– I had to step out. – I said calmly, trying to control the pounding in my chest. What reason could I possibly give for leaving in the middle of the night? Perhaps it was better to be partially honest. I turned my gaze to the albino; he remained calm even in the face of my husband's impatience.
– If you follow the passage, you'll reach a bookshop in the city. I thought I might find something there—books that could help unravel the mystery surrounding your accident.
It wasn't true, but I spoke with conviction, not the slightest tremor to betray my words. I couldn't let the elder suspect anything—not yet.
– You should be tending to your marital duties instead of chasing fantasies. – Yurick rose, imposing and stern, closing the distance between us in a few strides. He grasped my chin with firm fingers, forcing my eyes to meet his intimidating gaze.
– I don't like knowing my spouse is wandering the city at night, digging for answers about something that doesn't exist. Don't you think that raises suspicions, Seyrim? So irrational at times. Is it the pregnancy that makes you cling to the hope that something is wrong with me, when in truth, I'm the same as always?
That question was cruel—cruel enough to make me doubt the depth of his love, as if it had ever been more than fragile. I felt my throat tighten, insecurity flooding me once again. Yurick seemed to realize the effect he had. He let go of my chin abruptly and stepped back.
– Forgive me. It won't happen again, Your Majesty. – I passed him and his silent companion without another word. I walked briskly toward my room, tears already streaming down my cheeks. I needed to act. I couldn't let this stretch on any longer.
Otherwise, I might start believing that everything I had lived was just a well-crafted illusion, that Yurick had only used my feelings in a cruel, corrosive game.
That night, I slept in my old quarters. I could feel how alone I truly was.
Jamal had given me directions—but how was I to follow them? Could I distract them? No, the albino never left Yurick's side. I thought about it nearly all night before succumbing to exhaustion sometime near dawn.
I woke well past noon. I needed that rest. The palace doctor came by, gave me medicine, supplements, and a new list of foods I needed to include in my diet this month.
My child would probably be born in spring—or maybe at the beginning of summer, the longest one in ten years, they said. There might be droughts or other hardships, but if we survived the war, perhaps there'd be a season of abundance.
I rested for the remainder of the day. I couldn't forget that this child wasn't just mine, but a symbol, an integral part of the entire political game—of the supposed love I held for that ungrateful alpha.
– The doctor said you should rest. She told me you haven't been sleeping well. – Yurick entered my room, alone this time.
– Since you returned from your journey, I haven't had a moment without worry. I don't understand why you find it so hard to trust me. – I pressed my hands together gently, trying to steady my nerves.
– I do trust you. You've proven yourself time and again. But admit—it's at the very least suspicious, your wandering around at night through secret passages. – The older man sat beside me on the bed, bringing his hand to my cheek in a soft caress.
– Forgive my behavior these past days. I'm trying to find a way to make Akasia kneel, and your idea... it's the only coherent one, and yet...
– You can't accept it. – I sighed, placing my hand over his, fingers intertwining.
– May I speak to your companion alone? I need to hear what happened from the lips of someone who witnessed it. Maybe then I can rest. Maybe then the stress won't harm our child. – I asked sweetly, trying to convince Yurick I needed at least five minutes with the being. I didn't know what he might do, but it was my only chance.
– After you've rested. Tomorrow, I'll ask him to meet with you in the chambers. But be cautious—remember, the albino saved me. When you speak with him, you'll understand why I'm grateful.
– I'm sure I will.
I let go of his hand and turned away. I truly needed rest after everything.
That day, I ate well—strange and random foods called to me, though I still had to maintain a balanced diet for my child's sake.
The next morning, I went for a walk. I saw Roham and Neopolitan soldiers training together, preparing for the war to come. The cold did not help. I wore thick, heavy clothes. Some Roham soldiers still bared their skin despite the biting wind.
When I returned to my room, I was told Yurick wanted me at the council chamber.
I had prepared herbs that would make the task ahead easier.
I arrived first—no one else had yet entered. I took the tea set and began mixing the herbs.
Would the entity be vulnerable to something stronger than what I gave the alpha the night before?
My heart pounded violently.
So nervous, I didn't hear the door open. I only realized he was beside me when I felt his presence.
Startled, I stepped back.
The alpha stood in the doorway, staring at me for a moment before quietly closing the door behind him.
I sat across from the albino and served him the green liquid, waiting for him to sit. He did—without hesitation, drinking the hot tea with the kind of trust that suggested he believed himself untouchable.
