Elara led her through the passageway like she had known it her whole life.
Serena did not ask questions. There was no point. She understood that Elara would not have answers either.
They exited through a hidden door behind a portrait and stepped into what looked like a storage room.
"Elara, I am so glad you are okay," Serena said, pulling her into a hug. She had meant to do that the moment she saw her, but the excitement over the bow and arrows had distracted her.
"Thanks to you. Thank you for not giving up on me," she whispered, voice cracking. "And for not letting the dragons kill me either."
Serena tightened her arms around her.
"None of that was your fault."
Elara glanced down, only just noticing the bow and quiver in Serena's hands. She smiled and looked back up at her, curiosity clear, but before she could ask—
Serena clapped her hands and bounced in place.
"I just remembered," she squealed. "Hale marked you."
She jumped up and down with the kind of unfiltered excitement reserved for watching someone finally get the life and happiness they deserved and getting to witness it firsthand.
Elara groaned, her face turning red. "I am mortified."
"You know they used to do public markings in ancient times," Serena said helpfully.
"Gods," Elara said. "They also used to do mating rituals in public. That does not help."
Serena laughed, but then her expression shifted and went serious so fast it caught Elara off guard.
"I had sex with Dex," she blurted.
Elara blinked a few times, not having expected that.
"First of all," Elara said, deadpan, "Dex rhymes with sex. Second of all, holy shit, that was fast."
Serena's face went red. "We had sex twice, actually," she admitted. "When he marked me the first time, I fell unconscious and he cleaned me after while I was unconscious. Which meant he saw blood from losing my virginity. So if you want to talk about embarrassing—"
She did not finish the sentence.
Elara squealed, clapping her hands like she had just been told the best news of her life.
Serena buried her face in her hands, mortified and laughing all at once.
"I bonded with an ice dragon," Elara began.
"Oh, I know," Serena said, lifting her head. "Flareon. Remember, you and I rode her after."
"Damn. No, didn't realize that," Elara said. "Hale has been asking questions about where we are from."
Serena's laughter faded, her expression turning thoughtful.
"You should tell him," she said. "Of course you should."
Elara hesitated. "Are you sure? I would not tell him everything. Just a little more. He does not understand how you speak so many languages, or why I am trained in matters of duty and pack leadership."
Serena studied her for a moment, then nodded once.
"He deserves context," she said gently. "And Hale is not stupid."
Elara exhaled slowly, tension easing from her shoulders. "Alright, I will give him more context."
"Yes," Serena said easily. "I trust Hale completely. If he thought repeating anything would hurt you or me, he would not. He is a good one."
"He actually just mindlinked me," Elara added, grinning. "So we should get back. Your mate is stressed and deliberately did not mindlink you because he did not want to be overbearing."
"Aww, really?" Serena's heart swelled at that.
She giggled and shook her head once. There was no chance he would ever smother her. If anything, she had been worried she was doing that to him with how much time they had spent together.
She caught Elara's arm before they moved. "Wait. Something else is bothering you. Tell me."
Elara looked up at her, hesitated for exactly half a second, then blurted it out in a rush.
"We tried to have sex, but he is too big, so he stopped, and now it is awkward."
Serena's jaw dropped. "I mean. He is a big man. Did you tell him to stop?"
"Yes," Elara said, burying her face in her hands, eyes welling. "I panicked."
Serena stared at her for a beat, then softened immediately and pulled her into a hug.
"That is not awkward," she said firmly. "That is consent working exactly like it should. Hale stopping is a green flag the size of the damn castle."
Elara groaned. "It's still awkward. I wish he wouldn't have stopped now. Gods."
"Just kiss him," Serena said, entirely serious, "get him riled up again and then make sure to not say stop. Once you do it, it'll cancel out what happened in his mind."
Elara stared at her. "You sound like a sex expert now. Jeez."
Serena burst out laughing. Then abruptly stopped.
Her face went red.
"Elara," she admitted, lowering her voice, "I think Dex assumed I would know what I was doing. He seemed genuinely surprised that I did not. He even commented that I was a virgin in the middle of it. If he knew I had not even kissed a boy before him…"
Elara groaned. "Don't tell him that last part unless he asks."
Serena nodded, "Wasn't planning on it. And gods, we are both idiots."
Elara sighed, then straightened.
"Yes agreed. But I can feel Hale's anxiety now, fully. We need to get back to them before they both have a meltdown."
✦✦✦
To: King Reginald Viremont
Father,
The situation has deteriorated beyond diplomacy.
Dexmon has marked his whore. Rumor has it, she's being crowned in three days. Crowned, Father. As if she earned it. As if she belongs here.
She's turned Dexmon against me. He humiliated me in front of all the nobles over her.
Bloodpetal's Kiss failed. She should have choked on her own blood at that ball, but their healers reached her too quickly.
I met with your contact and arranged for the seamstress to lace that dress with poison. At your request, they've added it to her formal Drakenfell combat suit before the summit.
Outside of that, I need something stronger to manage Dexmon. Something that cannot be healed or antidoted. You mentioned once about Viper's Kiss. I need it. Whatever the cost. That's the only way I can get her out of the picture fully.
My allies within Drakenfell remain loyal, though their patience wears thin. I fear my window here in Drakenfell is coming to a close.
Bellatrix has invited me to dine with her tomorrow evening with King Tiberon. She is furious about the crowning and I believe she can still be useful, though her methods lack subtlety. The flowers were her idea. Embarrassing.
With the War Summit approaching, I beg you to request my presence so I can attend. If I fail again with Dexmon, the Shadowclaw King will be there.
Send me Viper's Kiss. Send me reinforcements if you have them. Or send me orders to return home.
But do not ask me to watch her take everything that was promised to me.
I await your response.
Your daughter,
Agnes
Future Queen of Drakenfell (with your help)
Agnes folded the letter, pressed her seal into the wax, and handed it to the servant waiting at her door.
"My father. Before dawn. Speak to no one."
The servant bowed and vanished into the corridor.
Agnes returned to her vanity and studied her reflection.
Two days until the crowning.
Four days until the summit.
Agnes traced the unmarked skin of her neck.
Every lock had a key. Every person had a weakness. She had found Dexmon's.
In the end, all that mattered was who held the knife.