I'm restless as I toss and turn that night, my head throbbing. Ethan sleeps deeply beside me, his steady breathing contrasting with my panicked gasps. Out of everything I overheard yesterday, one sentence replays in my head. "'According to my spy, she has nightmares almost every night that leave her gasping for breath as she wakes.'"

That simultaneously makes my heart slam to a halt and skip a beat. Could someone in the castle have betrayed me? From what my father said, it has to be someone very close to me. Various faces flash through my mind, but I dismiss all of them within seconds—Mom; Allie; Nicole; Ethan; Queen Vanessa.

They all love me and would rather die than betray me. As much as I wish to dismiss my father and the king, I keep them close. After everything I've been through, I wouldn't put it past either of them. Sometime around dawn, I jerk awake. Ethan doesn't stir at my movements, just rolls over in his sleep.

Juliette's face pops into my mind, and I have to stifle the sob that swirls in my throat. The thought of breaking the news to her makes my heart clench. I can't put her through that grief, yet even as the thought crosses my mind, I know I have to tell her.

Before I can talk myself out of it, I silently climb out of bed and slip into my closet. I get dressed in minutes, pulling a cloak over a dress cut for riding, then hurriedly scribbling a note for Ethan. At the last minute, I stuff the letter into the pocket of my cloak.

I'm out of our suite seconds later, running on silent feet to the stables. When I arrive, the sound of nickers and whinnies greet me. It takes everything in me not to rush to Fleetfire's stall and mount. Instead, I calmly walk to her stall and tack her up. It won't do me any good to arrive in Moonbright tense and anxious. I need to act as if everything's fine so as not to raise suspicion.

When she's finally tacked up, I mount her in one smooth move, wrapping the reins around my fingers and clenching them until my knuckles are white. Closing my eyes, I force myself to take several deep breaths, focusing on the rise and fall of my chest. Slowly, minute by minute, I feel the anxiety and tension drain out of my body, replaced by grim determination.

"C'mon, girl," I say, guiding her out of the stable and into darkness. The torches are still lit, but I can barely see the sun peeking over the horizon. I urge her into a gallop, my racing heartbeat quickly drowned out by the pounding of her hooves. Every sound and movement makes me jump. Within minutes, I'm breathing hard. Every beat of her hooves against the ground is a word, driving into my heart like a knife.

Broken. Scars. Immature.

We reach Moonbright a few hours later, the sun shining overhead now. Despite the early hour, the town is already in full swing. My arms and legs tremble as I dismount, my boots hitting the ground with a soft thud. Everyone I pass gives me a warm smile and nods, but I can see the concern in their eyes at my frazzled appearance.

I return the smile and nod, but my heart is beating so fast I'm afraid it will explode. I reach the castle in seconds, the guards at the front bowing at my approach. "Your Highness," they both say, nodding.

Another man appears seconds later, his leather attire marking him as a stable hand. He bows to me as well, gesturing to Fleetfire. At my apprehension, he quickly shakes his head. "She will be well looked after, I promise you." His kind eyes sweep up and down my body, then back to my face. I have no doubt he notices my frazzled appearance, but he thankfully doesn't comment on it.

I stroke her cheek, trying to still the trembling in my hands as I nod. "Thank you, girl, for everything," I whisper. I kiss her muzzle once before letting go. The guards open the large front doors, bowing once more as I walk inside. I have no sooner crossed the threshold before I hear my name.

"Lauren?" I jerk my head up, meeting concerned eyes. Queen Adelaide stands a few feet before me, eyes flicking up and down my body as she notices the stress in my posture. She's in front of me in seconds, taking my hand. "What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

As soon as I look into her eyes, my heart shatters. I'd been so worried about Juliette that I hadn't even considered how Queen Adelaide would react. The words rise in my throat, begging to be unleashed. Yet all I can do is shake my head, blinking away the tears in my eyes. "Is Juliette here?" My voice is hoarse, yet it doesn't break.

She searches my face again before nodding. "This way." My legs choose this precise moment to buckle, yet she catches me with a swift arm around my waist. We reach the royal suite in seconds, but she doesn't stop. She leads me to the sitting room, where I collapse on the couch. "I'll get Juliette."

I barely hear her words, the tears coming back in full force. My shoulders shake as sobs wrack my body. Everything—shame, grief, humiliation, heartbreak—hits me with the strength of a hurricane. More than anything, I wish I didn't have to break the news to them.

When Juliette appears in the doorway, the sobs have lessened to sniffles. "Lauren?" Her expression is identical to her mother's as she scans my face. "What happened?"

Queen Adelaide moves to leave the room, but I quickly stop her with a hand on her arm. "Wait. Both of you need to hear this." My voice wavers on the last word, so I heave a breath to steady it. The last syllable hasn't even left my mouth when a door opens somewhere nearby.

Fabian appears, gaze sweeping the room. He does a double-take when he sees me, surprise crossing his features. "Lauren. What are you doing here?" His voice is emotionless, yet when he trades glances with his sister, I see the tiniest flicker of concern in his expression.

