Lilith had expected more spectacle.
They’d been escorted through three layers of guarded halls, each colder than the last, and made to wait nearly an hour in an antechamber that smelled faintly of ash and arrogance. When the heavy doors finally opened, she and her parents were ushered in without ceremony.
The royal throne room was quieter than expected.
It wasn’t the towering chamber of marble and gold she had imagined—no sweeping staircases or stained-glass dramatics. Just a wide, circular room steeped in shadow, where twilight filtered through narrow windows and firelight flickered low along polished obsidian floors.
At the far end, the King sat on a throne of dark stone—simple, but raised just high enough to make a point.
Lilith stood flanked by her parents, dressed in deep plum and gold, a vision of elegance and silent promise.
Roman spoke first.
“We’re not here to challenge your authority, Your Majesty,” he said smoothly, bowing his head. “Only to offer you… options.”
The King raised an eyebrow. “You’ve traveled far. Say what you came to say.”
Eleanor stepped forward. “You don’t need to kill her.”
That earned the King’s attention.
“Go on,” he said, reclining slightly.
Lilith’s voice was calm. Almost gentle. “You said it yourself—if you harm her, you risk rebellion. Leon would never stand down. And the people… they love her.”
“But if she can’t breed,” Roman continued, “her power dies with her.”
Eleanor smiled thinly. “A single vial. Tasteless. Delayed effects. By the time anyone notices, it’ll be too late to trace.”
“You don’t lose a White Wolf,” Roman said. “You just end the line.”
There was a silence. A heavy sort of silence.
The King said nothing. But his fingers drummed lightly on the armrest.
“And what would you gain from this?” he asked finally.
Lilith met his gaze. “Justice. Restoration. My place.”
“Your sister’s place,” he corrected.
“She took what was never meant for her,” Lilith replied, tone like silk over ice. “Luke was mine. And now that she’s made her position official… well. If she were to lose everything that made her useful…”
“Leon’s claim would be weakened,” Roman added. “The pack could fracture. Or—pass to another Luna.”
Lilith stepped forward slowly. “Someone the King could trust. Someone who owes him everything.”
A long pause followed. The King studied her, his expression unreadable.
“You’re suggesting I sanction a betrayal,” he said, “that would go unnoticed.”
“A surgical one,” Eleanor said.
“And should you ever need a Queen,” Lilith said softly, “know that I don’t flinch from power. I don’t hide behind prophecy. I choose it.”
The King tilted his head. He didn’t agree. But he didn’t say no.
“I’ll give it some thought,” he said.