Rosalind was escorted back to her chambers afterward while the guards surrounded her closely.

The footman standing outside immediately widened his eyes in shock the moment he saw her. He had thought she was inside resting the entire time while somehow, without him noticing, she had slipped past his watch completely.

How?

The question struck him immediately because he had not left his post.

The guards shoved Rosalind back into the room before shutting the doors firmly behind her.

"We’ll take it from here," one of them told the footman coldly.

The two guards then took position on either side of the chamber doors while the other turned toward the shaken footman.

"You should return to His Majesty immediately. He will already be waiting for an explanation."

The footman swallowed hard at those words because he already knew what awaited him. The king was not a man that tolerated failure, and the fact that the lady had escaped his watch was enough to bring punishment upon him.

Rosalind slowly walked back toward her bed afterward and sat down heavily while the realization settled deep within her chest. She was now being watched more closely than before and she no longer had the freedom to move around the palace the way she used to. There would be guards outside her chambers from now on and she already knew Alaric would never truly allow her out of his sight again.

Her thoughts drifted toward Rowan. She had been furious with him since the truth came out, yet now that anger was slowly beginning to weaken.

Before they had been interrupted, she had finally spoken her mind to him but what troubled her even more was the thought of what happened after she was dragged away because she knew Alaric and Rowan had been left alone together afterward.

Rosalind curled her fingers tightly against the sheets as pain settled quietly inside her chest. Rowan had been the only person she trusted completely in this palace, the only person that ever made her feel safe, yet now she realized she never truly knew him at all.

Still... despite everything, Rosalind knew herself well enough to admit something she did not want to admit aloud.

She hated him for lying to her, yet she still missed the sound of his voice.

Sleep did not come easily that night because every time she closed her eyes, memories of him kept returning to her mind. From the first moment they met, to the way he looked at her, to all those sweet moments they shared together, she replayed everything over and over until exhaustion finally dragged her into an uneasy sleep.

The next morning, the chamber doors suddenly opened and three women entered the room dressed in dark garments with a touch of white, lined with veils. Their appearance alone made the atmosphere inside the chamber feel cold and heavy.

Rosalind groaned softly while turning over on the bed before finally sitting upright.

Her eyes blinked slowly as she stared at the women standing silently before her bed. "Am I dead?" she asked tiredly.

One of the women stepped forward calmly. "We are the Veiled Sisters."

Rosalind narrowed her eyes immediately. Each of them wore thin veils over the lower halves of their faces and their expressions remained unreadable. For a moment Rosalind wondered if some noble had died overnight because they looked more suited for a funeral than an early morning visit.

Another woman stepped forward afterward. "His Majesty has ordered that we begin your cleansing rites in preparation for the royal marriage."

Rosalind’s expression changed instantly. "what?"

"Following your disgraceful conduct," the first woman continued evenly, "His Majesty has chosen to show mercy toward you. You are to undergo the cleansing rites so that you may stand worthy beside him as queen."

The words struck Rosalind sharply

Disgraceful conduct.

And she immediately remembered Alaric catching her and Rowan together. It was not even the act itself that humiliated her the most, but the realization that people now knew about it. These women were standing before her looking at her as though she had committed something filthy and unforgivable.

Her throat tightened at the thought.

"The rites will begin immediately," Lady Ophelia announced without emotion.

Soon incense was lit around the chamber while candles were placed across the room. The scent quickly filled the air and made the entire place feel suffocating.

Rosalind was pulled from the bed afterward.

"You will remove your garments and wear this instead," Lady Ophelia instructed while a white robe was handed to her.

Rosalind clenched her teeth.

Without giving her much choice, they removed her pink nightgown while another woman wiped the color from her lips. Her earrings and bracelets were removed one after another until nothing remained on her body except the plain white garment they forced her into.

The robe hung loosely around her frame and made her feel ridiculous.

Rosalind stared down at herself in disbelief while anger slowly burned inside her chest.

Was this what Alaric intended to do now? All because he wanted to marry her, he was willing to put her through this nonsense?

Yet deep down, Rosalind understood something frightening about Alaric already.

Not every marriage was built from love. Some people married because they desired control and possession, and that was exactly what this was. Alaric did not love her. He only wanted to claim her because he could not stand the idea of losing anything to Rowan.

It did not matter to him that she had already been with his younger brother. He would simply "cleanse" her and force the kingdom to pretend she belonged beside him anyway.

One of the women began humming softly while another started reciting prayers beneath her breath.

The sound only irritated Rosalind further. Her entire morning had already been ruined and now she was being forced to participate in some absurd ritual because the king could not handle his own pride.

****

Afterward, Rosalind was led toward the spiritual bath that had already been prepared for her. The incense still burned around the room, filling the air with a scent that was beginning to make her sick. The Veiled Sisters gathered around her silently before water was poured slowly over her hair, running down her back while they washed her carefully like she was something stained.

"Bathing you in pure water will wash away the impurity within you," Lady Ophelia explained calmly.

The other sisters continued humming and chanting beneath their breaths as though they were carrying out some kind of exorcism, and Rosalind was already irritated enough by all of it.

What she shared with Rowan had not been impure to her in any way.

Perhaps there had been intense desire between them in those final moments, but it had not been something shameful. She had given herself to him willingly because she genuinely wanted him and for a long time she had believed he felt the same way toward her until she discovered the truth he had hidden.

More water was poured over her head until strands of wet hair clung to her skin and the bath around her rippled gently. Without warning, Lady Ophelia suddenly pushed Rosalind’s head beneath the water.

Her eyes widened instantly.

The coldness closed around her at once while muffled chanting echoed faintly around her ears beneath the surface. Before she could even react properly, she was pulled back up again and Rosalind gasped loudly for air.

"Can’t you at least tell me when..."

Before she could finish speaking, her head was forced beneath the water again.

Rosalind held her breath tightly this time while anger burned through her chest. The humming around her sounded distant and warped beneath the water while the sisters continued their prayers without pause.

When she was finally pulled back up, she inhaled sharply again, water dripping down her face.

"You want to drown me now?" she snapped breathlessly.

Nobody answered her.

Instead, Lady Ophelia submerged her head into the water for a third time.

By the time the ritual was finished, Rosalind was exhausted, soaked and furious. Her body had been washed repeatedly until the sisters finally seemed satisfied enough to stop. Once she was dried off, she was dressed once again in the same loose white garment while her damp hair was combed gently and left hanging plainly behind her.

"You are forbidden from adorning yourself during the rites," Lady Ophelia informed her calmly. "No jewels, no perfumes, no cosmetics. You are to remain before the sacred order as nothing but your natural self."

Rosalind nearly laughed at how ridiculous the entire thing sounded.

The Veiled Sisters finally left her chambers afterward, leaving behind only the scent of incense and melted candle wax. Rosalind remained seated there alone in silence while the humiliation of everything slowly settled inside her chest.

And the worst part was knowing they would return again tomorrow because the cleansing rites would continue for three days.