Chapter 109

MILA

Felix’s condition had become unbearable. He was in constant, searing pain, and his paralysis was happening more frequently, now lasting hours instead of minutes.

I was sick with worry. I spent every waking moment taking care of him, either attempting to spoonfeed him food or doing my best to soothe his aching muscles. Even the palace staff had been alerted that the new King was “ill,” although we assured everyone he would surely make a swift recovery.

Felix was past pride. We all knew the end was near.

Ivan and Rowena spent their days at Felix’s bedside, speaking with him, trying to keep his mind occupied with other things. I was often quiet, too caught up in my husband’s pain and the overwhelming hopelessness of this cruel curse.

At night, Felix’s breathing was strained. Labored. I hadn’t really been sleeping, so I was forced to lie awake and listen to the sound of him gasping for air.

It was torture of the highest extent.

One afternoon, while Felix was napping, Rowena entered our bedchamber and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Why don’t you go down to the kitchens and prepare yourself a proper meal?” she asked gently. “It’s been days since you’ve really eaten anything. I can keep an eye on Felix while you’re gone.”

“Are you sure?” I glanced up at her uncertainly.

“He’s just sleeping,” the dowager queen responded. “I can watch him while you take care of yourself. It doesn’t do him any good for you to burn yourself out.”

I nodded once, grateful for the opportunity to stretch my legs.

“I’ll be back soon,” I promised. I kissed Felix’s cheek before slipping from the room.

I made myself a chicken pot pie, the ultimate comfort food. Rowena was right–it had been days since I’d had a proper meal, and weeks since I had been able to cook for myself. I ate until the pang in my stomach had completely dissipated and carefully wrapped up the rest. I did not know when I’d be able to have the luxury of a nice meal again.

I took a moment to start preparing a large bowl of soup for Felix’s dinner. Even chewing hurt him now, so soup was the best option for his meals.

As I approached our bedchambers, however, I was met with an unwelcome sight.

Ivan, Rowena, and Esmeralda stood outside the closed door, speaking in hushed tones. There were several castle guards around them, their faces taut.

“What’s wrong?” I rushed over to where they were gathered. “Did something happen with Felix? Is he all right?”

Ivan and Rowena exchanged a look. Rowena cleared her throat and looked at me with guilty eyes. “Esmeralda found a cure.”

I almost sank to my knees in the middle of the hall.

“My god,” I whispered, relief sinking heavily into my bones. “What is it? How soon can we get it to him?”

Esmeralda sighed. “That is the tricky part, Mila.”

I raised my eyes to hers. “What is?”

“I was right when we spoke earlier,” Esmeralda said. For some reason, the witch was avoiding my eyes. “You are the cure, just not in the way we thought.”

I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“In order for Felix to live, you must die,” Esmeralda said slowly. “We will place a magical ring on his finger to draw the curse’s power from his blood. Then, you will die, breaking the curse forever. He will live a long, happy, healthy life, and die when it is time from natural causes. And your sacrifice will be forever commemorated in our history. The woman who saved the King.”

I could barely concentrate on what she was saying over the sound of my own pounding heartbeat.

Die. They were asking me to die to save his life. They had all been scheming behind my back to kill me off in order to save their King. I loved Felix, and I would have died for him a million times over, but the whole situation felt… off. Why were they being so secretive? Was Felix even aware of this plan?

“Does Felix know about this?” I asked, my eyes darting between Ivan and Rowena. “What are his thoughts? I’d like to speak with him before I make this decision.”

Rowena’s face tensed for a moment, but she said, “Yes, he knows. He thinks it is the right thing to do. For the good of the kingdom. Fresonia needs him.”

She did not say the quiet part–they do not need you.

Her words hit me like a sucker punch. Felix wanted this?

“You’re asking me to die,” I said, almost to myself.

Rowena shook her head. “Not asking. This is what Felix wants. This is what’s best for him, and the Dragon Knights as a whole.”

Was Felix really willing to sacrifice me? Did I really mean that little to him? Perhaps he had never even loved me. Perhaps I had only been an object to him, something to use and discard when my usefulness wore out.

“And you just learned about this?” I asked.

Ivan cleared his throat, awkwardly. “We’ve, ah, we’ve known for a few weeks. Felix decided not to mention anything to you. He wasn’t sure how he’d react. As the curse kept getting worse, though, it became clear that the only path was your death.”

I was instantly filled with a quiet rage. Felix had known for weeks about this plan and never said anything? Just planned on waiting until the last second to tell me about this plan? Did he really have that little respect for my thoughts and wishes? For my life?

I looked in the direction of my bedchamber–Felix’s bedchamber, I supposed–and felt my throat tightening with anger. How dare he? How dare the entire royal family pass me off as some sort of sacrificial lamb after everything I’d been through?

I had only ever been a pawn to him.

A sob bubbled up in my throat. My heart was cracking and splintering inside my chest, the only evidence that I had not gone entirely numb.

I would never be Felix’s equal. His parents would never see me as a viable option to rule the kingdom. I was nothing more than an expendable commoner, a Destined Bride born to die. Maybe I had felt so alone my whole life because I was never meant to lead a full and happy life of my own.

“I want to talk to Felix,” I said. My stupid voice trembled as I spoke, revealing the fear I felt underneath. “Let me see my husband. If he wants me to die for him, he needs to ask me himself.”

Esmeralda looked at me, something akin to pity in her eyes. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but quickly snapped it shut.

Ivan shook his head. His face was cold. There was no hint of the warm, loving fatherly figure I had come to know. “There’s no time.”

All of the sudden, I felt something cold snap around my wrists. I turned to see one of the castle guards placing shackles on my hands, his face unreadable.

A cold dread filled me. “What are you doing? Let me go!”

“King’s orders,” the guard said gruffly. He yanked me away, without a thought or care to my safety.

I was angry, I was sad, I was livid. Felix had quite literally thrown me to the wolves and left me to die.

I turned to see Ivan and Rowena staring at me, their expressions blank.

“Tell Felix I will never forgive him,” I spat at their feet.

And with that, I was hauled away to my death.