Chapter 71 CHAPTER 71
Normally, breakfast at the castle felt warm and comforting, especially for Isabel, who had quickly grown used to the pleasant routines of palace life - fresh bread still warm from the ovens, fruit arranged in colorful bowls, steaming tea served in delicate cups. But today, nothing tasted or felt the same. Even the air seemed heavier.
The morning light filtering into the Mooncrest dining hall was soft and pale, the early sun spreading a golden wash across the long table
Isabel sat at her usual place beside the king, her shoulders slightly tense, her hands resting lifelessly on either side of her plate. She had barely touched her food; only a few crumbs clung to the edge of her napkin. She didn’t look up, not really seeing anything, even though Ethan had been sitting across from her for several minutes, quietly assessing her mood while sipping his morning tea.
It didn’t take long before he finally cleared his throat. “You’re awfully quiet today,” he said gently.
Isabel blinked and looked up, startled, as though she had forgotten she wasn’t alone. “Sorry,” she murmured.
Ethan gave a small smile, one that didn’t pry but invited honesty. “You’re not usually this quiet. And you’re not eating.” He nodded toward her untouched plate. “The staff might faint if they see that.”
Isabel’s cheeks flushed slightly. It was true - since arriving at Mooncrest, she had eaten with gusto, enjoying dishes she’d only dreamed of in her old life. But today, every bite felt heavy, like her throat didn’t want to swallow.
“You seem nervous,” Ethan continued. “Is it because Lisa isn’t here?”
Isabel’s eyes widened. “What? Oh -no. I mean… maybe. I don’t know.” She shifted in her seat, as if embarrassed to be caught. “I just thought… I don’t know what I thought.”
“You are family even when Lisa isn’t sitting beside you,” Ethan said, his voice warm and steady. “You don’t have to feel out of place just because she’s upstairs or late for breakfast. You’re safe here, Isabel.”
She looked at him properly then. “I know. It’s just…” She trailed off, her eyes drifting back to her plate as she poked at a slice of bread she had no intention of eating.
Ethan watched her for a moment. Then, with a soft exhale, he said, “A penny for your thoughts?”
She blinked. “Sorry?”
“You keep drifting off. Your food is cold. And you look like you’re carrying something very heavy.” Ethan placed his cup down and leaned forward slightly. “If you’re comfortable, you can share it with me. Maybe I can help.”
For a long moment, Isabel hesitated. Her throat tightened. She swallowed hard before whispering, “I’m just… worried.”
Ethan’s brows softened. “Worried about what?”
“My friend,” she said quietly. “Lisa.” Her fingers twisted together in her lap before she looked up again. “Did she ever tell you how we first met?”
Ethan nodded. “She told me you saved her. That you took her in when she had nowhere to go.”
Isabel shook her head firmly. “No. She didn’t tell you everything. It wasn’t like that.” She took a breath, her voice trembling slightly. “Lisa didn’t just need somewhere to sleep. She saved my life.”
Ethan straightened a little, his expression sharpening with interest. “How?”
Isabel’s eyes drifted to the window as her voice grew distant with memory. “Some two men… they cornered me one night. I was working a late night shift and was closing up when they saw me. They were drunk. They tried to push me into an alley.” Her throat closed briefly as the memory pressed forward. “Lisa didn’t even know me then. She just appeared - like she had been sent by someone. She and Celia, shouted at them, and she didn’t back down, even though she was smaller than them. She was not even afraid to show her wolf and the consequences she could face if she did. She just wanted to make sure I was safe – even if I almost pissed on myself seeing Celia for the first time. But Something about her - her voice, the way she talked to me and held her hand towards me - she made me feel safe even if technically I was looking at something I should have been afraid of.”
She blinked back a tear. “I didn’t save her. She saved me.”
Ethan’s expression softened, his gaze filling with a form of respect few earned from him. “She does that,” he said quietly. “Takes after our mum, queen Helena, she could not stand to see an injustice done.”
“Yes.” Isabel’s voice cracked. “She has a good heart. She’s brave even when she’s terrified. She looks after people even when she has nothing left to give.” She wiped her cheek quickly. “I trust her more than anyone I’ve known since my mother. And I don’t understand why your goddess—this goddess everyone talks about - why she’s making her suffer so much.”
Ethan inhaled slowly. “Isabel….”
“No.” Isabel shook her head, growing emotional again. “Lisa has already suffered enough. Silverpine destroyed her. Sebastian destroyed her. And now this bond is hurting her again. And Kael is dying. And she has to go through all of this because of some supernatural connection she didn’t choose.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper. “She doesn’t deserve it. She never has.”
Silence settled between them, heavy and honest.
Ethan’s voice, when it finally came, was soft. “I understand why you feel that way. Truly.” He folded his hands in front of him. “But the goddess sees more than we do. She saw Lisa’s past, she sees her present, and she must see her future. If she has not severed that bond, then it is because something important lies ahead. Maybe it’s not just for Silverpine’s sake. Maybe it’s for Lisa’s sake too.”
Isabel exhaled shakily. “I wish I believed that.”
“That’s the burden of faith,” Ethan murmured. “It’s not about understanding. It’s about trusting that there is meaning behind the chaos.”
Isabel’s lips trembled. “Sometimes I think supernatural deities enjoy watching people suffer. Look at me. I never hurt anyone. My father still died. My mom lost herself. And now… I don’t even know where she is.”
Ethan’s expression softened with something close to sorrow. “Maybe even for you, being here was part of the goddess’s plan,” he said. “Maybe your path crossed with Lisa’s not by accident, but because you were meant to walk with her. To help her. To be helped by her.”
Isabel lowered her gaze. “I don’t know.”
Ethan watched her for another quiet, thoughtful moment. Then he smiled gently. “Did this talk help, even a little?”
She sniffed, then let out a small, shaky laugh. “Maybe.”
“Well,” Ethan said, lifting his brows, “then if you want to help me feel better… you can start eating again. The staff will storm the dining hall if they hear you skipped a meal.”
She laughed again - this time with a little warmth - and finally reached for her fork.
They were halfway through their plates when footsteps sounded at the entrance. Lisa walked into the hall, still in her training clothes, her cheeks flushed, her hair slightly messy from exertion. Sweat glistened faintly at her temples.
She paused at the doorway and smiled at them. “Good morning,” she said, slightly breathless.
Ethan and Isabel exchanged a glance - one filled with curiosity, surprise, and the unspoken question neither dared voice: Why did she look so flustered?
Lisa disappeared up the stairs a moment later, leaving the faint scent of fresh morning air behind her.
The two remained silent for a beat before Isabel stabbed her egg with renewed seriousness. Ethan lifted his mug again, not saying a word.