The long dining table gleamed beneath the chandeliers of the royal hall. The family had gathered for breakfast—plates filled, laughter soft, and conversation flowing—except for one empty chair.
"Where is Xavi?" Queen Kendra asked, raising a brow.
"In his room," Xoni replied, hiding a faint smile. "With his wife."
Velara's grin tightened, the jealousy flickering in her eyes like venom waiting to strike.
"Open up now, love," Queen Kendra said sweetly, turning to Adris. The little boy opened his mouth obediently, letting her feed him.
Remus, seated near the end of the table, tapped his fingers on the wood, waiting patiently—no, calculatingly—for Xavi to appear. His plan was already in motion.
Meanwhile, Xavi's chamber doors were locked. No sound escaped the thick walls. Inside, the King was far from the chaos of plots and poisons. He was lying with Josephine, their bodies tangled in the warmth of morning.
Xavi kissed her deeply, his hands tracing her soft skin with reverence. Josephine smiled, her fingers brushing his cheek as she returned his kisses—slow, tender, filled with unspoken devotion.
"I love you so much, baby," Xavi whispered between breaths, his forehead resting against hers.
She smiled back, raining kisses across his face as he laughed softly.
Finally, he thought, someone who loves me even though I'm ruthless—someone who loves me for who I am.
Josephine looked at him, her heart swelling. I love you so much, X. I wish I could tell you with sound from my mouth… but I'll show you my love instead, she said silently in her mind, her eyes full of truth.
By noon, Xavi finally came downstairs for lunch. His steps were calm, unaware that fate had already begun to shift.
In another hall, Josephine sat with Adris, holding his tiny hand as he giggled, the sound of pure innocence echoing softly.
But a maid—young, trembling—had just seen something terrible. She had watched Remus pour something dark and deadly into Xavi's wine. Her heart pounded in her chest as she ran across the hall, breathless, straight to Josephine.
"My Queen," she whispered urgently, leaning close. "He—he put poison in His Majesty's drink."
Josephine's eyes widened in shock. Without hesitation, she stood up so suddenly that her chair toppled backward. Her heart thundered.
In the dining hall, Xavi sat down as the servants poured his drink. The golden wine sparkled in the light. He lifted the cup.
Before he could take a sip, Josephine burst into the room—snatching the cup and jug from his hands. Everyone froze.
"Hey!" Queen Kendra said in surprise.
"Josephine!" Xavi exclaimed, confused.
Without thinking, Josephine drank it all.
"JOSEPHINE, STOP! YOU'RE GONNA DIE!" the maid screamed.
Josephine's fingers trembled as she dropped the cup and jug. The hall went silent. She turned slowly toward Remus, eyes full of betrayal and heartbreak. Then she snapped her fingers sharply in his direction.
"What the hell is going on!?" Xavi roared, catching Josephine as her knees gave out.
"The drink—was poisoned. By him!" the maid cried, pointing at Remus.
Josephine's breaths grew shallow, her body shaking.
"My baby!" Anesthesia cried, rushing forward. She grabbed Josephine's face, shaking. "Hey! Hey! Look at me!"
When Josephine didn't respond, Anesthesia's eyes filled with rage. She turned on Remus. "YOU BASTARD!"
Velara sat back, smirking. Her lips curled in cruel satisfaction.
"Hey, hey, look at me, baby. Keep your eyes open, Josephine," Xavi said desperately, holding her close. But Josephine was fading—dizzy, weak, her chest tightening.
Kara… Josephine whispered in her mind.
Far away, in Hendrick's castle, Kara's eyes glowed red at the table. She froze.
"What's wrong, love?" Oliver asked, alarmed.
"Josephine is calling me," Kara said breathlessly. She stood, levitating into the air, her legs crossing as her eyes shut.
Suddenly her voice echoed through Xavi's mind: Xavi, what happened to Jojo?!
"POISON!!!" Xavi's voice thundered back.
Kara's eyes snapped open. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, POISON!? WHERE DID SHE GET POISON?!"
Tess grabbed her arm, panicked.
"Let go!" Kara shouted. She held Tess tight—and in the blink of an eye, both vanished, teleporting in bursts of light and wind.
Noah, Oliver, and Therodora shifted instantly into their supernatural forms, wings and powers bursting forth as they raced toward the castle. Sophina clutched Hendrick's arm, tears in her eyes, as carriages rushed forward. Callum sent a message to Piere and followed in haste.
In the dark forest, Nyx received the same message, her power flaring.
Back in the castle, chaos spread.
"Lock him up!" Xavi roared. Guards seized Remus immediately.
Adris pressed his little hands against the glass window of the healer's room, watching his mother's pale body. Tears streamed down his face. "My Jojo!!"
Xoni tried to pull him back, but he cried harder. "No! I don't wanna leave my Jojo! I'll stay right here until she opens her eyes for me!"
He sat beside the window, his tiny frame trembling.
Lyra rushed out of the healer's room. "We need to make a fire—now!"
