The waiting felt like pure torture. After Thomas left early that morning with the letter, Austin and Alina were literally trapped inside the small cottage. The walls felt smaller with every passing hour. They could not risk going outside. They couldn’t even speak loudly. The fear of being discovered hung over them like a sword.

Austin sat near the door with his sword close by. Every small noise outside made his body tense. Alina kept peeking from the small window, hoping to see Thomas returning.

Hours passed without any news. In the afternoon, Alina made Austin sit down on the bed and knelt before him so she could change his bandages.

Carefully, she unwrapped the old cloth from his shoulder and side. The fabric had darkened with dried blood. As she removed it, Austin winced.

Alina’s hands shook as she cleaned his wound. Every time the cloth touched a tender area, his breath hitched. But he stayed still for her, resting his hand lightly on her knee for comfort.

"You’re trembling," he said, covering her trembling hands with his. "You’ve been so strong through everything, Alina. But you don’t have to carry it all alone right now."

She looked up at him with wet eyes.

"I’m... scared, Austin. I’m scared of losing you after we’ve come so far. I don’t know how much more my heart can take."

Austin pulled her up and made her sit beside him, holding her close.

"Okay...let’s talk about the worst case scenario," Austin whispered, breathing in her scent. "if the king refuses and I renounce my title and give up my everything...where would you want to live?"

Although they had discussed this possibility several times before but had never considered its consequences. If Austin renounced his title, he would have to give up everything including Ravenmoor. Then where would they go?

She thought for a minute before answering.

"Somewhere far from this kingdom," she replied. "I would love to have a cozy house near the hills or by the sea. It should be somewhere where we can wake up to birds singing instead of worrying about politics."

"I like the idea," Austin replied with a smile. "Mornings where I can make you laugh and nights where I can hold you without any worry." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

For sometime, forgetting about Thomas and king, they talked to each other about their hopes and dreams. It felt good to imagine a peaceful future after a near death experience.

Thomas finally returned late that evening, looking tired and worried.

"What’s wrong?" Austin asked immediately.

"Something is happening in the palace," he replied. "The palace guards have doubled. I saw Chancellor Crane entering the palace just now in the dark, which is unusual."

Austin and Alina glanced at each other.

"Also several royal messengers rode out in a hurry. Something is definitely happening behind closed doors, but no one is talking about it."

The news made both of them even more anxious.

"Did you manage to deliver the letter?" Alina asked, trying to change the topic.

Thomas nodded.

"I handed over the letter to one of my trustworthy guards. He should have delivered it to the king by now," Thomas replied. "We just need to wait for his reply now."

Next day passed in a blur with no reply. Then another. Austin became increasingly restless and frustrated.

"Either refuse us or accept," Austin muttered while pacing the room. "This waiting is worse than death."

"I know it’s difficult to wait," Alina said, holding his hand. "But the king has a lot to lose too."

"You think he is thinking about his loses right now?" Austin snickered. "He is most probably busy in preparing another trap for us."

"Then why did you send him the letter?" Alina asked. "If you’re already so sure if his intentions then what are you waiting for?"

Austin had no answer to that. Alina smiled faintly and gently squeezed his hand.

"If we have sent the letter...then we need to be a little patient as well," she replied. "The king is probably trying to figure out how to protect himself and the kingdom from this scandal."

Her words helped soothe his anger slightly but that didn’t make them any less worried.

On the third day, Thomas returned with even worse news.

"Crane’s men have started searching the city," he informed. "Some of the safehouses used by former guards are being watched and investigated. We’re not as safe as we thought."

"We need to move to a different location right now. Staying here is too risky," Austin said as she stood up.

Alina shook her head.

"If we move now, we might get caught. I think we should stay hidden here until we hear from the king," she replied.

Thomas listened to both of them and agreed with Alina.

"Alina is right," he said. "Moving now could expose us. Let’s wait for one more day."

Finally on the evening of the fourth day, someone knocked at their door. They all froze. Austin held his sword standing protectively in front of Alina while Thomas opened the door.

A palace guard was standing outside. He delivered the king’s message to Thomas and left without a word. Thomas walked inside and handed the letter to Austin.

Austin opened it immediately and began reading.

"The king wants to have a private meeting with Alina and me tomorrow night," he said.

A small smile appeared on Alina’s face. They still had hope. But her smile faded within a second when she heard Austin speak again.

"The king has also summoned Chancellor Crane to the same meeting," Austin finished.

Thomas cursed under his breath while Alina’s stomach sank.

"Why would the king call Chancellor Crane to a private meeting with you?" Thomas asked.

"Because it isn’t a private talk anymore," Austin replied, looking at the palace lights far away from the cottage window. "If the king wants everyone in the same room...it means there will be no negotiation."

"Then what?" Thomas asked.

"A final confrontation."