Ryophlira POV

The heavy doors hadn’t even fully sealed behind us before my composure shattered. The cheers of the Northern guards faded into the background as I instantly dropped the bouquet of white roses to the polished floor, letting the petals scatter like drops of blood. Grabbing a handful of Yue-Senn’s black jacket I anchored my fingers into the fabric and yanked him with all the strength I had left, dragging him into the very first open room I saw off the main corridor.

It was a small and dimly lit. The moment we entered, I spun him around. With one hand, I slammed the heavy door shut, and using the exact same hand that was tangled in his shirt, I forcefully pinned his massive frame against the wood.

"What’s the rush, honey?" he asked, a cocky, insufferable smile spreading across his lips as his eyes danced with amusement.

"Now is not the time, you asshole," my voice a dangerous, trembling whisper. "We are supposed to be a team! How could you completely blindside me like that?!"

Yue-Senn’s smirk didn’t waver, but his energy shifted, turning icy and clinical. He tilted his head down, looking down at me with an infuriating detachment. "You seem to have made a mistake, darling. This isn’t a team. This is a partnership. I don’t have to tell you a single thing unless I truly want to. And besides... your acting skills were great."

Hearing him say those words felt like a physical blow to my chest. A sharp, unexpected sting of hurt flared through me. I hated myself for it, but over the last few weeks, I had actually started to think there might be something real growing between us a shred of genuine trust amidst all the political rot. But to him, I was just a pawn who executed her cues well.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I forced my fingers to relax. I let go of his shirt, smoothing down the crumpled of his suit lapels with a cold, practiced slowness.

"You’re right, honey," I said, flashing him a plastic, mocking smile that dripped with pure sarcasm. "This is a partnership."

Yue-Senn’s gaze darkened. He looked down at me like he wanted to entirely devour me right there against the door, his eyes glowing with a feral, terrifying hunger for a faint second. I didn’t give him the satisfaction of flinching. Instead I gave a soft expression , pretending I was reaching down to gently grasp his hand. A victorious, knowing smile broke across his face as he watched my fingers move.

But the moment my hand passed his, I bypassed his fingers entirely. I grabbed the door handle, twisted it, and pulled the door open so hard and fast that Yue-Senn was dragged forward with the momentum, stumbling forward further intro the room.

Standing just a few feet away outside were my mother, my father, and my brother.

The air in the hallway was entirely too tense it could cut through the air like a sharp knife. I could feel the raw anger, betrayal, and tension radiating off their bodies in thick, heavy waves.

My heart aching, I started to walk toward them, but Yue-Senn’s hand shot out like catching me firmly by the wrist.

"Let go, darling," I said coldly, keeping my face forward. "I need to talk with my family before I go."

I twisted my arm, carefully wiggling my hand out of his grip. He didn’t fight me. He slowly let go, sliding his hands into his pockets and leaning back against the doorframe, watching me like a hawk.

I took a deep breath, smoothing the front of my gown as I walked over to where my parents stood. Dropping to my knees on the cold stone floor, I bowed my head low, pressing my forehead toward the ground to show them absolute respect and to silently beg for their forgiveness for the chaos on the altar.

Before my knees could even fully adjust to the stone, my father stepped forward. He reached down, caught me by the shoulders, and gently picked me back up to my feet.

"Remember what I told you," he whispered, his glowing eye locking onto mine with tenderness. "You kneel to no one. Not even us."

The wall I had built around my emotions entirely crumbled. I couldn’t help myself, I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, burying my face in his shoulder. My father embraced me, holding me against his chest as though I were still his little girl, shielding me from the world one last time.

"It’s okay," he murmured into my hair, his voice heavy but comforting. "Mistakes happen. The heart wants what it wants, and there is absolutely nothing anyone can do about that."

He pulled back slightly, and his hand gently brushed against my stomach. I held my breath. My father possessed advanced blood magic the moment his hand touched my belly, I knew he could sense the truth. There was no other heartbeat, no other blood flowing through my veins but my own. He knew the pregnancy was a lie.

Yet, he didn’t expose us. He simply offered a soft, knowing wink, setting me down gently. "Take good care of yourself... and the baby."

My mother walked over next. Her face was a mask of unreadable emotion, but her sharp eyes dropped to my flat stomach, calculating the shifting power of the kingdoms in a single, freezing glance before she leaned down and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to the top of my head. "Don’t forget to eat. And visit us."

She stepped back, her fingers instantly finding my father’s hand, gripping it tightly. My father leaned down, whispering something low and urgent into her ear as they watched me.

I turned my eyes to my brother. Riegthar stood slightly apart from them, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked ready to shatter. He couldn’t even bring himself to look me in the eye. I felt a sob catch in my throat, and I reached my arms out, silently begging him for a farewell hug.

He refused, stepping back from my touch.

"Ari is waiting outside with the others," Riegthar said, his voice entirely dead and hollow, mentioning the maid whose heavy guilt already suffocated our shared spaces. "It is best you get on the road with the cars. The journey to the North will only be two days."

Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away, his heavy footsteps echoing.

I felt like my soul was being ripped apart. The rejection from the only sibling that cared about me felt worse than any blade. I forced my chin up, swallowing the burning tears, refusing to let a single drop fall in these hallways. I had to be strong. I had to face Ari outside, and then I had to survive a two-day confinement with an asshole.

Slowly, I turned back around to face my husband.

Yue-Senn was still leaning against the doorframe, the cocky, insufferable smirk he wore after I tricked him with the door had completely vanished. As he watched me stand frozen in the wake of my brother’s abandonment, his glowing eyes narrowed, flashing with a dark, unreadable intensity. He didn’t look triumphant anymore. He looked almost provoked by my pain.

But the lingering warmth of our passionate altar kiss was completely gone. Looking at him standing there, all that remained inside me was a profound sadness and a terrifying wave of regret.