Nothing about the king’s smile was welcoming, and Rosalind knew she was in grave danger. Not that she had not known before, but now the reality of it felt more terrifying.

Behind him, the beast growled from within its cage, thrashing so violently that the metal rattled loudly through the throne hall.

Rosalind’s stomach twisted at the sight of it. The creature looked ready to tear through the bars at any moment, and the thought alone sent fear crawling beneath her skin.

Her attention shifted back to Alaric as he stood before her in all his regal elegance, his robe magnificent as always, his dark hair neatly combed back without a strand out of place. He looked so calm and composed, and that made him even more frightening.

Rosalind swallowed hard, her heart pounding so violently in her chest. The last thing she wanted was for him to order her thrown to the beast.

"You arrived just in time. We were only moments away from Verity’s execution," he said lightly, as if he were discussing the weather instead of someone’s death.

Rosalind’s eyes widened in horror. "Execution?" she whispered weakly. " Why?"

Alaric tilted his head slightly, watching her reaction with dark amusement. "You seem surprised," he mused. "Everything happening here is because you chose to defy me. Had you not run away, none of them would be suffering now."

Now that she was finally back before him, his anger mixed with satisfaction because, deep down, he had always known he would find her eventually.

"No..." Rosalind whispered.

Without warning, Alaric bent down and grabbed her harshly by the hair. Rosalind gasped sharply as pain shot through her scalp.

"Who gave you the right to defy me?" he thundered, his voice echoing across the throne hall.

Rosalind trembled beneath his grip, blinking rapidly to stop tears from spilling.

"You truly are unfortunate," he continued coldly. "Everywhere you go, suffering follows behind you. Your father, Verity, Thalia, even the footman... all of them paying the price for your actions."

Rosalind shook her head weakly despite the pain.

"Your Majesty... please," Beth pleaded shakily from behind them as she watched helplessly.

Alaric’s gaze slowly drifted toward her before returning to Rosalind. "And now," he said quietly, "you are about to drag your mother into ruin as well."

"No... no," Rosalind cried as tears finally escaped down her cheeks. "They know nothing about this. It was only me. Please, just leave everyone else out of it."

"I refuse to believe that," Alaric spat, his grip never loosening. "Verity lied about meeting you that night, which earned her punishment. The footman helped you escape and pretended otherwise, which earned him an even worse one. And now your family is involved as well."

"They were not part of this, I swear it," Rosalind insisted desperately. "I did everything alone."

But Alaric had already decided what he believed.

"Running away from the crown is already a grave offence," he said darkly. "But abducting people and stealing on top of it?" His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Do you understand how serious your crimes are?"

At last, he released her hair. Rosalind immediately sucked in a shaky breath, her chest rising and falling painfully as she tried to steady herself.

"What exactly should I do with you?" he asked as he straightened to his full height once more.

Rosalind forced herself to look at him despite the fear choking her. "I will take the punishment," she said quickly. "Just leave everyone else out of this."

She looked at him with pleading eyes, but not once had that ever softened him before, and she knew deep down it would not soften him now.

"Oh, you will certainly be punished," Alaric declared calmly. "As for whether I spare the others or not... that depends entirely on my mood."

"Guards."

Immediately, the guards moved into action. Rosalind’s hands were bound once again before she was forced roughly to her feet.

"Rosalind!" Beth cried from behind.

Mallory remained silent beside her, though the tension in her face was clear. She wanted no part in any of this madness and only prayed the king’s wrath would not consume her as well.

Rosalind turned her head toward them as she was dragged away. The look on her mother’s face shattered her heart, and she wished desperately that she could stop all of this, but against a king like Alaric, she held no power at all.

As she was led through the hall, she passed Verity, who still stood restrained between the guards. Rosalind looked at her, and guilt hit her so hard it nearly made her stumble.

"I’m so sorry," she whispered brokenly before being dragged farther away.

Verity lowered her gaze, her fists tightening, not with anger toward Rosalind, but toward the king himself.

Once Rosalind had been taken from the throne hall, Verity was brought back before Alaric, who had already resumed his place upon the throne as though none of it had disturbed him in the slightest.

