Lily
I wasn't one to let whispers bother me. Not in a place like this. But even I couldn't ignore the shift in the palace's air. The second morning after Elis had spent the night with me, I stepped out of my chamber expecting the usual nods, a few small smiles from the palace maids, maybe even a quiet compliment about my herbs. But instead… silence. Thick, strange silence.
A few of them paused mid-step when they saw me. Eyes darted away the moment mine met theirs. Others leaned into each other, their voices lowering to just above a hush. I couldn't make out the words, but I knew they were about me. My brows drew together. Had something happened?
I continued toward the gardens, telling myself not to make too much of it. Maybe they were just trying to be discreet because of my closeness to the Alpha King. Not everyone liked how quickly things had changed between us.
But it wasn't just the maids. The guards stood stiffer as I passed…too stiff, like they were holding something in. One of them looked at me just a second too long. And a young servant girl carrying linens actually stumbled when she noticed me approaching. Her cheeks turned red, and she mumbled something before hurrying off like I carried a plague.
I sighed and brushed it off. People would always talk. They talked when I was a lowly healer. They talked more now that Elis visited my chambers at night. But I didn't expect Sara to storm into my room that afternoon, her face carved with urgency. "Lily, do you have any idea what they're saying about you?"
I looked up from my table, where I'd been crushing lavender stems and dried mint leaves for sleep sachets. Her entrance wasn't exactly subtle. "I take it you're not here to ask how I slept?"
She didn't even smile. Her eyes, usually quick to dance with mischief, were narrowed, serious. "I just left the kitchen. The maids are talking…no, they're whispering and it's spreading fast."
I raised a brow. "And?" She hesitated. That told me everything. "Sara…" I prompted.
She sighed and stepped closer. "They're saying you've… bewitched the Alpha King."
I blinked. "What?"
"That you've used some kind of dark magic to make him obsessed with you. That's why he's ignoring Princess Zeena. That's why he spends his nights here and not in his own chambers. That's why he fights like a man and not like a wolf."
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it…short, sharp and almost bitter. "That's ridiculous."
"I know," Sara said quickly. "But they're starting to believe it."
I shook my head and turned back to my work, fingers returning to the pestle and mortar. "It's idle talk. The palace thrives on gossip, Sara. Give it a few days, they'll find something else to whisper about."
But Sara didn't move. She leaned forward, her voice dropping low. "What if they don't?"
I paused. The words hung in the air like smoke. Heavy. And lingering. She ran a hand through her braids and exhaled. "Just… be careful. This isn't just kitchen talk anymore. Someone's feeding it. I think we both know who."
Princess Zeena. Of course. But… Why now? After all this time? When Sara finally left, I sat in silence. The scent of crushed herbs filled the room, comforting and familiar but it did little to settle the unease in my chest. The stares, the whispers… they weren't just noise anymore. They were seeds. And someone was planting them with care.
***
I had just finished arranging the last of my herb bundles when I heard a sharp, deliberate, knock, not the hesitant kind meant for a healer's door.
Before I could answer, the door creaked open and Eunice stepped inside. She shut it behind her with a soft click, but the tension that followed her in was anything but quiet.
I straightened from my crouch, brushing my hands against my apron. One look at Eunice told me something was wrong. Her face was composed, but her eyes, those sharp, unwavering eyes burned with something fierce.
"Eunice?"
She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she reached into the folds of her robe and pulled out a small vial. Clear glass. The liquid inside shimmered faintly, like dusk captured in a bottle. She set it on my worktable with a firm clink.
I stepped forward and uncorked it. The scent hit me instantly, bitter and floral with a bite of something sinister beneath. "Moonflower essence," I murmured.
Eunice nodded, arms crossed. "Zeena laced the king's wine with it."
A chill spread across my skin. I had studied moonflower. Not deadly, not directly, but potent enough to alter the mind. It dulled logic, softened will, and twisted perception until up became down and trust became suspicion. In high doses, it turned truth into fantasy.
"She meant to compromise him," Eunice said, voice low. "Seduce him. Or make him question the bond he shares with you."
My chest tightened. Rage simmered low in my belly, but above all, I felt a feral protectiveness rise like a tide. That witch had the audacity to drug him?
I clenched the vial in my hand. "This is war."
Eunice's lips twitched, almost amused. "You think this is the first stone she's thrown? This is just the first one you've seen."
"What do we do?" I asked, already thinking of the herbs I could mix to counteract the effects, if he'd taken even a sip.
Eunice stepped closer, her voice quieter now. "Nothing."
I blinked. "What?"
"We let her believe her plan worked," she said, eyes gleaming. "Let her bask in the illusion of control. Let her think she's won…until the day she realizes Elis never drank a drop. Until she realizes you're still standing where she thought she buried you."
I exhaled slowly. The cold fury pulsing through my veins began to shape itself into something sharper. Focused. I met Eunice's gaze and let a slow, dangerous smile stretch across my lips. "Then let the little princess play."
Because if Zeena wanted a war…She just chose the wrong witch to cross.