Emotion makes speaking impossible, so I cast a pleading glance at Queen Adelaide. She nods, glancing at Fabian. "Lauren has something that she wants to tell us." Gesturing to the seat next to her, she extends a hand.

With a curious glance at me, he takes the offered seat. Meanwhile, it has taken me up to now to get my emotions under control. Juliette moves to my side, sitting beside me and gripping my hand. The fact that I hadn't even considered Fabian as a part of the equation nags at me, but I brush it off.

I don't have time to worry about it now. All my focus is on the words I've yet to say. Taking a steadying breath and glancing at Juliette, I exhale deeply. As I do so, I speak, the words rushed and choked. Sobs puncture each word, so it takes me twice as long to get through it.

"A few weeks ago, I received a letter addressed to me. I had no idea who it was from until I read it." My voice breaks as I pull the letter from my pocket and hand it to Queen Adelaide.

Juliette grips my hand as silence falls over the room. All my attention is on Queen Adelaide, my heart breaking anew. A heartbreaking wail breaks the silence as she falters, Fabian quickly steadying her. He looks from the letter to me, confusion in his eyes.

When he reads it, multiple emotions flash across his face—almost too many for me to identify. Disbelief chases confusion; shame tackles regret; anger attacks sorrow. He looks up at me as he finishes, remorse in his eyes.

He then hands it to Juliette, putting a steadying hand on his sister's back. She covers her mouth as a stifled sob breaks from her lips. I clear my throat as she finishes reading, swiping at my eyes. "There's something else." It's my turn to falter as the above words flash in my mind. 

Broken. Scars. Immature.

My hands ball into fists, my breathing turning ragged before I realize it. "I went for a ride before dawn yesterday morning, long before anyone else was awake." I keep the reason for that particular ride to myself. "We rode hard and fast, only stopping when Fleetfire's breathing became heavy and her coat slick with rain."

The room spins, and Juliette steadies me with a hand on my shoulder. "I was staring at nothing, eyes blank, so I startled when I heard faint hoofbeats getting louder. I guided Fleetfire behind a tree, making myself as small as possible, when two men appeared seconds later. I recognized both of them almost instantly. The first man was tall with black hair and blue eyes; the second man had brown hair and grey eyes that framed a wolfish face."

I swallow hard, taking ragged breaths. "Even though I hadn't seen the latter in years, I would have known that face anywhere. It still haunts my nightmares and waking thoughts—no matter how hard I've tried to forget that part of my past, it has a way of popping up out of the blue." I meet Juliette's gaze, then Queen Adelaide's. I think they know what's coming. "In the back of my mind, I'd had suspicions that the king and my father had conspired with each other—but I'd never expected them to be true."

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I prepare to voice my following words. "When he spoke, the king's voice was rough and harsh, exactly how I remember it. 'I did everything I could, Daniel. I tried my hardest to break Lauren—mind, body, and spirit. And it would have worked had she not married that immature prince. He saw through her title and into her soul. He saw all the broken pieces, trauma, and scars, yet he sought her out anyway.'"

I let out a breath that ends in a sob. "I wanted to storm out and confront them both. He had no idea how warm and caring Ethan was—to both his subjects and his family. When the following words came out of my father's mouth, however, all the strength left my body in a rush. 'But it did work, Stephen. According to my spy, she has nightmares almost every night that leave her gasping as she wakes. Her past haunts her present—precisely as I'd intended.'"

My breath hitches, forcing me to break off. "'That letter I sent her was the trigger. I told her exactly what had made you and Fabian hate her so much. The truths I gave her were things that only I could have known, details about her past she hadn't even told her mother and sisters, never mind her husband.'"

Fabian's hatred was caused by jealousy—he'd never had a close relationship with his mother or sister, yet they'd welcomed her in immediately. You, however, were a different story. You weren't just using Lauren—you were breaking her.'"

Fabian's voice breaks the silence that falls over us, my words lingering in the air. "Do you have any idea who the spy could be?" His face is stone, yet his eyes are filled with the same remorse as earlier.

I shake my head, tear-stained face pale and eyes wide. "No. I know a select few wouldn't betray me—Mom; Allie; Nicole; Ethan; Queen Vanessa. Those were all I could think of in such a short amount of time." Thinking of someone deliberately conspiring with my father and the king makes nausea and dread swirl in my stomach.

Queen Adelaide puts a hand on my arm, her gaze warm and concerned. "We'll keep an eye out here for anything suspicious. Please tell your mother to do the same, and Lauren, be careful."

Juliette grips my hand as I walk out of their suite. "Are you sure you'll be okay getting home? I can have a few guards ride with you if you want." Her expression clearly shows that this is more for her peace of mind than the likelihood of someone ambushing me.

I nod gratefully. As I make my way down to the entryway, I clutch my cloak tighter around myself. I've reached the stables and am preparing to mount Fleetfire when I see a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye. Adrenaline rushes through me, making my hands shake.

I turn to nod at the guards—and barely miss a dagger aimed at my head. A cry slips from my lips as I slide on hay littering the stable floor. Seconds before my head collides with the floor, I hear a gruff voice, familiar and yet foreign. "I did my part. Now it's your turn."

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