CHAPTER 88: CHAPTER 87. SECOND LIFE

IIt took much longer for Roxanne to recover after her fight with Leonhart, not because the beast king was stronger than Ashkareth, but because her father had held back when he fought her. Ashkareth never struck with full force, never unleashed his true strength. Deep down, even in their most brutal clashes, he still saw her as his daughter, not as an opponent.

Lying in bed now, with her body still aching and her ribs wrapped in soft bandages, Roxanne finally understood the difference. Leonhart had fought her like an equal, meeting every strike, every roar of dominance head-on. If her father and Leonhart ever clashed, she realized with a quiet smile, the battle would shake the world; their powers are nearly the same.

Then, almost like a whisper in her mind, came the realization of how pitifully weak Dietrich truly was. Even when she unleashed her full alpha dominance, Leonhart and Ashkareth had both stood their ground, heads high, eyes unbroken.

But Dietric, she had to restrain herself in his presence, holding her power back just so he wouldn’t collapse and bow before her. The thought was almost amusing. Roxanne let out a low laugh that grew louder, echoing softly through the dimly lit room.

Vivianne, who had been resting beside her, stirred. She turned on her side, her silver hair spilling over the pillow like a river of light. "What are you laughing at?" she asked softly, her voice warm and curious.

Roxanne tilted her head toward her, a faint smirk on her bruised lips. "I just realized how weak and pathetic Dietrich really is," she said. "And I’ve been following him all this time."

Undine’s restorative waters continued to weave their quiet magic, rippling softly over Roxanne’s skin like liquid moonlight. It wasn’t as fast or as aggressive as Mara’s healing spells, but it’s deeper, gentler, and wiser.

The water didn’t just close wounds or mend torn flesh; it soothed the ache beneath the surface, knitting bone and sinew back together as if time itself flowed backward. Every drop carried a pulse of life, rejuvenating her body from within.

The blood she’d lost in battle seemed to return in warmth and color, her breath growing steadier with each passing minute. It’s a healing that went beyond the physical, a renewal, the spirit’s embrace after the storm.

Vivianne hummed in agreement, brushing her thumb gently along Roxanne’s hand. She had always known Dietrich was a coward, a narcissist who demanded attention, and a man who couldn’t bear rejection without lashing out. But hearing Roxanne say it made Vivianne feel something close to relief.

"I knew he was small-minded," Vivianne murmured, "but I didn’t think he was this fake... this hollow." For a moment, silence settled between them. Only the soft sound of their breathing and the distant whisper of wind outside the tent could be heard.

Then Vivianne sat up, her expression suddenly serious. The change in her tone made Roxanne straighten instinctively, her tired eyes sharpening. "Wife," Vivianne began, her voice low but steady, "I want to tell you something. Something that... might not make sense. But I have to tell you."

Roxanne turned, leaning back against the headboard, her movements slow but attentive. "What is it, sweetheart?"

Vivianne hesitated for a heartbeat, her fingers clutching the edge of the blanket. "I don’t know if you’ll believe me or not, but I—" Before she could finish, Roxanne reached out and pulled her close, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, firm, reassuring, and tender all at once.

When she pulled away, her smile was faint but full of warmth. "I’ll believe you," she said quietly. "Even if you lie to me. And besides..." She brushed her thumb along Vivianne’s cheek. "We’re connected, remember? I can feel it when something weighs on your heart."

Vivianne stared at her for a moment, her chest tightening with affection. She’d forgotten how deep their connection truly ran, how their souls had intertwined the day they performed their bonding ritual. They could sense each other’s emotions as clearly as breathing.

Her expression softened, and she let out a quiet breath. "So," Roxanne continued gently, taking Vivianne’s hand in both of hers. "What is it you wanted to tell me?"

Vivianne hesitated again, her gaze flickering with uncertainty and something deeper, something fragile that Roxanne couldn’t quite name. For a while, she stayed quiet, her fingers twisting the blanket on her lap. Then, finally, she took a long, shaky breath.

"This is my second life," she whispered. "I died once... and somehow, I woke up before everything happened. Before my misfortune began. I opened my eyes again in that stupid, dark Rothschild basement, the one where they put me to sleep, where they kept me like some kind of broken thing." Roxanne froze. For a moment, she can’t breathe.

"In my first life," Vivianne continued softly, "I was married to Dietrich de Erengard. I was the empress. You never came to the capital; you stayed in the North. We never met."

Her eyes looked distant, haunted by memories that still had claws. "Dietrich could never fully own me. I had something in me... a special pheromone. It made alphas desire me, even the ones who already had mates. And even after Dietrich marked me, it didn’t stop. When I went into heat, they still came—mad with craving, desperate, like animals. And Dietrich..."

Her voice broke, trembling. "He hated that he couldn’t control it. That he couldn’t control me." Roxanne’s chest tightened, every word slicing through her like a blade.

