbled, turning back toward Maris, who was swaying in Eyphah’s arms with a familiarity she knew too well.

“Maris!” Valda shouted, her voice cracking, desperate. But Maris didn’t hear her. Her fingers brushed Eyphah’s cheek, and she leaned closer, her movements unsteady, her lips parting.

“ Darling … You are here, darling? ”

“Yes! I am here, Seashell! It’s me, Valda!”

“ Valda?”

“Gods, Maris, please wake up!”

“ Valda!”

Valda’s eyes flew open, and she sat up with a sharp gasp, her heart hammering against her ribcage.

Her gaze darted to the doorway, where Isen stood, his chest heaving. His face was pale, almost ashen, and his lower lip trembled.

“Isen? What happened—”

“We have to leave. Now!” Isen’s voice cracked as he stepped inside, his movements frantic. “Arwin just ordered a fucking genocide on New Agenor. He knows Maris is there, and everyone will be accused of treason under his new laws!”

Valda froze.

Her worst fear had come true—Arwin had found Maris. It shocked her it had taken him this long, but that thought left her as panic flourished deep.

The sheets tangled around her legs as she threw them off, pushing Cerberus off the bed with a yelp.

“I’m sorry, girl,” Valda muttered, grabbing her orange blouse and pulling it over her head. Her hands moved frantically as she buckled her belt and sword.

“Gather the troops. We ride for New Agenor. Now.”

Isen nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line, and disappeared out the door without another word.

Valda took a moment to steady her breathing, but her heart felt as if it was just about to burst out of her chest. On any other day, she would’ve done anything to control herself and not allow Maris to feel her, but now, she needed her mate to feel her, all of her.

Gods, Maris, please hold on.

“She what?”

Maris groaned as she rubbed her temple. Her head was pounding, her stomach was in knots, and she was seconds away from vomiting.

A h angover.

She never thought she would actually get one in her life. She hated drinking a lot, knowing damn well how people can get when they were drunk.

Melvian offered a remedy, Maris said it was too nasty-smelling to drink it. There were days when Melvian and Maris had breakfast together, talked about new healing methods, and reviewed old ones. Today wasn’t any different, besides the revelation that Eyphah kissed her.

“Melvian, please. I don’t want to be rude, but lower your voice. I swear my head will crack open and rocks will fall out.”

“She kissed you!” Melvian was flabbergasted. “I know that woman is insane, but she knows about you and Valda and—”

“Valda and I are not together…” Saying that sentence alone made Maris’s stomach turn. Even now, as the words came out, she didn’t believe them herself. Last night, she could’ve thought that she saw Valda in the square, dancing and reaching for her. For a split second, she saw a pair of honey-colored eyes staring at her.

But it was the alcohol; Valda wasn’t there, and she just accidentally kissed Eyphah thinking it was Valda…

“Either way! You are mated!” Melvian scrunched up her nose in disgust before barking. “Did she pour the drinks for you?”

Maris opened one eye and stared at her best friend. “What are you suggesting?”

“What in Tartarus do you think?”

“She wouldn’t…” Maris sighed and closed her eyes again before Melvian grabbed the glass of her medicinal mixture and wrapped Maris’s hand around it. “Melvian… this smells horrible.”

“It will help. Drink. I won’t leave until you do. ”

“Gods, you remind me of my mother…” With a grunt, Maris pinched her nostrils shut and swallowed the stinky mixture in two large gulps. Maris set it aside once the glass was empty and shuddered in disgust. “Goodness! What’s in that?”

“I don’t know,” Melvian said with a smile before wrapping one arm around her friend. “You tell me.”

“I can taste ginger and a bit of mint. But also…” She smacked her lips. “Licorice?”

“Wow. You are getting better. You passed your botanical lessons.”

“Melvian…” Maris groaned again, but still accepted the compliment with a pained smirk. “Thanks.”

“Of course! Don’t mention it.” She sighed and sat down near Maris.

Her hand moved to lie lazily over Maris’s forearm. Maris was grateful for the small physical contact. It grounded her. Besides, Melvian being close to giving birth had made her anxious, even more since Isen was not around.

