The questions continued to fill the room.
Zarek did not move, instead, simply watched them.
Aldric could feel the shift in the room. The council could feel it too; the king's warning.
Zarek finally spoke. "My private life is not a matter for council discussion."
The council fell quiet instantly.
He leaned forward slightly, resting one forearm on the carved armrest.
"As for the bond," he continued, "there is nothing wrong with it."
Not a single council member dared breathe too loudly.
He continued, tone colder than the eternal winter outside, "And I will reveal my soulmate when I deem it necessary. Not before."
Eirik swallowed so loudly it echoed.
Haleen bowed her head deeply, "Understood, Your Majesty."
Zarek's gaze swept across all of them.
"You are dismissed."
The council rose so quickly their chairs scraped the floor, bowing and scrambling out of the room as though they were chased by death itself.
Aldric lingered a moment longer, watching the king with concern.
Zarek felt his gaze but didn't look up.
The mark beneath his clothes pulsed with discomfort he refused to acknowledge.
He would not let them know. Yet.
Not that his soulmate was human.
That the bond was agonizingly out of balance.
Or that he was slowly losing control.
A king did not show weakness.
Especially not the Beast King.
Especially not Zarek Alexander Volk.
.
.
Eliora had a different dream that night, one she wasn't prepared for.
She saw golden eyes burning through darkness, a tall silhouette standing over her, warm breath brushing her neck, and a whisper, deep and possessive.
"Mine."
A cold hand touched her chest in the dream, right over her soulmate mark.
She jolted awake with a scream.
Her bed was soaked with sweat, her body trembling.
The mark was burning unlike ever before.
Her sickness was worsening, and her skin felt like fire.
She stumbled to her bathroom and poured cold water over herself, hoping, begging for the pain would ease.
It didn't.
She felt like she was losing her mind.
Unable to stay in the room anymore, she staggered to the corridor.
Her scarf slipped off but she didn't even notice.
Her vision began to blur and her knees started shaking. A few more steps and she collapsed.
A guard rushed forward to lift her.
Maelina appeared in a flash, voice sharp as a blade.
"Touch her and you lose your head."
The guard froze instantly.
Maelina knelt, gathered Eliora gently into her arms.
"King Zarek and his stubbornness." she muttered, frustration thick in her voice.
"She'll burn at this rate."
With a pulse of power, she vanished,
taking Eliora straight to her chambers.
There, Maelina began using her magic to suppress the agony ravaging Eliora's body.
"I warned him," she whispered to herself as she worked.
"If he keeps refusing the bond, she will break..."
.
.
When Eliora stirred, eyelids heavy, her body protested every movement. When she finally opened her eyes, she realized she wasn't in her room.
The chamber around her was unfamiliar, soft light spilling through windows, she felt a faint warmth that had no business with the cold outside.
Before she could take it all in, a figure entered.
Tall, graceful, and confident, a young beast woman whose presence radiated authority. Her features were regal. Despite her youthful appearance, Eliora knew better than to assume a beast's age; they didn't age the way humans did.
Panic struck Eliora like lightning. She tried to scream, believing she had been abducted, but she couldn't.
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her voice had vanished.
Without delay, the woman bowed deeply. "My queen," she said softly. "Pardon me. I didn't mean to scare you."
The woman raised a hand, making a slight gesture without actually touching her. "Once again, your voice is yours."
A sudden rush of air returned to Eliora's throat.
"What have you done to me?" she gasped, her voice cracking back into existence.
"W...who are you?" she muttered, trembling violently. What are you? Where am I? Why did you call me that?
"My queen." The woman bowed again.
"Please don't…" Eliora breathed. "Please don't call me that."
The woman smiled gently, sadly.
"Why… why would you call me that? I'm...I'm human."
Maelina's lips curved faintly, "My apologies for not introducing myself sooner," she said with measured calm. "I am Maelina, High Seer of Eldfrost. It is my honor to serve you."
Eliora's eyes widened. She had heard the stories. Everyone knew of Maelina; the pureblooded royal seer, feared, respected, and trusted by even the most powerful beasts.
And now… she was speaking to her.
The High Seer.
The one whispered about in frightened tones by the servants. The one whose visions shaped destinies. The one who stood at the king's side.
"What… what do you want with me?" Eliora whispered, clutching the blanket to her chest.
Maelina didn't move closer. She kept her distance in obvious respect.
"You fainted. You are unwell. You have been unwell for days," she said.
Eliora froze. How did she know?
"I…" Her throat tightened. "It's nothing. I'm just tired."
"It is not exhaustion," Maelina said gently.
Eliora's chest squeezed painfully. "Then what is happening to me?"
"It is the bond."