CHAPTER 26 Aug 13, 2025 The bells tolled like they were mourning something. I stood in the antechamber of the Cathedral, cold despite the layers of silver-gray silk that clung to my body. The dress had been sent by the Queen-subdued, modest, unmistakably symbolic. A quiet way of saying stay in your place . Sarah adjusted the hem behind me, her hands gentle, her eyes sharp. "You don't have to do this," she said softly. I didn't answer. "You don't have to watch." Still, I said nothing. "Marianne..." Her voice broke. "I thought he loved you." I turned, forcing a small smile. "He did. Once." She searched my face, but I looked away. I couldn't tell her the truth-not about the threats, the sacrifice, the choice I made with a sword pressed to both our throats. Instead, I faced the door. It creaked open. A steward gave the signal. It was time. The music swelled, grand and hollow, and I stepped into the aisle. Every eye turned. The Queen watched like a hawk, her jeweled collar glittering like a warning. My mother and father sat stiff and smug, Clarissa's name already halfway sewn into their pride. But Alexander- Alexander stood at the altar in royal blue and black, gold embroidery tracing the edge of his collar like ivy, like armor. And his eyes- Gods, his eyes. He looked at me like he was starving. Like he hadn't seen light since I left. The tension in his jaw, the ache in his stare, the silent plea I could almost feel down my spine. He yearned. And I walked past him. Not a word. Not a glance. It had to be this way. The music shifted. And then came Clarissa. The doors opened wide, and she stepped in like a queen already crowned. Her gown was a dance of silk and crystal, her smile sweet and victorious. She basked in the attention, let it roll over her. The court leaned forward. The Queen nodded. The priest began. He asked her name. She said it clearly. Then he turned to Alexander. The whole room held its breath. "Do you, Prince Alexander of Solmar, take Lady Clarissa Alder as your wife, your future queen, and your chosen consort?" Silence. A beat. Then two. And then-Alexander stepped back. "I can't," he said. The words hit like thunder. Gasps. Movement. The priest froze. Clarissa's smile shattered. "I can't do this," Alexander said again, louder now. "I won't. " The Queen stood. "Alexander-" "I've lied enough," he said. "To all of you. To myself." He turned toward the room. Toward me. "I'm cursed," he said, voice unwavering but raw. "By blood. It lives in me-every full moon, every time I lose control. It changes me." A shocked murmur rippled through the room. "I become something else. Something dangerous. And I've spent my life trying to hide it. To master it. To protect people from what I can become." Clarissa's voice trembled, sharp and shaking. "You said-" "I said what I had to say," he cut in, his eyes locked on her now. "I tried to do what was safe. What was expected. But I won't stand here and take vows I can't keep. I won't chain a woman to me out of fear, or marry someone just to protect a secret." He turned back to me then. The ache in his gaze was all truth. "I won't pretend anymore. Not when I already know who I love." He looked at me again. "I love Marianne," he said, like it cost him nothing-and everything. The world stopped. Clarissa's scream broke it. "You bastard! " She lunged-not at him, but at me. I barely had time to react before she grabbed the edge of my sleeve and yanked. Fabric tore. Her nails scratched my collarbone. "You think you win?" she shrieked. "You think this means you win?! " Even as the guards held her back, her eyes darted wildly, searching-calculating. One guard fumbled his grip. Another turned to listen to the Queen's order. That was all she needed. Her hand shot out. A dagger slipped free from the guard's belt. She grabbed it. Fast. Too fast. "No!" someone yelled. But she was already moving-tearing out of their grip, her gown ripping along the seams. She lunged forward, eyes locked on mine, the dagger gleaming like a star swallowed by rage. Everything slowed. I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. She was going to kill me.