Blood splattered across Rowan’s face as the sword edged closer, and just when Alaric smirked as though victory was his, Rowan twisted the blade sharply aside with all the strength he had left. Alaric lost his balance and stumbled forward, and in that moment Rowan slammed his head directly into his face.

Alaric fell hard onto the ground, blood rushing from his nose as he clutched it in pain. Rowan rose slowly and immediately pointed the sword at him.

"This nonsense is over," he said coldly.

Alaric looked up at him through bloodied eyes, anger burning through his expression.

Rowan then lowered the sword and threw it aside. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Only I decide when it is over." Alaric said, struggling back to his feet, blood still dripping down his face, but Rowan struck him again before he could fully regain balance, sending him crashing back to the ground.

"If it wasn’t clear before, it is now," Rowan said, his voice sharp as he stood over him. "You never stood a chance against me."

Alaric lay on the ground, sand clinging to his back and blood staining his face as Rowan towered over him.

The sand timer ran out, leaving Rowan standing as the victor.

---

---

Beth had told Rosalind everything.

From the night Rosalind had first appeared at their home with Calder to the truth that had shaped her entire life.

It had been the happiest day of Beth’s life, because for the first time she had been given a child to care for, a daughter to love, and she had embraced Rosalind fully from that moment onward. She had called her her child without hesitation, raised her as her own, and never once treated her as anything less than a daughter.

But now Rosalind stood before her, having just heard the truth that she had been bought by Calder.

A child taken from somewhere else, rescued from an uncertain fate and placed into their home by chance more than destiny.

Rosalind’s hands trembled as she opened the small box, while Beth was quietly at the entrance of the room, unable to move closer.

Her gaze landed on the documents inside, the signature of Calder and the seller unmistakable.

It was real. She wasn’t their real daughter.

Rosalind’s fingers slowly brushed over the chain and the pendant inside the box. "Is this... mine as well?" she asked softly.

"Yes," Beth answered gently.

A heavy silence followed, and Rosalind exhaled shakily as a heaviness settled in her chest as the weight of everything pressed down on her.

She had spent her entire life believing one truth, only for it to collapse in a single moment.

Beth had told her she came from Merovia... that she had been sold during the chaos of war.

No wonder she had always felt something strange whenever she heard that name, as if it belonged to her in a way she couldn’t explain.

But now it was no longer just a feeling.

It was her origin.

What about her real parents?

Had they searched for her? Had they survived the war? Or had she been forgotten entirely?

Rosalind clenched the pendant tightly in her hand as tears welled in her eyes.

Her other hand closed around the document. "If," she began slowly, her voice breaking slightly, "if you knew all of this... then why did you never tell me?"

Her eyes lifted to Beth, trembling. "Do you even understand what I’m feeling right now? I feel betrayed. I feel hurt.... Why does everyone always leave me in the dark?"

Her voice cracked as the tears finally spilled over.

Beth swallowed hard, her own eyes glistening as she looked at Rosalind, pain etched deeply into her expression. She had never wanted to hurt her... not once, not ever.

For a long moment, Beth couldn’t speak. Then finally, her voice broke. "I was afraid," she admitted softly. "Afraid that if you knew the truth, you would stop looking at me as your mother... afraid that you would think I had lied to you your entire life."

A tear slipped down her cheek as she lowered her gaze.

"When your father brought you home, you were frightened and alone. You were just a little girl, and before I even realized it, you had become my daughter in every way that truly mattered to me."

Her voice trembled as she continued, "I know keeping this from you was wrong. I know I should have told you sooner, but I kept convincing myself there would be another day... and then another year passed, and then another."

Rosalind struggled to hold back her tears as she looked at Beth. "I never hid it because I wanted to deceive you. I hid it because I loved you... and because I was terrified of losing you."

Beth looked back at Rosalind, her eyes filled with regret, and her voice finally broke completely. "I am sorry, Rosalind... more sorry than you could ever know."

Rosalind wanted to be angry. She wanted to hold onto that anger for everything that had been kept from her her entire life, but now that the shock had settled and the truth had fully sunk in, what remained was only pain. Because she loved Beth too, and seeing her cry made her chest ache in a way she didn’t know how to handle.

Beth had always loved her as well, yet she had still hidden the truth from her.

"I know you love me," Rosalind said softly, her voice trembling. "That’s what makes this hurt so much."

Because if Beth had been cruel, distant, or abusive, then maybe it would have been easier to walk away from all of this. But it wasn’t like that. Beth had been the only mother she had ever known, the only real family she had ever had.

"I’m sorry, Rosalind... I’m really sorry," Beth whispered again.

Rosalind swallowed hard as she steadied herself, forcing her breathing to calm. "I need some time," she said quietly.

Beth pressed her lips together, unable to respond as her eyes filled with helpless sorrow.

Rosalind gave her one last look, then slowly walked past her toward the door and she left the house without looking back but with an aching heart.

Beth was frozen in place as so many thoughts ran through her mind... What if Rosalind never forgave her?

What if Rosalind never wanted to see her again?

And the moment the carriage disappeared from view, her body gave out as she collapsed unconscious.

Shortly, Mallory came into the room and when she took one look at the scene, she screamed at the top of her voice.