CHAPTER 27 Aug 13, 2025 Then- Alexander moved. He stepped between us just as the dagger came down. The blade plunged deep into his side. His breath caught-sharp, broken. Clarissa gasped. The room exploded into motion. Guards tackled her to the ground. Sarah screamed my name. The Queen shouted something I couldn't hear. All I could see was Alexander-his face pale, blood blooming through his tunic like a flower made of fire and death. He sank to his knees. I caught him before he hit the floor. "Alex-" I sobbed, pressing my hands to the wound, "Alex, stay with me- " His eyes met mine. And even then-especially then-they were full of love. Chaos exploded. The crowd turned into a sea of screams and scrambling limbs. Guards rushed in, shoving past nobles and knocking over ceremonial banners. Clarissa thrashed like a wild animal, the dagger clattering to the marble floor. Blood streaked the hem of her gown as she fought the hands that restrained her. Her face-once so perfectly arranged-was twisted in something ugly, feral, and finally stripped of charm. "Let go of me!" she shrieked. "You don't know what you're doing-he's a beast!" A guard twisted her arms behind her back. "Enough!" the Queen shouted, her voice louder than the bells. "You disgrace this court." Alexander didn't fall, but his weight sagged against me. His wound wasn't deep, but blood bloomed across the sleeve of his coat, bright red against ivory. His jaw clenched. He said nothing. "You protected me," I whispered, gripping his hand with trembling fingers. "Of course I did," he said, eyes still fixed on Clarissa. "There was never any other choice." Clarissa twisted again, her voice raw. "You think she'll survive you? She doesn't know what you become!" Her gaze snapped to me. "He'll tear you apart. And you'll beg for a crown to save you." "I don't want a crown," I said softly. "I want him." The Queen's expression didn't flicker. But she stepped forward, down the dais steps, until she stood at eye level with her daughter. "Clarissa Solmar," she said, voice like ice cracking over steel, "you are banished." Clarissa froze. The crowd gasped. "No," Clarissa breathed. "You wouldn't-" "You have betrayed the throne, the court, and your own blood." The Queen turned to the guards. "Get her out of my sight." Clarissa let out one final scream before the guards dragged her toward the gate. Her eyes never left Alexander-not in hatred, but something worse. Obsession. "She'll come back," I said under my breath. Alexander nodded grimly. "Not today." As the crowd began to disperse, a shadow slipped between them. Riven. He stood at the edge of the courtyard for a single heartbeat, then vanished into the outer halls. I didn't call after him. Whatever words he might've said had already been wasted. That night, the palace didn't sleep. Neither did we. The halls flickered with torchlight long after the last servant was dismissed. Rumors raced faster than footmen. Some said Clarissa had been imprisoned. Others swore she'd been sent to the dungeons under the sea. A few wondered aloud whether the Queen would step down now that her chosen heir had been disgraced. I didn't care. I stood in the East Wing beside Alexander. He sat on the velvet bench near the hearth, his injured arm now bandaged, the firelight painting shadows across his face. He looked tired-but at peace. Like something had cracked open, and light had finally come through. My fingers curled around his. "How many knew?" "Three. Then two. Then none." He paused. "Until you." I didn't flinch. I didn't speak. "I told myself I didn't need love," he said. "I didn't deserve it. That if I let anyone close, they'd either fear me... or use me." My heart ached. "And now?" His hand came up, brushing a loose curl behind my ear. "Now I want a life with you. Even if I'm only half of myself." I leaned into him, pressing my forehead to his. "You're not half. You're just more." Outside the window, clouds drifted across the night sky. And then-silver broke through. A single beam. Then more. The full moon rose like a silent sentinel above Solmar. And the curse called.