“Now what? Are you going to let her roam free like nothing happened?”

“ Nothing happened , Melvian.”

“If the deed goes unpunished, she will think she just has to get you even more drunk. Holy Asclepius, what if she knocks you out and tries something else?”

“I think you are overreacting with that one.”

“Am I?” Melvian scoffed and squeezed Maris’s forearm. “I never trusted her.”

“She is dealing with some things.”

“Aren’t we all? I am pregnant. My mate is not a mile in sight. You are also dealing with your own things, and you are not going around doing as you please! You are training, learning, getting stronger!”

“Melvian—“

“I don’t want you to get hurt…” Melvian sighed one last time before rubbing her large, round belly and letting out a soft, pained hiss.

“Is everything all right?” Maris asked, her hands flying to touch her swollen stomach, feeling the babies.

“It’s not the babies,” Melvian said, and her hand shifted from her stomach to her chest. She let out a strangled gasp before looking up at Maris. “It’s Isen.”

Maris narrowed her eyes. “What’s wrong with Isen?”

“He is petrified and desperate…” She rubbed her chest again. “Something is not right.”

Maris’s chest tightened, and she frowned at the sharp tug. She touched her chest and stood from her chair, turning her back away from her friend .

“Do you feel something? Is it Valda?”

Maris nodded. “I think it is. Maybe it is just my intuition. But something is not right.”

Melvian pursed her lips and pushed herself away from the table before unlocking the door of House of Arago. “Something is not right at all.”

Maris made it to the door and opened it for Melvian. The settlement was buzzing with activity, as it always was, but Maris couldn’t pinpoint the horrible feeling in her gut.

“Your Highness!”

Maris turned right away. Coral ran to her, her child in her arms, visibly agitated and distraught. Maris placed her hands over her shoulder to calm her, but Coral’s eyes shook with every sob she took. “Calm down. What is it?”

“Beck! I— I think something happened to him!”

“What happened to your mate?”

“I don’t know! I— I… He left for Ophelia two days ago, to gather some provisions we needed for the baby, and he hasn’t come back. I can’t—“ Coral closed her eyes tightly and pressed her wet cheek to her baby’s forehead.

Behind Maris, Melvian looked from the house’s deck, both hands falling on her swollen stomach.

“I can’t feel him— Something happened to him!”

Melvian released a shaky breath before walking down the stairs and grabbing Maris’s elbow. “Maris…”

“I know,” she whispered back to her best friend. “I will send a group of guards to look for him, Coral. Do you know of any place he stayed over at Ophelia?”

“No! He was supposed to come back the same day! I thought he decided to stay for a while. The last thing I felt from him was fear. He was afraid, and he could only think about the baby and me.” Coral looked down at the gorgeous infant with blue locks. “He was also angry, like when you do something you don’t want to.”

“We will find him…” Maris muttered, brushing the back of her knuckles against the young woman’s cheek and sending her off with a promise she might not keep. She pivoted to face Melvian before raising her gaze to the guard by the door. “I want Eyphah Hurley here this instant, and I want guards around the entire settlement on the lookout. I don’t want a single edge of this place unguarded. No one comes in!”

“Yes, Your Highness!” The guard bowed low and ran to perform her orders.

“Maris! What are you thinking?” Melvian asked, following her friend as best as she could as she made her way back into the cottage .

Once inside, Maris picked up her trident from beside the door and clenched it. Its weight wasn’t a problem now, but the idea of having to use it sent a chill down her spine.

In the beginning, when she realized she was the heir to the throne, the idea of ruling with an iron fist, of spilling blood, never crossed her mind. But if her suspicions were true, there would be bloodshed sooner than she thought.

“I think Arwin’s men were waiting for one of us to head to Ophelia. I think they captured Coral’s mate for interrogation. Of course, they didn’t have the audacity to come back here since they kept finding nothing…” She rubbed her thumb over the cold metal of the trident. “I think they tortured him until he told the truth, and they killed him.” Tightening her jaw, she looked at her best friend. Her brow furrowed and her grip tightened. “I think we have been discovered.”