– Tell me how you saved Yurick? – I asked gently.
Though that wasn't the answer I truly sought.
There was something more important dangling from his neck—something precious, something beautiful, something powerful.
The albino only shook his head.
He opened his mouth...
But no sound came out.
"You can't break that. You should just accept that it's lost and move on. This has nothing to do with you, Prince Seyrim of Neopolita."
The words struck directly into my mind.
But the entity began to falter, hand reaching toward the stone.
I drew my dagger, gripping it tightly. I advanced suddenly, clutching the necklace.
"Don't do this."
The voice echoed again—not like Jamal's powers, but more like a mental connection.
Its voice rang strangely, impossible to tell if it was male or female, hovering somewhere in between.
I yanked the chain forcefully, taking advantage of the being's weakness. It fell to the floor, struggling to remain conscious. The tea hadn't worked completely; I had made it strong—stronger than a human could bear—and still, it managed to keep its eyes wide open, locked on me.
I stepped back. There was no time to lose.
I placed the jewel on the raised map, dagger in hand, and struck the red ruby. It cracked—but it wasn't enough. One more blow would shatter it completely.
Then I felt a small hand grab mine.
The vial was still in my pocket.
I turned the dagger toward the albino, slicing its arm and collecting a few drops of blood.
The entity's eyes widened in shock. Its blood shimmered unnaturally—radiant, unnatural.
But I had already done it. I slipped the vial into my pocket and pushed its weakened body back down to the ground.
I turned my attention to the jewel before me.
Just a little more, and everything would return to how it was.
But before the dagger's tip could strike the gemstone, large and powerful hands gripped my wrist with brutal force, making pain explode through my arm.
Yurick threw me to the ground without a shred of gentleness.
— WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? — Yurick roared, holding the jewel tightly in his hand, as though it were a sacred relic.
A knot formed in my throat—I had been so close. Pain rippled through my body. I couldn't afford injuries, and yet, I had fallen hard.
— "Listen to me... okay?" — I slowly sat up, seeing the albino still fighting to stay awake.
— "That jewel—"
— You have no right to speak after what you did. I trusted you. And now you've proven me wrong. —
The alpha wouldn't hear me.
This might be the end of any hope I had.
I couldn't allow that.
— I don't recognize you anymore.
— LISTEN TO ME! — I shouted back, with the same fire in my chest.
— "That being took something important from you and sealed it inside that amulet. It may have saved your life, but it stole every emotion you had for me and trapped it in that jewel."
I could barely breathe as I spoke.
— "That's why I tried to break it. Yurick, please... you know I've never lied to you. You know how long I waited for your return, what I endured to make our people accept you as king. Don't throw it all away for a creature whose origin you don't even know."
"Yurick, your husband was touched by external forces. Your brother was prowling the castle—I could feel his presence surrounding Seyrim."
— "No... that's not true. Jamal can't influence me anymore." — I tried to stand, one hand on the nearby chair.
— Did you meet with my brother last night? — Yurick's eyes weren't just angry. There was something worse—disgust, disbelief.
— "Yes, but—"
The slap silenced me.
I brought my hand to my face instinctively.
The outburst didn't go unnoticed. Soon, some guards and even the general entered the room.
The king snatched the dagger from my hand and pocketed the jewel.
— Arien, arrest the prince. Take him to the North Tower. He'll remain in isolation until further notice. —
His tone was sharp, commanding.
Some guards hesitated. Even Arien seemed unsure of what had just happened.
— "Yurick, just look at how you're behaving. We share a history—you're ignoring it all." —
The general stepped closer, lightly grasping my arm. I pulled away, not gently, but I agreed to go.
I walked with the guards and the general. Some servants watched with curious eyes.
I kept my head high until we reached the tallest tower.
Arien kept the key.
— "Call the physician. I fell hard and I'm worried it might have affected the baby." —
I asked the general, and she nodded.
But she stayed there for a few moments, simply staring at me.
— What did you do? —
I didn't think she'd get involved, especially with her loyalty to Yurick.
— "What I believed was right." —
I lowered my voice.
— "I met with Jamal. He told me the entity accompanying Yurick had taken his emotions and sealed them in the jewel."
— And you believed that? — Arien's voice was filled with disbelief.
— "You know your king has changed. It's clear in the way he's treated me since he returned. I searched for every rational explanation I could. In the end, my only hope was to speak with the one being capable of incomprehensible things."
— "The albino speaks through the mind. Have you ever heard him? No—he speaks directly to Yurick's thoughts. That jewel needs to be destroyed... but now it's too late."
