Paul chuckled softly, though his eyes gleamed with quiet amusement. “Ah, so you were surprised.”
She frowned. “Don’t mock me, Paul. I simply didn’t expect her to… to fit in so seamlessly. She was an omega. A timid, unrefined child when Heiko selected her. This level of composure — it’s unnatural… are we sure that maybe she is not a spy from an enemy kingdom?”
“Or perhaps,” Paul replied, his tone deepening, “it’s not unnatural at all.”
Lana looked at him, puzzled. “What are you implying?”
Paul studied her for a moment before speaking, his voice low but steady. “Maybe River didn’t grow into the crown. Maybe the crown simply remembered her.”
Lana’s eyes narrowed. “Paul, stop speaking in riddles.”
He sighed softly, clasping his hands behind his back as they resumed walking toward the pri
