Valex looked at Odesse as she sat on his lap, his hands resting on her bare waist. He gazed into her eyes and asked, "Why so much happiness, my love?"

Odesse met his gaze, her voice thick with emotion. "My king, you have no idea how truly happy I am."

As Valex looked deep into her eyes, a warm smile gracing his features, Odesse felt a familiar blush creep up her neck. Yet, beneath the joy, a wave of relief crashed over her, and hot tears began to flow down her cheeks.

Valex’s smile faded, replaced by instant concern. "My love, what is it? Why the tears?"

"I... I was just so scared you would never remember me," she whispered, her voice trembling under the weight of the past month’s torment.

Valex furrowed his brow, his expression shifting to one of confusion. "What do you mean, my love?"

Before she could answer, Odesse’s gaze dropped. Realizing her state of dress, her face instantly turned a brilliant crimson. She stood up quickly, exclaiming, "Dear heavens, my king! I have been sitting here like this, and you never even told me!"

Valex let out a soft, genuine laugh, the deep sound rumbling in his chest. "My love, why are you so embarrassed?"

Odesse scrambled toward the edge of the bed, her eyes frantically scanning the room until she spotted her nightgown draped over the wooden post. She snatched it up, pulling the fabric over her head and hastily arranging the silk. Once covered, she cleared her throat, trying to reclaim her dignity. "My king, it is highly unethical to remain in such a state during the day."

Valex raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in his eye. "Did Azure tell you that?"

Odesse paused, completely speechless, the mention of the name sending a cold chill through the room.

Valex’s expression then softened, his gaze drifting downward toward her stomach. A hopeful, tracing smile touched his lips. "And also... where is my little baby? Is it a girl or a boy?" His voice dropping to a warm whisper. "Or is it both?"

Odesse froze, her entire body going rigid. The color completely drained from her face, leaving her staring blankly at him.

Valex immediately noticed the sudden change in her demeanor. The tension in the air became heavy, suffocating the brief moment of lightheartedness. "Are you okay, my love?"

Odesse walked slowly toward him, her footsteps heavy on the floorboards. She sat back down on the edge of the mattress beside him, her hands trembling as she reached out to take his large palms in her own.

Valex squeezed her fingers, his heart sinking at the coldness of her skin. "My love, what is it?"

Odesse’s mouth parted slightly, her breath hitching as she hesitated to speak the words aloud. The grief that she had kept locked away behind a mask of regal composure threatened to break her apart. Finally, she forced the truth past her lips. "My king... our baby... it didn’t make it."

Valex stared at her, the words failing to process in his mind. "What do you mean, my love?"

The tears flowed uncontrollably now, tracking hot lines down her pale face. "My king... Azure... she... she killed our baby."

Valex’s amber eyes widened in absolute horror. The realization struck him like a physical blow to the chest. He stood up abruptly, tearing his hands from her grip as a wave of raw, violent shock washed over his features. "What! What do you mean?"

Odesse continued, "Your highness, Azure was the daughter of your royal teacher from your youth."

"My royal teacher?" Valex echoed.

Odesse nodded. "Yes."

"But my royal teacher never had children," he replied, confusion growing.

"Are you sure about that, your highness?" Odesse’s eyes widened in surprise.

Valex looked thoughtful. "Oh, wait, I did have a royal teacher, but he was sent away because his daughter tried to steal."

Odesse’s expression shifted as Valex added, "That daughter... is Azure."

"But how is that possible?" Valex asked.

She responded, "Your highness, she had feelings for you. More like an obsession. She thought you never noticed her, but she came up with the theory that you liked her too."

Valex shook his head. "Me, like her? I never did. I noticed when she would hide and peek at me; it was alarming and strange, but I never liked her because I didn’t care for her at all."

Odesse looked at him seriously. "She is really dangerous, my king. She came here as my teacher and killed Eryx..."

