Dagen's POV
The priestess at the temple had made one thing very clear: I had to find Gina or I was hopeless. I stood in the, pacing about anxiously. The past few days had been a whirlwind of revelations and realizations. It was wrong of me to have treated Gina the way I had in the past and now I was paying for my sins. If I had not done what I did, perhaps I would not have had this problem.
I had chosen Nydia over her foolishly and the same Nydia has betrayed my trust— almost allowing the child of another man to take over my throne. The thought of her made my blood boil but I had to remain calm so that I could be focused on my goal.
Finding Gina.
It had been five years since I first met her, given years since she was dragged into the palace and five years since we got married.
It was four years since Gina left this place— running away from my cruelty.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. Without turning, I could tell who it was. "Wilkins, where is he?" I asked the guard I had sent on an errand and then turned to face him. He seemed shocked that I knew his name.
"Well I searched for him hoping he would be within the palace walls as usual but—"
"Get to the point, I hate when people beat around the bush," I said firmly. "A complete waste of time."
"That is correct Your Majesty, I apologize," he bowed. “Your Majesty I did not find him but, I did send a messenger to request Lord Edvin’s presence at his house, but his butler informed us that he has been away on a business trip for quite a while now."
"Is that so?" I asked with a raise of my brows. "For how long?"
"Up to two weeks, I suppose."
"How was I not aware that my Beta was out of the pack for business?" I frowned, the news unsettling me. Before I could ponder further, the doors to the throne room swung open, and Edvin strolled in, a casual grin on his face.
“I had a personal errand to run,” he said, his tone light. "But perhaps if you paid more attention to your subjects, you would notice whenever they leave without your permission. Or whenever their leash comes off."
"You are a grown man, Lord Edvin, I do not need to treat you like a child," I couldn't help but tease him. “And a personal errand? That is all you could come up with? You, of all people, running personal errands?”
We both laughed, the sound echoing through the vast room. It was a momentary reprieve from the gravity of our usual conversations. But I had news to share, news that could change everything.
“Edvin, I have found a way to lift the curse,” I said, taking in a deep breath.
His eyes widened with curiosity. “How did you come to that conclusion?”
“The Cleansing Temple,” I replied.
"What cleansing temple?" He asked with a raise of his eyebrows. "You went to a cleansing temple? Where?"
"Well you do not seem to notice when leashes get off, do you?" I smirked. "Phillips encouraged me to pay a visit to the Hareville pack. His pack. They do have a cleansing temple, some sort of miracle center they have. Go there and your problems may be solved, or you die while meditating."
"Die?"
"Well if you are weak and happen to meditate on the golden carpet, you may end up passing away."
"Really?"
"Well, the priestess mentioned it."
"Did you take such a risk to break your curse?"
"Well she told me after I was finished with meditating," I grinned. "Guess who has a strong mind?"
"Okay?"
"Well, I did meditate on the golden carpet. It has some sort of flashback magic. Things from the past just start coming back, like it was yesterday. Things that are meant to have been forgotten several years ago."
"It is unlike you to beat around the bush Dagen," Edvin smiled tightly. "Something important happened at the temple and I do not need to hear bits and pieces of what you saw while meditating."
"Well…”_ I began.
"Cut to the chase Dagen," Edvin said. "What you saw scared you."
"I do not get scared," I defended.
"But it was enough to make you feel restless that you had to look for me," Edvin replied with a teasing smile.
“During my visit, I learned that the curse will be lifted once I reconnect with my hybrid mate.”
"Hybrid? Regina is a hybrid?"
"It is obvious."
"You chased her away," Edvin said. "Do you think she will come back to you?"
"I am not going to give her much of an option," I replied with a smirk.
"You are not even thinking of a peace treaty?"
"I need her to come back, Edvin. You and I both know how dire it is."
Edvin’s sighed and moved closer to me. “We stopped searching for Regina because we believed she might be dead already.”
“It doesn’t matter if she’s dead or alive,” I said firmly. “I’m going to find her regardless.”
Edvin’s eyes narrowed as he considered my words. “And what if she is dead?”
“Then I will venture to the Underworld,” I replied, my voice unwavering. “I’ve heard that souls can be revived there. We bring her back to life."
Edvin’s gaze was intense as he studied me. “You would risk everything for this?”
I nodded. “I have no choice. The future of our kingdom depends on it. If the curse isn’t lifted, my son will never sit on this throne, and a traitor’s son will take his place.”
"I understand your resentment because I also lost my father to what happened many years ago on your sixteenth birthday dinner," Edvin sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. “But this is dangerous, Dagen. The Underworld is not a place to be taken lightly.”
“I am aware,” I said. “But I must do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of my lineage and the prosperity of our kingdom.”