"No." Alice struggled harder, her eyes blazing. "I don't believe you. The Darius I know would never?—"
"The Darius you know doesn't exist." I met her eyes—those beautiful eyes now filled with tears. "He never did."
She flinched as if I'd struck her.
“What has the queen done to you?” She thrashed against Ari, trying to break free, trying to get to me.
I couldn’t let that happen.
"She meant nothing to me. A toy. A distraction."
Gasps rippled through the court. Alice's face went white.
“Liar!” She lunged toward me.
Ari grabbed her and twisted her arm behind her back. She cried out in pain but didn’t stop fighting. She kicked at him, thrashing wildly.
Every instinct screamed at me to tear him apart. To rip his hands off her and break every bone in his body. But I couldn't move. Couldn't react. One wrong step and Alanna would make it worse.
“Darius, no!” Her voice cracked. “You love me, not her!”
Ari wrenched her arm higher. Alice gasped, her knees buckling.
I took a step forward before I could stop myself. Alanna's hand closed around my wrist—a warning. I froze. One more step and Alice would pay for it.
“Settle down, witch,” Ari hissed in her ear. “Unless you want a broken arm.”
Her eyes found mine—desperate, pleading, searching for the man she loved.
I looked away.
I forced myself to continue. To twist the knife. I turned to Alanna and saw it—the victory in her eyes, the satisfied curl of her smile. She'd won, and she wanted everyone to know it.
I dropped to one knee, removing my hat. The final blow.
"You, my queen, are the only woman I've ever truly wanted."
Poisoned. Because I wanted to say this to Alice.
Not to the monster who'd tortured her.
Not to a woman I despised with every fiber of my being.
Somewhere behind me, Alice was listening. Watching. Breaking. Believing every lie. And I couldn't even look at her—couldn't let her see the truth in my eyes. This was killing me. Slowly. Word by word.
“Darius, no,” Alice cried out. “You claimed me as your mate! Fight this!”
Fans fluttered. Eyebrows rose. The court drank in every word like poison-laced wine.
My back was to Alice. I couldn't see her face. Didn't want to see her face. Didn't want to see the exact moment I shattered her.
"Queen Alanna. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
I hated myself. Hated every syllable. Hated that Alice was hearing this—believing this.
Alanna gasped, pressing her hands over her mouth like a blushing maiden. "Oh, Darius. Yes. Yes. Yes."
The court erupted in applause. Cheers. Celebration.
