𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 | 𝟏𝟖+

𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 | 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒

ততততত

𝐈 𝐌 𝐎 𝐆 𝐄 𝐍

I enter into my father's study—which can mean one of two options. The first, he wants to do some father-daughter bonding time such as shoot some arrows. It's something we haven't done in awhile. The second, can only be an explanation to yesterday's clothes-stealing escapades. As soon as I take a seat across from him, I know it's the latter.

My father dresses in more casual attire compared to his traditional royal robes, the bags under his aging grey eyes more visible than usual. He taps his fingers against the table, and I can see his mind running in a thousand circles.

"Lorcan told you?" he grumbles.

I nod my head. Lorcan was the one who told me that they can't get Leighton's underpants down from the archway, at least not without a larger ladder, which my father has requested to be made by some of the carpenters down in Summervale.

My father sighs, then releases a soft stream of laughter. "You truly are my daughter, aren't you? Giving the royals hell. Your grandfather will be rolling his eyes at you in his grave."

"What do you expect me to do?" I smile. "You never said I had to play nice."

"I thought it was apparent that we had to treat Leighton well," my father rouses. "You and I both know his military can overpower ours overnight. Our kingdom is vulnerable right now, Imogen. In order to ensure that we stay afloat, we must reevaluate your behavior."

I bite my lip. I fear I had taken it too far the moment I stole Leighton's clothes, but at the time, it felt so right. Humiliating the devil incarnate had never made me feel so alive. But I have a bigger shadow to overcome: retaining the betrothal. I only wonder what strings my father had to pull in order to calm down Leighton's wrath. I might have gotten away unscathed, but the scar it left on Leighton's ego will be felt throughout the entire castle.

My father lowers his gaze, avoiding the curiosity of my own. "Leighton was cross with me about the ordeal," he begins slowly. "He said he would forget about you taking his clothes and spearing his underpants to the archway under one condition."

"And that is?"

He swallows. Whatever my father agreed to do, it wasn't something either of us could foresee.

"To make it up to him, he wants to bring you back to Adorid tomorrow—"

"No."

"—for a brief trip, so he can announce the official betrothal to his kingdom. We will do the same for ours once you both return."

No. I can't go to that place, that kingdom. I still have a month until the original proposed time, at least that's what was decided at the feast, but it's clear Leighton doesn't want to wait. He wants to bring me to his castle tomorrow, and I fear I might not make it back. He'll attempt to ensare me in his grim fortress, trapping me like a damsel in distress. Well, maybe I am exactly that.

"There's still a month to go until we were supposed to depart," I chide.

"You won't be alone. Lorcan will assist you, and I've arranged Elena to go with you as your personal handmaiden. In return, he is leaving some of his warriors behind as... as a reminder of his presence."

How can I go to that forsaken land? It's a shame my father nearly kisses the ground Leighton walks upon just to keep Lagulon upright. I want to fight—to light ablaze with courage and defeat him—but our kingdom will fall apart in the war. It's why I'm here to make amends.

So instead, I say the words that'll knife my father in the heart. "Mum would've never done this."

He visibly winces at the mere mention of her. My father loved that woman more than anything in the world. Together, they were the image of what it meant to live as equals in love. They could read one another without saying a word, be in different rooms and yet their hearts locked in the same.

No doctor could save her. They couldn't save Ruslan, either. Disease has a funny way of choosing the wrong people to kill and who to spare.

"She wouldn't have," my father mutters, lifting his grey eyes to meet mine. "Because every time she'd see you face him, alone and powerless, she'd see herself."

"Then what would she have done?"

I can see the swirl in his eyes, every thought about my mother and him passing his conscience. Somewhere deep down, there is a solution that isn't the ones presented in front of us. It's not just fighting a war we can't win, or marry a man who will send our kingdom to the gallows. There's a third way, the way my mother would've unraveled with time that would bring us to peace. She was the wise one, my father the stronghold— how can we win without her?

My father holds his breath. "I don't know," he finally speaks. "All I know is that it wouldn't be like this."

If she could crawl out of her grave and rescue us, she'd have done it so long ago. But even the ghost of her that lingers within these corridors has remained silent. The white orchids begin to perish. Everything she brought to life is falling apart.

More than ever, I just want to be held within those motherly arms and sob. Tomorrow, I'll be on my way to the gates of hell.

Where are you, mum? I cry out, as if it were a prayer to the gods that will bring me an answer.

Save me.

Please.

── •✧• ──

Pack your bags! We're off to Adorid, except we both know she needs to tell a certain thief that she's leaving for the enemy kingdom. Also, I apologize for the brief chapter, but I plan to have another update coming very, very soon (as in the next couple of hours!).

I am so glad that some of you are just as obsessed with this story as I am. I made some edits to the future plot yesterday and GOSH this book is going to be a thicc chonky boi. Anyways, I love long-winded romances.

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