---
Words hit her like daggers.
"…Why?"
"You never want to see me."
---
Sera froze.
Her heart slowed to a crawl. Time seemed to pause.
That face…
That voice…
The boy described in the novel.
The boy who became destruction.
The boy abandoned by Sher.
And yet—he stood before her.
Small. Fragile. Real.
Her son.
---
Sher's voice was low but gentle:
"Come here."
The boy stiffened.
That tone—it wasn't the mother he knew.
There was no ice. No anger.
Just… warmth?
He took a hesitant step toward the bed. Then another.
Karthius:
"You… really want me to come closer?"
Sher nodded softly.
"Yes. Come closer, Karthius."
His eyes widened.
And then—he launched forward.
Karthius:
"Momma!"
He buried his face in her chest, trembling as tiny arms wrapped around her.
> He's warm… He's real. Not just a name on a page. Not just a villain in someone else's story. He's mine.
Karthius (voice breaking):
"I waited every day. I thought you'd never want me."
Maids turned away, wiping their tears in silence.
Loren (whispering):
"I've never seen him smile like that. Not once."
Cassian stood at a distance. Arms folded. Eyes unreadable.
Karthius:
"Please don't leave me again. Did I do something bad before?"
Sher (stroking his hair gently):
"Momma was the bad one. Not you.
But you… you changed me.
Thank you for waiting."
Karthius:
"You mean… you want me now? Even if I'm not good?"
Sher smiled faintly.
"Even if you're not. I'll stay with you."
He clung tighter. His soft sobs soaked into her gown.
Karthius:
"Then I'll be the best… just for you, Momma."
---
Cassian (low, warning):
"This isn't a game, Sher. If you hurt him again… you'll regret it."
Sher's eyes narrowed. Her voice cool and clipped:
"Oh, I don't know your name, Mr. Husband… but you can leave if you want."
Silence.
Karthius:
"You forgot Papa's name too?"
Cassian's smile didn't reach his eyes.
Cassian:
"How fortunate. You forgot your cruelty—but not your talent for dismissal."
He stepped forward slowly.
Cassian:
"Cassian Verrien Darevell.
The man you swore eternal hatred to.
The father of this child."
Loren (under her breath):
"She's still bold… but softer. Almost clumsy with feelings."
Eliya (softly):
"Maybe she's broken. Or healing. I can't tell yet."
Cassian's voice grew cold again:
"Enjoy your recovery, Sher. Let's see how long this act lasts."
He turned and walked away.
But his steps… were slower.
---
Karthius:
"He doesn't smile. But… he always waits outside when you're sick."
Sher turned her head to watch him disappear through the door.
> He says he doesn't care.
But his eyes… they don't lie.
He stays because he still cares.
Even if I don't deserve it.
Karthius:
"Will you stay with me?"
Sher (softly):
"I don't have anyone here but you.
Will you stay with me—even if I don't remember anything?"
Karthius:
"Even if you forget. Even if you're someone new… I'll stay."
---
That night, as candlelight danced on the walls and silence blanketed the estate, Sera sat up slightly.
Her gaze lingered on the boy sleeping beside her.
Not the boy of destruction.
But the boy who waited.
And in the dark, she whispered to herself:
> "I may not be Sher…
But I will be the mother he deserves."
---
Later That Night – Duke's Private Study
The mansion had quieted.
Candlelight flickered across the towering bookshelves.
A fireplace crackled softly.
Cassian sat alone—papers spread before him, but his eyes far away.
The door creaked.
He didn't look up.
Cassian (flat):
"Should I be surprised you came here?"
He placed the report down. Looked up slowly.
Cassian:
"Bored of the child already? Or is this your next performance?"
He stood. Arms crossed.
Cassian:
"That's the first time you've let him near your bed. The servants nearly fainted."
He moved around the desk. His eyes sharp. Measuring.
Cassian (lower):
"So, Sher… what changed?
What happened in that accident that turned the ice queen into a doting mother?"
He stepped closer. Close enough to hear her breath catch.
Cassian:
"I don't believe in sudden kindness. Not from you."
The air between them crackled with tension.
Sher:
"I don't remember anything except… being human."
Cassian (stunned):
"…Human?"
He leaned in. His gaze searching her like she was an unsolved riddle.
Cassian (quiet):
"You're either telling the truth…
Or you're a better liar than I gave you credit for."
He leaned even closer, voice a whisper:
Cassian:
"The Sher I married never spoke of being human.
She spoke of power. Legacy. Blood."
Then he stepped back.
Cassian:
"So what are you now?
An imposter? A lunatic?
Or just a woman who finally realized what she threw away?"
He turned. Began to walk—then stopped halfway.
Cassian:
"If you're not her…
Then what will you do with the life she left behind?"
Sher's eyes darkened.
Sher:
"I don't know how to act with you.
You have your reasons. But me?
If a stranger speaks to me like that… don't expect me to be sweet.
Respect is earned—and returned."
Cassian paused. Long enough for the silence to feel like thunder.
Cassian (lower now):
"…Still bold. But it's not arrogance.
It's something else."
His jaw tightened.
Cassian:
"Karthius… he smiled today.
He used to look at your door like it was a monster."
He stepped forward again. Not as a duke. Not as a husband.
But as a father. And a man trying to understand.
Cassian:
"You want respect? Then earn it.
One hug doesn't erase years of fear."
He reached the door. Opene
d it slowly. Paused.
Cassian (soft):
"…Don't confuse coldness with ignorance.
I see everything in this house. Even change."
One breath.
Cassian:
"Goodnight… stranger."
And this time, he left.
Not like a storm.
But with a heaviness in his step.
As if… unsure.
---