Chapter 194 CHAPTER 194
Isabel had spent most of the day indoors.
The palace had felt heavier than usual since morning. The corridors were quieter, yet at the same time filled with whispers that seemed to drift from every corner. Servants spoke in hushed voices, guards stood more rigidly at their posts, and every person who passed through the halls seemed to carry the same unspoken question in their eyes.
Something had changed in Mooncrest.
Isabel knew exactly what it was.
The announcement in the square had shaken the kingdom. Word had traveled through the palace long before the meeting ended, and by the time the people returned from the square the tension had already seeped into every room of the castle.
She had heard enough to understand what had happened.
An elder had died.
A traitor had been exposed.
And the king had been forced to stand before his people and confirm it.
Isabel had considered going to the square when the announcement was made, but in the end she had decided against it. The kingdom was already drowning in rumors and uncertainty. The last thing Ethan needed was more attention drawn to the human girl living inside the Lycan palace.
So instead she had kept herself busy.
She helped the staff in the kitchens during the afternoon, carrying trays and organizing supplies where she could. Later she assisted one of the maids with folding fresh linens that had arrived from the laundry rooms. It wasn’t work that required any great skill, but it kept her hands moving and her thoughts from wandering too far into worry.
Even so, her mind kept drifting back to the same two people.
Lisa.
And Ethan.
She knew both of them were carrying burdens that no one else in the palace truly understood.
And sometimes the best thing she could do was simply give them space to deal with it.
By the time evening settled over the palace, Isabel had finally retreated to the room she shared with Lisa. The bedroom had become something of a refuge for both of them since Lisa returned to Mooncrest. The tall windows were open slightly, letting in the cool evening air, and the soft glow of lanterns made the room feel warm despite the tension lingering outside.
Isabel sat near the edge of the bed, absentmindedly braiding a loose strand of her hair while her thoughts wandered.
The door opened quietly.
Lisa stepped inside.
The moment Isabel looked up, she could tell something was wrong.
Lisa’s shoulders were tense, and the expression on her face carried a kind of exhaustion that had nothing to do with physical tiredness.
Isabel stood immediately.
“Was it that bad?” she asked gently.
Lisa paused for a moment before nodding slowly.
“The announcement in the square…” she said quietly. “It made everything feel real.”
Isabel walked toward her.
“I heard some of what happened,” she said softly.
Lisa looked at her with mild surprise. “You should have been at the square with us. Why didn’t you attend the meeting?”
Isabel shook her head.
“I thought about it,” she admitted. “I just didn’t think it was the right place for me. With so many things happening, another anomaly showing up would have only increased the tension.”
She gave a small shrug.
“So I stayed inside.”
Lisa studied Isabel for a moment after she finished speaking. There was something in the way Isabel carried herself, something steady and calm even in the middle of all the chaos surrounding the palace, that made Lisa’s chest tighten with emotion.
Before Isabel could say anything else, Lisa suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.
Isabel blinked in surprise for a second, then returned the embrace without hesitation.
Lisa held her for a moment longer than usual before pulling back slightly, though her hands still rested lightly on Isabel’s shoulders as she looked at her carefully.
“Are you sure you’re seventeen?” Lisa asked softly.
Isabel tilted her head in confusion.
“Why?” she asked with a small smile. “Do I not look seventeen?”
Lisa shook her head quickly.
“No, of course you look seventeen,” she said. “That’s not what I meant.”
She hesitated, searching for the right words, her eyes studying Isabel as though she were trying to understand something that didn’t quite make sense.
“It’s just… the way you talk,” Lisa continued slowly. “The way you understand things.”
Her voice softened, and Isabel noticed the faint shimmer of emotion in her eyes.
“Sometimes you speak like someone who has lived through several lifetimes already,” Lisa said quietly. “Like there’s an old soul living inside the body of a young girl.”
Isabel stared at her for a moment before letting out a soft laugh.
“You know,” she said, shaking her head slightly, “Ethan says the same thing.”
Lisa smiled faintly.
“He’s right.”
Her voice trembled slightly with the weight of the emotions building inside her.
“You always seem to know what to say… and when to say it,” Lisa continued. “What to do… and when to do it.”
She paused, swallowing as if trying to keep the emotion from spilling over.
“I don’t know how you do that.”
For a brief moment it looked like Lisa might actually cry, though she quickly blinked the feeling away.
Isabel’s expression softened immediately.
Without saying another word, she stepped forward again and pulled Lisa back into another warm hug.