"Your Majesty," one of the guards spoke carefully.

Alaric looked down lazily. "What is it?"

"Should we still carry out the execution?" the guard asked, his voice unsteady.

Alaric glanced once at Verity and then toward the others remaining behind. After a brief silence, he spoke.

"The traitor has returned, and I did promise their release once she was found." His lips curved faintly. "Let them go."

The guards exchanged startled looks.

"The execution will no longer proceed," Alaric added smoothly. "I have decided to be merciful today."

And somehow, the smile on his face was more terrifying than his anger had been.

The guards still hesitated, visibly unsettled by the king’s sudden change in mood. Just the previous day, Alaric had been consumed with rage, and everyone in the palace knew disaster was waiting to fall upon them. He had warned them himself that they should pray Rosalind returned, because only then would he consider showing mercy. And now, that was exactly what he was doing.

At last, the guards moved forward and loosened the chains around Verity’s wrists. The moment the restraints fell away, the tightness in her chest eased slightly. Her life was no longer hanging by a thread, and her heart no longer pounded like wildfire against her ribs.

Alaric watched her with a smirk. "Your lover must be watching over you now that you’ve managed to stay alive."

Verity clenched her teeth at the mention of him. "Thank you for sparing my life, Your Majesty," she forced out through gritted teeth.

Alaric merely looked away in disinterest.

Not long after, the remaining mistresses and Calder were released as well. They hurried into the throne hall before immediately bowing low. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing our lives," they said quickly.

"You are all dismissed," Alaric answered at once.

None of them hesitated to leave. The fear of being punished again for the slightest thing, combined with the terrifying growls of the beast behind the cage, was enough to send them hurrying out of the throne hall without another word.

Outside, Calder immediately wrapped his arms around his wife. "Beth" he cried. "I still cannot believe that foolish child dragged you away from me. She even took all of my money too." His expression darkened instantly. "When I get my hands on her, I swear..."

His words trailed off when he noticed the displeased look on Beth’s face.

Then his eyes shifted toward Mallory. "And why are you here as well?" he demanded.

Mallory explained awkwardly that she had been taken along against her will. "Rosalind dragged you away too?" he asked in disbelief, and when Mallory nodded in confirmation, he clicked his tongue in irritation.

"That brat," he muttered through clenched teeth. "The king was right. I did not raise her properly at all. She is far too defiant."

Beth looked at him anxiously. "Will Rosalind be alright? The king ordered that she be taken away." Fear filled her voice at the thought of her daughter now being left alone with Alaric.

"She is the last person you should be worried about," Calder replied coldly. "She brought this upon herself and everyone else. Do you think she should go unpunished after all this?"

As he reached to hold Beth’s hand, she pushed his hand away.

"You promised you would be good to her," Beth said quietly, disappointment heavy in her voice.

But Calder clearly had no interest in discussing it further. "Let us just return home. You need proper rest after everything that has happened."

Without waiting for a response, he began guiding her away while Mallory followed behind them.

****

Rosalind was escorted to the darker side of the dungeon where barely any light reached. The air was damp and cold, and the deeper they went, the heavier the silence became. She could hardly believe she had escaped one nightmare only to walk straight into another.

The gates to the cell creaked open.

Rosalind stepped inside slowly before the guards slammed the door shut behind her. She watched them walk away, despair settling heavily across her face as the sound of their footsteps faded into silence.

For a moment, the cell remained completely still.

Then she heard her name. "Rosalind?"

The voice was weak but familiar, and her breath caught instantly in her throat. She turned sharply toward the darker corner of the cell where a figure sat barely visible in the shadows.

"Rowan?" she whispered.

It was only when she moved closer that she truly saw him.

Without thinking, Rosalind rushed forward and threw her arms tightly around him. "I missed you so much," she breathed shakily.

Rowan grunted softly beneath her touch, and Rosalind immediately pulled away from him.

The moment she properly looked at him, her heart shattered.

He looked exhausted, weakened, and in pain. But when her gaze drifted lower and settled on his legs, her breath nearly stopped altogether. "What happened to you?" she whispered, horror filling her voice as she stared at him.