We left Braedon at dawn. The road was still quiet when our small group set out. Alexander rode ahead with Liam and two other knights, while I followed a short distance behind with Gabriel riding beside me. The morning air carried the smell of damp earth and pine, and low mist clung to the valley floor. We were heading towards Ariella's sanctuary.
I had been thinking about the meeting since Alexander agreed to arrange it. Ariella was one of the few people in this world who might actually understand what was happening between humans and magical creatures. She was known as the Heavenly Princess, a woman whose abilities were closely tied to healing, nature and the magical forces of the world.
And she was also Alexander's secret lover. I had read the story before transmigrating into this world. I knew the relationship between Alexander and Ariella. I knew how important she was to him. I knew what would eventually happen to her.
That knowledge made this journey uncomfortable in a way I couldn't explain to anyone. Especially not Alexander.
The sanctuary appeared after we passed through a narrow stretch of forest. It was tucked into a green valley surrounded by steep hills, with streams running between clusters of medicinal plants and small wooden buildings scattered across the grounds. It was different from what I had read.
I had expected something secluded. Perhaps a quiet cottage where Ariella lived away from the world. Instead, the place was busy. Workers carried baskets of herbs between buildings. Patients sat beneath covered walkways while healers moved from one person to another. The smell of crushed leaves, boiled roots and something sweet—jasmine, perhaps—hung in the air.
Ariella hadn't simply built herself a sanctuary. She had created a place where people came to be healed.
Alexander dismounted. He turned towards me. "Stay here."
I raised an eyebrow. "You're going inside alone?"
"For now." He glanced towards Gabriel. "Keep watch."
Gabriel nodded.
I looked from Alexander to the building ahead. "And what exactly am I supposed to do while you disappear?"
Alexander's mouth tightened slightly, as though he knew I wasn't going to be satisfied with the answer. "I won't be long." Then he walked away.
I watched him disappear through the entrance. Something inside me tightened.I knew why he had gone in alone. I knew what was waiting for him inside. And suddenly, I wasn't sure I wanted to be here at all. I turned away and looked across the sanctuary instead.
Workers moved between the buildings carrying baskets of herbs. A young woman was helping an elderly patient walk towards one of the treatment rooms. Someone laughed near the gardens. It was peaceful. That almost made it worse. Because Ariella wasn't some scheming woman waiting to steal someone's prince. She was a healer. A woman who had devoted herself to helping others.
And Alexander was lying to her. He was lying to me too. The thought left a sour taste in my mouth. I didn't blame Ariella. How could I? She didn't know what I knew. She didn't know that Alexander had become involved in circumstances the original story had never accounted for. She didn't know that I was standing outside her sanctuary carrying knowledge from a world she could never imagine. Most importantly, she didn't know that the man she loved was withholding the truth from her sister, Seraphina, as well.
I looked towards the entrance again. More than anything, I felt sorry for her.
***
Alexander walked through the familiar corridors of the sanctuary. The scent of herbs filled the air, mixed with the faint sweetness of jasmine growing somewhere beyond the open windows. He had walked these halls many times before. He knew which rooms were used for patients, which shelves held dried herbs and which doors led towards the private quarters.
Nothing had changed. Or perhaps too much had changed.
He found Ariella in one of the treatment rooms. She was leaning over a patient, carefully applying a paste to a wound along the man's arm. Her sleeves were rolled back slightly, and several small glass containers sat on the table beside her.
She looked up when she heard footsteps. For a moment, she simply stared at him. Then her expression softened. "Alexander."
He smiled. "Ariella."
She crossed the room before either of them could think better of it. Her arms went around him, and he held her tightly. For several seconds, neither spoke. Then Ariella pulled back just enough to look at him. "You came."
"I said I would."
"You also said you would come sooner." There was no accusation in her voice. Just familiarity.
Alexander brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. "I was delayed."
"By the princess?"
His hand stopped. Ariella noticed. Her expression changed slightly. Alexander lowered his hand. "We need to talk."
Ariella studied him before nodding. The patient in the room had already been taken care of, leaving them alone.
Alexander looked towards the doorway before speaking. "Things have changed."
Ariella folded her arms loosely. "You've said that before."
"This time I mean it." He explained what had happened since he left the sanctuary—the Frostbane attack, Elysia's strange ability, the journey towards Aetheron and the growing tension surrounding the hunt. He didn't tell her everything.
Not about Elysia. Not about how much her presence had changed his behaviour. Not about the uncertainty he felt whenever Elysia challenged the path he had once followed without question.
Ariella listened without interrupting. When he finished, she was quiet for a moment. "So you brought her here because you need my help."
"Yes."
"And she doesn't know about us."
Alexander looked away. "No."
Ariella studied him for a moment. "Then what are you planning to do?"
"We need to keep things professional while she's here."
Her expression changed slightly. "Why?"
"Because she's already involved in this situation, and people are watching me closely. If they discover our relationship, it could put you in danger."
Ariella frowned. "You think someone would use me against you?"
"They already would if they knew how much you mean to me."
She was quiet.
"And the princess?" Ariella asked.
"What about her?"
"She trusts you."
The words made him pause. Alexander looked towards the doorway before lowering his voice. "That's exactly why we need to be careful. I don't want her to know about us yet."
Ariella looked at him for a long moment. "Yet?"
"Until I can deal with everything that's happening."