“It will calm down,” Isabel murmured gently as she rubbed Lisa’s back in a slow, comforting gesture.”
“I’m not worried about myself,” Lisa said quietly.
Isabel frowned.
“Then what is it?”
Lisa hesitated before answering.
“I’m worried about Ethan.”
The words came out almost as a whisper.
“He’s carrying so much right now,” Lisa continued. “The truth about our parents… Vaughn’s betrayal… the council… the kingdom watching him for answers.”
She lowered her gaze slightly.
“And he has to carry all of it without showing weakness.”
Isabel understood exactly what she meant.
Being king meant never allowing the kingdom to see how heavy the crown truly was.
“I don’t know how he does it,” Isabel admitted softly. “But I do know one thing.”
Lisa looked at her.
“He’s stronger than he believes,” Isabel said. “And he’s not alone.”
Lisa studied her for a moment.
Then something in her expression softened.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
Isabel blinked.
“For what?”
Lisa smiled faintly.
“For being here.”
Isabel tilted her head slightly, confused.
Lisa continued.
“You’ve been helping everyone in this palace more than you realize,” she said. “Especially Ethan.”
Isabel opened her mouth to protest, but Lisa gently shook her head.
“You see a king,” Lisa said softly. “But you treat him like a man who needs comfort.”
Isabel looked down, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed.
“I’m not doing anything special,” she murmured.
Lisa chuckled softly.
“Maybe not intentionally.”
She leaned against the edge of the bed.
“You know… I’ve been thinking about the night we met.”
Isabel smiled faintly.
“The alley?”
Lisa nodded.
“The moon goddess must have been watching that night.”
Isabel raised an eyebrow.
“You think so?”
Lisa laughed quietly.
“The fact that you saw me in my Lycan form and still let me into your house should have told me something.”
Isabel shook her head, smiling at the memory.
“To be honest, I was a little surprised at myself too,” she admitted.
She gestured around the room.
“But look where it led.”
Lisa waited.
“I’m living in the palace,” Isabel continued with a playful grin. “Sharing a room with a princess and somehow becoming friends with a king.”
Lisa laughed softly.
“That does sound strange when you put it like that.”
Isabel glanced toward the door.
“Speaking of the king… where is he?”
Lisa’s smile faded slightly.
“He locked himself in his bedroom.”
Isabel’s brows lifted.
“Since when?”
“Since the meeting,” Lisa said quietly.
She sighed.
“I wanted to go talk to him… but I didn’t know what to say.”
Isabel thought about that for a moment.
Then she straightened.
“Leave that to me.”
Lisa looked at her with curiosity.
“You’re sure?”
Isabel nodded.
“Will you be okay here alone?”
Lisa smiled knowingly.
“I’m meeting Liam soon.”
Isabel returned the smile.
“Then I’ll handle the king.”
She slipped out of the room and headed down the corridor.
The palace was quieter now, most of the staff already preparing for the night. When she reached the kitchens, a faint glow of lanterns illuminated the room.
She walked straight to the large refrigerator and opened it.
A moment later she pulled out a large bowl of ice cream.
Behind her, the housekeeper looked up from the counter and blinked in surprise.
“Are you planning to finish that by yourself?” the older woman asked with amusement.
Isabel grabbed two spoons from a nearby drawer.
“No,” she said cheerfully. “I’m sharing it with the king.”
The housekeeper raised an eyebrow.
“The king doesn’t eat junk food.”
Isabel grinned.
“He will tonight.”
She turned toward the door.
“Because it’s coming from me.”
She headed for the staircase without another word.
The housekeeper watched her go, a genuine smile spreading across her face.
“That girl…” she murmured softly to herself.
“She’s the only one who can get to him.”
A few minutes later Isabel stood outside Ethan’s bedroom door.
She knocked gently.
After a moment the door opened.
Ethan stood there, looking slightly surprised.
His gaze dropped immediately to the large bowl in her hands.
“What’s that for?” he asked.
Isabel lifted the bowl slightly.
“I heard you had a bad day.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t have a sweet tooth.”
Isabel stepped inside anyway.
“That’s unfortunate,” she said casually.
She sat down and scooped a large spoonful of ice cream.
“Because if you don’t help me finish this, I’ll probably get sick eating the whole thing by myself.”
She took another bite and shrugged.
“So it’s really up to you whether you want me suffering from a stomach ache.”
Ethan stared at her for a moment.
Then, slowly, the corner of his mouth lifted.
He walked over and held out his hand.
“Give me the extra spoon.”
And for the first time since morning…
The king of Mooncrest smiled.