Chapter 83: Eirene’s Charms
When the hall finally grew silent, Alaric looked down at his wrist. The bracelet Eirene had given him that morning was still there. A simple woven piece with tiny beads. It didn’t look dangerous. It didn’t look evil. But it belonged to a monster.
Trovald noticed where his eyes had gone.
"You should take it off," Trovald said quietly.
Alaric didn’t argue. He slid the bracelet off his wrist and held it in his palm. The weight of it felt wrong now. He stared at it with a strange mix of disbelief and disgust.
"She told me it would protect me during the ceremony," he said. "She said it would ward off danger."
Trovald stepped closer. "She lied."
Alaric let out a long breath. He didn’t trust his voice to speak. He placed the bracelet on a nearby table as if it were something toxic.
After a moment, he looked up at Torvald with tired eyes.
"Is this where you say, ’I told you so?’"
Trovald didn’t hesitate. "I told you so."
Alaric let out a small, humorless chuckle. "I suppose I deserve that."
Silence settled between them. Trovald looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
Alaric eventually said the words he had been holding back since the transformation.
"She killed Lyra."
"I’m sorry about that."
Alaric nodded slowly. "It makes sense now. All of it."
He sank into a chair. His voice was low, almost a whisper.
"Lyra kept vomiting black substance. No healer understood what was happening. She couldn’t speak or move. She was trapped inside her own body for weeks until she died in my arms. I ruled her death as an unknown illness." He paused. "I didn’t look deeper. I didn’t want to."
Trovald’s expression was sympathetic but guarded.
"Eirene was always there," Alaric continued. "She comforted me. She supported me. She made herself look loyal. She made me depend on her."
He rubbed his face with both hands. "I had no idea she was poisoning my mate. I slept next to Lyra while she was dying. I sat through council meetings while Eirene planned her death. I couldn’t protect the one person who trusted me the most." His shoulders shook slightly.
Trovald remained quiet, allowing him to speak.
"She pretended to be Lyra’s friend," Alaric said. "Lyra said they met at a noble meeting. Eirene taught her spells and potions. Lyra was excited to have someone to help her grow. She trusted her. She thought she had found a sister."
He swallowed hard, remembering.
"But then Lyra began to pull away from her. She once told me she had misjudged her. That Eirene was dangerous. But I didn’t take it seriously. I thought it was stress talking." His voice cracked. "I dismissed my mate’s warning."
He leaned back, staring blankly at the opposite wall. Some elders advised him not to crown her. They said it was too soon and she was not trustworthy.
"I didn’t listen. I acted like a fool."
Trovald stepped closer. "You were bewitched."
Alaric shook his head. "I cannot put it all on enchantment. I am the king. I should have been more careful. More alert. I nearly let her take the throne permanently. I nearly let her harm my children. If she had succeeded in any way, the kingdom would have been lost."
He pressed his fingers against his temple. "I failed. As a king. As a father. As a mate."
Trovald’s voice softened. "You are not the first king to trust the wrong person."
"And look what it cost me," Alaric said. "Look what it cost the kingdom. Aveloria had to step up today because I did not. She has taken on burdens that should have been mine. She reminds me so much of Lyra. And I nearly failed her, too."
Trovald sighed. "You should not blame yourself beyond reason. You made mistakes, yes. But you are taking steps now. You will correct what went wrong."
Alaric stood slowly, pushing himself upright as if every movement weighed a little more than it should.
"I need to be alone," he said softly.
Trovald nodded. "If you need anything, I am here."
Alaric didn’t respond. He turned away, walking across the now-quiet hall. The moonlight leaking through the windows highlighted the exhaustion in his posture.
He paused at the doorway and looked back at the empty chair where Eirene once sat as queen. His face hardened. The guilt remained, but now it was mingled with anger and resolve.
Then he stepped out of the hall, leaving Trovald behind, and the guards closed the door softly.
*************
Theron, Galen, Lucien, and Aveloria went straight to Aveloria’s study without stopping anywhere else in the palace. The guards outside were doubled, and the corridor leading to it was quiet in a way that felt forced, as if everyone were holding their breath after what had happened.
As soon as the doors closed behind them, Theron turned to Galen.
"Did you know about her plan?" he asked bluntly.
Galen did not hesitate. "I knew there was a plan," he said. "I did not know what it involved. I didn’t know when she intended to act or how."
Theron’s jaw tightened as he shifted his gaze to Aveloria.
Before he could speak again, she stepped forward. "He’s telling the truth," she said firmly. "Galen knew nothing about the details. I didn’t tell him. I didn’t tell any of you."
Theron crossed his arms. "That doesn’t make it better."
"I know," she replied. Her voice was steady, but her face was pale, and the tension in her shoulders was apparent. "It was my decision. I planned everything myself."
Theron exhaled slowly, clearly holding back harsher words. "You acted recklessly," he said at last. "If I hadn’t arrived with trained warriors, tonight could have ended very differently."
Aveloria nodded. "I know. Things got out of hand faster than I expected."
"Out of hand is an understatement," Theron said.
She didn’t argue. "It was a sloppy move. I underestimated how many of them were already prepared to act." She paused, then looked directly at him. "But I’m grateful you came. Truly. If your men hadn’t been here, my kingdom would be in ruins by morning."
Theron studied her for a moment before nodding once. "You don’t need to thank me. This threat affects more than just Lycanthria."
Lucien had remained quiet near the window, watching her closely. He noticed how her hands trembled when she rested them on the edge of the desk, how she seemed to force herself to stay upright. Every instinct told him to cross the room and pull her into his arms, but he stayed where he was. This was not the moment.
Galen broke the silence. "What matters now is what comes next," he said. "The wanderers didn’t just appear tonight. They are right in this kingdom. And they’ve been growing in numbers. We need a real solution. A plan to deal with them and cleanse the kingdom."
Lucien finally spoke. "Before we talk about solutions, I want to understand something."
All eyes turned to him.
"There’s more to what happened tonight," he continued. "This wasn’t just a single attempt to overthrow the throne. I want to know what’s been happening inside these palace walls before I share what I know."
Aveloria stiffened. "There’s nothing more than what you saw," she said. "I planned to expose my stepmother and my sister. Their goal was to kill my siblings, kill me, and take the throne. That’s it."
Lucien frowned slightly. "That’s what they wanted you to believe."
Theron glanced between them. "What are you suggesting?"
Lucien folded his arms. "This was political. Too many people turned tonight for it to be limited to just Eirene and her daughter."
Aveloria’s lips pressed into a thin line. "They had influence."
"Influence doesn’t explain how coordinated it was," Lucien replied. "Eirene wasn’t the only one who needed to be removed for this to work."
Silence followed as the weight of his words settled.
