Caelan had launched a coup, taking the palace by force. He had even lured Lord Alistair to his death.
I pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to ease the splitting headache, but the tears came, spilling through my clenched fingers.
“Your Majesty...” Seraphine began to cry alongside me.
“Please, don’t grieve too much. Lordling… His Majesty is confused right now. He’s not thinking straight. He stood vigil over you all night after you collapsed. He just left for court a little while ago...”
She still called him ‘lordling,’ her heart clearly aching for him. She couldn’t believe that Caelan would do something like this.
I had always remained calm, no matter what had happened in this palace.
Even in the face of knives and swords, I had never felt fear like I did now.
But Caelan – my Caelan – this betrayal was like a knife driven deep into my chest.
I spent the entire day searching for him, but he was nowhere to be found.
It was only late at night, long after the palace had fallen silent, that he finally appeared, reeking of alcohol.
“You’re still awake, Mother? What’s the matter? Thinking about Alistair and can’t sleep?”
He staggered over, his steps unsteady, and grabbed my hand. His eyes were bloodshot, his face haggard.
“Caelan, you’re drunk.”
I tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened, his strength far greater than I expected. The small, soft child I once knew had grown into a tall, imposing young man.
“I’m not drunk, Mother.”
His voice was almost a plea as he leaned closer, his head resting heavily on my shoulder, his body pressing me back into the chair.
“Stop thinking about him. Think about me instead, alright?”
His words sent a chill through me. “Caelan, snap out of it. Get off me!”
But he didn’t listen. Instead, he leaned in even more, his weight pushing down on me. His scarlet eyes were filled with a wild, suppressed rage that I had never seen in him before.
“Why won’t you answer me? What does he have that I don’t?”
“Have you lost your mind? I am your mother!”
If I still didn’t understand his intentions, all these years would have been in vain.
My own child had developed unthinkable feelings for me…
Fury and shock coursed through me as I raised my hand to slap some sense into him, but he caught my wrist in a firm grip.
“Yes, I’ve gone mad. Ever since the day I saw him step into your chambers, I’ve been insane,” he growled.