CILLIAN’S POV
She looked at me with hatred in her eyes when I walked in but said nothing.
Her chains rattled. She was muttering something under her breath, a spell. But the chains neutralized everything.
“What do you want?” She asked.
I looked at her, at the chains and then at her palm. Suspicions were correct. I had seen the same mark on Rosa’s palm earlier. A mark that appeared after she was taken by the rogues.
I bent and grabbed Estella’s hand.
“What are you…?”
I brought out the silver dagger and slashed at the black mark in her palm.
She winced in pain and cursed me but she was still in chains. Nothing happened. There were drops of blue blood before red blood oozed from the wound.
I gave her a towel to stop the bleeding
“Your days are numbered.” I said.
And without another word, I left the dungeon.
ESTELLA’S POV
The pain from that silver cut still stung even after he left. He had broken the magical bond I formed with Rosalind to siphon her powers.
I was so angry. How did he know? I hated him even more. I hated them all.
There was another sound outside and the gates opened, someone walked in.
Had he come back again?
The figure just stood in the darkness, and said nothing. On second glance, I saw that it was not the prince. This person was taller and wore black robes.
He walked into the light and revealed himself. I knew those eyes anywhere.
“My queen,” River said and bowed.
“I thought… I thought you were.” I choked.
He bent down and embraced me.
“I was on the verge of death but I had a plan B In case that happened. I’m so sorry this happened, my queen.”
I touched his face. It was actually him.
I smiled genuinely for the first time in days.
“We need to run now, my queen. It is only a matter of time until they notice that something has gone wrong. When that happens there will be a total shutdown until they find you.” He said.
River touched the chains that held me and they unlocked. I felt the magic block freeing and my powers sparked in my hands, but it was not the same. The bond with the girl was broken. I was not as powerful as I would have wanted.
“You pave the way, River. I can sense you now, I’ll find you but I need to find Rosalind before we go.”
“That is very dangerous, my queen. The girl has made up her mind.” He argued.
“Let me see her first, she doesn’t know what she wants. Just go, I will find you in fifteen minutes.” I said to him.
He nodded and ran through the dark hallway without making a sound.
I made my way to Rosalind’s chambers. This was dangerous, perhaps even more dangerous than River had put it, but I had to do it.
Rosalind gasped when she saw me.
“I’m not here to hurt you, Rosalind.” I said, quietly shutting the door.
“I just broke out and I don’t have time, but I want you to come with me. If not my sake, then at least for your mother’s sake. She was the only family I had and after they took her, I never remained the same. I kind of went off the rails. What I said to the council was the truth.”
“Why should I believe you?” She asked.
“Because it is the truth. I’m so sorry. Your mother did not deserve what they did to her, she used magic to heal your sick father and the king found out and had her executed. Your father was so devastated that he had a heart attack. And just like that, you turned to an orphan.”
“And instead of raising your late sister’s child, you abandoned the child. Not even caring if I survived.
“I’m sorry, Rosalind. I can not stop apologizing. I looked for you, and that was while we took you then. I needed to confirm if you were really my sister’s child. I also wanted to see what kind of woman you had grown to become. Irene would have been so proud of you.”
Rosalind said nothing, she looked like a lot was going on in her mind.
“You’re saying my mother was killed for trying to heal my father with magic?” There was a pain in her voice that I had not witnessed before.
“I swear it. That was what happened. You can ask your princes if you want. They know the story.”
There were heavy footsteps outside Rosalind’s chambers. The guards had probably noticed that something was wrong. It would only be a matter of time before they sounded the alarm.
“Rosalind, we could start over. As a family, I could teach you how to use your powers. The alarm will be sounded any time from now and I can’t be here when it goes off. You know where to find me. We’re supposed to leave immediately but I’ll wait for you.” I said and left through the back door.
It was dark now. That was an advantage for us.
River was at the spot when I came down.
“She’s not coming?”
“Give her time.” I said, hopefully I had done enough to convince her to make the right decision.
We waited in the dark and after a few minutes, the alarm was sounded. The pack would know that I had escaped prison.
I looked on in the darkness with hope but there was no sign of her.
“We have to go now, my queen!”
I had no choice, I went with River. He followed a lonely alley.
“Stop right there!” We had been spotted.
“How the fuck did they know?” River muttered under his breath.
Arrows started flying our way. River deflected them with his blade but one hit hit him straight in the neck and he fell.
“Keep going, my queen.” He managed to say and slumped.
I ran and fell into a closed ditch. It was very deep. I remembered it from the earthquake. I had expected it to take down one of the princes, but instead, I was the one falling. I closed my eyes.
ROSALIND’S POV
News of Estella’s death got to me. She had done so many bad things but her death hurt me. It hurt to know that the last of my family was dead.
I cried in my chambers, wondering if she would still be alive if she didn’t come here that night and tell me the things she had.
I did not come out for days. I told the maids not to disturb me.
Killian and Cillian came over to my chambers.
I hugged them both, crying.
“Am I a bad person for crying over someone like Estella?”
“Bad or not, she was your family. It doesn’t make you a bad person.” Killian said.
“We’re sorry we couldn’t come earlier.”
I nodded and held them both tightly.
“I love you.” I sniffled.
Both of their heartbeats spiked at those words. My head was still on the chests.
“Rosa?” Cillian called.
I looked up at them.
“I love both of you, Cillian and Killian. I don’t know how that is possible and I’ve been telling myself that it isn’t possible, but it is. I have made my decision, I accept both of you as my mates and I will be your Luna.”
KILLIAN’S POV
At the council meeting, the elders demanded Rosalind for trial.
“Rosalind must be summoned to face trial according to the laws of the pack.” Councilman Arthur said.
I nodded to Cillian and he whispered to the messenger.
After a few minutes, the High Priestess appeared with Rosalind by her side.
The councilmen were surprised to see the High priestess with her followers.
“Bless the goddess.” She said.
Everyone responded.
“Today is a sacred day, a day that the prophecy comes to pass. With the blessings of your majesties, I present this maiden as the mate of the princes and automatically the Luna of Southern Paw. The prophecy has been fulfilled.”
Cillian and I came up and stood by Rosalind’s side. The queen supreme
As the Priestess unveiled her, the elders bowed down their heads in supplication.
There would be no trial, but a grand wedding.