Sophie's POV

The morning light hit the stone floor. I woke up. My heart was heavy. I reached for my bedside table.

My hand met cold wood instead of my phone. The realization hit me again. My phone was gone. The Ledger was gone.

I sat up. I forced myself to move. Grief is a luxury I cannot afford here. I had work to do.

I needed fresh ingredients. The palace stores only had dried meats and grains. I needed vibrant flavors of the earth. I needed herbs and spices that hadn't been seen in this season.

I got ready quickly. I tied my hair back. I smoothed my apron. I headed straight for the Alpha's wing. I needed permission to leave the grounds.

I found Alaric near the courtyard. He looked restless. His eyes were dark. Probably from lack of sleep.

When I told him I was heading out. To go get the fresh ingredients. His posture changed. He straightened up. His golden eyes scanned the perimeter.

"I will see you off." Alaric said firmly.

"And I will assign someone for your protection."

He followed me to the palace gates. The stone archway felt like a boundary. Between the world and a prison.

He signaled to Cassian.

"Follow her." Alaric commanded.

"Ensure her safety above all else."

Cassian nodded.

We began walking away from the gates. I heard the crunch of gravel behind us.

I looked back and saw Alaric talking to Roland, the Chief Guard. They thought they were speaking in whispers. But the morning air carries sound well.

"Do they look like a couple to you, Roland?" Alaric asked.

I stiffened.

I kept walking. But I strained my ears. Roland sounded confused.

"The Chef and Cassian, Sire? They look like a girl and her guard."

"They look too close." Alaric grumbled.

"I am going to change my attire. I am following them."

"Your Majesty!" Roland's voice rose in a warning.

"At this point, everywhere is dangerous. The Alpha King should not be roaming about the public squares."

"What do you mean by that?" Alaric sound offended.

"Are you telling me I am roaming? I am securing my interests."

I couldn't hear the rest.

Their voices faded as Cassian and I cornered the outer wall.

I looked at Cassian. He was grinning.

"The Alpha King will follow us in disguise." Cassian said.

"That is a lie." I replied. I rolled my eyes.

"He was joking. He has a kingdom to run."

"I know Alaric." Cassian said.

"You will see."

We walked in silence for some minutes. The path to the market was in sight.

"Why do you want to go home so badly Sophie?" Cassian asked suddenly.

"I want my normal life back." I said.

My voice was caught in my throat.

"Here it feels like dying is an everyday meal. Every day is a new threat. Every person is a potential enemy."

"You shouldn't think of leaving." Cassian said.

He nudged my shoulder.

"The Alpha King is falling for you. You might become the next Luna. Imagine that. A girl from nowhere wearing the Blackwood crown."

My stomach flipped.

I felt heat rush through my cheeks.

"Alpha Alaric doesn't like me to that extent." I argued.

"I am just a chef who keeps him fed."

Cassian made a gesture with his nose. It was a clear sign of disbelief.

He turned his head. His eyes searching the crowds of people gathering near the market entrance.

"You won't believe he is here." Cassian muttered.

"Who?" I asked.

"Just look back." He said.

I turned around.

Standing right in front of me was Thomas the Jester.

He wasn't wearing his colorful bells. He was dressed in plain dark clothes. But I recognized his face instantly.

"The man who deceived me about going home." I said. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I was doing my job Chief Royal Chef." Thomas said with a small bow.

I saw a figure standing behind him. A tall man in a heavy hooded cloak. The hood was pulled low. But the jawline was unmistakable.

Cassian laughed.

"I told you. I know him so well."

Alaric scoffed. He pulled his hood back just an inch.

Cassian faced him. His hands on his hips.

"What are you doing in a disguise Alaric?" Cassian asked.

"The Alpha King is not supposed to be out of the palace at such a delicate time."

"That is exactly why you have to return to the palace." Alaric responded.

"You must ensure everything is in place. I am after the interest of the Kingdom I am not 'roaming,' Cassian."

"The elders will ask for you." Cassian warned.

"They will gather for the morning assembly soon."

"Take care of it." Alaric said dismissively.

"But you cannot go into an open place like this." Cassian pressed.

"I have Thomas and Roland here with me." Alaric said.

He gestured to the shadows where the Chief Guard stood in plain clothes.

"What more do I need?"

Before Cassian could argue further. Alaric grabbed my hand. His grip was warm and firm. He started walking. He pulled me along with him.

"Your Majesty!" Cassian whispered harshly from behind us.

Alaric did not look back. He kept moving.

Soon, the crowd swallowed us. Cassian was gone. He had likely returned to the palace to cover for the King.