"Eryx, the horse boy?" Valex interrupted, and Odesse nodded. "Yes, my king, she did, and she locked us in a spiritual realm where he died, and so did our baby."

She gently touched her belly, and Valex asked in disbelief, "How come I was never aware of all this in my own palace?"

Odesse looked at him, her expression pained. "Well, my king, that’s because Azure took control of your mind by wiping my entire existence from your memory. She took my place as your wife for a month."

Valex stood up in shock. "What? That can’t be true, my love! I would never forget you."

Odesse looked at him tenderly. "You never did because we both never gave up. I was able to find myself in a secluded region where I was safe. It was the most beautiful place anyone could lay their eyes on. The people there were different from us, and even better. The king and queen, along with their son, helped me and took care of me. When I returned here, the moment you saw me again, I could tell your soul remembered who I was."

Valex looked at her in shock as she sat down on the bed. He glanced down and said, "Why can’t I remember all this? I lived with another woman who wasn’t my wife for a month—a woman who killed my child and almost killed you. What sort of husband am I?"

Odesse looked at him and said, "No, no, my king, don’t say that. When I went missing, you searched for me for a week without sleep. It was then that she came. It was never your fault."

Valex held his head in despair and replied, "Yes, it is. I am meant to protect you and our child, but I could not. Tears began to run down his cheeks. I let another woman into our bedchamber." He looked at his trembling hands and said, "I touched another woman who wasn’t you."

Odesse shook her head and said, "No, my king. You never mated with her, let alone kissed her on the lips." He looked at her slowly as she continued, "For some reason, you were gaslighted into thinking that you loved her, but you could never bring yourself to do anything so intimate with her."

Valex replied, "But even so, my love, I broke my promise—not to look at another woman who wasn’t you." He pressed his hands to his forehead and asked, "Why would I do that? I could not protect you."

Odesse looked at him with concern, not wanting to interrupt. She thought that if he remained in this frantic state of mind, it might help him regain his memory. As she watched him, tears rolled down her cheeks, and she whispered, "Please, my king."

Suddenly, the memories of Azure and Valex together began to flood back into Valex’s mind. He continued to struggle as his mind tried hard to seclude those memories. Slowly, he opened his eyes, removed his hands from his face, and turned to Odesse. His eyes were cold, and his voice was sharp as he demanded, "Where is Azure?"

...

Miles away from the suffocating tension of the capital, the atmosphere transitioned entirely.

The bright morning sun was swallowed by the dense canopy of a gloomy, tightly packed forest. Tall, ancient trees pressed in from all sides, casting long, twisted shadows across a muddy riding trail.

Azure rode hard, her body bent low over the neck of her horse. She was dressed in a sleek, dark leather rider’s outfit, the heavy fabric splattered with mud from the trail. Her hair flew wildly in the biting breeze. She gripped the reins with white-knuckled intensity, driving the animal forward through the thicket.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she kept her gaze straight ahead. She thought, "Odesse, Odesse, Odesse, why would you do this to me?" She wiped her face with her arm, but the tears kept coming.

"You could have just left us alone, Odesse. You could have just killed me. But no, you know that seeing you with Valex is more painful than death." The horse moved at incredible speed, the wind hot and sharp against her face. She thought, "It was meant to be Valex and me, living happily ever after. I’m not even that angry that you didn’t die; I’m angry that you decided to come back here. You should have remained in the Hispo pack, the pack you tried so hard to hide from me in the spiritual realm."

"You shouldn’t have forgotten that I am the daughter of a royal teacher, and an esteemed royal teacher myself. I know every secret place where the dark books of history are kept. If I can’t find them spiritually, then I will have to use the tools you left me to uncover them. Odesse, this rivalry isn’t just about having Valex for myself anymore; I want to ensure I destroy you and everything that brings you happiness. Seeing you smile while I cry is an insult to my father’s name."

The horse splashed through a puddle as she thought, "I will see you go down, Odesse, even if it is the last thing I do on earth. Even if I have to kill people for this, including Valex."