Khloe walked ahead, her steps steady, her expression unreadable. The weight of the night bore down on her, but she carried it with the same quiet dignity she had learned from her father, the very man who had taught her to wield power like a weapon.
Behind her, Jason followed, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword.
He hadn't stopped looking at Olivia.
The moment he had seen the bruising on her neck, the cracked corner of her lip, something inside him had shifted. Jason was not a man of impulsive violence, but he was a man of purpose.
And whoever had dared to harm Olivia would meet the edge of his blade.
Khloe stopped abruptly.
"Jason," she commanded, her voice carrying through the hallway.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
She didn't turn to face him. "Take twelve skilled swordsmen and ride to Cotz immediately. The vampires have turned the province into their hunting grounds, and the governor has done nothing but watch as his people are slaughtered."
Jason's eyes darkened.
Khloe turned slightly now, her expression a mask of cold authority. "Come back with his head on a platter."
Jason bowed low. "As you command."
He glanced once more at Olivia, his gaze lingering on her wounds, and then turned on his heel, disappearing down the corridor with the silent promise of vengeance.
Olivia remained quiet beside Khloe.
But Khloe had seen the way Jason had looked at her.
She made a note to address it later.
---
The queen's chambers were warm, bathed in the glow of candlelight. The scent of burning sandalwood filled the air, calming yet heavy.
Khloe removed her outer robe, letting it fall onto a nearby chair, before finally facing Olivia.
It was the first time she had truly looked at her since giving birth.
Her breath caught in her throat.
The bruising on Olivia's neck was stark against her pale skin. The corner of her lip, slightly swollen, bore the faintest trace of blood.
Khloe stilled.
Her stomach twisted with something sharp and unforgiving.
"Olivia," she said softly, stepping closer. "What happened to your neck?"
The handmaiden tensed. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, for being careless."
A lie.
Khloe saw through it instantly.
Her vision blurred before she could stop it. Tears welled, burning the edges of her resolve.
"I'm sorry," Khloe whispered, wrapping her arms tightly around Olivia.
Olivia stiffened, shock flickering across her face. Khloe did not cry easily. She had spent the last year building herself into something unbreakable, something untouchable.
But this—
This was the girl she had grown up with. The one who had held her secrets, dressed her wounds, and stood by her side when no one else had.
Olivia was the last piece of home she had left.
And now, even she had been harmed.
"I'm sorry, Olivia," Khloe choked out, burying her face in her handmaiden's shoulder. "I didn't see how much this was weighing on you."
Olivia swallowed hard.
She wanted to comfort her queen, but she could not afford to be weak.
So instead, she placed a steadying hand on Khloe's back. "Your Majesty, you do not need to apologize to me. I am yours to protect. And I know you will see this through."
Khloe pulled back slightly, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand.
Olivia did not cry, but there was something soft in her expression—something Khloe had not seen in a long time.
Khloe managed a weak smile. "Come," she said, taking Olivia's hand. "We bathe together tonight. Like we used to."
Olivia hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Yes, Your Majesty."
---
The bathhouse was a sanctuary of steam and candlelight. The water, warmed by enchanted stones beneath the marble, was scented with lavender and jasmine.
For the first time in months, Khloe allowed herself to relax.
The tension in her shoulders eased as she sank into the water, the heat soothing the aches she hadn't realized she carried.
Olivia sat beside her, silent but present.
The water lapped against their skin, and for a brief, fleeting moment, they were just two young women again—two friends who had once whispered secrets in the candlelight of Khloe's childhood chambers.
A small, unexpected laugh escaped Olivia. "Do you remember when we used to sneak sweets into the baths?"
Khloe smirked, her fingers tracing idle patterns in the water. "And my father would scold us when he found crumbs floating in the pool."
They giggled, their laughter echoing softly through the chamber.
But then the moment passed.
The weight of the night returned.
Khloe leaned her head back, staring at the carved ceiling above them. "I have to be strong tomorrow."
Olivia nodded. "You are always strong, Your Majesty."
Khloe turned her head slightly. "Not always. Not without you."
Olivia met her gaze, something unreadable passing between them.
Then, without another word, they rose from the water, drying themselves in silence.
The moment of peace had ended.
Now, there was work to be done.
---
The dungeon was colder than usual that night.
The Prime Minister, Minister Aldric, and Minister Reynard knelt before her, their hands bound in iron shackles.
Khloe sat on the throne, her expression blank as she regarded them. Cullen sat beside her, his golden eyes flickering with impatience.
The questioning is about to begin.