I was a Riverwarden, retrieving drowned bodies from the Serpent’s Coil. My quiet life ended when I saved two men—the Crown Prince and his brother. In the chaos, I became pregnant with the Prince’s child. Yet on our wedding day, he vanished, marrying Duke Isolde instead. His brother, Kaelan, confessed hewas with me that night. He swore to marry me and raise the child as his own. A month later, bandits slaughtered every soul in Serpent’s Hollow. The grief stole my unborn child. Kaelan stayed by my side, his devotion unwavering. Three years later, pregnant again, I overheard Kaelan’s truth: “I married her for Isolde. If Moira’s son was firstborn, Isolde’s position would be threatened.” “Did you truly have to massacre Serpent’s Hollow?” “They knew too much.” Loving the Crown Prince was a tragedy. Loving his brother damned me twice. 1 A maid from the palace had just come and gone, intercepted by one of Kaelan’s guards. I only caught a whisper of her words as I passed the study: “…heard that Moira is with child…” Inside, Kaelan’s hand clenched, the porcelain cup in his hand rattling in its saucer. He was a man of immense self-control, and his composure returned in an instant. “I will not allow her to bear it.” His voice was cold as the river in winter. His friend sounded shocked. “But it’s your own flesh and blood.” “Her womb has carried another man’s seed. It’s fouled. Besides,” Kaelan added, a note of revulsion in his tone, “she spent her life pulling corpses from the water. I fear what monstrous thing might be born of it.” He turned to a servant lingering in the shadows. “Have Gisela mix blood-thistle into the Princess’s meals. Be careful. I don’t want her to know.” The friend sighed. “The girl is a pitiful creature, in her own way…” Kaelan’s gaze grew distant, lost in the depths of his tea. “I will allow her to live out her days as a princess,” he murmured. “That will be her compensation.” I clapped a hand over my mouth, stumbling back, my vision tunneling. Ignoring the confused stares of the servants, I fled back to my chambers. In the darkness of my room, I wept. So, the man that night hadn't been him after all. Yet, for Isolde’s sake, he had willingly married me, a “fouled” woman, and prepared to accept a child that shared none of his blood. I remembered the day of the massacre. He had looked at my blood-soaked dress, his own tears streaming down his face as he held me. “Moira, I swear to you,” he’d choked out, “I will not let our people die in vain. I will not let our child’s death go unavenged.” He was true to his word. Within three days, he had located the bandits’ lair and slaughtered every last one of them. For years, my heart had overflowed with gratitude. I never suspected that the monster I mourned was the same man who held me while I wept. A knock at the door. It was the maid, Gisela. “Your Highness, your dinner is ready.” “Leave it. I’m not hungry.” I couldn’t eat the food laced with poison. The royal physician had told me my first loss had left my body weak. If I miscarried again, I might never bear a child. I wanted this baby. Before, I’d wanted it for Kaelan. Now, I wanted it for my people, for the kin who had died because of me. I couldn't save them. But I could ensure the line of the Riverwardens did not die out. It was the only atonement I could imagine. Later, heavy footsteps echoed in the courtyard. “Your Grace, the Princess refuses to eat.” “I’ll handle it.” I hastily wiped my eyes, but their swollen redness betrayed me. Kaelan knelt before me, his touch gentle as he stroked my cheek. “Tears and no food. Who has been mistreating my Moira?” “Only the little one in my belly,” I whispered, forcing a smile. Kaelan froze for a second, then his face broke into a masterful performance of joy. “Truly? I’m to be a father?” “Truly.” My heart was a block of ice, but for the sake of my child, I had to play my part. “Kaelan, if… and this is only if… you do not want this child, I will raise it myself. I promise it will never be a burden to you.” A flicker of alarm crossed his eyes, but he masked it with a strained laugh. “What nonsense is this? How could I not love a child you give me, Moira?” He pulled me to my feet. “Come, no more dark thoughts. You must eat.” He led me to a table laden with food. I turned my head away, my stomach churning with revulsion. He placed a piece of