Rachel fell silent for a moment, her eyes fixed on Thom, who still stood tall before her.Without realizing it, her hands had begun to tremble."You..." Rachel struggled to steady her voice, but the slight crack in it didn't escape Thom's notice. "You really haven't changed. Your presence is still just as... merciless.""Yeah," Thom replied flatly. "My presence is merciless, Rachel."His gaze never wavered. "Especially toward traitors like you."The words struck Rachel far deeper than she wanted to admit.She drew a slow breath and tried again, this time softening her tone, attempting to rebuild the bridge that had just collapsed between them."Fine," she said, folding her hands neatly in her lap, pretending to be composed even though her fingers still trembled. "Then let me ask you one last time, Thom. Not as your ex-wife, but as someone who possesses valuable intelligence for this kingdom."She held his gaze. "Do you want my help against Whitfield and his network?"She paused delibe

Dawn had not fully broken when the main training ground of the Royal Military Academy was filled with rows of the Nameless Army—the elite force without names that answered only to the direct command of the king. Aldric and Ines were dragged out of the palace's underground cells, their hands bound behind their backs, every trace of the arrogance that had once defined their positions now gone from their faces.Thom stood atop a wooden platform that had been erected overnight, dressed in his ceremonial black royal robe, his expression as cold as stone. Below him, every senior government official, member of the Council, and representative from each palace division had been summoned to witness the event—not as entertainment, but as a warning they would never forget."Aldric Venmoor and Ines Calloway," Thom declared, his voice echoing across the entire training ground, "have been found guilty of betraying the Crown, selling the kingdom's secrets to foreign powers, and knowingly endangering

Jasmine stood silently in the doorway connecting the palace to the riding arena, having already heard the entire conversation from the moment Yitzhak asked about Shenina. Her face was calm, but her eyes held something far more complicated than calmness alone. She stepped forward, her simple dress swaying gently in the morning breeze, her long brown hair flowing freely—a far cry from the formal image of a queen, looking more like a mother who had just woken from a peaceful night's sleep to check on her children."Yitzhak," her voice broke the silence that had begun to feel heavy, gentle yet firm, "you're sweating a lot after horseback riding. Come inside and take a shower first."Yitzhak turned, slightly surprised to see that his mother had already been standing there. But there was no objection on his face, only a quick nod, as though the question he had just asked had been completely forgotten because of his mother's simple concern."Okay, Mom.""And Sadie," Jasmine continued, this t

For Shenina, the name sounded vaguely familiar, like something she had heard in passing years ago, mentioned once or twice by her mother before the conversation was always hurriedly changed."Rachel..." Shenina repeated the name softly, trying to remember. "Do you know me?"Rachel stepped closer and sat down in one of the cushioned chairs in the visiting room, subtly gesturing for Shenina to sit as well. "Of course.""Oh, I remember now... you're my mother's stepsister, aren't you?"Rachel smiled faintly, her eyes drifting for a moment as if carefully weighing her words. "Oh, yeah. You can think of me as your aunt.""What? Think of you as?" Shenina asked in confusion.Rachel fell silent for a moment. Her expression shifted, and something deeper, something more personal, flickered in her eyes before disappearing behind her gentle facade."Yep. Although, in truth," she continued softly, almost as if speaking to herself, "I'm much more than just your aunt, sweetheart."Shenina frowned. T

The royal car stopped in front of the main gate of Ravenswood Academy at dusk, as a thin mist began to descend over the usually quiet school grounds. Thom stepped out first, his face tense but controlled, with the Red Dragon following behind him, as alert as ever.The headmaster greeted them nervously, clearly not expecting a sudden visit from the King himself. "King, we weren't informed—""This isn't an official visit," Thom cut him off briefly. "I only want to see my daughter. Now."Shenina was called out of her afternoon class, and the moment she saw her father standing in the headmaster's waiting room, instead of the longing he was used to seeing, what appeared on her face was caution, an attitude Shenina had never shown Thom before."Dad," she greeted him flatly, not running to hug him as she usually did. "Why are you here?"Thom requested a private room, and once the door was closed, leaving only the two of them inside, he stared at his daughter for a long moment."I heard you h