Chapter 227: Rain, Restlessness And Realization

Rhaedon

Rrrrumble…

The low rumble of thunder danced across the sky as I sat in my office. To my right was the pile of files I'd managed to get through in the space of three hours. I was just wrapping up yet another document when there was a knock against my door.

I didn't look up. I needed absolute concentration if I wanted to finish these files faster.

"Come in," I called.

The door opened a second later, and the sound of boots approaching was followed by a metallic scent mixed faintly with Aveline's.

I paused and looked up, my eyes settling on Rowan.

He offered me a bow. "Greetings, Alpha Rhaedon."

I didn't respond. Instead, my eyes flickered toward the door behind him, as if expecting another person to enter.

When a few seconds passed with no one else entering, I asked, "Where's she?"

Rowan straightened, meeting my gaze with a hint of hesitation. "Luna Aveline's not back yet," he informed me.

"And you are?" I questioned, my voice sharpening. "Explain yourself."

"Maribel Briar became violent, and I happened to sustain an injury while protecting Her Highness." As he explained, he raised his hand, and my eyes landed on the obvious wound in his palm.

My eyes narrowed slightly.

It went all the way through.

Sure, that wasn't something to worry about too much. But to leave Aveline's side?

Something about that didn't sit well with me.

"Her Highness sent me back herself," he said. "It seems the sight of the wound irritated her," he explained.

It wasn't only the sight of the wound, I thought, my eyes moving to Rowan's face.

It was him in general.

I'd noticed it since the very first day—the way Aveline was uncomfortable around him. My theory? He had done something to warrant such treatment in her past life.

But that was a topic for another day.

"Where is she now?" I asked.

"Her mother's land," he informed me.

Her mother's land?

I turned the words over in my mind. I vaguely recalled hearing of something like that. It was an hour's ride from here at best.

My eyes flickered toward the clock. Considering the time and all, she should have returned in two hours.

…That was still too much time without a guard by her side.

"Send Bernie and Lachlan to her," I instructed, already turning my attention back to the documents when Rowan spoke.

"I already offered to do that, but Luna Aveline turned it down."

"That's you," I said pointedly, then met his gaze briefly, leaving no room for objection. "Send them."

A heartbeat passed—too long compared to how quickly he usually responded to me—before he nodded.

"Understood, Alpha," he said and waited for me to dismiss him.

I didn't.

"How long have we known each other for, Rowan?" I asked.

"Twenty-two years," he answered without missing a beat. "It's been twenty-two years since the late Empress, Luna Amaris, rescued my sister and me from the fire our father set to our house and appointed me your beta and personal knight."

He said it matter-of-factly, and my gaze lingered on him for a long moment before I finally spoke.

"If you still remember your place, then act like it."

My eyes narrowed.

"This would be the last time I should witness a waning in your loyalty, Rowan."

There was a flicker of something in his eyes. For a moment, it almost looked like my words had hurt him. But just as quickly as it came, it disappeared, and he lowered his head.

"I apologize if I ever gave you that impression, Alpha," he said sincerely.

My gaze lingered on him for a short while before moving to his injured hand.

"Go get that wound treated."

"Understood, Alpha."

With that, he straightened and made a beeline for the door.

As soon as it closed, Dmitri's voice sounded in my mind.

“You have no cause to doubt him, Rhaedon. Yet you still do. Why?”

"I've come this far in life because I doubt everyone," I answered as I turned my attention back to the file. "Rowan is no exception, despite the belief I have in him."

“But Aveline is?”

The question made me go silent for a heartbeat, and my gaze drifted back to the rain.

I watched with subtle displeasure as the droplets danced across thw windows glass before answering without hesitation.

"She's no exception. She's just… Aveline."

I fixed my gaze back on the file before me, yet once again, not a single word seemed to register.

My brows furrowed faintly as I leaned back in my chair.

Why the hell was I suddenly feeling so restless?

☆

Aveline

In the blink of an eye, the rain had intensified.

I shivered faintly from the relentless downpour, feeling Daisy shake just as faintly as I gently moved her behind me, eyes never leaving the hooded figures that now took threatening steps towarda us.

At the sudden crack of thunder, Daisy flinched and I tightened my stance, keeping myself between her and the attackers without hesitation.

"What do you want?" I demanded, my voice nearly drowned out by the downpour.

One of the figures stepped forward, their face still hidden beneath the hood.

