Alaric's POV

I staggered out of Elara's court. My boots crushed the scent of her perfume into the stone.

I got to my chamber. I slammed the door. The fits returned. My muscles coiled. My bones felt like they were melting and hardening at the same time.

I gripped the edge of my desk. I watched my claws sink into the wood.

My mind refused to focus on the pain. It focused on Sophie.

I saw her pale face in the kitchen. I saw her slumped shoulders. She was angry. She was exhausted. I had used my mouth to steal a moment from a woman who owed me nothing.

I needed to fix the damage. I needed to please her before Cassian returned with her bag.

I called for the guard outside my door. I told him to find Thomas the Jester. I told him to bring the man to me immediately.

I sat in the silence of my room. I tried to become normal. Then a flash of memory hit me. I saw the garden. I saw the moon. I felt the pressure of Sophie's lips on mine.

The memory was faint. It was like a dream in a fog. But it was there. I felt the heat of her skin. I felt the way she tasted like mint and honey.

The fits began to die down. The fire in my blood cooled. The memory of that kiss acted like a balm on my soul. My heart slowed its frantic pace. I sat still. I composed my features. I was a King again.

A knock sounded on the door. The guard announced Thomas the Jester.

The door opened. Thomas stepped inside. He wore a suit of bells and mismatched fabric. He did not look like a fool. He looked like a man who watched everything. He bowed low.

"Your Majesty calls for a laugh?" Thomas asked. His voice was light.

"I call for a favor." I said.

I stood up and walked toward him. "Last night, I committed an error. I offended the Chief Royal Chef. She is angry. She is hurt. I need to appease her."

Thomas tilted his head. The bells on his cap jingled.

"The ghost chef. I have heard the whispers. They say she makes food that makes men weep. They say she came from the sky."

"She is a woman." I said.

My voice was firm.

"A woman who deserves better than a drunken Alpha." I added.

"I want you to put up a show tonight. Not for me. For her. I want you to perform in the kitchen gardens. Use your best tricks. Use your fire and your stories. Make her smile, Thomas. If she smiles, I will reward you."

Thomas smiled.

"I am a jester, Alpha. My job is to please the King. If the King is pleased by the happiness of the chef, then I will perform. I have wanted to meet this woman in person. I will prepare the show."

"Go then." I said.

"Start your preparations. I want the air to feel light tonight."

Thomas bowed again and left the room. I felt a small weight lift from my chest. I could not face her yet. My shame was too great. But I could send her joy.

I thought about Elara's words. She had used my mother's name as a weapon. She said I no longer cared for revenge. She said my mother's killers walked free. The words burned in my mind.

I sent for Eunuch George. He was my messenger. He was a man of shadows and secrets.

He entered the room with soft steps.

"George." I said. "I have a task for you. It is a matter of blood and memory."

George bowed. "Command me, Alpha."

"Go to the secret archives." I told him.

"Search for my late mother's last draft. She was writing to me before she died. She was writing about the snakes in this court. I need to know what she expected me to do to her killers."

George's eyes widened. "That draft was lost, Your Majesty. Many believe it was burned."

"It was not burned." I said.

I felt the rage return.

"My father hid it. Find it. Bring it to me. I will not have her blood crying from the ground while I sit on a throne of lies."

George nodded. He turned and disappeared into the hallway.

I looked at the window. The sun was setting. The sky looked like a bruise.

I felt a sudden lack of appetite. The thought of meat and wine made my stomach turn.

I felt a different kind of hunger. A hunger for the woman I had insulted.

I called for the Chief Guard.

"Go to the royal kitchen." I commanded. "Tell them I am not interested in having my evening meal. I will not eat tonight."

The guard looked surprised. "But Alpha, the Chef has prepared..."

"I said I will not eat." I cut him short.

"Tell her the King is not hungry. Tell her I will fast until the morning."

I watched the guard leave.

I turned back to the window.

I knew Sophie would hear the message. She would think I was still the tyrant. She would think I was being difficult.

