Mabel saw the carriage first.

The moment the wheels crossed through the front gates of the castle, her gaze lifted from the book in her hand instinctively.

She had been seated near the balcony windows of her chamber, half listening to the distant sounds of the castle below.

The sight of the royal carriage immediately pulled her attention fully.

Her brows furrowed faintly.

She stood immediately.

The chair scraped softly against the floor as she moved toward the window. Her fingers brushed the curtains aside slightly.

The carriage came to a stop below.

Mabel’s eyes narrowed.

Aire stepped out first.

Something about her looked... wrong. There was a strange heaviness around her that hadn’t been there earlier that morning when she watched her parading the gardens with Marsali.

Mabel noticed it instantly.

Aire moved quietly down from the carriage. Her posture remained graceful and composed as always, but Mabel saw beyond that.

Her face looked too calm and empty.

Beta Rhys stepped down behind her. That alone sharpened Mabel’s gaze further.

’Why had Rhys accompanied her?’ She thought curiously, ready to know. ’Also, why did Aire look like she had just walked out of a grave instead of a visit?’

Mabel leaned slightly against the balcony rail.

Her gaze settled fully on Aire now. Disdain flickered briefly across her eyes. She hated the way Aire kept returning from every humiliation quieter instead of crueler.

It irritated her. No matter what the world did to her, Aire still looked soft, kind, and breakable.

Mabel’s jaw tightened faintly.

Her gaze shifted briefly toward the guards surrounding the carriage, then back to Aire.

Aire looked up suddenly.

Their eyes almost met. Mabel stepped back before they could and the curtain slipped shut quickly.

Silence settled inside her chamber.

Mabel stared ahead for a second longer, then she quickly moved out of her chamber without a second thought.

........

Meanwhile;

Aire walked through the castle halls quietly.

The servants bowed as she passed. She acknowledged none of them. She simply didn’t notice any one around.

Her mind still remained in that study and on those signatures that belonged to Rosamund and Beta Kole as witnesses.

Her chest tightened again.

Aire swallowed hard.

"My Luna?" A servant hesitated near her.

Aire looked at her slowly.

The servant immediately lowered her head further. "You requested warm tea earlier before you left," she said carefully. "Should I still prepare it?"

Aire blinked once, then nodded lightly. "Yes."

The servant hurried away.

Aire continued walking.

Her steps slowed slightly as she reached her chamber doors.

She didn’t go inside immediately. She stood there quietly, trying to breathe normally and trying to hold herself together long enough to enter the room without falling apart.

Just before she would fully prepare herself to open the doors, the doors opened.

Madam stood there.

Her eyes landed on Aire immediately, and stilled. She had smelt Aire before the doors and that was why she opened it.

Madam’s gaze sharpened almost imperceptibly. "What happened during the visit?"

Aire shook her head once. "I’m tired."She whispered.

Madam studied her for another second longer. She stepped aside quietly.

Aire walked in. The room felt warmer than usual. She felt like the walls were closing around her.

She barely made it three steps before she stopped. Her fingers curled faintly at her sides.

Madam closed the doors behind her. "You found out something during the visit," she said softly. It wasn’t a question.

Aire’s throat tightened. She exhaled deeply, but didn’t answer.

Madam moved closer slowly. "Aire."

The softness in her voice nearly broke everything in Aire completely.

Aire inhaled sharply, then exhaled slowly again. Her eyes burned, and reddened slightly.

"I want to be alone for a little while."

Madam looked at her carefully. "As you wish." She nodded.

She turned away to leave but before she could reach the door, another knock came to the door.

Madam frowned faintly.

Aire closed her eyes briefly, physically drained.

"Come in," Madam said.

The doors opened and Mabel walked inside.

The atmosphere shifted immediately as Madam eyes hardened, and Mabel spared her a taunting glance.

She looked between them once, then directly at Aire. Her gaze lingered there longer than usual.

"You look terrible," Mabel said flatly.

Madam’s expression hardened slightly.

Aire almost laughed at Mabel’s directness.

"I’ve looked worse."

"That’s true." Mabel agreed, and walked further into the room.

Her eyes stayed fixed on Aire, assessing her.