Thomas and Roland trailed several paces behind us like silent ghosts.

We entered the heart of the market.

It was a chaotic mix of smells and sounds. I saw a stall selling small brass trinkets.

My eyes caught on an accessory. It was a bronze clasp shaped like a twisting vine. It looked exactly like the one depicted on the cover of the Ledger of Satiety.

I stopped. I picked it up. My fingers traced the cold metal.

"Do you like it?" Alaric asked.

He leaned down. His breath warm against my ear.

"No." I said.

I put it back.

"It just looks like something I have seen before."

We moved to the produce section. I began selecting herbs. I found wild rosemary. Garlic bulbs. Leafy greens.

Alaric watched me work.

"The jester will stay with you for protection." Alaric said.

"I must go with the Chief Guard to get a few things. Do not move from this area."

Thomas nodded. He stepped closer to me.

"I will be fine." I told Alaric.

He didn't wait for a response. He disappeared with Roland into the throng of people.

I finished gathering my ingredients. I paid the merchant with the coins Alaric had given me.

Five minutes passed. Then ten. Alaric was not back.

"I want to check something nearby." I told Thomas.

"Wait here in case the Alpha returns."

"Alaric said I must stay with you." Thomas argued.

"I am fine." I insisted.

"I am only going a few yards away. To look at the cloth merchants. I am not going far."

I walked away before he could stop me.

I wanted a moment of peace. I wandered through the aisles. I looked at the vibrant dyes. The handmade pottery.

I saw so many things I wanted to buy. I saw life happening around me. It was beautiful and terrifying.

I realized I had stayed away too long. I turned back to return to the spot where I left Thomas. I pushed through a group of traders. I saw Alaric.

He was standing in the center of the square. He looked worried. His hood had fallen back. His eyes were darting frantically across the crowd. Thomas and Roland were nowhere to be seen. They had likely gone to find me.

"Alaric!" I called out.

But my voice was drowned out by a passing wagon.

I started running toward him. I wanted him to see me. I wanted to stop the look of panic on his face. I was already very close. I could see the gold in his eyes as he turned his head.

Suddenly, a sharp force hit me from behind. It was heavy. A calculated blow. My breath left my lungs. My feet went out from under me.

I was heading for the ground.

Alaric's POV

My eyes scanned the crowd. My pulse was a drum of anxiety. I had lost sight of her.

I told myself she was safe with Thomas. Now the air felt thin. Every face in the market looked like a threat. Every shadow felt like an assassin.

I stood in the center of the square. I ignored the people pushing past me. I was the Alpha of Blackwood. Yet I felt like a child lost in a storm.

Then I saw her.

Sophie was running toward me. Her face was bright with a smile. She wanted me to stop worrying.

But behind her a figure moved. A man in a dark tunic lunged. He struck her from behind.

My wolf instincts took over. Time slowed. I did not think. I moved.

I bridged the distance in a blur of motion. Sophie was falling. Her body was inches from the ground. I reached out. I caught her.

I pulled her against me. One of my hands gripped her waist. The other went around her neck. To steady her head.

We stood frozen. The noise of the market vanished. I only heard the sound of her rapid breathing. The heat radiating between us.

I looked into her eyes. They were wide and dark. I saw my own reflection in them. I saw the intensity of my own hunger to keep her safe.

We stayed like that for a long moment. I did not want to let go. I felt a strange peace holding her.

It was a peace I had never known. My palace is a place of stone and secrets.

A sharp forced cough broke the silence.

I blinked. I looked up. Thomas and Roland were standing right in front of us.

Thomas had a smirk on his face. Roland looked at the sky. He pretended he was interested in the clouds.

Sophie gasped. She released herself from my grip. She stepped back. Her face turning a deep shade of red.

"Thank you." She whispered.

She looked down at the ground. Her flowers had fallen during the struggle.

She dropped to her knees. She tried to pick them up.

I did not stay standing. I bent down to help her. My large hands felt clumsy against the delicate petals. We gathered them together.

"I bought these for you." Sophie said.

She held the bundle out to me.

"You should put them in a vase. Nurture them well."

I took the flowers. I felt a smile tug at my lips. I am a King. People give me gold. They give me land. They give me blood. No one has ever given me a flower. Just to nurture it.

"You were thinking of me." I said.

It was not a question.

"I wanted to say thanks for the bag." she said.

"I also got something for you." I replied.

I gestured to Roland.

The Chief Guard stepped forward. He held a small polished wooden box. I had found a set of high quality knives. It was at a specialty forge in the market. They were balanced and sharp. They were tools fit for a master.

