Elena’s POV
We’re back. Back at the palace, where Rafael was given proper care, Deacon’s injury was already fully healed thanks to his Lycan blood.
I thought I had gotten used to whispers by now. I thought I had accepted that being with Deacon means rumours here and there. I’ve already grown accustomed to hearing gossip about Deacon’s past, wealth, and reputation.
But this time, it was not about those things. It was about me and, worse, about my nephew, Rafael.
My life in the palace was supposed to be a new beginning for me and Rafael, but it felt more like I was trapped. Every word, every movement and breath I took seemed to echo through the walls, and strangers acted as if they knew me better than myself at all.
I was a warrior. I had faced blades and bullets. I encountered ambushes, but I must admit that nothing had prepared me for this.
I didn’t realise that words could slice deeper than steel.
I knew myself as unbreakable, so why was I now feeling this way?
Why was I flinching in every word they said?
“They say that the boy is hers and Prince Deacon’s,” one of the maids murmured as she plucked the grass.
There were two maids in the garden, and they were speaking in a low voice.
She heard them talking about her and Deaco, including Rafael, when she entered the garden.
“I knew it,” the other maid said. “So it means that she betrayed Alpha Bryson. That child is the proof. How can she deny it?”
I suddenly stopped. I didn’t expect to directly hear the maids gossiping about me. Then I heard a sound of laughter.
It was Rafael’s.
He was playing in the fountain like he hadn’t had a relapse before. His face was so bright. He looked so innocent. The child was so happy and enjoying the moment. He was unaware of the words coming out around him.
My chest tightened. I have been in so many battles, but I have never experienced something like this. I wanted to shout and draw my sword. I want to cut down their lies the way I once cut my enemy, but I knew for sure that this was not a fight I could win with swords.
If I were to make a scene and correct them right there and then, they would think I was being defensive, and that would just make things worse. I didn’t want Deacon or Rafael to be put to shame. I wouldn’t stoop down to the level of these people. I couldn’t help but wonder what they could get talking about my life? Aren’t they busy enough to have time meddling in my life?
That was the first time I directly heard words about me since I set foot in the palace, and it deeply hurt me. Not just because of the gossip alone, but also because they were also trying to make stories about my nephew. If only they knew his sutterings. Maybe their conscience would stop them from speaking lies about my nephew. He was just a child, and they should let him be.
I tried so hard to calm myself.
By the time I reached our room, my hands were still shaking. Anger was inside my heart. I wanted to go back and fight them, but I knew I couldn’t do that. I was not only a warrior, but I would soon be Deacon’s wife, so I had to act accordingly.
Deacon was standing by the window. His gaze was fixed on the garden below. He didn’t look at me when I entered, but it seemed he knew what had happened down below.
“You’ve heard them?” he asked in a calm voice.
“Yes, they are talking about us. They are saying that Rafael is ours,” I whispered. My throat was dry. I wanted to correct them,
Chapter 173
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but would that make anything right? “They think that I have been unfaithful to Bryson.”
Finally, Deacon turned around. I couldn’t read his expression. “Just let them talk. You know that truth. You don’t owe anyone any explanation. They will get tired of talking about us eventually.”
I wasn’t sure. In battle, the truth is simple, and that’s either you live or die. Here, the truth was hard to get. It seemed so fragile. Anyone could twist their words and cause issues in one’s life.
As time passed by, the whispers grew bolder. Servants wouldn’t look away when I caught them staring at us. Everywhere I went, I felt like their eyes were all on me.
For the first time in years, I became weak. But I never showed it to anyone. I was battling my weakness inside of me.
The next day, I decided to roam around outside the palace. I was trying to get a breath of fresh air. I felt so trapped inside the palace since I arrived there.
Everything was okay. We were in the marketplace. It was a crowded morning. Rafael tugged my sleeve, and he was pointing
towards a basket of bright stones.
For a moment, I let myself smile at his excitement. Finally, for a moment, I felt invisible again and not a subject of whispers.
But that didn’t last for long. I didn’t know, but it felt like the crowd suddenly parted. They made space enough for me to see someone I didn’t imagine I would like to see in my life.
The woman was standing across the street. I straightened my back instinctively, the way I always did before a fight. All of a sudden, I felt like I would be in a battle. Shoulders back, I held my chin high and jaw tight. It was as if I was telling everyone that I wouldn’t back down.
And finally, our eyes met. Our stares were sharp and unyielding.
Her half–smile sent a cold rush to me, but I couldn’t shake it. I wouldn’t give her a chance to see me flinch in front of her.
“Elena,” her voice cut through the street as if she was really expecting me. It was as if she had something that marked me and found exactly where I was.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
