bChapter /bb247 /b

    ra’s POV

    “Queen ra! Open the door! Elder Thalia insists on seeing you!”

    I heard the shout from behind the door but didn’t even bother to stand up. Instead, I stared at the heavy wooden panels, my fingers resting on the cool window sill. My body was aching, and the weight of everything was sinking in.

    “Tell Elder Thalia that I’m not feeling well and prefer to be left alone,” I said, my voice sharp and final.

    The guard didn’t get the hint. “But you’re pregnant with the King’s heir, Queen ra! We can’t have anything happening to you or the child. Please, open the doorb, /bso the doctor can examine you.”

    I ced my hand on my swollen belly. Seven months, already. Far past the due date for a typical Lycan child, but that was the problem, wasn’t it? I was carrying something different–something no one fully understood. The child inside me wasn’t quite humanb, /bnot entirely Lycan either.

    I’d overheard whispers from the maids, worried talk about whether my baby would be deformed, an ‘ugly weirdo,‘ one of them had said. They didn’t know that werewolves carried their children for ten months, not nine. They didn’t know that the father of my child was a Lycan, a creature of a different kind altogether.

    “Leave me alone!” I snapped, raising my voice, an edge of frustration breaking through. “I’m fine. The King himself ordered me to be left in peace, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

    Normally, a sharp word from me would make them back off, but not today.

    “Queen ra, if you don’t open this door, we’ll be forced to break it down!” the guard warned.

    I straightened up, my spine rigid. “How dare you!” I snarled, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

    Dorian had ordered me to be left alone–what were they trying to do? Ignore hismand?

    Then came the voice of a soldier, crisp and cold, “Break the damn door down on 3-2-1!”

    The door mmed forward, sending shards of splintered wood into the room. The sound was deafening. Dust swirled up as soldiers rushed in, their boots crushing the wreckage.

    “You’reing with us, Queen ra,” one of them said, his voice devoid of emotion.

    I ced my hand ion /imy belly, my gaze hardening. “Where’s the King?” I demanded.

    “The King’s iout /ion patrol,” came the cold reply.

    I knew it. They wouldn’t have dared to do this if he were here. But it didn’t matter now. They were here, and there was no getting out of it.

    I stood up, my movements slow and deliberate, and walked to the door. My chin lifted high, a mask of indifference over the fear gnawing at my gut.

    “Lead the way,” I said, my voice distantb, /bcontrolled.

    17:45 Monb, /bb15 /bbSept /bA

    ? ? ??, 59%;

    The walk to the Elder Council was cold, the air thick with tension. The Council was at the top of a mountain, isted from the rest of the castle. The room we entered was dim, the two tables of the House of Light and Shadow eerily empty. The House of Dark’s elders were gathered, and at the head of the table sat Elder Thalia, her lips curving into a cold, mocking

    smile.

    “It’s not easy to catch you in person, Queen ra,” she said, her tone dripping with disdain.

    “I’m here now,” I shot back, my voice steady.

    Elowen’s smile widened. “Yes, after I had your door broken down. You’re a Queen, not some hermit hiding away.”

    Her eyes flicked to my swollen belly, and her lips twisted in amusement. “If I hadn’t seen that belly of yours for myself, I might’ve started doubting whether you were even pregnant.”

    My heart skipped a beat, a wave of panic threatening to crash over me.

    “Why haven’t you gone intobour yet?” another elder asked, a frown pulling at her features.

    “The werewolves usually carry for ten months,” I replied, my words calm but pointed.

    “But you’re carrying a Lycan’s child!” another elder interjected sharply.

    I bristled. “Yes, a hybrid child of both a Lycan and a werewolf. This is new. There’s no precedent for this kind of pregnancy. No one knows how long it will take for a hybrid to be born. All we can do is wait.”

    A murmur of discontent rippled through the elders.

    “I’ve never heard of such a long pregnancy,” Elowen said, her voiceced with suspicion. “You need a doctor to examine you. Make sure your child is healthy.”

    She gestured to a man by her side, a doctor, who immediately stepped forward.

    “Queen ra, if I may…” he began, his voice low and formal.

    “No!” I snapped, stepping back. “I said I’m fine. I don’t need anyone to tell me about my health. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself and my child.”

    Elowen let out a derisiveugh. “This child is more than just yours. It’s the heir to the Lycan Kingdom. Its importance goes far beyond your personal well–being.” She turned to the doctor. “Do whatever tests are necessary.”

    Before I could protest further, two soldiers grabbed my arms, holding me still as the doctor approached with a needle and

    collection vials.

    I stiffened. They couldn’t be serious. They were going to take my blood–if they ran a DNA test, they’d discover the truth.

    “Let go of me!” I fought against them, thrashing in their grip. “Is this how you treat your Queen-”

    “A Queen who hasn’t ruled a single day,” Elowen sneered. The doctor pushed the needle into my arm, drawing my blood.

    My chest tightenedb, /bfury boiling in my veins. I could feel their disrespect in every action, their disdain ifor /ime written ball /bover their faces.

    Mon

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    38

    “How long before we get the results?” Elowen asked, her eyes gleaming with cruel anticipation.

    “A couple of hoursb, /bElder Thalia,” the doctor replied, his voice detached.

    Elowen nodded and turned back to me. “We’ll wait here.”

    I red at her, blood dripping down my arm. “Can I leave now?”

    “Not so fast, Queen ra,” one of the elders chirped, their voice high–pitched. “We need to talk about your behaviour as Queen. You’ve hidden away, shirking your duties. That’s not what we expect from you.”

    “People are disappointed,” another elder added, his tone cold.

    I couldn’t hold back my sarcasm. “Well, I’m perfectly happy with things as they are. If you have issues, take them up with Dorian.”

    They had imprisoned me here, locked me away. I owed them nothing.

    “You won’t hide behind the King forever,” Elowen hissed. “He’s blinded by his emotions, but he will see the truth eventually. You’re nothing more than a trophy wife!”

    The room nodded in agreement, the elders murmuring their approval.

    “You’ll be left alone to think on this,” one elder suggested. “Perhaps some time to reflect will do you good.”

    “Agreed,” Elowen added, her gaze sharp. “Guards, take Queen ra outside. Let her stand beneath the stairs.”

    My heart sank. “You can’t be serious. It’s snowing out there! It’s freezing!“.

    Elowen’s smile turned sly. “A little cold won’t hurt you. And as for your child, Lycan babies are strong. They can handle it.”

    Before I could protest further, soldiers grabbed me, dragging me outside into the freezing blizzard. The snow whipped against my skin as I was forced to stand beneath the pir, my body trembling.

    The biting cold pierced through my clothing, numbing my fingers and toes. The snow piled up on my head and shoulders. I could barely breathe through the freezing air.

    I ced my hand over my belly, a wave of panic sweeping through me. Was my child feeling this too? Did it hurt?

    Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

    As I stood there, the wind howling around me, I tried to call out, but my words were lost in the wind. I was shaking uncontrobly, the cold seeping deeper with each passing minute.

    The fear that had been gnawing at me all day intensified. They were about to find out that my child wasn’t Dorian’s.

    Would I lose everything now?

    My body started to sway, the cold unbearable. My vision blurred, and just as my knees buckled, I felt a pair of bstrong /barms

    catch me.

    17:45 Mon, 15 Sept A

    “ra!” Dorian’s voice was filled with panic as he pulled me into his arms.

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