Sophie opened the box. Her eyes lit up. She thanked me. With genuine joy that made my heart full.

"Let us return." I commanded.

"The sun is high."

We started the walk back to the palace. We talked about the flowers. Sophie told me how to keep them alive.

She spoke of soil and water as if they were poetry. I listened to every word. I enjoyed the sound of her voice. Even more than the silence of my throne room.

We reached the palace gates. The atmosphere changed. The stone walls felt cold again. I turned to Sophie.

"Go have your rest." I said softly.

"You have done enough today."

I watched her walk toward her quarters. She was happy. She looked over her shoulder. She waved at me. I felt a sense of peace I could not explain.

"Your Majesty." A voice barked.

I turned. Cassian was rushing toward me. He looked frantic. His hair was messy. He was sweating.

"Finally you are back." Cassian said.

I gave him a hard look. I did not speak. I waited for him to explain his panic.

"The elders gathered for the morning assembly." Cassian panted.

"They were asking for you. They wanted to discuss the border taxes."

"And what did you tell them?" I asked.

"I told them you were sick." Cassian said.

I stared at him. "Sick?"

"Yes. It was the only thing I could think of."

"Cassian." I said.

My voice dropping.

"Of all excuses you could give. You chose to say I am sick? The royal healer checked me a few days ago. The elders know I am in perfect health. How can the Alpha King be sick?"

"At least I handled it." Cassian argued.

"They left. They were grumbling. But they left."

He reached into his tunic. He brought out a short note. It was sealed with heavy wax.

"Queen Mother Isolde sent this." Cassian said.

He handed it to me. I broke the seal. I recognized the sharp handwriting of my step mother. I read the letter quickly.

Young Prince Daemon wants to dine with the Alpha King tomorrow. He has heard much about the Ghost Chef. He wishes to see her for himself.

I folded the paper. My jaw tightened.

Daemon was my half brother. He was the son of my father's other woman. He was the one the council wanted on the throne. They saw me as a tyrant. They saw me as a monster that needed to be replaced.

Why would they want him to dine with me now? Why would they want him to see Sophie?

I looked at the palace spires. I felt the shadows closing in.

Is this a real request for family bonding? Or is this a trap set to catch the Chief Royal Chef in their web of poison?

Elara's POV

The stone of the corridor felt like ice against my spine. I pressed my body into the uneven surface of the wall. I held my breath. Every second felt like an hour.

Just a few feet away. The heavy boots of the King clicked against the floor. I watched through a narrow gap in the masonry.

My eyes were fixed on the movement of hands. Cassian stood with Alaric. I saw Cassian reach into his tunic. He pulled out a small note.

The parchment was yellowed. The wax seal was a deep royal purple. I heard the name fall from Alaric's lips.

Queen Mother Isolde.

I watched Alaric's face. It shifted into a mask of suspicion. He did not look in my direction. He does not look at me at all anymore.

To him I am a threat. I am a nuisance to be ignored. I waited until their footsteps faded toward the keep.

My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. I could not ask the King what the message said. He would only sneer.

He would see my curiosity as a weapon.

I turned and rushed toward the north wing. I needed the Queen Mother's quarters.

Information is the only currency that matters in this palace. Without it, you are a servant. With it, you are a master.

I navigated the dim hallways. The air here was different. It was thick with the scent of old lavender and stagnant power.

I reached her double doors. The wood was carved with the symbols of the old moon. I smoothed my skirts. I forced my breathing to slow.

I entered without being summoned. Isolde sat in her high-backed chair near the window. The moonlight caught the silver in her hair.

She looked at me with judgmental eyes. She did not offer me a seat. She did not offer me wine.

"You have never visited me before Elara." Isolde said.

Her voice was like dry parchment rubbing together.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"We are not quarreling Your Majesty." I replied.

I forced a smile. I made my voice soft and melodic.

"We have always been on good terms. I have simply been busy with the Alpha King. His needs are many."

Isolde let out a short sarcastic laugh. She tapped her ring against the arm of her chair.

"The same Alpha King who now sees you as a threat?" She asked.

I did not let the insult show in my eyes. I did not get angry. Anger is a weakness that reveals your cards.

I needed her to speak. She was a piece in the game Magnus and I were playing. She would play a great role.

"It is the ghost chef." I said.

I sighed deeply.

I looked at the floor as if I were a grieving lover.

"She is taking the King's eyes away from me. She uses her strange spices to cloud his mind. With time, he will return to the only woman who can comfort him. He will remember who stood by him when he had nothing."

