Chapter 25: Rumors

Chapter 25: RumorsAriana’s eyes darted to his lips briefly before she quickly shifted her gaze. Zavren’s lips curled up as he spoke quietly, "See? You want it don’t deny those desires..." He was interrupted by a soft knock on the door—almost a hesitant one. Zavren’s eyes flicked toward the sound briefly. He was rarely interrupted except in emergencies. Ariana felt the atmosphere shift, darkening for a moment before easing again. She sighed inwardly in relief, unsure what might have happened had that knock not come when it did. And yet, curiosity gnawed at her. It was late—who would be knocking at this hour? And why? Zavren seemed to understand immediately. His intimidating aura diminished slightly. Ariana’s hands fell to her chest as she began to breathe steadily again, her heartbeat slowly returning to normal. With his usual graceful poise, Zavren strode toward the door. When he opened it, one of his men stood there. His face had paled slightly, panic clearly written across it. Zavren’s grey eyes bored into him as he spoke, voice cold and distant. "Speak" The man’s body trembled, beads of sweat sliding down his forehead. "Your Majesty... we have a visitor." His expression remained detached, shadows wrapping around him like a cloak. The man before him continued to tremble, his fingers twitching on their own. In that moment, all he wanted was to disappear—to leave this place. Zavren spoke quietly. "You may go." The man bowed instantly, deeply, grateful for the dismissal. Then he turned and left. Zavren walked back into the room. Ariana’s eyes found him immediately—bright, curious, and probing. She watched him closely, silently demanding answers. A slow grin curved his lips at the way she looked at him. If she only knew how intensely she was staring—how her gaze demanded to be understood—she would’ve surprised herself. Then his voice came quietly. "I won’t be sleeping with you tonight, so go to sleep now. It’s already late." His hand moved gently, pulling the blanket up over her shoulders. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, and her shoulders stiffened beneath his touch. "I have something important to attend to," he added, watching her closely. She pressed her lips together, clearly biting back something—perhaps a protest, or a feeling. He could see it. Something was wrong. There was something she wasn’t telling him. Still, she nodded and raised a hand, giving him a small thumbs-up. For some unknown reason, Ariana felt sad that he was leaving she watched as his perfect lips curled up. Her heart stuttered. He hesitated for a moment, then said, voice low and husky, "Good night." Ariana nodded again as he turned and left the room. The door closed behind him with a soft click. Inside, Ariana’s thoughts scattered and collided. One after the other, they tumbled through her mind, too fast to catch. It was like—just as she was about to answer one, another would strike. Her head grew heavy under the weight of it all, and sleep began to pull her under—cloudy and uncertain. * * Ariana sat quietly in front of the mirror as one of the ladies worked gently on her hair. The room was calm, save for the soft tug of fingers weaving through strands. Eventually, the woman spoke, her voice quiet and respectful. "Lady Ariana, we’ll be styling your hair into a bun in preparation for your wedding tonight. The other ladies and I will ensure you’re fully prepared tonight." Ariana nodded absentmindedly, not fully processing the words. Her thoughts were elsewhere—lingering on the night before. She had slept alone. Still, something gnawed at her. Curiosity. What had been so important that it kept him away? Her mind wandered again. Was it common for kings—especially alphas—to handle matters in the dead of night? Did duty call him even then? Her lips parted slightly, then closed. She knew she was human—a taboo already. She wondered what would happen tonight once the news spread that a human was marrying an Alpha King. Through the mirror, she moved her hand, tracing a slow path in the air. Leah shifted her gaze, watching her silently from behind. Then Ariana paused, her lips pressing together. A name had nearly formed on her fingers. She had started to sign: If I may ask... Leah spoke softly, encouragingly. "Go on, Lady Ariana." Ariana pressed her lips tighter, her fingers moving slowly through the air once more. She didn’t want to rush—careful not to reveal too quickly that the lady might not fully understand sign language quickly. Still, she continued tracing her fingers gently, asking a silent question: "About His Majesty... if you don’t mind me asking, would he be having breakfast with me?" She hesitated. What she really wanted to ask was What had happened, and where is he? But she reminded herself—she had no position to ask such a thing. Leah’s lips moved into a warm smile. Her hand lifted slightly. Ariana caught the movement through the mirror’s reflection. Her eyes shifted to it subtly, quietly observing. ’Then, softly, the lady signed back, I am not aware of that, Lady Ariana.’ She paused, then spoke gently. "Lady Ariana... is it okay if I reply with signs as well?" Ariana nodded immediately. She didn’t mind at all. In fact, if she were being honest, she silently preferred it. The lady gave a small, respectful nod. "Lady Ariana," she said aloud as she stepped back with a bow, "I’m done." Ariana nodded again with a soft smile. She was dressed in a soft, light-yellow gown that complemented the golden-blonde of her hair and the unique hazel-gold of her eyes. The gown was loose-fitting, elegant, stopping just above her ankles. On her feet, she wore simple flat shoes, each with a delicate bow on the side. A few wispy strands had been left to frame her small, delicate face. The lady stood still for a moment, her hands lowering as she looked at Ariana—stunned, almost speechless. She hadn’t realized just how beautiful Lady Ariana truly was. She then spoke quietly, "We are finished here. Breakfast is already ready by now. It’s time for you to go for it." Ariana nodded and stood, though her mind was clouded with thoughts. She tried to brush them off. She needed to stop overthinking everything. And why did she even care? Wasn’t she the one who had once planned to escape? She pressed her lips together—a habit she’d recently developed to stop herself from biting them. She knew better. Zavren didn’t make empty threats, and even if he wasn’t here, she needed to learn. Just then, the door creaked open as they both stepped out. Ariana’s eyes stretched wide in disbelief. Outside, maids were rushing—moving quickly and with purpose. It wasn’t just one or two of them; there were many, all scurrying down the hallway. It wasn’t chaos exactly—more like organized chaos, because they rushed in a straight line. She had never seen the castle like this—with so many maids at once. They moved quickly, but with urgency—not the usual composed pace of palace maids. Ariana tilted her head, turning toward Leah for an explanation. Leah glanced at the flurry of motion before speaking. "Lady Ariana," she said, "His Majesty had an unexpected visitor last night. No letter was sent ahead, so some of us are working quickly to adjust." Ariana’s thoughts immediately narrowed. Who was this visitor...? Who could possibly cause such a stir—maids rushing as if the palace itself had been thrown off balance? Before she could move her hands to ask, one maid stopped abruptly and signaled another. Her chest rose and fell with hurried breaths, but she kept her composure as best she could. "P...Princess Sofia requests jasmine scent, not rose, for her bath. She needs just the rose petals atop the water," the maid said, voice strained. The second maid flinched, then turned quickly to obey. Ariana’s breath caught in her throat. Her chest tightened as she inhaled a shaky breath through her nostrils. That name. Princess Sofia. Her heart clenched. One hand flew to her chest as she staggered back slightly. Leah’s eyes widened in alarm. She rushed forward, gently gripping Ariana’s shoulders. "Lady Ariana, are you okay?" she asked, her voice respectful but laced with concern. Ariana’s face had begun to pale. Her eyes burned as emotion surged within her. Her lips trembled. She nodded and moved her trembling hands. "P...please send my meal. I will be eating here." Leah’s eyes widened slightly, but she nodded. "As you wish, Lady Ariana," she said softly before leaving quickly. "S...So the rumors were true..."