POV: Wilhelm
I brought Francesca back before the sun had fully risen. The castle gates opened at my command, and no one asked questions when they saw her condition.
Her dress was torn, hair tangled, and her skin pale beneath streaks of dirt and dried blood that was not her own. I carried her inside myself, ignoring the stares, ignoring the whispers that followed us through the halls. If anyone dared to stop me, they would have regretted it.
She did not resist. That frightened me more than her screams ever could have.
I laid her on the bed in the small chamber she had once occupied, the same room she had chosen years ago because it was quiet and overlooked the forest. The window stood open, letting in cold air and the scent of pine.
She turned her head toward it immediately, her gaze fixing on the trees as if they were the only thing still real.
“Francesca,” I said softly. “You’re safe.”
She did not answer. I waited, standing there longer than I should have, hoping for any sign that she had heard me. A blink. A breath that hitched. Something, please! She remained perfectly still, her eyes empty in a way that made my chest tighten painfully.
I tried again. “No one followed us. Cassian’s curse can’t reach you here.”
Nothing. I poured water into a cup and brought it to her lips.
“Drink,” I urged, careful to keep my voice calm. “Please.”
Her mouth did not open, but she did not turn away either. She simply existed, motionless, as if whatever had happened in that courtyard had stripped her down to something fragile and unresponsive.
I set the cup aside with shaking fingers and reached for bread, tearing it into small pieces. I held one near her mouth, hating how helpless I felt. “You need strength,” I said. “Your body gave everything it had, and you can’t recover if you refuse to eat.”
She stared past me, through me, toward the window.
I had commanded armies and survived years of isolation and pain. None of that prepared me for the sight of my mate fading in front of me while I stood powerless.
I pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down, forcing myself to slow my breathing.
“I don’t know what you saw out there,” I said after a long silence. “I don’t know what Cassian did to you today. But I swear to you, this ends.”
Her fingers twitched faintly against the blanket. I leaned forward, seizing that small reaction.
“I have a plan,” I continued. “A real one. Cassian’s grip on the kingdom is weaker than it appears. The border packs are restless, and the merchant houses are tired of his taxes and his cruelty. We are gathering support quietly, carefully.”
She did not look at me.
“Kyle has secured alliances with three packs already,” I went on, choosing my words with care. “I don’t trust him completely, but I don’t have the luxury of purity. Without him and his allies, we are too few to challenge the king directly.”
At that, her gaze flickered briefly toward me, sharp with something like fear.
“I know,” I said quickly, “that you don’t trust him either. And you’re right to be wary. Kyle has always wanted what was mine. But for now, our goals align.”
I reached out slowly and rested my hand over hers on the blanket. She did not pull away, but she did not squeeze back either.
“Everything will be okay,” I said, more firmly than I felt. “I will take my throne back. Cassian will answer for what he’s done. And you will never be dragged through those gates again.”
Her lips parted slightly, and for a moment I thought she might speak. Instead, her gaze slid back to the window, her expression closing once more.
I stayed with her through the morning and into the afternoon. When she would not drink, I dipped a cloth in water and pressed it gently to her lips. When she shivered, I added another blanket. When exhaustion finally claimed her, it was shallow and restless, her body tense even in sleep.
I did not leave.
When night fell, I lay down on the floor beside her bed, my back against the stone, my arm resting where I could still feel her presence through the bond. It thrummed weakly, like an injured thing, but it was there. That alone kept me anchored.
Sometime after midnight, she stirred. Her eyes opened, unfocused, then slowly found me. For the first time since the courtyard, she looked directly at me.
“You came,” she whispered.
“I always will,” I replied.
Her brow furrowed slightly, confusion and pain mixing in her expression. “You shouldn’t have,” she turned her face away, her voice barely audible. “You don’t understand what you’re fighting.”
“Then help me understand,” I urged gently.
Her shoulders tensed. “I can’t.”
Frustration flared, sharp and hot, but I forced it down. “Then let me carry it alone,” I said. “Whatever this is, whatever Cassian is holding over you, I will tear it from his hands.”
Her fingers clenched in the blanket. “If you rush this,” she said, “people will die.”
“They already are,” I replied.
She said nothing more, retreating once again into silence.
It was the dawn when a knock came at the door. I rose instantly, every sense sharpening. “What is it?”
One of my Betas stood outside, young and rigid, blond hair pulled back from a face marked with black ink tattoos that traced his jaw and neck. He wore black from the throat to boots, the colors of my inner circle.
“My Prince,” he said, bowing his head. “There is a man at the outer gate requesting an audience.”
I stepped into the corridor and closed the door behind me, lowering my voice. “Who?”
“He gave his name,” the Beta replied carefully. “Andrzej. He claims he is your lady’s father. He arrived alone and claims he seeks sanctuary.”
I felt a cold, controlled anger settle in my chest. I knew that name only through the consequences it had left behind. A father who had sold his daughter to pay his debts. A man who had vanished while she suffered.
“What does he want?” I asked.
“He says he wishes to see his daughter,” was the answer. “He insists it is urgent.”
I glanced back at the closed door behind me, where Francesca lay broken and silent. Whatever this man carried with him, it would not be harmless.
“Bring him inside the outer ward,” I said at last. “Post guards. He does not move freely, and he does not see Francesca unless I allow it.”