She doesn’t look at me. Her gaze is fixed on Queen Cassia, almost like she can not dare to look at me right now.

"This is not something I take pride in admitting," She says softly, and I raise a brow.

"However, for you to understand the magnitude of a threat this young man poses, it is necessary that I do." She adds, and I look back at Queen Cassia, who now has a grim expression on her face.

"Almost a year ago, Bram surrendered himself to me." She says, and I watch that draw the first obvious reaction from Queen Cassia.

She raises a brow.

"For what purpose?" She asks, and Mother presses her lips into a thin line.

"For experimentation." She replies flatly, and I let out a breath as I look away.

"Specifically to... study the possibility of granting an alpha... an omega’s ability to carry a child." She adds, and silence crashes into the room this time.

Not gentle, or soft silence... But stunned, and confused silence.

"You mean, giving an Alpha, an Omega’s womb??" Queen Cassia suddenly demands in horror, and the mere petrification in her voice doesn’t give me the guts to look up.

"Y-Yes..." Mother replies, and Queen Cassia gasps.

"Liandria!" She calls in disbelief, and I shut my eyes— feeling a fresh wave of shame that this monster is my mother.

"That is..." Queen Cassia begins, but the sentence doesn’t finish. Perhaps because there is no need to say it aloud.

My mind already has a dozen ways to complete the sentence.

Evil.

Unnatural.

Dangerous.

Mad...

"He offered himself willingly," Mother continues, like that will erase the weight of the disgusting truth she just laid bare... but we know better.

"He did it in exchange for comfort. Protection. And the erasure of his debts and past." She adds, and my stomach turns slightly.

"He endured the experiment. Without complaint... Without hesitation." She adds, and I clench my jaw in disgust.

"That alone should tell you what kind of man he is," I add quietly, as I look back at Queen Cassia, and her gaze flickers between us.

"What.. happened after the experiment? Why do you think... he’s the one currently in Alana’s place?" she asks, and Mother’s expression hardens.

"Because I withdrew my support... And he tried to kill me." She says, and Queen Cassia’s eyes widen.

"Bram is not stable... and he is certainly not harmless. He wants to hurt Elian. I don’t exactly know why, but I have seen how desperate he can be, and Cassia, you can not begin to imagine how deep the rot runs." Mother concludes, and the room falls silent again.

Silent with the ominous weight of realisation, and this heavy truth.

Queen Cassia leans back slightly in her seat, her fingers resting lightly against the arm of her chair as she ponders on everything we’ve said.

"I see," she whispers...

But I can tell she doesn’t fully see it yet. Because there is still one problem.

A large one.

"...Even if I accept everything you’ve said," She breaks the silence.

"You’re asking me to believe that this Bram has taken on Alana’s exact form... Voice, presence, behaviour... all of it." She says as she watches Mother and I.

"How?" She asks as she tilts her head slightly, and I take a breath.

That’s the question we’ve both been waiting for. Hence, Mother answers it without hesitation.

"You’re limiting your thinking, Cassia." She says, and Queen Cassia’s gaze sharpens slightly at that.

Mother continues nonetheless.

"We are not dealing with ordinary threats anymore. You know that. You’ve seen what the witches and warlocks are capable of. Illusions. Alterations. Transformations..." She says as she steps forward gently.

"What if this is simply another extension of that?" She whispers, and Queen Cassia stares at her thoughtfully.

"Even if I entertain that possibility... It raises another question." She says after a moment, and I raise a brow.

What question.

"Why Gravemaw?" she says, and I pause.

"If they have the ability to disguise him so completely... why send him here? Why not the capital? Why not Nagari?" She asks, and Mother answers without missing a beat.

"Because Nagari is protected. Selthía’s magic is not something easily bypassed," she replies, and I blink.

"If they attempted to infiltrate Nagari directly, they would risk exposure. Failure." She adds, and Queen Cassia’s eyes narrow slightly.

"So they choose a weaker point," she murmurs, and Mother nods.

"Yes. Gravemaw, right now... is exactly that." I say softly, and silence settles again as she stares at me.

"We’re not asking you to act blindly," I add, and Mother moves beside me.

"We’re asking you to be cautious. To observe. We should test this... "Alana". To be sure without a doubt if we’re wrong, or right." She says, and Queen Cassia exhales slowly.

"And if you’re wrong?" she asks.

I don’t hesitate this time.

"Then nothing changes. But if we’re right..." I reply, but my voice trails off. I don’t finish the sentence. I don’t need to.

Surely, she understands the rest.

She makes to speak, when suddenly, a knock on the door interrupts us.

We all turn to it, and Queen Cassia’s voice slips into that intimidatingly authoritative tone.

"Enter," She orders.

The door opens, and a guard steps inside, bowing so low, his spine might pop.

"Your Majesty," he greets, and I watch in silence.

"Alpha Igma of Howleroot has just arrived at the borders." He says, and everything in the room pauses.

Mother instantly rushes forward with shock and mortification on her face.

"...Igma?" she repeats, in disbelief, while I stare at the guard.

That can’t be right.

Igma is not supposed to be here.

She’s supposed to be in Howleroot... Holding things together.

"Are you certain she’s the one?" Mother asks sharply, and the guard nods.

"Yes, Alpha." He replies, and a brief silence follows. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Then Mother exhales slowly, her expression tightening.

"Why would she leave her post?" she murmurs, more to herself than anyone else.

I don’t answer... Because I don’t know.

But I do know one thing— This changes things.

I glance back at Queen Cassia as memories, and an idea takes root in my mind.

"...I think," I say quietly, "we just found a way to test "Alana"," I say, Mother turns her head slightly toward me... While a small, malicious smile splits my face.

It’s time to find out if our theory is right, or wrong... and there couldn’t be a better timing in the world... than this.