She didn't answer immediately. Alexander reached for her hand. "I don't want you caught in the middle of this, Ariella. Let me handle it."
Her fingers curled around his. "You always say you're protecting me."
"Because I am."
She gave him a faint smile, but there was uncertainty behind it. "I suppose I have to trust you."
"You can." He leaned forward and kissed her. It was brief. Nothing like the desperate reunion from moments earlier, but enough to remind him exactly what he was trying to protect.
When they separated, Ariella rested her forehead lightly against his. "Then go," she whispered. "Before someone notices you've been gone too long."
Alexander nodded. He gave her hand one last squeeze before letting go. Ariella watched him leave. She trusted him. And that was exactly what made the lie possible.
****
When Alexander returned, I was standing near the gardens with Gabriel. He approached as though nothing unusual had happened.
"Princess."
I turned towards him. "Are we going inside?"
"Yes." He offered his arm.
I looked at it for a moment before taking it. Not because I wanted to. Because refusing would only draw attention. We walked towards the building together. I kept my face neutral. I had no intention of letting him know that I understood exactly where he'd been. Or what he'd been doing.
He had lied to Ariella. He had lied to me. And somehow he expected both of us to continue standing beside him as though nothing was wrong. The thought made my stomach turn. But I swallowed it. This wasn't the place to confront him. Now it's not the right time to blow his cover.
We entered Ariella's private room. She was already waiting for us. Her expression had changed completely. The woman who had embraced Alexander moments earlier was gone. In her place stood the composed Heavenly Princess everyone else knew.
She inclined her head. "Princess Elysia."
I returned the gesture. "Lady Ariella." There was no hostility between us. If anything, I found myself liking her immediately. That made the situation even harder.
Ariella gestured towards the chairs. "Please, sit."
We settled around a small table near the window. Alexander remained slightly behind me. I looked at Ariella. "I need your help with something."
Her attention sharpened. "Of course."
"I don't want to kill the creatures we're searching for."
Alexander shifted behind me.
I continued before he could interrupt. "If we can subdue them instead, I want to do that. I want to understand what they're doing before anyone decides they have to be destroyed."
Ariella considered my words. "You believe they can be controlled without being harmed."
"I believe some of them may be willing to cooperate."
"And Aetheron?"
I hesitated. "Especially Aetheron."
Alexander said nothing. Ariella leaned back slightly. "You are asking for something difficult."
"I'm aware."
She glanced towards Alexander. Then back at me. "Why?"
I frowned. "Because killing him may solve one problem and create another. If he truly is the King of Monsters, removing him could change the balance between humans and magical creatures. And if the creatures attacking human settlements are acting because of something else, killing their king won't necessarily solve that."
Ariella's expression softened. "That is a reasonable concern."
Alexander finally spoke. "And if negotiation fails?"
"Then we'll deal with that when it happens."
He looked at me. I met his eyes. "I don't want to begin with killing."
Ariella was quiet for several seconds. Then she nodded. "I can prepare something."
I blinked. "Something?"
"Potions."
"For what?"
"To subdue magical creatures temporarily. They won't kill them. Depending on the creature, the effect may last several minutes or several hours."
Relief loosened something in my chest. "That would help."
Ariella smiled. "I'll prepare what I can."
"Thank you."
She shook her head. "You don't have to thank me for wanting to avoid unnecessary bloodshed."
I smiled faintly. There was something about her that made me understand why she had become the Heavenly Princess. She wasn't naïve. She wasn't weak. She simply didn't believe violence should be the first answer. I admired that. And perhaps that was why I couldn't bring myself to resent her for loving Alexander.
If anything, I wished she knew the truth. She deserved better than being kept in the dark. So did Seraphina. The thought came unexpectedly.
Two women. Two women who, according to the story Samantha had read, would become entangled with the same man. Neither of them deserved to be treated as pieces on Alexander's board.
I glanced towards him. He was watching Ariella. There was affection in his eyes. Real affection. That made everything more complicated. Because I wasn't dealing with a simple villain. Alexander wasn't pretending to care about Ariella. He genuinely loved her. And yet he was still lying. That was what bothered me most.
Ariella walked us towards the door when our conversation ended. "Princess."
I turned. "If you need anything during your journey, send a word."
"I will."
She smiled. Then her gaze moved towards Alexander. Only for a second. But I saw it. There was something restrained in her expression. Not anger. Not jealousy. But concern. She knew what they were risking.
Alexander gave her a small nod. Nothing more. I looked away. I didn't want to watch. I didn't want to become part of their secret. As we stepped outside, Alexander fell into step beside me. Neither of us spoke for several moments.
The sanctuary continued around us. Patients moved between the buildings. Workers carried herbs from the gardens. Somewhere nearby, water ran over stones.
Everything looked peaceful. But I knew better. There was a secret between Alexander and Ariella. A secret I had known before I ever arrived in this world. And now I was standing in the middle of it. I tightened my fingers around the reins.
I didn't hate Ariella. I couldn't. She was kind. Capable. Compassionate. And she didn't deserve to be lied to. Neither did Seraphina. If Alexander continued down this path, sooner or later the truth would come out. And when it did, it wouldn't only hurt him. It would hurt the women who had trusted him.
I looked ahead at the road waiting beyond the sanctuary. I had come here hoping Ariella could help me find another way to reach Aetheron. She had. But I was leaving with something else as well. A clearer understanding of the man I was travelling with. And I wasn't sure I liked what I had learned.