Kaan had the stones commissioned within days of learning about this pregnancy. Small pendants, each holding a crystal that glows soft pink when worn by someone whose soul is their own. Any alteration, any possession, any magical displacement of the true self—the stone goes dark.
"No one enters your presence without one," he'd told me, his voice brooking no argument. "Not servants, not advisors, not even family. If they refuse, they don't see you. No exceptions."
It had seemed extreme at first. But then I'd remember waking in a pool of blood, the emptiness where our child should have been. Now, seeing those soft pink glows has become a comfort—visual proof that the people I love are truly themselves.
There's a brisk knock at our door, and Kaan groans. I laugh, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before sliding from the bed. "The world waits for no one, my love. Not even the Shadow Lord."
I wrap myself in a silk robe, securing it before opening the door to find Emir standing there, his expression carefully neutral. "My lady, Lord Zoran, is requesting an audience with both of you. He says it's regarding the treaty amendments."
"Tell him we'll be in the council chamber in thirty minutes," I say, noticing the way Emir's gaze keeps sliding to the right. The pink stone at his throat glows softly—steady and reassuring, proof that his soul is his own. "And you can tell Banu to stop hiding. I know she's there."
A musical laugh echoes from around the corner, and Banu appears, her honey-gold hair loose around her shoulders, her fairy wings catching the light. The verification stone rests against her collarbone, its soft pink glow steady and true. My heart clenches with joy at the sight of her.
"You're no fun," she pouts playfully. "I wanted to surprise you."
I pull her into a fierce hug, breathing in the scent of wildflowers that always surrounds her. "You surprise me every day just by being alive."
Behind me, I hear Kaan dressing. Our morning routine has become a dance we both know the steps to—him allowing me these moments with Banu while he prepares for the day's duties. The consideration in this small act is not lost on me.
"How are the negotiations going?" I ask Emir, who has been representing Shadow Court interests in the ongoing peace talks.
His expression softens when Banu moves to stand beside him, their fingers intertwining with casual intimacy. The sight of them together—openly in love now—fills me with a different kind of joy. No more secrets. No more hiding.
"The Light Court is being... stubborn about border patrols," Emir says diplomatically. "But having Solene as witness helps. Neither side wants their darker deeds made public."
I nod, thinking of my sister—the secret heir our father had hidden from me my entire life, trained in shadows while I lived in ignorant light. Solene now holds the unique position of protected witness to both courts' crimes. Her testimony—and her willingness to reveal everything she knows, even about our father's darkest deeds—has been the linchpin in maintaining this fragile peace. Finding her has been both wound and balm; the sister I never knew I had, whose existence reveals how deeply our father's deceptions ran.
I still remember the night she appeared at the Shadow Court gates, seeking asylum after discovering our father had orchestrated the assassination of my unborn child. The truth had broken something in her—the perfect, loyal heir shattered by the revelation of just how monstrous our father truly was. Now she lives with us, a bridge between worlds, building a relationship with me that should have begun a long time ago.
"We'll be down shortly," Kaan says, appearing fully dressed behind me. His hand finds the small of my back, a casual touch that sends warmth spreading through me.
When Emir and Banu leave, I turn in Kaan's arms, studying the face I've come to love more deeply than I ever thought possible. The harsh angles of his jaw, the midnight darkness of his eyes, the small scar at his temple from a battle months ago. Every detail is precious.
"What?" he asks, running his thumb along my cheekbone.
"I'm just remembering," I say softly. "How close we came to losing this."
His expression darkens momentarily. "Yasar almost took everything from us."
I place my finger over his lips. "But he didn't. And now the binding is gone." I still remember Elçin volunteering to perform the ritual that freed me, her quiet determination as she worked alone, refusing any assistance. Her sacrifice freed me completely, gave us this second chance. Now Kaan and I choose each other every day, no magical bond needed to connect us.
Kaan helps me with the laces of my dress, his fingers brushing against my skin with reverence. "The healers want to see you today."
"Again?" I sigh, though we both know I'll go. After losing our son, neither of us takes any chances with this pregnancy. "That's the third time this week."
"Humor me," he murmurs against my hair.
I turn in his arms, framing his face with my hands. "Always."
In the council chamber,we find Zoran already waiting, poring over maps with his lieutenant. The pink stone gleams at his throat as he looks up as we enter, and the change in him still startles me sometimes. Gone is the reckless, bitter young man who resented his place in my shadow. In his place stands a confident commander who has found purpose training new Shadow warriors.
Emir and Banu are already seated at the long table, and I catch them exchanging a look that can only be described as conspiratorial.
"Sister," Zoran greets me with a rare smile. "You're glowing today."
"Pregnancy suits her," Kaan says with quiet pride, his hand never leaving the small of my back.
"Speaking of things that suit people," Banu says, her voice dripping with false innocence, "I saw Lady Thessaly at the eastern markets yesterday, Zoran. She asked about you. Very specifically. With her hands."
