ieked, clutching a little girl

cried, hugging her son as if the man who had ris

ind me, Sriza and Raya trembled, their

e pale with terror, though he struggled

man who played a part in Prince Rhydia

him, just as Zevran attempted to

r hand, closed their eyes tightly, ready to embrace death. Unexpectedly, th

ood dripped from the silver sword in his

had slaughtered without hesitation. My mind raced to t

ed. Now, he was so close that the air around me

d, observing me carefully before t

He would like to have he

er knees to plead. Sriza joined her, l

ill gladly go with them." I smiled softly at them, giving t

h fear that they might die if they ran away. But th

arms. I knew they were walking me down to the roya

" I asked, forcing bravery into my voice

the royal court, my breath hitched. P

oom, and at the center of the carnage st

inted at King Aidan, who knelt be

him. Rhydian. He was so impossibly tall that he made Aida

powerful, exuding an aura of domi

k, untamed and ethereal-that made him look almost unreal. "What a

athe. His eyes were molten golden, so v

ar that should have made him less handsome. Yet

iful. But as his gaze darkened with rage, the g

a man so strikingly beautiful. He was a force-untouchab

"How could you be alive?" Hatred laced

d to be mine." His lips curled into a cruel grin.

re in his golden eyes burned brighter. "Killing you wouldn't be

ody is fed to the palace hounds. And your p

slave. A reminde

peration; he longed for me, but I didn't even know what to think about

'd be enough to atone for Aidan's sins. Wha

y chuckle. "Don't you want to know how she died?" He gri

hen I threw her body into the cold

as

across Rhydian's face right beside his scar and stai

the room, as if seein

es shut, nausea t

an remained frozen, his sw

taggered back, his fist balled tightly, but he said no words, nor did any s

n front of him, tall, col

otprints behind. A man rushed toward him hesitant

emotionless. "I have no interest in being king."

.. it does not feel like enoug

supporters, including those who

e blurred with tears. It was as though I wa

be this affected, but here I was stand

urged. "You must do it-for those who died fighting for you, and for.

he couldn't bear it. He seemed to be struggling to breathe after ev

ord, as if he had forgotten I was e

ydian stopped walking. Slowly, he turned

ed hard as my hand gripped my dress t