"Why?" Xavi demanded.
"Quickly!" she shouted again.
Josephine's lips had turned green. Foam leaked from the corner of her mouth—the venom spreading fast.
Kara and Tess arrived just as the guards stacked firewood. The fire benders lit a roaring flame in the courtyard. Josephine was carried outside, wrapped in layers of white cloth.
Sienna tied her carefully to a long iron spit—one used for roasting meat—and Seika began pounding herbs furiously.
"It's deadly snake poison," Seika muttered, grinding faster.
Meanwhile, in her chamber, Velara poured herself a glass of wine. She laughed, spinning in triumph. "Finally! Xavi is all mine!"
But her celebration didn't last.
Inside the healer's hall, the ground trembled.
Xavi's rage exploded. The air itself seemed to darken as his power surged.
"Xavi?" Queen Olyida said, her voice trembling.
He stormed back into the hall, grabbed Remus by the throat, and slammed him against the wall.
"You… fucking… asshole!" he snarled, his eyes glowing a deep, demonic red as he punched Remus over and over.
"STOP, XAVI!" Queen Kendra screamed. But he didn't hear her.
Then, a tiny hand clutched the hem of his pants.
He froze, breathing hard. He looked down—and saw his son.
Adris. His little boy. Tears in his eyes.
"Papa…" Adris whispered, voice trembling.
Xavi's glowing eyes dimmed. He stared at his son—his only light, the child that Josephine had loved as her own.
Remus's limp body fell to the floor as Xavi reached down and lifted Adris gently into his arms. The boy rested his head against his father's chest.
"Take him away from this kingdom. Far away," Queen Kendra ordered. The guards dragged Remus's body out.
Moments later, the castle doors burst open.
"Where is my baby!?" Tess cried, running in with Callum, Noah, Oliver, and Therodora in their transformed forms. Theron flew through the ceiling and landed beside them, transforming back.
At the same time, far away in the Kingdom of Aurethia, Raden sat on his throne when a messenger entered.
"Piere!" Raden called.
Piere came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands. "Yes, love?"
Raden handed him a sealed letter.
As Piere read it, his hands shook.
Josephine took poison to save King Xavi. Our child is dying.
Signed, Callum and Tess.
Piere's breath hitched. The letter slipped from his hands. "My child… M–my Jojo…"
Raden wrapped an arm around him, steadying him. "Calm down, baby. Let's go." He grabbed his coat, and together, they rushed toward Xavi's castle.
By the time they arrived, Josephine was still bound in the courtyard. The healers were working tirelessly—Sienna, Seika, Xantha.
Xavi stood nearby, trembling, watching his wife burn with fever as the poison was drawn from her body.
"We were having a good time," he whispered brokenly. "And she took poison for me… Nobody's ever done that for me."
He clenched his fists, staring at her pale, still face.
Sienna injected the strongest herbal antidote while Seika ground more roots. The poison hissed from Josephine's mouth, green smoke curling upward.
Sienna's gaze met Xantha's—who winked playfully despite the tension. She blushed but kept working.
When it was over, Sienna unwrapped Josephine carefully, feeding her the final herbs.
Piere arrived. "My child?" he choked out.
Callum pointed toward the inner hall. "She's inside. No one can enter now."
Moments later, Sienna stepped out, pale and exhausted. She sighed heavily.
"Your Majesty," she said softly, "we gave her the strongest antidote. It will take a week… for her to wake up."
"A week?" Xavi's voice cracked. Then, louder—furious: "TF DO YOU MEAN A WEEK!? Go back and make her wake up now!"
"Brother," Xoni said gently, stepping forward. "If she can, she will. But it's strong poison."
Xavi's jaw clenched. He hid his tears and stormed away, slamming his chamber door.
"Where's he going?" Anesthesia asked, wiping her eyes.
"To cry his eyes out where no one can see him," Xoni whispered.
"He's never cried before," Akira murmured.
"Yeah… but now he will," Xoni said sadly.
From behind the locked door, they all heard his roar of pain—a scream so raw and broken it echoed through every corridor of the castle.
"Whoa…" Hailie and Warrick whispered, shaken.
By morning, Josephine was placed in the family hall, beside the portraits of Ceillie and the ancestors.
"Who is she?" Queen Kendra asked quietly.
"Nana Josephine," Anesthesia answered softly. "The woman who raised her before Dad brought her home. She died months ago."
"Oh…" Queen Kendra murmured, her eyes lowering.
Queen Kendra was sixty-three. Queen Olyida was forty-nine. But Josephine—young, pure, silent—lay still as death, her hand gently resting beside her son's.
Adris sat beside her, patting her hand softly, whispering: "Wake up, Jojo."
Meanwhile, upstairs, Velara dressed herself in silk, painting her lips, smiling before her mirror. She thought she had won.
But she didn't understand.
Xavi's heart—his love, his soul, his fire—belonged to Josephine.
Forever.