789 Secrets Everywhere
The next day in the Nightshade Castle,
The grand hall outside the recovery room was bathed in a somber glow, the soft flickering of enchanted lanterns casting shadows on the walls. The air was thick with tension and exhaustion, a silence that neither Sabina nor Silvia could bear to break.
For more than a day, they had stood waiting, their nerves stretched thin, their minds replaying the events that led them here over and over again.
The wait was agonizing.
Rowena and Isola were both lying unconscious inside, battling the aftermath of a war that had torn their world apart.
Multiple physicians, some of the best the Nightshade Kingdom had to offer, were inside—working tirelessly to tend to their wounds.
But it had been so long, and neither of them had woken up yet.
Sabina crossed her arms, tapping her fingers impatiently against her bicep while leaning against the cold stone wall.
Silvia, on the other hand, stood rigid, her hands clasped together as if in silent prayer, her ruby-red eyes brimming with worry.
The door to the recovery room finally creaked open, and both women stiffened.
From within the dim-lit chamber, King Lakhur emerged.
His expression was solemn, his posture carrying the weight of unspoken words.
Silvia and Sabina held their breath, exchanging a brief glance before fixing their gazes on him.
Lakhur sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose before speaking, "You two should finally take some rest. Your queen is in stable condition, but Consort Isola's injuries are... more severe," he admitted.
The moment the words left his lips, Silvia's eyes widened, her breath hitching.
"No... Please tell Silvia she's going to be alright, Uncle Lakhur. She's like a sister to us—we can't lose her," Silvia pleaded, her voice quivering.
Sabina also slowly nodded with a complicated expression. Even if she was holding a grudge against Isola for not telling them why Asher left, she couldn't deny Silvia's words.
Lakhur let out a slow exhale before meeting their gazes.
"We are doing everything we can," he reassured them. "But her injuries were deep—some of her organs nearly ruptured. It will take time before we can say for certain whether she'll fully recover. The protection hit she took for your queen was meant for a peak Soul Devourer and not a mid-level Soul Devourer like her... and she took it while she was completely out of mana."
A heavy silence settled over them.
Silvia bit her lip, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
Sabina's fingers curled into fists, her jaw clenching.
They both knew what he said was true. They had heard about it.
The way Isola had thrown herself in front of Rowena, shielding her without hesitation, despite knowing she had no mana left to defend herself.
It was a sacrifice that neither of them could repay.
But then, Lakhur's tone shifted, his gaze turning more contemplative, "But her valiant act saved something else... something just as precious."
Both Silvia and Sabina snapped their gazes toward him, their expressions mirroring the same confusion.
Sabina narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean? Saved what exactly?"
Lakhur studied them for a moment before his eyes softened slightly, "Your queen's and your king's unborn child."
Silvia's breath caught in her throat, her heart skipping a beat.
"P-Pregnant?" she stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Sabina, usually undaunted, had her jaw slack, blinking rapidly in stunned silence.
Lakhur gave a small nod, "So you truly didn't know..."
Sabina's expression twisted with conflicted emotions before she let out a frustrated scoff.
"How could she... How could she hide that from us?" She took a deep breath before adding, "I doubt our husband even knows. Otherwise, he would never leave her side even if the world was ending tomorrow."
Lakhur sighed and said, "She must have had no choice. Maybe she only found out right before the war started and didn't want to worry anyone. According to my physicians, she conceived recently. She probably didn't want to burden anyone with this knowledge."
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