"I thought you were different," Rosalind whispered softly, almost more to herself than to him as tears slipped down her cheeks. "I thought what we had was real."

Rowan stepped forward instinctively, reaching his hand toward her, but Rosalind immediately stepped back before he could touch her, leaving his hand hanging helplessly in the air.

"What we had was real, Rosalind," he said quietly while gripping the cold iron bars of the cell. The metal burned with coldness against his skin, yet the distance she placed between them hurt far more. "Every feeling I had for you was real."

She replied shakily. "If you truly cared about me, then you would have avoided hurting me like this."

Despite the way her heart wanted to break apart right there in front of him, Rosalind forced herself to remember that he was not simply the Rowan she knew anymore.

He was the King of Eryndor.

And that truth was slowly hardening her heart.

Silence stretched between them before Rowan finally lowered his gaze.

He admitted quietly. "Even if I told you the truth back then, you wouldn’t have believed me"

What!?

She could not believe he was trying to justify it now. Maybe she would have doubted him at first, just like she doubted everything else, but that did not mean she would have completely dismissed him. Looking back now, there had always been signs. It was Rowan himself who kept burying the truth.

"All those moments we spent together..." she continued softly, her voice trembling again. "You could’ve said something. Anything. But now when I look at you, you feel like a completely different man."

"I’m still the same man, Rosalind," Rowan said firmly.

Her lips curled faintly with disbelief. "A whole King of Eryndor?" she questioned bitterly.

Rowan’s expression darkened slightly. "A king without power is nothing," he replied...

"How touching."

The sudden voice cut through the tension sharply.

Both of them turned immediately toward the source, and there stood Alaric, dressed magnificently as always while a cruel smirk rested lazily on his lips. The sight of him instantly made Rosalind’s jaw tighten.

Alaric approached them slowly before stopping between both sides of the cell.

"It was always going to end like this," he mused while looking directly at Rosalind. "You should’ve chosen me instead."

Rosalind wanted to hold her tongue, but anger burned too fiercely inside her. "I never would," she replied instantly.

"Why?" Alaric asked dramatically. "Because I’m the villain while he’s your noble little savior?"

"Yes," Rosalind answered without hesitation. "He’s more human than you’ll ever be, and you could never give me what he did."

Alaric chuckled darkly. "Of course," he replied smoothly. "I wouldn’t have hurt you this way."

The words struck Rosalind directly where it hurt most, and Alaric saw it immediately in her face.

But that was not what she meant, and he knew it.

He simply did not care.

Then he looked between them lazily. "Did you never learn anything?" he asked calmly. "From Verity’s story? From everything I’ve shown you?" His lips slowly curled upward. "I always get what I want, no matter the cost, and the two of you made the mistake of testing me."

His gaze shifted toward Rowan with cruel amusement.

"What should I do to him this time?" he asked thoughtfully. "Feed him to my beasts or perhaps burn him?"

Rosalind’s fists tightened instantly. "You’re not allowed to hurt him," she said sharply.

Alaric laughed coldly at her words. "I can do whatever I want"

Then he tilted his head slightly. "Tsk. I expected you to hate him by now, but it seems you still care about him even after discovering your entire relationship was built on lies."

"You know nothing about what we had," Rosalind shot back immediately, although her heart still ached.

No matter how angry she was, a part of her still loved Rowan. A part of her still wanted to protect him from everything, especially from Alaric.

"Oh, I know enough," Alaric replied smoothly. "Enough to know your precious Rowan was never honest from the beginning while happily taking you to bed." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Rowan’s jaw tightened violently at those words, but Alaric ignored him completely.

Then, apparently deciding he had entertained himself enough, Alaric waved his hand dismissively. "Take her away."

Instantly, two guards stepped out from the shadows and grabbed Rosalind firmly before she could react.

She struggled against them. "Let go of me!"

But they were already dragging her away.

Before she disappeared from sight entirely, Rosalind turned one last time to look at Rowan, and the pain in his eyes nearly shattered what remained of her heart.

Then she was gone.

Silence consumed the dungeon afterward.

Alaric slowly shifted his gaze toward Rowan, who had already turned away and faced the opposite direction.

"I know exactly what you were trying to do," Alaric said lazily.

Rowan remained silent.

Alaric smirked wider. "You purposely slept with Rosalind that night, didn’t you?" he asked casually.

"You knew very well the king cannot marry a woman another man has already deflowered." His eyes gleamed cruelly. "Wasn’t that your plan... To ruin the marriage before it happened?"

"Not everyone thinks like you," Rowan replied coldly through gritted teeth.

He had only wanted to see Rosalind one last time before everything fell apart, and once he held her again, he could no longer bring himself to walk away.

That single moment had led them here.

And now the only thing Rowan regretted more than anything was hurting her.

"I’ll admit," Alaric chuckled, "you’re not as cruel as I am."

Then his smile slowly deepened. "But unfortunately for you, I can still marry her."

Rowan turned sharply toward him. "That’s forbidden," he said immediately. "If you force that marriage, Eryndor will suffer for it."

"As long as she’s purified of every disgusting thing the two of you did together," Alaric replied carelessly, "then I can marry her just fine."

Rowan’s fists clenched.

Having taken his crown, his life, and now the woman he loved, Alaric stepped closer to the bars with a cold smile on his lips. "Tell me, brother... what’s left of you now?"