Chapter 74: Neccessary Lies
Aveloria closed her eyes and breathed out slowly. "Can I stay with you tonight?" she asked after a moment. "I feel suffocated in this room. I need space from here."
He pulled back enough to see her face and gave a small, warm smile.
"Of course," he said. "I’d love that."
"No one can find out about what I just told you, Galen," Aveloria added.
"Sure."
He turned toward her wardrobe to help her pack a few things. She stood up and grabbed a cloak from the chair, folding it over her arms. The atmosphere felt lighter now, safer. She didn’t feel as alone as she had an hour ago.
But the knock on the door erased all of that.
Aveloria and Galen exchanged a quick look. She set the cloak aside and walked to the door. She opened it slowly.
Marek stood on the other side.
His expression was unreadable. His eyes scanned her face, then shifted past her briefly, catching sight of Galen in the background. A tension settled immediately in the space between them.
"Aveloria," Marek said, his voice low.
She didn’t answer. She stood still, her hand on the door, blocking half of the entrance.
"We need to talk," he said.
Aveloria’s first instinct was to tell Marek to turn around and leave. She didn’t want him in her room, didn’t want to hear whatever excuse or sweet words he thought would soften what he had done. But as soon as the thought formed, something deeper stopped her. Her anger was loud, but her instinct was more audible. She needed him to think everything was normal. She needed him to believe she knew nothing. If he felt cornered or exposed, he would act differently in court. That would ruin the timing of her plan.
So instead of telling him off, she stepped aside.
"Come in," she said.
Marek walked inside slowly. His eyes flicked around the room, then landed on Galen. The two men exchanged a glance. It wasn’t warm or friendly. It was controlled, tense, and cold. Neither greeted the other.
Aveloria closed the door.
Marek looked at the small bag Galen had been packing. "Are you going somewhere?" he asked.
Aveloria forced her expression to stay calm. "Yes," she lied. "I’m going to see the priestess at the temple. I also want to stop by the children’s home."
Marek didn’t question it. Maybe he didn’t think she would lie to him. Perhaps he didn’t expect her to accept him so calmly.
"Galen, can you give us a moment?" Marek said.
Aveloria looked at Galen, and she nodded. Galen didn’t protest. He picked up the small bag, held her gaze for a second, then walked out of the room. When the door closed behind him, Marek exhaled slowly, as if the tension in him loosened now that they were alone.
Aveloria stayed near the edge of her bed. She was analyzing him.
He looked uncomfortable, though he tried to mask it. There was a slight stiffness in his shoulders and a quick flicker in his eyes whenever she looked directly at him.
"I heard some news," he finally said.
"What news?" she asked, pretending she didn’t already know what he was referring to.
"That you’re ready to accept your mates," he said. "It reached me earlier."
She nodded. "News travels fast."
"Is it true?" he asked.
"Yes," she said. "It’s true."
Marek’s face brightened slightly. "I’m glad. Truly. I’ve been waiting for this. I can’t wait for us to move forward. To make things official. To give you everything you deserve."
His words made her stomach twist. She managed to pull off a smile, but it felt stiff on her face. She hoped he didn’t notice.
"That’s good to hear," she said quietly.
Marek stepped a little closer but kept a respectful distance. The silence stretched between them for a few seconds, then he cleared his throat.
"I was wondering...did Evander tell you anything?"
Aveloria kept her expression neutral, as if she didn’t already know where this was going.
"Like what?" she asked. "Why do you ask?"
Marek shifted. "We’ve been close for a while now," he said. "I’ve been helping him with horse riding. He’s gotten much better. And I promised him I’d give him one of my father’s finest horses once he was ready."
Aveloria widened her eyes slightly, making her surprise look natural.
"Really?" she said. "I didn’t know you two were close. He never mentioned it."
Marek seemed relieved to hear that. "He’s a good kid," he said. "And he reminds me of myself when I was younger. I don’t mind helping him."
Aveloria nodded. "Thank you," she said. "For looking out for him."
Marek looked down briefly, almost humbled by the gratitude he didn’t deserve.
"I heard about what happened to him earlier," he said. "I’m planning to visit as soon as I can."
"He’d like that," Aveloria replied.
Another moment of silence hung in the air. Marek shifted again.
"Well...I don’t want to keep you," he said. "You said you’re on your way out."
"Yes," she said. "If you don’t mind, I should go to the temple now."
"Of course," Marek said with a small smile. "I’ll walk you out."
Aveloria opened the door and stepped into the corridor. Galen stood on the opposite wall, waiting. The moment Marek came into view, the air thickened. The two men locked eyes, both tense, neither backing down. Then Marek nodded politely, almost forced, and walked away down the hall.
Aveloria watched him turn the corner before she exhaled.
Galen stepped toward her. "Why did you lie to him?" he asked.
"Because it was necessary," she said. "It’s better he doesn’t know what I know."
Galen searched her face. "Does he know you know about him and Rowena?"
"No," she said. "And he can’t know. Not yet."
Galen clenched his jaw, trying to hide the irritation rising in him. "You should have confronted him," he muttered.
"What good would that do?" she asked. "It would only make him defensive. It would change how he acts. I need him in court. I need him to think things are normal."
He didn’t argue, but she could tell he didn’t like it.
Aveloria softened her tone. "Trust me on this. He needs to be there. He’s part of the plan, whether he knows it or not."
Galen finally nodded. He didn’t ask about the plan. He didn’t push her. He reached out and took her hand instead.
"Alright," he said. "Let’s go."
And together, they walked away from her chambers.
