“She told me I would die forgotten. Worthless. And every day she tortured me, relentlessly, pushing me closer to death. I thought it would never end.”
Kaius felt bile rising in his throat. His hands trembled at his sides. The thought of anyone hurting Raya made his blood boil—but Dhalia? The woman he once thought fate had chosen for him? His stomach turned with disgust and guilt.
“She only stopped,” Raya continued quietly, “when she was forced to return to the boot camp in my place. King Rufus still believed he could salvage everything. That maybe, just maybe, if she took her place and acted like the princess again, she could regain your attention. Revive the bond. Undo the rejection.”
Kaius shook his head, eyes dark with fury.
She nodded once, eyes downcast. “When Dhalia left… King R
