Chapter 38: A Nice Suggestion.
Arianna sat on the chair in front of the vanity mirror, quietly oiling her hair. Across the room, Kane was getting dressed. He had mentioned moments ago that someone had entered the main pavilion while they were distracted in the inner quarters.
She was deeply curious to know how he could possibly be so certain without having seen them.
"Who do you think came in here?" she asked.
"Cassius. I can catch his scent even though it’s faint," he answered smoothly, throwing his heavy fur cloak over his shoulders. He then moved to the center of the room, sinking down onto the thick rug. "Do you remember the name?"
Arianna nodded, pulling the comb gently through her long strands. "Of course. I saw him briefly when we arrived... is he your personal advisor?"
"Cassius plays many roles, but primarily, he is my best friend and my Beta," Kane told her, his voice anchoring the room. "I trust very few people in this world and he is at the top of that list."
At the mention of trust, Arianna’s heart gave a sudden, violent tremor. She knew all too well that she didn’t fall anywhere near that category.
She ran the comb through her hair once more, trying to steady her breathing as she made up her mind.
She needed to tell him the truth about the Ethan and face the consequences.
Perhaps the punishment wouldn’t be nearly as harsh as she had initially feared. Kane wasn’t the unfeeling monster the rumors made him out to be. Deep down, beneath the terrifying title of Alpha King, she had felt a genuinely good soul.
"What happens if Cassius... or anyone else, betrays your trust?" she asked, testing the waters. His response was going to determine exactly how she structured her confession.
Kane didn’t answer immediately. His dark eyes locked onto hers through the reflection of the mirror, studying her with an intensity that suggested he wanted to shield her from the darker parts of his nature.
"I will rip their heart from their chest," he said, his voice completely flat and devoid of emotion, "and feed it to the birds."
Arianna’s eyes widened in sheer horror. She spun around in her chair, turning away from the mirror to take a direct look at his face, desperately searching for any sign that this was just a cruel joke.
"You are not serious... right?" Arianna asked, forcing a weak chuckle that sounded hollow even to her own ears.
His eyes gave no indication that he was joking, but he elaborated anyway. "I never jest when it comes to the matter of trust. It is the foundation of everything, my Queen. Loyalty and trust can never be compromised especially in relationships."
She swallowed hard, nodding slowly as she fought a desperate internal battle to keep her composure. If he was willing to do something so monstrous to his own best friend and Beta, he wouldn’t hesitatet7 to kill her, too.
"What if it... what if it isn’t Cassius?" she asked, her voice faltering slightly. "I-I mean, what if it’s someone else entirely?"
"I will slaughter their entire bloodline before I let them die," Kane told her flatly. The cold, unyielding darkness in his gaze left absolutely no room for doubt...he meant every single word.
A sudden, suffocating heat rushed to Arianna’s face. She turned back around to face the vanity mirror, her knuckles turning white as her grip tightened on the handle of her comb.
She forced herself to breathe, terrified that her own reflection would betray the panic clawing at her throat.
"Do you need help with that?" he asked, his tone shifting back to the gentle, attentive warmth he reserved only for her.
"N-no..." Arianna said quickly, hastily setting the comb down on the wooden table. She didn’t want him coming anywhere near her right now—he was too perceptive and he would easily notice how violently she was trembling. "I am all finished."
"Guards," Kane called out.
In less than two seconds, the heavy canvas flap parted, and a sentry entered the room with his head deeply bowed.
"Find Cassius and I want to see him," Kane commanded.
The guard bowed sharply and exited. Kane then turned his attention back to his wife, his brow furrowing slightly. "You need to lie back down. I do not like the fact that you are sitting up when your body still needs to rest."
"My neck hurts just a little," Arianna lied, her fingers gently rising to touch the dark bruises still vividly stamped into her skin. A genuine, icy shiver ran down her spine as the phantom memory of those strange, brutal hands tightening around her airway flashed through her mind. "But... I will follow your instructions and rest."
"Good," Kane murmured, his expression softening as he looked at her. "It will help you recover."
Arianna got up from the chair and walked slowly back to the bed, slipping beneath the sheets. She tried desperately to block out the terrifying implications of their previous conversation.
She couldn’t afford to die—not again. It meant she would have to bury the truth, shielding it the same way a warrior shields their heart from an enemy’s spear.
But she couldn’t hide the truth forever. Arianna let out a quiet sigh, leaning her head back against the carved wooden bedframe.
This silence was just a temporary measure to buy herself enough time to come up with a safer, better way to confess.
The tent flap parted and Cassius stepped inside. He kept his head respectfully lowered, pausing just past the entrance.
"You sent for me, Your Highness," he said, his voice echoing in the spacious pavilion.
"Yes, Commander," Kane replied, leaning back. "Tell me, you were looking for me earlier, correct?"
"Grand Aunt Freya wished to see you, but access was restricted," Cassius answered smoothly. "She brought your morning meal."
"Mmm... send for her then," Kane commanded. "And what of the others who were punished this morning?"
"They have already begun their labor, Your Highness."
"Good. What about Ethan’s woman?" Kane asked, his tone shifting to one of cold authority. "Since he is away at the border, close attention must be paid to her. Especially given her condition."
"As you wish, Your Highness," Cassius murmured, bowing deeply before turning to take his leave.
Arianna watched the exchange, her mind racing. She knew exactly what this meant; if Selena was given special royal protection, she would undoubtedly weaponize it to make life absolutely miserable for everyone in the camp.
"I have a suggestion, Kane... if you don’t mind," Arianna spoke up, her voice cutting through the quiet room.
Kane’s dark eyes lifted slowly, meeting hers across the space. He gave her a single, encouraging nod. "Go ahead, my Queen."
"I was thinking... since that woman is carrying Ethan’s child, wouldn’t it be better if they were legally married?"
The King seemed genuinely surprised by her sudden proposal. He paused, turning the idea over in his mind, realizing it wasn’t a terrible solution after all. "But it is not just about the pregnancy, Arianna. It is about responsibility. Is Ethan truly ready to become a husband?"
"I don’t think he is ready to play a fatherly role either," she laughed softly, knowing all too well that his son didn’t possess a single redeeming quality.
"He will have to be."
"Of course he will. But more importantly, the child needs a proper family and just look at how deeply those two love each other," Arianna urged, her tone laced with a perfectly crafted innocence.
If Kane granted this request, it would serve as the second step in her master plan to completely rid herself of Ethan. Once he was safely married to Selena, any lingering suspicion of an affair between Ethan and herself would completely evaporate.
"Given the fact that they are fated mates, it only makes sense that they are wed," she continued smoothly. "Two people in love should be supported by their Alpha, shouldn’t they?"
The King stared at her, his dark eyes searching her features as if her face were a complex puzzle he was desperately trying to solve.
Finally, a trace of admiration softened his rugged expression. "Look at you. You just became the queen, yet you are already thinking like someone who has held the position for years. You are right. It will be far better for the pup to grow up within a recognized family."
Arianna couldn’t stop the triumphant smile from spreading across her face. She knew Ethan was going to be absolutely furious when he received the news, but frankly, who cared what that arrogant boy thought? Her trap was closing.
"Your Highness, may I come in?" The sharp, polite voice of Aunt Freya drifted through the canvas entrance, shattering the quiet intimacy of the room.
*****
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