I lowered my head, staring at my feet for a moment.
I felt her hand rest on my shoulder, a gentle pressure.
— I know how fiercely you defended the people... and Yurick. I imagine you didn't act out of selfishness. You wanted to protect what you believed in. —
She sighed.
— But trusting Jamal... that's the deepest betrayal our king could suffer. I don't know how to help you.
I just smiled softly in his direction, watching Arien walk away and lock the door.
There were barred windows, and a huge canopy bed—a noble prison, as they called it.
I sat on the bed.
I could feel the warmth on my cheek, as if the place where he slapped me was burning.
My wrist had been twisted; the pain was excruciating.
The worst was the humiliation.
I blamed Yurick—he no longer gave me his care or consideration. It was over.
I hid the vial of blood under the pillow.
The doctor didn't take long to appear, examining what she could.
The fireplace was lit to warm the cold room.
Finally, I was alone again.
There was no one to talk to, so I decided I could hold a conversation with my son.
I told him fairy tales, spoke about everyday things.
The doctor visited twice a day.
I ate regularly, even without appetite—I didn't want my little one to suffer.
My wrist was bandaged and supported by a splint.
Through the window, I could see the courtyard.
Sometimes I saw Yurick speaking with the army.
They planned to march by the end of the month—more than nine thousand soldiers.
They expected to lose about two thousand before actually invading Akasia, where they would face my grandfather's first battalion of four thousand soldiers and soldiers—whose only objective was to cause heavy losses. They would lose three thousand more, and, if lucky, inflict serious damage on Yurick's army.
The old king of Akasia was protected by a massive wall, equipped with cannons and firearms.
I thought of all this while having plenty of free time—until my husband appeared once again.
— "Arien said I should give you a chance." — Yurick approached.
But I remained silent for a few moments.
— "People ask for their king, for their leader. Rumors are spreading through the streets. But I need you to cooperate with me." —
The elder seemed to have thought long and hard before speaking.
His gaze fell on my wrist; a brief flicker of regret passed over his face.
— "If you stay by my side, don't bring up the jewel again, I will restore all your freedom. You won't leave unaccompanied, because I fear Jamal might try something against the kingdom. You risked everything—put our son in danger."
— "You know, Yurick." — I stood, walking to the window.
— "I thought marriage was just a set of political interests without sentimentality. That when the future king of my country was born, I would teach him strength and give him all the guidance I could while governing in a marriage of convenience—one filled with advantages that would grow over time. But then I fell in love, and I realized I could give this child what I never had: a loving marriage that went beyond a war policy."
Then I turned to face the elder.
— "You lost your interest in me, and that's not what I want for this child. You completely lost your trust in me, you'll never consider my words. You'll use me until our son is born, and eventually you'll tire—if your kingdom lasts that long. And what will happen to me? Consumed by sadness and frustration, my fate may be the worst."
— "So no. If you free me, I will stay by your side—until I get the chance to escape with my child and find a destiny beyond the solitude you condemned me to." — I said honestly.
— "Why do you have to be so stubborn? Isn't this what you wanted? You always said marriage was just politics..." — The alpha began to grow exasperated again.
— "You changed that." — I cut him off sharply.
— "You changed what I thought. I fell in love with you—even if you were the one who took everything from me, threw me in this tower, or slapped me across the face. Damn it, Yurick. Come back to yourself, or leave me here alone."
— "If you break the jewel, will things go back to normal?!" — Suddenly it felt like hope was born.
— "Break it, then show me I'm wrong." — I asked with a voice thick with emotion.
The elder pulled the broken jewel from inside his robes.
He threw it to the ground and grabbed the axe, but hesitated as his arm hovered above the object, stopping just centimeters from the red ruby.
My eyes suddenly filled with tears.
Under the alpha's gaze, this was shameful—I didn't want to show the fragility I felt.
I would stay in that tower until I had a chance to escape.
I could no longer hold on to hope.
Yurick couldn't break that object; he was doomed to decline under such shallow emotions.
But then I heard something crack.
I looked at the alpha, who had plunged the axe into the jewel.
He was sweating, exerting incredible force.
A vein throbbed wildly beside his temple, showing the struggle he endured to take such an act.
— "Damn, I hate to see you cry." — He said in a hoarse voice.
— "Yurick." — I murmured.
Had it worked?
I couldn't tell if it had truly changed anything.
I stood up, seeing the jewel's shards shattered completely in that moment.