"A few months later, suddenly her health declined." Laura paused. "She believed someone from the court had discovered where she was."

Alina went still. The letter trembled in her hands as she read the last line over and over again. Then, slowly, she looked up at Laura.

"Who found her, Laura?" she asked.

"I don’t know," Laura replied, shaking her head.

Alina stared at her for a few seconds. Then laughed in disbelief.

"No," she said. "No... my mother was sick. That’s it. People get sick all the time."

But even she didn’t sound convinced by her own words.

"I remember how she kept coughing all the time near the end," she continued. "Eventually, she became so weak that she couldn’t leave bed some days."

Austin watched her falling apart with each word, but he didn’t say anything. It wasn’t the time.

"I used to bring her water," her voice turned to whisper now. "I remember helping her walk sometimes."

Laura felt guilty and lowered her gaze, unable to look into her eyes.

"Alina..."

Alina looked at her immediately.

"Do you think someone did that to her?" she asked.

Laura didn’t answer. She remained silent and that hesitant silence was the answer itself.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head even harder now. "No...It can’t be true."

"I don’t know for certain," Laura said, her voice trembling. "But the messenger disappeared, and then her health...worsened very quickly. We didn’t talk after that. Months later, I came to know she had passed away."

"She ran away from them," Alina murmured. "She left the palace and gave up her title. So why couldn’t they just leave her alone?"

Austin tried to hold her but she stepped back.

"She found a new life," Alina continued. "She was happy. Wasn’t that enough for them?" she shouted.

Slowly, her grief turned into anger.

"I hate this place," she snapped. "I hate this kingdom. All this time I thought she died because life was unfair," she said as she stood up, unable to sit anymore because of storm of emotions churning inside her.

""And now you’re telling me someone from this court might have killed her?"

"Alina..."

"No!" she cried, cutting Austin off. "I watched her die slowly and couldn’t do anything."

Austin stepped forward anyway and caught her by her arms before she could collapse on the floor. She didn’t resist this time. He wrapped his arms around her whole she buried her face in his chest and broke down completely.

"She didn’t deserve this," she sobbed. "She spent her whole life afraid of these people."

Austin didn’t say anything. He just stroked her hair slowly as she cried against his chest.

"I have to live the rest of my life with the fact that someone probably killed my mother and I had no idea," her breathing ragged. "I kissed her goodbye every night while she was dying and I thought it was just sickness."

Neither Austin nor Laura knew how to comfort her at that time. There were no words in this world that could comfort someone in this terrible and helpless situation.

Laura stood frozen near the table, tears falling from her eyes as guilt consumed her. She had protected those letters for decades, waiting for the right time. And when finally the time came, it felt like reopening an old wound that was never healed properly.

Austin, on the other hand had never felt this helpless before. He could fight everyone for her but he couldn’t change the past or give her mother back to her.

After a while, her sobs finally quieted. She opened her eyes and pulled away from him.

She wiped her face with them back of her hand and looked at Laura again.

"Tell me everything," she said. "Every small detail you remember. I need to know the truth."

"I already told you everything I know," she replied, devastated. "I’m sorry...I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect her."

Alina couldn’t sleep that night. The candles had died hours ago, but Alina still lay awake staring at the ceiling. The letters were scattered across the table beside the bed, the words still haunting her.

Every time she closed her eyes, she imagined her mother sitting on her chair and writing letters with shaking hands.

"You need to sleep," Austin whispered.

"I can’t stop thinking about her."

Austin didn’t say anything. He understood

After a few minutes, she finally turned towards him.

"Don’t leave tonight," she whispered. "I don’t care if the court talks about us sleeping together. Let them."

"I wasn’t planning to leave either," he replied.

His answer almost made her cry again. He moved closer and pulled her into his arms. Alina curled against him gripping his shirt tightly. She closed her eyes and eventually fell asleep.

Alina had just finished dressing the next morning when Laura came to see her.

"The whispers are already spreading throughout the palace," she informed them.

Alina instead of answering just looked at her.

"They’re saying you haven’t passed a single trial properly," Laura said. "Some nobles are already pushing for petition removal."

Alina shrugged.

"I don’t care about the trials anymore."

Laura looked a little surprised but understood the reason.

"There’s something else I want to talk to you both about," she said hesitantly.

Austin, who had been organizing the letters in the table, turned to her.

"An old nobleman, Lord Garrick, wants to meet Alina," Laura said. "He was part of the court when Lady Isadora still lived here. He supported her quietly back then, though he couldn’t protect her when things became dangerous."

"No," Austin replied instantly.

Laura frowned.

"At least listen..."

"I don’t need to," Austin replied coldly. "This could be another trap."

"I agree," Alina said.

Laura shook her head and walked towards her.

"He’s very old now, Alina. He took a serious risk even asking to see you," Laura tried to convince her. "I think he has some information about Lady Isadora and wants to help you."

"Or it is one of Valdren’s new schemes," Austin answered instead.

"Lord Garrick has been Lord Valdren’s enemy for years. He would never help him."

Alina’s eyes drifted towards the letters in the table. If there was even the smallest chance someone knew the truth about her mother...

She turned to Austin immediately.

"I want to meet him."

Austin closed his eyes in frustration and took a deep breath.

"Fine," he said. "But I’ll go with you. And the moment I feel something is wrong, we will leave immediately."

"I’ll go and arrange the meeting," Laura sounded relieved. "I think we will finally get our answers."