Chapter 431 We Saved Each other

Chapter 431 We Saved Each other
Audrey nearly cried with relief when she saw the familiar towers. Darius was barely conscious now, but alive. They were helped down from the horses and carried inside. Healers descended immediately, tending to wounds and preparing beds.

Before Audrey could even reach the nursery to see her babies, Cordelia hurried toward them, her face pale but determined.
“Your Majesty! Thank the goddess you’re back. There was an attack while you were gone.”

Audrey’s heart seized. “What happened?”

Cordelia glanced at the exhausted group. “Mistress, Lord Anthony’s ally tried to break through the Oracle’s protection spell. She nearly succeeded. She brought dark magic and several hired men.”

Audrey’s blood ran cold. “The twins—”

“They are safe,” Cordelia said quickly. “Thanks to Elara. She fought Mistress herself. The girl refused to hide. She took up a sword from a fallen guard and confronted her directly. She managed to wound Mistress and drive her back long enough for the guards to reinforce the spell. But… Elara sustained a deep stab wound to her side. The healers say she will live, but she lost a lot of blood.”

Audrey felt tears prick her eyes again. “Where is she?”

“In Lord Ryker’s chambers. Her mother and sister are with her.”

They made their way there first. Ryker, now half-awake after being tended to, insisted on being carried to see Elara. When they entered, Elara lay propped up in bed, pale but smiling weakly. A thick bandage wrapped around her torso. Augustine and Camilla sat beside her, holding her hands.

“Ryker…” Elara breathed as he was lowered into a chair beside the bed.

He reached for her hand, eyes filled with worry and pride. “You foolish, brave woman. You should have stayed hidden.”

Elara shook her head, wincing at the movement. “I couldn’t. Not when your queen and her children were in danger. I remembered everything you taught me about fighting. I had to protect them.”

Audrey stepped forward and gently touched Elara’s shoulder. “Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. You saved my babies. You are part of this family now.”

Elara’s eyes filled with tears. “I was so scared… but I thought of you riding out to save the king. If you could be that brave, so could I.”

Ryker kissed her knuckles, his voice thick. “Rest, rosebud. I’m here now. I’m not leaving your side.”

Audrey left them together and finally made her way to the nursery with Darius, who was being supported by two strong guards. When she entered, Faye and Ruby stood up quickly, relief washing over their faces.

The twins were awake. Am cooed loudly when he saw his parents, while Tia reached out with tiny hands. Audrey took them both into her arms, sobbing openly now as she held them close. Darius sat on the edge of the bed, pulling all three of them against him as best he could.

“My family,” he whispered, voice hoarse. “You kept them safe. You brought me home.”

Audrey kissed the top of each baby’s head, then Darius’s lips. “We did this together. All of us.”

The next few days passed in a haze of healing and recovery. Healers worked tirelessly on Darius, Ryker, and the surviving knights. The Oracle remained bedridden for nearly a week, her magic completely drained. Slowly, the palace began to breathe again.

One quiet night, long after the twins had been fed and put to sleep, Audrey and Darius lay together in their chambers. The fire crackled softly in the hearth. Darius had finally regained enough strength to move without assistance, though he still tired easily.

Audrey traced her fingers across his bare chest. The dark, swirling markings that had once covered his skin, symbols of the curse were completely gone. His skin was smooth, unmarked, as if the darkness had never touched him.

“They’re gone,” she whispered in awe.

Darius looked down at himself, then met her eyes. “Yes. The curse is truly broken. And… I am no longer immortal, Audrey. The goddess took that away with the darkness. I am mortal now. Just a man. I will age. I will one day leave this world like everyone else.”

Audrey’s breath caught. She pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around him tightly, pressing her body against his as if she could shield him from the very idea of mortality. “Then we will live every day fully,” she murmured against his neck. “Together.”

Darius buried his face in her hair, his strong arms holding her just as fiercely. For a long moment, they simply breathed each other in.
“Thank you,” he said softly, voice thick with emotion. “Thank you for healing me. For fighting when I could not. For saving me from the monster I had become.”

He pulled back slightly so he could look into her eyes, his thumb gently brushing her cheek.

“And thank you… for coming into my life that night. The same night I had planned to end it all. I was ready to give up, Audrey. The curse had won. But then you appeared — this fierce, beautiful woman sent by the goddess. You gave me hope. You gave me love. You gave me a family.”

Tears slipped down Audrey’s cheeks. She held him even tighter, their hearts beating in sync. “And you gave me everything I never knew I needed. We saved each other.”

They stayed like that for a long time, wrapped in each other’s arms under the soft glow of the hearth fire. No words were needed anymore. The curse was gone. The threats had been defeated.