It's Not His Fault
1650 Words
~Lyra~
“I can see now, Gideon,” I said, smiling softly.
“Really?” Gideon’s voice trembled with disbelief, his joy spilling over as tears welled in his eyes. “That’s wonderful, that’s wonderful!”
I nodded gently, a faint smile still playing at my lips. “Mm.”
Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the room.
I turned swiftly to find Eli, who had been trying to sneak out the door but tripped over something on the floor. Her eyes widened in panic when she saw me looking, her face turning pale as she took a small step back.
“Princess, I... I didn’t mean to overhear...” she stammered, her eyes brimming with tears.
I stepped closer to her, my voice soft but firm. “I was planning to keep it from you, Eli. But you follow me so closely every day, I can’t hide anything from you if I wish to do certain things.”
Eli shrank against the door, her breath quickening. “Please don’t kill me, Princess... I swear I’ll keep this secret. I really will...”
I paused before her, taking a moment to look into her pleading eyes. But before I could respond, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed, fainting right before me.
Was I truly so terrifying? First Gideon, then Eli?
A weary sigh escaped my lips as I pressed my temple with my fingers. Am I turning into Kael?
...
I sat on the carpet, my hands busy with the ladle, stirring the boiling water while I carefully scattered petals into it. The petals were rich in color, their edges delicate and curled, like little pieces of moonlight.
Eli, who had recovered, sat across from me, holding a notebook in her hands. Her gaze never left me. “Princess, what are you making?”
“Making Moonstone Petals,” I replied, my voice calm and collected.
“Moonstone Petals?” she echoed, her curiosity piqued.
“Yes,” I confirmed, “it’s an herb that can melt into water and used to enhance the senses of werewolves and Lycan. It’s also beneficial for calming the wolf inside us.”
Eli furrowed her brow. “I’ve never heard of it...”
“Perhaps you’ve heard it by another name,” I said, turning to meet her gaze. “The Mad Drink?”
At the mention of its name, Eli’s face paled, her eyes wide with fear.
The Mad Drink had gained notoriety ten years ago. A concoction that made Lycan and werewolves lose control, turning them into mindless beasts. It was pure chaos, and for a time, only blood filled the streets of the Lycan nation. That was, until the Lycan King had banned its production and sale.
“Princess, we mustn’t...” Eli gasped, reaching for the bowl as if to take it away.
“Don’t panic,” I said calmly, raising a hand to stop her. “I’m not making the Mad Drink. I’ve used different ingredients. The Mad Drink... only brought chaos. But what I’m making will benefit us, strengthening our senses. And it’s incredibly valuable.”
I paused, a distant smile touching my lips as memories of my mother surfaced. “Back when my mother made it, there were many Lycans who wanted it. The price for a single petal was high.”
Eli hesitated, her voice low and cautious. “And what do you intend to do with these... petals?”
“Sell them, of course,” I replied with a serene smile. “I need the money to buy back what I had lost eight years ago. Perhaps, take my revenge to whoever killed my family as well.”
“I never thought I’d find the core ingredients right here in the Manor,” I continued. “The process of making Moonstone Petals requires certain species of petals, and after the fall of my pack, I thought I had lost the ingredients for it forever.”
“Princess...” Eli’s voice faltered, her words caught at the tip of her tongue.
“Lyra,” I interrupted, my gaze softening.
“Huh?”
“Call me Lyra, Eli. In private, at least. I believe we are friends, not master and servant.”
“But...”
“I insist,” I said gently. “And now that you know my deepest secret, you are, indeed, my friend.”
“Alright... Lyra...” Eli murmured, her voice tentative.
“Just as I told you back at the hospital,” I continued, “I wasn’t pretending to be blind for any schemes. I simply didn’t want to add to the chaos. And I just wanted to use the Royal family’s resources to reclaim the old Evergreen, waiting for the day I would be returned to my own home. It was that simple.”