steamed greens in my bowl, his voice a soft caress. “Just a little. The child needs you to be strong.” He was so convincing, his affection so seemingly genuine. How could it all be a lie? “I truly cannot eat…” At that, his patience snapped. “You may not wish to eat, but the child must! Will you stop this childish petulance?” He grabbed my chin, his grip like iron, and tried to force the food into my mouth. I wrenched myself free, but in that moment of violence, I understood his resolve. Despair washed over me. Choking back tears, I picked up my fork. “I will eat myself.” Once this meal was finished, everything would be over. In the dead of night, the agony began. A sharp, cramping pain in my belly, and a flow of blood that slowly soaked the bedsheets crimson. Kaelan shouted once, and the royal physician, Master Elian, entered as if he had been waiting just outside the door. The pain was a white-hot haze, but through it, I heard Elian’s cautious whisper. “Your Grace, the Princess’s body was already weakened by her first miscarriage. If we do not save her now, she may never be able to conceive again…” There was a long silence before Kaelan spoke. “It doesn’t matter. When I take other wives, I can grant her a child to raise in her old age.” It doesn’t matter. So it was true. He found me foul. He never wanted my child. My last shred of hope turned to ash. As Elian worked, a lady-in-waiting from the palace burst in. “Your Grace! The Crown Princess is suffering from a stomach ache. She requests Master Elian’s presence at once!” Kaelan’s expression transformed. The concern on his face was raw, undisguised. Without a second thought, he grabbed Elian by the arm to leave. My loyal maid, Carol, threw herself at Kaelan’s feet, her voice a desperate wail. “Your Grace, if you take the physician now, my lady will die!” “The Crown Princess only has a stomach ache, any court doctor can see her! But my lady is on the verge of death!” “I beg you, Your Grace, have mercy on my mistress…” “Insolence!” Kaelan’s heart was already gone. “The Crown Princess is of royal blood! How dare a servant dictate her care?” He kicked Carol aside and threw a dismissive order to a guard. “Brew her some ginseng broth to keep her alive. I will bring Master Elian back as soon as the Crown Princess is well!” Carol tried to follow, but I stopped her. “Carol… don’t.” Her eyes were red and swollen as she looked at me with pity. “My lady, wait for me. I will fetch another physician…” With a strength I didn’t know I possessed, I pushed myself up. From under the bed, I pulled out a small wooden box and gave Carol the iron seal within—the Riverwarden’s Seal. “Carol, go to the palace. Give this to the King himself. Tell him Moira asks for a writ of separation.” When the King had come to my village to retrieve his sons, he had been so grateful for my aid that he’d granted me a single boon. I had never dared to use it. Now, the time had come. It was the afternoon of the next day before Kaelan returned with the physician. By then, another doctor, one Carol had summoned, was just leaving. Kaelan grabbed the man’s arm. “How is the Princess?” “Her life is saved, but alas…” For the first time, Kaelan seemed truly flustered on my account. His voice was low. “Alas, what?” The physician shook his head with a sigh. “Her body is broken. I fear she will live the rest of her life in pain.” A flicker of guilt crossed Kaelan’s face. He came to my bedside and tried to gather my frail form into his arms. “I’m sorry, Moira. It’s not that I didn’t want to care for you, but the Crown Princess carries the royal heir. There could be no delay…” I pushed myself away from his embrace, the movement sending a fresh wave of pain through me. “It doesn’t matter. You’ve been up all night, Your Grace. You should rest.” His hands froze in mid-air. His voice was hoarse. “Moira… are you angry with me?” I closed my eyes. “This common woman wouldn’t dare.” “Common woman?” He heard the shift in my words, the icy formality. He stared at me in disbelief. I had always referred to myself as his humble wife. To change my address now was to draw a line in the sand between us. “Yes. I am of low birth. I cannot be compared to the Crown Princess. You did nothing wrong, Your Grace, and I dare not blame you.” A violent cough shook my frame, and I spat a mouthful of blood onto the sheets. