Chapter 202 CHAPTER 202

Chapter 202 CHAPTER 202
The bathroom tiles were cool against Ariel's palms as she gripped the sink, staring at her reflection in the polished mirror. Her crown sat slightly askew, the moonstone catching the candlelight from the wall bracket. She looked like a stranger, pale and wide-eyed, someone who had just learned that her father's history was written in another woman's blood.

She turned on the faucet, letting the water run cold over her wrists, trying to anchor herself in something simple and physical. The sound filled the small chamber, drowning out the echo of Elena's words. 

Ariel splashed water on her face, then reached for a cloth to dry herself. She was just about to turn toward the door when it hit her again, that sudden, rolling wave of nausea, she barely made it to the basin in time.

When the spasms finally passed, she leaned against the stone wall, trembling. This wasn't grief. She knew grief, had carried it since she was old enough to understand that her parents were never coming back from death. This was something else, something that lived in her body now, making its presence known at the worst possible moments.

Are you okay?

Zack's voice in her mind, warm with concern and edged with something sharper. Frustration, maybe. Hurt that she had shut him out, even for these few minutes.

Should I come in? I'm right outside.

She could feel him through their bond, standing just beyond the heavy wooden door, his worry a physical pressure against her thoughts.

I'll be fine, she sent back, reaching for the water again to rinse her mouth. I just need a minute. Then I'll be right out.

Hey.

Zora's voice this time, rising from somewhere deep inside her, that other consciousness that shared her skin and her secrets. Do you need a hug?

Ariel almost laughed, the sound catching in her throat like a sob. I don't think a hug will solve this, Zora.

What are you afraid of?

The question cut through her carefully constructed walls, simple and direct in the way that only Zora could manage. Are you thinking our father had something to do with Alessia's death? Is that what you're thinking?

I'm not thinking, Zora. Ariel gripped the sink again, watching her knuckles turn white. I know it. If he didn't have anything to do with it, then why did he leave Ashwood? Why did he run away and hide among the humans?

Silence stretched between them, filled only with the dripping faucet.

Maybe because of the same reason you're here throwing up?

Ariel closed her eyes.

You knew him well, Zora continued, her voice gentler now. How he loved and cared for others. You know he would never hurt a soul, yet you're here already thinking the worst of him. What do you think happened with everybody else who heard about his fiancée's death? Maybe he had nothing to do with it, but everyone judged him anyway.

I don't know...

Yes, you do. Zora cut through her hesitation with the certainty of someone who had lived inside her doubts and survived them. I don't know what more Elena has to tell us about our father, but I need you to have faith in him. Just like Edwin believed in him all those years ago.

Before Ariel could find a response, a knock sounded at the door. "Ariel." Zack's voice, muffled but firm. "I'm coming in."

She heard the knob turn and moved automatically, reaching the door before he could push it open. She pulled it toward her and stepped through, finding herself immediately wrapped in his arms, his warmth surrounding her like a shield against everything waiting in the throne room beyond.

"Are you okay?" He pulled back just enough to search her face, his thumbs brushing gently across her cheekbones.

She managed a smile, small but genuine. "Zora just gave me a pep talk. I'm feeling better now."

It wasn't entirely a lie. Zora's words had found their mark, settling somewhere beneath the panic, a small flame of faith she could nurture if she chose to.

Together, they walked back through the palace corridors, the ancient tapestries and polished armor watching them pass in silent witness. The throne room doors stood open, and Ariel could see Elena waiting where they had left her, patient as a predator or a penitent, Ariel couldn't yet tell which.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting," Ariel said as they entered, her voice carrying the practiced steadiness she had learned during the ceremony. She settled back onto her throne with deliberate grace, feeling Zack's presence beside her like an anchor. "Please. Tell me everything."

Elena's eyes lingered on Ariel's face, searching for something. Whatever she found seemed to satisfy her, because she nodded slowly and began to speak….