“I’ll remember that, Lyra,” Eli said thoughtfully, her gaze distant. “I’ve checked online. The Evergreen was once the top pack in the nation, and everything from your pack was worth a fortune. With your current situation... it’s probably impossible to get even a single bowl back.”
I nodded slowly, the weight of those words sinking in. I had nothing when I married into the Royal family, and they had only guaranteed me the most basic of living expenses.
“One must try to know if it’s possible,” I said with a faint smile, waiting for the petals in the bowl to be ready.
"I cannot bring them back to life," I whispered to myself, "but bringing back what we once owned... that's the least I can do."
Eli gazed at me, her eyes filled with unspoken words, but she closed her lips, clearly unsure of how to respond.
"Alright," I said, attempting to shift the conversation. "Let's place the boiled petal on the plate and let it cool down until it becomes crispy. In the meantime, tell me everything you know about Kael—no detail is too small. It could help me."
Eli scratched her head, biting her lip before finally speaking, “Prince Kael is... a bit unstable.”
“I knew that,” I nodded. “The moment he tended to my wound, the next he was using a silver blade to threaten me.”
“Right,” Eli continued, “And Prince Kael doesn’t visit the Manor often. He likes big parties—really big parties—but here’s the strange thing: he never actually participates in them. He just sits there, watching everyone else have fun...”
Eli’s face flushed as if embarrassed by the strange tidbit of information.
A man who throws parties but never participates... How odd.
I paused, considering it for a moment before asking, "Is there more?"
Eli’s eyes shifted, and she glanced around the room, ensuring no one was near. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said, “I overheard some maids gossiping about Prince Kael having amnesia. He didn’t remember anything from his life before being kidnapped.”
I listened intently, my fingers gently placing a petal into a glass of water, watching it unfurl.
“Those years of living with rogues... the Prince was treated like a beast. He had to go into the woods during the day to hunt for food, and at night, he slept in a slaughterhouse, with nothing but grass and dirt beneath him.”
A surge of anger rose within me, too. How cruel. How utterly brutal.
“It went on for years, until one day, nearly ten rogues were killed, and the Prince managed to escape. The King found him after that,” Eli lowered her voice further, “I heard the rogues’ deaths... might have been Prince Kael’s doing.”
"Isn’t that terrifying? The Prince killed ten wolves when he was just eighteen... and now he’s even more reckless,” Eli sighed, her gaze sympathetic. “And you—being his fated mate... Lyra, fate has been so unfair to you.”
“Even if he killed those rogues, it’s not his fault,” I replied, my voice steady. “If I were in his shoes, I’d have done the same, if not worse.”
Eli blinked in surprise, clearly taken aback. “Are you defending the Prince now? I thought you didn’t like him, that you were just trying to survive.”
“I’m just discussing the matter,” I replied with a calm smile.
“Lyra, have you fallen in love with the Prince?” Eli’s tone turned teasing.
I smiled and shook the head.
Love was an impossibility for someone like me, or Kael. All I wanted was for my marriage with Kael could last long enough for me to achieve what I wanted. That's it.
I looked at Eli and motioned for her to drink the petals.
Eli lowered her head, hesitated for a moment, and then took a sip. Her eyes immediately lit up with surprise. “Wow... I feel like I’m bathing under the moonlight. It’s so calming!”
She finished the glass in one go, eagerly refilling it.
I couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Be careful, though. Don’t drink too much. It can cause hallucinations.”
“But it’s so delicious!” Eli protested, savoring her second sip. “It has this minty taste, but it’s so mild—just perfect. And the lingering sweetness... Now I feel like I’m flying.”
“You’re being dramatic,” I chuckled.
“Well,” she said, sipping another glass, “if we’re making this much, we’ll have plenty for the ball.”
“The ball?” I asked, intrigued.
“Right! The ball dance coming up in a few days,” she said, eyes sparkling. “We can sell these petals there!”
I smiled, already planning. “And we’ll do it without any Royal members noticing. We’ll go in disguise.”
- Writer
