Chapter 62: Act Of Rowena
For the second time in the day, Rowena ran through the corridors with her heart pounding. She had not been able to think correctly; the memory of Marek’s mouth on hers played over and over in her head. It felt better than she had expected. It felt like power. She wanted to tell her mother right away, to share how it had gone and how close she was to taking everything Eirene had promised her. But when she came earlier, her mother was in a meeting.
She knocked twice, breathless, before letting herself in. Eirene was seated at her dressing table, a lamp glowing beside her, reading a letter. She looked up and took Rowena in with a quick, assessing glance. The expression on her daughter’s face told her everything: excitement, adrenaline, and a sense of triumph.
"You look pleased," Eirene said, and then she smiled in a way that always made Rowena melt. It was the smile Rowena wanted to earn.
Rowena could not help it. She bounced into the room and dropped into the chair opposite her mother. "Guess," she said.
Eirene put down the letter slowly, amused. "I could guess, but tell me. You look as if the whole palace is yours already."
Rowena bit her lip, then spilled it. "I kissed him."
For a beat, there was only the lamp’s small light between them. Then Eirene’s eyes widened and she stood up suddenly, clapping once in quiet delight. "You did. Good. Tell me everything."
Rowena leaned forward and spoke fast: how she had gone to Marek’s house, how he had guided her to the study, how she’d fed him words of doubts at the right moment, how she’d moved, how he had responded. She left out nothing on purpose. She wanted her mother to know every detail and see the proof that the plan was working.
Eirene listened, nodding, approving in the places that mattered. When Rowena finished, Eirene reached out and touched her hand. "Well done. That was exactly the kind of move that wins men. You made him feel seen. You made him need you."
Rowena beamed. "He was so drawn...I could tell he wanted me. However, I pushed him to the edge. I made him believe Aveloria is playing some game with him. I—" She stopped, searching Eirene’s face. "Is it the bracelet? Did the charm make him easier?"
Eirene’s smile hardened into a slight, satisfied curve. "The bracelet helped," she said without hesitation. "It loosens resistance. I used the same charm for the king."
Rowena blinked. "You put it on him?"
"Yes. These kinds of charms are the reasons I am Queen today." Eirene’s voice was flat, steady. "The most effective charm made the king vulnerable to the ideas I planted. It is why Aveloria is in confinement right now." She watched Rowena absorb that.
The girl’s eyes widened, then narrowed as she considered the possibilities. Rowena looked at the bracelet on her wrist and rolled it between her fingers. For a moment, she hesitated, feeling as if something had shifted. Then she said, quick and bold, "It wasn’t just the bracelet. I did it. I used words. I guided him. I made him want me."
Eirene nodded slowly. "You played your part very well. The charm aids, but seduction is a skill. You have it. That’s more dangerous for those who stand against you." She let the words hang between them.
Rowena smiled wider. "So I’m glad things are working out. He kissed me. Marek is mine if I keep doing this."
"Not entirely mine," Eirene corrected. "Not yet. There is more to do. You have to learn patience and precision. That is what will make these things permanent." She stood and walked to a small table where a shallow wooden box sat. She opened it and touched the inside lightly, as if checking to see if what she had put in it was still there. "The charm is potent, but it is not a replacement for your touch and your voice."
Rowena felt a fresh pride at that. She wanted to be powerful like her mother. She wanted the confidence Eirene had. She wanted the people who did her mother’s bidding because they wanted to, or because they could not help themselves. She imagined Marek falling deeper, obeying her, giving her everything that came with him, the influence, wealth, and connection.
For a moment, she let herself imagine the rest: The throne, her crowned as Queen of Lycanthria, a position with Marek by her side, the things she’d never had, the whisper of authority when she walked into a room. The thought made her head buzz. She found herself hungry for more. And there was only one way to become like her mother.
"So," she said suddenly, leaning forward again. "What about the coven? Would you mind if I came with you next time? How do I learn more about them? I want to be like you. I want to be sure nothing can stop me."
Eirene’s eyes flicked to the box and back to Rowena. For a split second, a flicker of something like a measure of pride and hesitation crossed her face. Then she closed her hand around the box and let the hesitation go. She walked closer to Rowena.
"You don’t need to know everything," Eirene said. "Some doors close for your own protection. You should learn step by step. Too much information before you are ready can be dangerous. And you are not ready for all of this."
Rowena rolled her eyes, the urge to press harder clamping down her throat with a frustrated sound. "But I want to be ready. I want to learn. I can take it."
Eirene’s hand smoothed Rowena’s sleeve with a light, almost affectionate motion. "You will, in time. For now, focus on what matters. Keep Marek distracted. Show up wherever he is consistently. Feed him with words that would make him feel seen and loved. Keep the right people convinced you are harmless. That is all we need for the moment."