Isolde leaned back. She looked satisfied by my supposed misery. She enjoyed seeing the favorite fallen from grace.

"We have all heard of the ghost chef." She said.

"The kitchen smells like a foreign land. Even Prince Daemon seeks to dine with the Alpha King tomorrow. He wants to taste her meal for himself. He wants to know if the rumors of her skill are genuine."

I acted surprised. I widened my eyes. I let my mouth hang open slightly.

"Really?" I asked.

In my heart, I smiled. I had the information.

The young prince wanted to dine with the King. That was the message. She had given me exactly what I needed without knowing it. The trap was forming in my mind.

"Why would you let the Young Prince eat the food of a ghost?" I asked.

I made my voice sound worried. I leaned forward as if to protect the boy.

"She is an outsider. We do not know her origins."

"We have all eaten her food." Isolde replied.

She shrugged her thin shoulders.

"Nothing happened to us. The Alpha is still standing. I do not think it is a bad idea. Daemon is curious."

"I must go." I said.

I stood up quickly.

The silk of my gown hissed against the rug.

"It is getting late. I only came to greet you. I wanted to let you know we are at peace. I want no enemies in this house."

"Why leave so soon?" She asked.

She looked suspicious of my haste.

"It is late." I said.

"And I have much to prepare for tomorrow."

I fled from her quarters. I did not look back. I rushed to my chamber.

My mind was a storm of calculations. I grabbed my heavy wool coat from the chest. I pulled the hood over my head. I needed to be a shadow.

I had a great idea to destroy the ghost chef once and for all. This was the opening I needed.

I headed for the Secretariat of Grand Prince Magnus. I moved through the shadows of the servant halls. I avoided the main torches.

I reached his heavy oak door. I entered without knocking. The room was hot and smelled of fermented grain.

Magnus was sitting close to the fire. He was drinking from a silver goblet. He looked like a man drowning in a stupor. His eyes were bloodshot. His tunic was stained.

Anyone who saw him would think he's useless and foolish. They would see a drunkard. They would not know he is the mastermind behind the chaos.

He laughed when he saw me. It was a drunken, grating sound that filled the room.

"I told you to stop visiting me." Magnus said.

He slurred his words.

"Someone will see you. Then our little play ends."

"What I have to discuss cannot wait." I said.

I pulled my hood back. My face was flushed with the cold.

"What is so important?" He asked. He took another long swallow of wine.

"I have a way to destroy the ghost chef once and for all." I told him.

I stood over him. I blocked the light of the fire.

Magnus waved a hand dismissively. He stared into the flames.

"I am already getting my trained rogues ready for that. They will snatch her from the market or the path. It is simple."

"No." I said.

I shook my head.

"This is the best way. No one can trace it back to us. No blades. No kidnappings."

He paused. He looked at me over the rim of his cup. The drunken fog in his eyes cleared for a moment. He saw the fire in mine.

"Which way can we use that would not be traced?" He asked.

"Young Prince Daemon wants to dine with the King tomorrow." I explained.

I watched his face for a reaction.

"We will use the food she prepares to trap her in Queen Mother Isolde's wrath. We will make the boy the weapon."

Magnus laughed again.

"How?" He asked.

"She is a perfectionist. She does not leave the kitchen until the food is served. We cannot poison the food. Poison is clumsy. It leaves a trace in the blood. The royal healer is not a fool."

"We are not tempering with the food." I whispered.

I leaned closer to him. I could smell the stale ale on his breath.

"The ghost chef always uses ginger when she prepares a meal. It is her signature. She thinks it cleanses the palate. She uses it in almost every dish she serves to Alaric."

I looked at the fire. My plan was perfect. It was a work of art.

"There is something we can add to the young prince's medications." I said.

Magnus was the one supplying the boy's medicine. He controlled the apothecary.

"It is something that is poison but not poison. It is simply rat poop. On its own, it does nothing. But when mixed with ginger, it causes the throat to close. It causes the heart to erratic. It looks like a sudden, violent illness."

Magnus's eyes widened.

He set his goblet down on the small table. He sat up straight.

"You are truly a viper." He said.

He let out a loud, dark laugh that echoed off the stone walls.

"We can sicken the prince without being caught. It is not an actual poison. It is a biological reaction. The healer will find nothing but the ingredients of a meal. The ghost chef will be the one who cooked it. The Queen Mother will demand her head for harming the boy."

I smiled. The plan was set. The boy would eat. The girl would fall. I would remain the only one left to comfort the King.