Chapter 107 Blood and Betrayal

Chapter 107 Blood and Betrayal
Lysander’s POV

After what had happened with Astrid—after being deceived by her and, above all, after completely giving in to it—the last thing I wanted in the world was to face her. So I avoided her like the plague itself. And while Derek and his entourage remained there, the best thing I could do was be extremely cautious.

That morning, all I wanted was to clear my mind—to release some of the frustration that had built up inside me. And I couldn’t think of a better way to do that than training.

So I made my way to the training yard, convinced that a good fight was exactly what I needed to clear my head and stop thinking about everything else.

The field was filled with young soldiers preparing themselves. Many believed that, as wolves with enhanced abilities—greater strength, sharper reflexes—we didn’t need to train.

They were wrong.

Those abilities gave us an advantage, yes… but they could also become our greatest weakness. Overconfidence was a fatal mistake—especially in war.

My father used to say that a fight was very much like dancing—that it was a delicate sequence of steps balanced between giving and receiving.

I was so deep in thought that I stopped paying attention to my surroundings altogether.

Before I could react, I saw a sword flying toward me. Though I moved quickly, it still managed to cut my hand.

—Are you alright, Your Majesty? —one of the instructors asked immediately, while the young man before me looked at me in terror.

—I swear, Your Majesty, I didn’t mean to— —he stammered, dropping the sword to the ground.

—I know —I replied, gripping my hand tightly to stop the bleeding.

—It’s nothing —I added, certain it would heal on its own in a matter of moments.

But it didn’t.

The wound didn’t heal at all.

Instead, it continued to bleed… heavily.

At the same time, I began to feel weaker—and a pain unlike anything I had ever experienced spread through my body.

I tried to understand what was happening when suddenly a wave of nausea rose in my throat. Before I could stop it, I vomited.

And it wasn’t food.

It was blood.

I was vomiting blood.

I was too weak to stand on my own, so a couple of my men helped me back to the castle. Unfortunately, that only drew attention. Everyone around us stared—fearful, uncertain.

I had tried to hide my condition for as long as possible… but now that was no longer an option.

By that point, everyone in the castle must have known.

As soon as we entered, we ran into my mother.

—What happened to him? —she demanded.

—We don’t know, Your Majesty. He just started vomiting blood —one of the soldiers holding me up admitted.

That only made her anxiety grow.

—Take him to his room, I— —I heard her begin, before everything around me went dark.

I don’t know how much time passed.

The next thing I knew, I was lying in my bed.

When I opened my eyes, I realized I wasn’t alone. My mother stood beside me, along with several of the court physicians. They all looked deeply concerned—and that only made me more uneasy.

I tried to sit up, to demand answers, but it was impossible.

Not only was I too weak…

But when I looked down, I saw that my chest was bare—and covered in leeches.

—What happened to me? —I asked, trying to understand.

They all noticed I was awake and finally turned their full attention to me.

—How do you feel, my son? —my mother asked, her voice still shaken.

—I’m fine —I cut her off. I had more important concerns.

—What is happening to me? —I insisted, expecting answers.

But instead, they exchanged uneasy glances, as if deciding what they should say.

That only made my anxiety worse.

—Speak, damn it —I demanded, my patience gone.

—Son… you’ve been poisoned —my mother finally revealed, sitting beside me on the bed.

—Poisoned? —I repeated, trying to process it.

—Yes… poisoned with aconite —she confirmed, visibly distressed.

—The leeches will cleanse your blood and help remove the poison from your body. But I’m afraid it will take time… you’ve been severely affected —she explained.

But that wasn’t what mattered to me.

All I could think about was how it had happened.

And more importantly… who had done it.

The more I tried to make sense of it, the more desperate I became. I tried to sit up again—but failed.

—Easy, my son. Everything will be alright —my mother assured me.

—I will make sure of it. Whoever dared to harm you will pay dearly. I will see to it personally —she declared, a fire burning in her eyes that made it clear she already had someone in mind.

—What do you mean by that? —I asked.

—You don’t need to worry about that. Just know that whoever tried to kill you will wish they had never been born —she promised.