Alexander POV
I stood before the King, my body still weak from the poison, but my mind sharp and steady. Ella stood at my side, her presence grounding me, a silent promise that we would face whatever came next together.
I could feel the weight of her gaze on me, the quiet strength she offered just by standing there. But it wasn’t just the King I had to answer to.
Elizabeth was in the room as well.
That would make this harder for Ella. She and Elizabeth had come to trust each other, but the truth I was about to reveal would shake even the most unshakable bonds.
I wished she wasn’t here—wished I didn’t have to see the betrayal in her eyes when she learned just how much Ella and I had kept from her, from all of them.
The King sat rigid on his throne, hands clasped tig