"So he used me instead," Vivianne whispered. "He turned me into a bargaining tool. A night with the empress, he’d say, if they gave him what he wanted. I became a prize, a currency. Something he traded to keep his power. At least that way, I was... useful." Her voice cracked on the last word, shaking as she fought the memories. "I—"

Before she could continue, Roxanne reached out and pulled her into her arms, holding her tightly against her chest. "That’s enough," she murmured, her voice low and warm. "I understand now. You don’t have to say the rest."

Vivianne trembled in her embrace, tears silently falling against Roxanne’s shoulder. Roxanne could feel it all: the storm raging inside her, the shame, the fear, and the heavy chains of memory that she had carried alone for so long.

And suddenly, everything made sense. It was clear why Vivianne had been so afraid to leave the carriage when they first met and go to the church for their marriage. Why has she always frozen around unfamiliar alphas in Blackwood territory before? It wasn’t shyness; it was a shield. She didn’t trust the world not to break her again.

Vivianne drew a shuddering breath and lifted her face, eyes glistening. "No, I have to say it. I have to let it out. It’s been eating me alive, Roxanne. Please... just let me finish."

Roxanne hesitated, then cupped Vivianne’s cheek and brushed her thumb gently across her skin. "Alright, sweetheart," she said softly. "I’m here. I’m listening. You don’t have to hold anything back anymore."

Vivianne nodded faintly, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Roxanne pulled her closer, pressing their foreheads together until they shared the same trembling breath.

"Three years, Roxanne," Vivianne whispered, her voice breaking apart between sobs. "For three years I lived in Dietrich’s hell. Three years of being used, broken, and humiliated. And by some cruel twist of mercy, I was never pregnant, despite all those alphas he threw at me. I was nothing more than a beautiful toy, something to trade, something to bargain with. The empress of the empire—used for power."

Her cries finally broke free, raw and uncontrolled. The air around them shuddered as the spirits reacted to her anguish. The power within Vivianne burst like a wave, shimmering light sweeping across the room.

Undine frowned as she turned to Roxanne and gestured firmly, urging her to calm Vivianne before the power consumed her. Roxanne frowned in return but tightened her hold, wrapping her arms around her wife as if she could shield her from the ghosts of her past.

"Breathe, sweetheart," Roxanne murmured. "It’s over now. You’re here, with me."

Vivianne trembled in her embrace, her voice quiet and shaking. "And then I woke up. Back before everything happened. The marriage offer came again, but something was different this time. In my first life, it was only the emperor who sent one to House Rothschild; you were never involved." Roxanne’s eyes softened, listening closely.

"But then things changed," Vivianne continued. "You appeared instead. You—Roxanne de Borgia—sent the proposal. I didn’t understand it, but I knew it was my only chance to escape. Even though I was terrified, I chose you. Because even if nothing changed, at least... you weren’t him. I’d rather die than go through that life again."

Her tears spilled again, warm against Roxanne’s neck. "You don’t know how relieved I was when no alpha reacted to me after our wedding night. No madness, no hunger. And when you marked me, everything stopped. No more stares. No more fear. Just peace. I finally felt like I belonged to someone, not as a thing, but as a person. Just you, in this life. Only you."

"Just you in this life, as my alpha, just you." Vivianne’s voice cracked at the end. She shifted onto Roxanne’s lap, arms trembling as she held her tightly, crying freely now. "It’s strange, isn’t it?"

Roxanne smiled softly, brushing the tears from her wife’s cheeks. "No, it’s not strange at all," she whispered. "With four spirit kings bound to your soul, anything is possible. Maybe one of them sent you back to rewrite your fate." Vivianne looked up, eyes wide and glistening.

She continued, her voice low and warm. "And as for that proposal... I sent it because one of my aides wouldn’t stop talking about you. And they forced me to send the proposal; their words were, "To control my power, I need to marry." I gave in, thinking it was just a formality—but maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was destiny’s hand, giving us both a second chance."

Roxanne reached out, her thumb tracing Vivianne’s lower lip before resting against her cheek. "You know, Vivianne... My bloodline was always too strong. Every omega I’ve ever touched before you broke under my rut. I couldn’t control it, no matter how hard I tried. But the first time I saw you, everything in me went still. My instincts and my hunger, they all quieted. You made the storm inside me calm."

Vivianne blinked, silent tears falling again.

"Maybe," Roxanne said softly, "we were always meant to find each other. In this life, or the last. We just missed our chance the first time. Dietrich took what should’ve been mine."

She tilted her head, meeting Vivianne’s gaze with quiet conviction. "But not anymore. You’re mine, and I’ll make sure no one ever hurts you again."

Vivianne broke into another sob, burying her face against Roxanne’s neck as the spirits’ light dimmed around them, leaving only the two of them bathed in the quiet glow of moonlight and love, finally free of fear.

"How do you want me to break Dietrich?" Roxanne said, breaking their silence.