Chapter 288 Chapter 288
“Um, Xenon… why are you bringing me to this place?”
Rayena finally summoned the courage to ask when a guard rushed to open up a section of the dungeon. Every cell they passed was teeming with offenders, all thin and sickly.
The smell of rot and fear clung to the air.
“Xenon…” she whispered.
“You’ll see…” was all he said.
Finally, they arrived at another cell, which was thankfully empty.
At least, that’s what Rayena thought when she first looked into it. On closer inspection, she saw a figure huddled in the darkest corner of the cell.
“Who’s that?” she asked, and saw the body move.
“You heard her. Come out now,” Xenon commanded, his voice devoid of all previous warmth.
The figure slowly crawled into a dimly lit section. Rayena gasped as she recognized the figure in front of her.
“Ysolde?”
Rayena stumbled back, disbelief etched on her features. “W-what is she doing here?” she asked, glancing at Xenon. The latter shrugged, his face undecipherable.
“Apparently, her bonded mate threw her here after she gave birth to a girl instead of a boy like he ordered to consolidate his rule.” He gave Rayena a side glance. “He killed the child, by the way.”
A gasp slipped from Rayena’s lips before she could stop it. “What? He did that?!”
“Yes…” Xenon murmured, his voice grave. “Pretty cruel, that is.”
A beat of tense silence passed as they watched Ysolde squirm out of their sight. “My plan was to execute her along with the other traitors in the realm, but…” Xenon trailed off, a shadow crossing his expression.
Ysolde flinched, an odd sound escaping her lips.
Xenon glanced at Rayena, troubled. “I don’t know, Raye. What do you want to do with her?”
“Me?” Rayena squeaked, pointing to herself. Xenon nodded, his expression resolute. Rayena glanced back at the crouched figure behind the cell doors, her chest tightening with conflicting emotions.
She balled her hands into fists, a muscle ticking in her jaw. “What exactly is her crime?” she asked, her voice surprisingly calm.
“She aided the opposition in overthrowing me,” Xenon responded.
“That is a huge offence,” Rayena murmured.
“It is indeed.”
It was at the tip of Rayena’s tongue to have Ysolde pay for all the suffering they went through, but whenever she looked at Ysolde, all she saw was a woman still grieving the loss of her baby. Sunken eyes, thin, frail body—life had dealt with this woman in the cruelest of ways.
The latter had resigned herself to her fate. She was now a shell of the woman she once was. Since they arrived, Ysolde hadn’t dared to look her in the eye; that’s how bad things were. Rayena almost felt pity for her.
She inhaled slowly. The air tasted of iron and mold.
“As much as I’d want you to pay fully for your crimes, life has already rewarded you with enough karma.” The loss of a child was a heavy blow indeed, especially for a woman who’d gone through so many miscarriages to have one.
“You will be stripped of your title, name, and properties, but you’ll have your life. That’s all the mercy I can afford to give you,” Rayena stated, her voice calm and controlled.
Ysolde kept her gaze lowered to the ground. Tears blurred her eyes.
“Take her far away from here. I don’t want to see her face again,” Rayena commanded, her voice sharp as steel.
She turned and walked away, her footsteps echoing sharply down the corridor.
Xenon lingered a moment longer. He tilted his head. “Did you hear that?”
Ysolde shuddered violently, a whimper spilling from her lips, emotions clogging her throat.
“I am exiling you,” Xenon said coldly, his voice stripped of warmth. “From this day until the day you die, you are forbidden from entering the capital, the palace, or its surrounding lands. Fail to comply, and you will be executed immediately. Have I made myself clear?”
“Yes, your majesty…” Ysolde whispered. Her voice was raw, scraped bare by grief and guilt.
Xenon turned to the soldiers behind him. “Get her out of here. Send her away.”
They bowed deeply as he strode past them, catching up to Rayena.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” they chorused.
.
.
.
Both of them returned to the palace, walking side by side. Xenon guided her to his former chambers, and Rayena noticed with satisfaction that it had been remodeled to its earlier aesthetic. She allowed her gaze to flicker around before turning to Xenon.
Her breath shuddered once, betraying her composure. She folded her arms around herself, fingers curling into her sleeves as if to anchor herself.
“I didn’t think it would feel like that,” she said quietly, worrying her lower lip.
Xenon turned to face her. “Like what?”
“So… heavy,” she answered. “I thought I’d feel relief. Or justice.” She swallowed. “But it just felt… sad.”
Xenon studied her for a moment, weighing the words he wanted to say in his mind.
“You showed mercy,” he said at last. “That takes more strength than cruelty ever will.”
Slowly, Xenon took a step towards her, closing the distance between them. “Regardless of what happened, You did well today,” he said softly. “I’m proud of you.”
Her lips curved into a small, tired smile. “I’m proud of you too.”
Xenon's lips quirked upward, not quite forming a smile. The air softened around them. “Is there anything you’d like for me to do?” Rayena asked after a moment, looking at him.
Xenon shook his head, hands clasped behind his back. “That would be all. I’ve told my men to keep an eye for her and ensure she stays far away from here.”
“Good,” Rayena muttered under her breath, her fingers twisting together, tension slowly unwinding from her shoulders.
“All that’s left is for us to prepare for our mating ritual.”
At the mention of that, Rayena’s heart skipped several beats, excitement flooding her veins. She gazed up expectantly at Xenon, her eyes shimmering.
Xenon caught the look, closing the distance between them and grabbing hold of her hand.
“What’s that like?” Rayena asked, her heart pounding.
Xenon’s lips curled into a smile, and he squeezed her hands reassuringly. “It’s… a bit hard to put into words. But aside the marking, which I’ve already done, and the obvious intimacy that would be happening, it’s a moment of completion.”
“Oh…” Rayena trailed off, her eyes sparkling with wonder. “That sounds marvelous.”
Xenon smirked. “You’ll love it, I promise. Once it’s complete, you would be able to feel my emotions as much as I’ll feel yours.”
“Really?” Rayena asked. He nodded. She grew giddy. “I’m looking forward to it.”
He pulled her into a hug, kissing the tip of her forehead. “Me too,” he growled.
That night, Xenon summoned the people, announcing he would be going for his mating ritual with Rayena. Torches flared high, casting flickering gold across the arena as the crowd gathered—werewolves, weretigers, and human soldiers alike, their murmurs blending into a living hum.
Morvan would be in charge of things till he returned.