Isabella had expected that.

Actually, with the way his face looked, she could not even argue too hard. If she said no completely, he would probably pick her up and carry her away before she finished breathing.

So she quickly said, "Fine. Come with me."

Kian looked slightly less murderous.

Then Isabella added, "But you will stay outside."

His face went cold again.

"No."

"Kian."

"No."

"If you stand inside, she may not speak properly."

"I do not care if she speaks."

"I do," Isabella said, and this time her voice became more serious. "I need to hear what she says. I need to see how she lies. People always show more when they think they have a chance."

Kian stared at her.

The hall was quiet around them, and the snowlight from outside fell faintly over his white hair. He looked like a carved beast god in that moment, too handsome, too stern, and much too difficult.

Isabella held his gaze and refused to look away. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Then she said, "If anything is wrong, you can come in immediately. You will be right outside the door."

He still did not like it.

That much was obvious.

His fingers tightened slightly at her waist, then loosened when he remembered she was tired and heavy with children. This little movement softened Isabella’s heart, but she did not let it show too much because if she softened now, he would win.

So she put on her sweetest face.

"Kian, I will be fine. I promise."

His eyes moved over her face, and that hard refusal in him wavered.

Only a little.

But she caught it.

Then she added, "Have I ever lied to you?"

Kian was silent.

For one breath, Isabella wondered if he would bring up some nonsense from before just to win the argument. But in the end, his answer came low and honest.

"No."

"Then trust me."

Kian did not answer immediately.

He looked down the passage where Mira’s room was, then looked back at Isabella, and for a moment his blue eyes became so dark that she knew he was imagining all the ways this could go wrong. Still, he finally gave a slow nod.

"One wrong sound," he said, "and I come in."

Isabella smiled. "One wrong sound and I will scream loud enough to wake the whole palace."

"That is acceptable."

She almost laughed. "How romantic."

Kian did not look amused, but his hand stayed warm at her waist as they moved down the passage together.

The way there was quiet and cold. Thick hides hung over some parts of the corridor to keep the winter wind out, and the stone floor under their feet held the night’s chill even though the palace fires were still burning. As they walked, two guards at the far end straightened immediately. One was a wolf beastman with gray ears that lifted the moment he heard footsteps, and the other was a lynx beastman whose pale eyes narrowed before he realized who was approaching.

Both bowed at once.

"King Kian. Lady Isabella."

Kian nodded once.

Isabella looked at the closed door. "How is the healer?"

The wolf beastman’s ears twitched slightly at the word healer, as if even his ears did not like calling her that anymore. "She is inside. She has not come out."

The lynx beastman added, "She has been quiet, but she has not slept much."

Of course she had not.

Isabella almost smiled.

Zara was too busy being poisonous to sleep properly.

"I will speak with her," Isabella said.

The two guards looked at Kian first, because letting Isabella into that room sounded like the kind of decision that could end with heads rolling if something happened.

Kian’s face was stone. "I will be outside."

Only then did the guards step aside.

Isabella pushed the door open and stepped in.

The room was dim.

A small brazier burned near one wall, and the smoke from bitter medicine still lingered in the air. There was a low bed made from wood and layered furs, a stone cup near the side, and a few basic items arranged neatly in a way that showed Zara had been trying to look like a humble healer even while sitting under guard. The room itself was plain but warm enough, with thick hide over the small window opening and extra furs on the floor to soften the cold.

Zara was lying on the bed.

At first, she did not react.

Her body was turned slightly away, and her breathing sounded slow, but Isabella could tell at once that she was awake. It was the stillness. Too careful. Too aware. A sleeping person did not hold their shoulders like that, especially not someone who had been badly hurt and thrown into a wall hours ago.

Isabella stopped near the door and waited.

The silence stretched.

Then, after a moment, Zara seemed to realize that pretending too long would look strange. Her lashes moved, her body shifted, and she slowly turned as if she had only just noticed someone had entered.

The act was good.

Unfortunately for her, Isabella had been an actress before.

A better one.

Zara pushed herself up carefully and winced at the perfect time, one hand moving to her ribs. "Lady Isabella."

Her voice was soft and hoarse.

Isabella gave her a warm smile. "Mira. How are you feeling?"

Zara lowered her eyes. "I deserve whatever pain I feel."

That was a nice line.

Very nice.

Too nice, actually.

Isabella walked closer and sat on the wooden stool nearby, moving slowly because her body was still heavy and sore from the morning. Zara’s eyes flicked toward Isabella’s stomach for a tiny second before she lowered them again.

Isabella saw it.

She pretended she did not.

"I came to hear you out," Isabella said. "You said you were forced, so I want to understand what happened."

Hope flickered across Zara’s face.

It was small, but there.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I know I do not deserve your kindness."

"You tried to poison me," Isabella said in the same gentle tone. "No, you probably do not."

Zara froze.

Then Isabella smiled again. "But speak."