But the truth was simpler. I could not stomach a single bite of food prepared by her hands while she looked at me with venom.

I would go hungry. I would feel the void in my stomach just as I felt the void in my heart. If she was angry, the King would starve.

Sophie's POV

The heavy iron doors of the kitchen groaned. I didn't look up. I continue scrubbing the counter. I tightened my grip on the scrub rag.

My heart beat fast.

The Chief Guard entered.

I knew that heavy, rhythmic clanking. It was the sound of the Chief Guard.

I asked myself what new havoc was about to befall me.

My mind immediately went to the worst-case scenario.

This was it. I was about to be executed. I walked out on Alaric. You do not tell an Alpha King he is a harasser and then go back to potatoes. I expected a blade or shackles.

The guard spoke. His voice cut through the room.

"A message from the Alpha." He announced.

He looked at me. An expression that was hard to read. A mix of confusion and something that looked like pity.

"The King is not interested in having his evening meal. He will not eat tonight. He intends to fast until morning." He added.

I stopped scrubbing. The silence was thick.

After the guard left, the kitchen erupted.

"Sophie, what happened?" Elspeth rushed to my side. Her face looked pale.

"Is he having the fits again? Is that why he won't eat?"

"He is just being the tyrant he is known to be." I muttered.

I tossed the rag into a bucket.

"Hush!" Silas hissed. He looked at the door in terror.

"Do not talk like that. If the wrong ears hear you, not even your ghost-luck will save you."

In my heart, I felt relief. I almost laughed. If he did not want to eat, I did not have to face him.

I would not have to look at those golden eyes. I would not have to wonder if he remembered the kiss.

I could sleep early. I can finally have a moment without a wolf in a crown.

"Clean everything." I commanded the staff.

My voice lighter than it had been all day.

"Scrub the hearth. Arrange the spices. Then everyone goes to bed early. We have a long morning ahead."

I saw them off one by one.

Then I returned to my small quarters. My eyes burned with exhaustion. I didn't even take off my outer tunic. I collapsed onto the straw pallet. I fell into a deep sleep.

I do not know how much time passed. One moment I was dreaming of home. The next, a large hand clamped over my mouth.

I bolted upright. My heart leaped into my throat. I tried to scream. The sound was muffled against a palm. A shadow loomed over me.

"Quiet ghost chef." A voice whispered.

It was low and rough.

"If you scream, the guards will come. I want to complete my task."

I struggled. I kicked my legs. The man was strong. He dragged me toward the door.

"Who are you?" I asked.

Just as he loosened his grip slightly.

My heart raced.

"You will find out soon." He replied.

His eyes glinting in the dark.

"I need to take you out of here. I know you want to return home. Follow me."

My blood went cold.

"Home? Did you find the Ledger of Satiety that brought me here?"

"Someone is waiting for you." He said.

He ignored the question.

"They would love to meet the famous ghost in the Royal Kitchen. Let's go."

I walked with him. My eyes were heavy with sleep. My mind was clouded. We moved through the silent corridors. We reached the kitchens. The air was cold. The fires were out.

"No one is here." I said.

I turned to face the man.

"Are you trying to kidnap me? Is this Elara's doing?"

A sharp whistle pierced the air.

Four men jumped out. There were behind the stone pillars. My eyes widened. They were dressed in mismatched fabrics. Reds. Purples. Yellows. They wore caps with bells. Clowns.

They did not move like circus performers. They moved with predatory grace. They loped across the floor like wolves. They began to dance. The bells on their hats sounded like a warning.

I tried to run. They were too fast. They surrounded me. Their faces was painted. It grinned in the light.

They threw fireworks in the air.

Kaboom!

Tiny sparks of gold exploded.

It was beautiful. It looked like miniature stars falling. But I was too terrified to appreciate the aesthetics.

"What do you want?" I shouted.

