"Well, I should be leaving now," Melody said softly to Mari as they stepped into the corridor outside the room.
Mari's shoulders relaxed slightly now that they were away from the others.
"Can you come to the palace for a visit?" Melody asked.
"I will," Mari replied. "Though I must confess… I don't really like the previous king."
Melody paused.
"He gives off this eerie feeling," Mari continued bluntly. "Like he's watching too closely. I don't trust it. No offense."
Melody studied her carefully. She wasn't someone who unsettled easily, but even she had noticed something off about King Korvus.
"You're very honest," Melody said.
"I tend to be," Mari replied with a shrug. "King Korvus has this look sometimes. Like he might pounce at any second. It's unsettling."
"Understood," Melody said calmly.
She gestured slightly. "This is my maid—and my friend—Amah."
Amah stepped forward and gave a polite nod. "Nice to meet you."
"You as well," Mari said warmly. "And truly, I would like to visit the palace sometime. We could speak more about swordsmanship."
"I'd like that," Melody replied. "No problem at all."
They walked back toward the main hall together. As they approached the grand staircase, Lord Freder spotted them.
"Oh! I see you've met our daughter," he said, his voice thick with forced pride. He looked far too pleased.
"Yes," Melody replied smoothly. "She's lovely."
Mari shot her a sideways glance at the word lovely but said nothing.
"I'll be taking my leave now," Melody announced.
"Ah, Your Majesty, thank you for honoring us with your presence," Lord Freder said, bowing deeply. "Have a splendid journey home."
"Thank you."
She walked away with composed grace, Amah trailing quietly behind her.
But the moment she stepped into the carriage and the doors shut, her composure slipped slightly.
The king had a woman before you.
The words echoed.
Orionn had never mentioned anyone.
Neither Nathan nor Damon had ever hinted at such a thing.
And in a palace where even the walls seemed to whisper secrets, this felt like another locked door deliberately placed in her path.
She leaned back against the cushioned seat, staring ahead as the carriage rolled into the night.
The palace was filled with silence.
With half-truths.
With things unsaid.
And she was beginning to feel like she was drowning in them.
They arrived at the palace smoothly, the gates opening without delay, guards bowing as the carriage passed through. Everything returned to its usual rhythm, yet Melody could not stop thinking about the mysterious woman mentioned at the party.
Orionn did not seem like someone who had once loved a woman.
Truthfully, he barely seemed capable of romance at all.
Still, she refused to dwell on it.
If no one chose to mention it to her, she would not ask. From what she had already learned, questions in this palace only earned answers people wanted you to hear. And apparently, she was not meant to know about Orionn's past.
So she swallowed the curiosity.
She went straight to the bedroom.
Orionn was not there.
Lately, he had been consumed with preparations for the coming full moon, allocating territories for pack members to shift safely. Nathan had once admitted that shifting within castle grounds rarely ended well. Strict arrangements were now enforced to avoid chaos.
Melody, however, was quietly excited for the full moon.
She would finally see them. Wolves in their true forms, moving beneath silver light.
After changing into her nightwear, she slipped into bed.
Moments later, the bedroom door opened and Orionn walked in.
She lifted her head slightly. He looked exhausted.
"Well?" he asked. "How did the party go?"
"Fine," she replied flatly. "I did not disgrace your name."
He frowned faintly. "I never said you would."
"You implied it. With all the lectures before I left."
"I only told you to show courtesy and behave like a queen."
"It's the same thing."
"It is not the same thing."
"It is."
He exhaled sharply. "I have no time for this. Go to sleep."
"I don't need you to tell me that," Melody fired back before turning away from him.
He said nothing further.
These past few days, he had found himself growing dangerously accustomed to her presence. The bond between them, which had once irritated him beyond measure, no longer felt unbearable. Even while she had been at the party, he had felt it. The distance had not weakened it.
He knew she hadn't enjoyed the gathering.
Strangely, he no longer resented that connection as much as he once had.
But heavier matters occupied his mind.
Reports had come in from multiple regions. Rogue wolves were appearing again.
Rogues.
Creatures that had not plagued the continent for thousands of years.
On Devera, wolves rarely went astray. The strict structures and territorial systems maintained order. Yet now attacks were increasing, even within his own kingdom. That was unacceptable.
Worse still, these rogues did not behave like mindless beasts.
Rogues were known for one common trait: they killed without thought.
But these moved with coordination.
Calculation.
As though someone controlled them.
Rogue werewolves were already among the most dangerous forces on the continent. If they were organized, the threat doubled.
He needed answers.
He removed his outer robe and extinguished the candlelight before turning toward the bed.
Melody was already asleep.
He stood there a moment longer than necessary, watching her. The softness of her face in sleep unsettled him more than her sharp tongue ever did.
This wasn't him.
He was not supposed to feel calm. Or warm. Or whatever this bittersweet tightening in his chest was.
Melody affected him in ways he both liked and hated.
Why did he catch himself almost smiling at her ridiculous comments?
Why did her presence no longer feel like a burden?
He did not understand it.
He moved to the other side of the bed and lay down beside what he privately considered a ticking time bomb.
Melody possessed a level of power he had never witnessed before.
And it was growing.
Every training session revealed more strength. More control. More potential.
It was overwhelming for her.
And worrying for him.
Power like hers did not go unnoticed. It would attract enemies. And he, as her husband, would have to shield her from the consequences.
Yet through the bond, he sensed something else.
She was hiding something.
Something large.
Something capable of shifting everything.
And her silence about it was helping neither of them.
Eventually, exhaustion claimed him.
The next morning, Melody woke to an empty bed.
Of course.
Orionn was already gone.
With training sessions reduced lately, she found herself with more idle hours than usual. After dressing, she walked to the dining hall.
Breakfast was quiet.
Orionn's father was absent, unusual considering he almost always appeared at morning meals. Though when he did sit with them, he rarely spoke.
He simply watched.
Melody found that unnerving.
After breakfast, she found Amah. Together, they headed toward the library, a place Melody frequented when she was not performing queenly duties or training her powers.
The tournament was approaching faster than expected. It was scheduled to take place after the full moon, and excitement was already spreading throughout the kingdom. The event would boost morale and distract people from the growing unrest caused by rogue sightings.
She had overheard bits and pieces from Damon and Nathan about the rogues.
But no one had given her a full explanation.
Which only added to the growing list of things she was not being told.