"We've been sent to deliver a message," they said, their voice muffled beneath the downpour. "A reminder that there are consequences when choices are arrogantly turned down."

My eyes narrowed.

Consequences?

The word danced in my mind and I found myself running through several answers in my mind.

Who had the resources to track me down this far and send people after me… to punish me, show me they were consequences for my actions, for my choices.

My brows twitched, but at the last second, I resisted the urge to spiral, focusing on the figures approaching instead.

My grip tightened around the umbrella just ad one of them lunged forward.

On instinct, I swung the umbrella.

Before it could connect, the figure dodged it, taking calm and precises steps backwards like they'd been trained for this.

The next second, an attack came from the side—the dagger sliced through a raindrop just as i dodged it.

This time around, this attacker wasn't as quickly as his predecessor.

I swung the handle of the umbrella and it connected ckeanly against the attacker's jaw. He staggered, and I immediately followed with a kick to his stomach that sent him crashing into the mud.

Before i could recover, another came at me from the side.

I twisted out of the way, caught his wrist, and used his momentum against him, sending him hard into the ground.

Daisy flinched as I repositioned myself in front of her, eyes fixed on the remaining four figures who still stood, untouched.

I gritted my teeth.

This wasn't going to end as smoothly as I wanted it to. But no matter what, no one was going to hurt Daisy.

One of the hooded figures glanced at the remaining three and spoke. But the words that left his lips were unlike any language I knew.

“Saeva naelith, morra ven.”

The words were low and guttural, carrying a strange cadence that sent a chill crawling down my spine.

I didn't understand a single syllable.

… I didn't understand a fucking thing they'd just said!

Something close to panic washed over me, a wave of heat that felt almost unnatural against the cold rain soaking through my clothes.

Before I could even begin to process the strange words he'd spoken, all four of them lunged at me.

I immediately raised my umbrella, but at the last second, movement caught my attention from the corner of my eye.

One of them pivoted, his attack no longer aimed at me… at Daisy!

My body moved before my mind could catch up.

I spun around, unlocking the umbrella in the same motion. It sprang open just as the first dagger struck.

Thwick!

The blade pierced straight through the fabric, followed by two more.

I didn't give them a second to recover. Gripping the handle tightly, I yanked the umbrella hard to the side.

Grunts filled the air as the force ripped the weapons from their hands. Daggers clattered against the rain-slicked ground.

With them disarmed, I pulled the umbrella back toward me, folding it in one swift motion and turning around. Then—

Thwack!

Pain exploded across my cheek.

The force of the blow sent me stumbling backward. My foot slipped in the mud, and before I could regain my balance, I crashed onto the ground.

“My lady!”

Daisy's voice reached me, muffled beneath the ringing in my ears. My vision spun violently for a few seconds, the world blurring into nothing but rain and shadows.

I'd been slapped.

It took my stunned brain several seconds to process that much.

I lifted my head just as footsteps approached. hand suddenly seized a fistful of my hair and yanked me upward, dragging me from the mud.

One of the hooded men leaned down, his grip tightening.

Then another voice cut through the rain.

“Vaelith na'ra. Serin vel.”

The words were sharp and commanding, spoken in that same strange language.

I didn't understand them.

But the man holding my hair did.

His grip loosened slightly before he looked toward the speaker and gave a curt nod.

Then his attention returned to me.

“No hard feelings, Your Royal Highness,” he said, his voice almost apologetic. “We're just carrying orders.”

I met his dark gaze beneath the shadow of his hood.

Even though I could see that he didn't mean the words, a smile slowly curved across my lips.

“Apology accepted.”

The next second—

Shhk!

I drove a dagger straight into the side of his neck.

His entire body jerked and his hand immediately released my hair as he staggered backward, both hands flying toward the wound.

Blood seeped between his fingers as he tried desperately to stop it.

But as he raised his hand, something caught my attention.

A crest.

Pinned to the side of his chest, half-hidden beneath the folds of his cloak, was a symbol I knew all too well.

Something inside my chest tightened as my gaze locked onto it.

A dragon wrapped around a knife driven through the mouth of a wolf.

There was only one person in the entire Vermont Empire who bore that crest.

The Draven Extension—an extension of the Ashkaar family, ruled by none other than…

Valerius Draven Ashkaar.

~☆~

Saeva naelith, morra ven— “Kill the girl behind her.”

Vaelith na'ra. Serin vel— Remember, don't kill her.