Madam glanced between them carefully, then quietly excused herself. The doors shut behind her after she left.

Silence settled between them.

Mabel remained standing for a second longer before walking toward the couch near the fireplace.

She sat elegantly, crossing one leg over the other.

"You went somewhere today," she said.

Aire nodded once. "Yes."

"Where?" she inquired, even if she knew.

Aire hesitated. "Beta Kole’s estate." She answered anyways.

Mabel’s eyes sharpened immediately. "And?"

Aire looked away. Her composure cracked slightly.

"What happened?" Mabel pushed.

Aire swallowed. Her chest tightened again. She didn’t want to cry, especially not in front of Mabel even if she trusts her.

Aire sat slowly at the edge of the bed. Her hands folded tightly together, then tighter.

Mabel watched her quietly.

Aire laughed softly. Her laugh cane out thin, and unsteady. "I spent the second half of my life believing my father abandoned me."

The words fell heavily into the room.

Mabel stilled completely. For the first time, she looked completely confused and caught off guard.

Aire stared down at her hands.

"I thought..." her voice weakened slightly. "I thought he hated me." she paused, then went on. "Mabel," she whispered, "he didn’t."

Her throat tightened violently.

Aire looked up towards Mabel. Her eyes were already wet now. "He left something for me."

Mabel’s gaze sharpened. "What?"

"A cabin." Aire laughed softly again. "In the mountains." Her breathing shook faintly. "He planned everything."

The tears finally slipped free.

Aire wiped them immediately, almost angrily.

"He thought about how I would live." Her voice trembled now. "He thought about what would happen to me after he died."

Mabel said nothing.

Aire looked away quickly. "He tried to protect me."

Mabel leaned back slowly. Her expression had changed. The disdain from earlier was gone now.

"Who hid it?" she asked quietly.

Aire’s jaw tightened. "Beta Kole."

Mabel’s eyes darkened immediately.

"And Rosamund. I saw their signatures," Aire whispered. Her fingers curled tighter together. "They knew."

Mabel studied her carefully now. She was reevaluating something. "You’re certain?"

Aire nodded immediately. "Yes."

Mabel leaned back further, thinking and silent. Her mind moved quickly.

’If Aire’s father had left her protection, a place away from wolves, and a hidden inheritance, then why was it hidden?’ She thought.

Why?

Fear?

Greed?

Mabel’s gaze returned to Aire slowly. "You shouldn’t have gone there alone."

Aire laughed bitterly. "I wasn’t alone."

"Beta Rhys doesn’t count." Mabel dismissed him immediately.

That nearly pulled another laugh from Aire.

Mabel watched her quietly. Unexpectedly, she stood.

Aire looked up slowly.

Mabel crossed the room toward her, then stopped directly in front of her.

For a second, neither of them spoke. Then Mabel reached forward carefully.

She brushed a strand of hair away from Aire’s face. The gesture startled her.

Aire blinked.

Mabel’s expression remained unreadable.

"You get touched and sensitive too easily," she murmured. Her voice lacked cruelty, but it was there.

Aire stared at her.

Mabel sighed softly, then sat beside her on the bed. She sat close enough for their shoulders to almost touch.

"You’re angry," Mabel said.

Aire nodded once. "Yes."

"Good."

Aire turned to look at her fully.

Mabel met her gaze directly. "You should be."

Mabel spoke once more. "But anger without direction is useless."

Aire’s brows furrowed faintly.

Mabel leaned slightly closer. "What exactly was written in that will?"

Aire hesitated. She thought for a while, then she began to explain everything. As she spoke, Mabel listened carefully to every details and every line.

By the time Aire finished, Mabel sat back slowly. Her eyes were thoughtful now.

She smiled faintly. "It’s okay if you don’t want to answer this." She began, "But when you first got angry in that study room, did something happen around you? I mean, something strange,"

Aire swallowed. "No." She lied. She doesn’t think this would be the right time to tell Mabel everything. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Mabel smiled. She has been reading about the powers of faes lately, and seeing the lie in Aire eyes, she could tell that soemthing happened in that study room.

"You just found your first weapon," she said quietly, indirectly letting Aire know that she knows.