A rare sight indeed.
I let myself sink into the bed, finally giving in to the exhaustion that had been threatening to drag me under. My eyelids grew heavier with each blink, and the steady whir of the mop was comforting in the background.
NARINE’S POV
Two more months have slipped by since that fateful day, yes, the one we all know too well. In that time, the landscape of my life has shifted once more. Physically, I felt like a new person. My health had significantly improved, I could see and feel the changes in my body. The gauntness that had once defined me was starting to fade, and I noticed a gradual increase in my weight. It was a small victory, but a welcome one nonetheless. The drips and injections had been cut back significantly, though I still hadn’t felt my wolf stir. Maravek said it would take another three months or so before my body would be strong enough for the awakening.
Not that I planned to be here that long.
Sargis continued to be as attentive and caring as ever. Ever since that day, he hadn’t let me be alone without either him or Hasmik hovering close by. Their vigilance was oddly comforting, yet it also felt a bit stifling at times.
On a more positive note, I had finally reached the point where I could keep down solid food, and my appetite had surged to an almost insatiable level. The tantalizing aromas from the meals often made my mouth water, and each meal became a small celebration of my improving health. Communication was still minimal, but it was better, electronically. Whenever I found myself in need of assistance with tasks I couldn’t manage on my own, all I had to do was express my request and without question, they were attended to promptly, almost as though they anticipated my every thought.
However, despite the royal care and attention I received, the room around me had begun to feel increasingly confining, like a gilded cage that separated me from the outside world. Every day spent here, trapped within these luxurious walls, only strengthened my resolve to escape.
I would always be grateful for the kindness I’d been shown here, but I needed to get my life back together, on my own.
It was currently a few minutes past 2 p.m. I’d just had a light potato chip, and now Hasmik sat curled on the leather sofa nearby, typing furiously into her phone with a look of total concentration.
I smiled faintly to myself.
There was something about Hasmik, so effortlessly calm, confident, and warm. She radiated quiet strength. The kind that didn’t need to be loud to be seen. She didn’t overstep, over-talk, or force herself into spaces I wasn’t ready to share. She just made sure I was comfortable. It made me wonder, painfully, what life might’ve felt like if I’d had someone like her growing up.
But she was also the single greatest obstacle to my escape. She was always there, and that’s a problem. I tore my gaze away from her and turned back to the anime playing on the smart TV. “Demon Slayer,” a show I hadn’t even known existed until I once woke up to the sound of Sargis watching it on low volume. I’d been groggy and irritated… until my eyes adjusted, and I saw the animation. The colors, music, and the way the characters fought for something, even when they were broken, instantly piqued my interest.
Now I was halfway through the third season. But I couldn’t concentrate today.
I popped another piece of popcorn into my mouth and chewed absently.
Every scenario I’d rehearsed in my head, asking casually to go for a walk, to see another room, or to feel the sun, sounded ridiculous the moment it formed in my head.
Two whole months and I’d made exactly zero progress. I was suffocating.
Then the door swung open.
I turned instinctively and froze.
Sargis stepped in, looking… disheveled. His hair was slightly tousled, and his jacket was unbuttoned like he’d just pulled it on in a rush. But the moment his eyes landed on me, he smiled. That easy, almost boyish smile that made something uneasy twist in my stomach.
I looked away, fast.
I hadn’t been able to meet his eyes in weeks.
There was something about them that were too intense. They unsettled me. I couldn’t tell if it was the way they searched me, or the fear that if I stared too long, I might start to believe in them.
“Hey,” he greeted warmly.
He always did. Cheerfully, if I may add.
“I’m here too, you know,” Hasmik drawled sarcastically, not looking up from her phone. “A little acknowledgment would be nice, Your Majesty.”
“Didn’t think you even noticed I walked in, with the way you’ve been smashing that screen.” Sargis retorted.
She snorted. “You’re just jealous you don’t have reflexes like mine.”
“Game addict,” he teased.
I watched them trade jabs like siblings, their banter was so effortless and warm it almost hurt to watch. They’d known each other long enough to be free with one another. To tease without second-guessing every word.
It made something twist deep in my chest, thinking back to Levon. What would it have been like to grow up with that? Someone teasing me into laughter, calling me out on my sulks, and throwing a pillow at me just to see me smile?
I’d never know, and Sargis would never know how lucky he was to have that.
“Anyway,” Hasmik sighed dramatically as she stood and gathered her things, “I made sure she’s well-fed and cozy. You’re welcome.”
She turned to me. “Bye, Narine. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? And if you ever want to ditch the gloomy Alpha and just goof off or escape this palace-sized prison, I’m the girl.”
I averted my gaze. I hated being put on the spot like that. It was jarring.
“You’re so cute when you try to ignore affection,” she murmured with a grin, then disappeared through the door.
“Sooo…” he drawled, “How was your day?”
He always asked me that. Like it was our thing and I never answered but…
I bit my lip. This was it. The moment.
I reached for the tablet, my fingers slightly trembled as I typed.
‘I remember you once offered to take me to the garden. Does that offer still stand?’
I handed it over and kept my gaze locked on his face.
He read it slowly. Then his mouth curved into a slow, lazy grin.
SARGIS’ POV
Court of Elders – Grand Hall, Morning.
The room buzzed with low murmurs as the kingdom’s most influential voices gathered at the round obsidian table. Sunlight slanted through tall windows, casting the royal crest in golden hues upon the polished floor. The tension in the High Court was so thick it clung to the air like damp fog.
I sat at the head of the obsidian table, surrounded by twelve court officials, all draped in ceremonial robes except me. My parents sat to my left, looking every bit the ruling monarchs they once were.
“The Eastern Riverlands are restless again,” General Tavrek began, his gravelly voice was laced with irritation. “Bandit factions are creeping toward our borders and testing our patrol lines.”
“And that’s because they smell weakness,” High Chancellor Elra added.
My jaw ticked in annoyance, but I remained silent.
“Trade has suffered severely as a result,” Master Callon, the court’s economic advisor, added. “Caravan routes through the northern passes have seen delays, and the Merchants are unsettled. We need to reassert strength and show them the Crown still governs with order.”
“I’ve doubled the patrols,” I responded definitively. “The Northern Lords have been summoned, and I’ve sanctioned aid to stabilize the merchant guilds. You speak as if I’ve been absent from the throne, and yet I sit before you, overseeing every matter this kingdom requires.”
There was a beat of silence.
“You’ve ruled efficiently, no one disputes that,” Elra responded. “But with all due respect, Your Majesty, you cannot rule in halves. The people look to your mate. Your Queen. And she has yet to show herself. A king’s silence can be interpreted as indifference. Or worse, fear.”
So it begins, I thought bitterly. We’ve moved from bandits and borders to the real reason for this gathering. I folded my hands in front of me calmly.
“Are we done discussing my kingdom?” I asked, sweeping my gaze over the table. “Or have you all simply gathered to ask why my mate hasn’t stepped into a ballroom yet?”
No one answered.
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