They did not answer. Two more joined the circle. Now there were six. They performed tumbles and leaps. They were a blur of color. One lunged toward me. He landed inches from my feet.

The one in front of me was different. He was taller. He moved with powerful authority. He did not jump like the others. He watched me. He wore a velvet mask.

The other five stopped. They dropped to one knee.

The tall jester in front of me reached up. His fingers were large. He touched the edge of his hood. He began to push it back. He was about to reveal his face.

My heart raced.

I don't know what to expect.

I asked myself. Is this how they execute people privately?

They put up a show so you can enjoy your last day on earth.

Alaric's POV

I pulled the mask from my face. The cold kitchen air hit my skin. I watched Sophie's expression change.

First, I saw fear. Then, I saw a flash of pure delight. She did not expect a King to play the fool. My heart hammered against my ribs. I liked the way she looked at me.

"I am sorry, Sophie." I said.

My voice was thick. I did not sound like a King. I sounded like a man.

"I apologize for the garden. I apologize for the wine. I ask for your forgiveness."

I stood in bells and bright fabric. I humbled myself to see her smile. The jingle of the cap was worth the result.

I waited for her answer. My ears twitched. I heard a faint shuffle. It was silk on stone. Elara was peeping through a gap in the wood. Her eyes showed shock and fury.

I leaned toward Sophie. I smiled a sharp smile at the door. I wanted Elara to feel jealousy. Her plots only brought me closer to Sophie.

"I forgive you, Your Majesty." Sophie whispered.

The tension in my shoulders snapped.

"Then prove it." I said.

"Come out with me tonight. Let the palace see that we are at peace."

I did not wait for her to argue.

I stripped off the jester clothes. A guard handed me my tunic. I pulled the fabric over my head. I adjusted the fur. The clown vanished. The King returned.

"You have forgiven me." I said.

I looked at her.

"Now, I must give you a gift. Tell me what you desire. Do you want gold hairpins? Or jewelry from the southern mines? Name it."

Sophie shook her head. She looked at the empty pots on the hearth.

"I do not care for jewelry, Alaric. I only want fresh ingredients. My kitchen needs life. I need things that grow."

I looked at the door. Elara was shaking with rage. She loved gold. Sophie rejected jewelry for vegetables. It must have felt like a personal insult to her entire existence. Elara turned and walked away in the shadows. I felt satisfied.

"Since you do not care for shiny rocks." I said to Sophie.

"I will take you to the royal farm. We grow our own crops there. You can take whatever your heart desires."

Joy flashed in her eyes. She tried to hide it with a professional mask. I saw the light anyway. It was brighter than any diamond.

We walked through the silent palace grounds. The moon was high. The air smelled of earth and flowers. Soon, we reached the gates of the farm. I showed her rows of grain and vines.

"It is beautiful," she said. She touched a leaf with a gentle hand. "It is so full of life."

We walked further into the experimental plots. We passed familiar greens and roots. Then, we reached a restricted area.

I stopped her. I pointed to a row of long, bright red crops. They looked like teeth.

"Be careful." I warned.

"This is Poison. We do not use it for cooking. It is planted only for experiments. Many who tried to eat it died or suffered greatly. Their throats burned. Their stomachs failed. Nobody touches the red crop."

Sophie let out a loud shout.

"It is not poison! Your Majesty. We call this pepper!"

She moved forward with sudden excitement. She reached out to touch the red fruit.

"No!" I barked.

I was not standing on firm ground. The soil was wet from the evening dew. I lunged forward to grab her arm. To pull her away from the danger. My weight caused me to slip.

I fell backward. Sophie, caught in my grip, tumbled with me.

The world spun for a second. I hit the soft earth with a thud. Sophie landed directly on top of me.

Her face was an inch from mine. I felt her breath on my lips. My hands around her waist. I held her steady.

The farm was silent. I heard her heart race. Her eyes reflected the moon. The crown did not matter. The poison did not matter. I felt the heat of her body.

I just stare into her eyes. I saw a different version of myself.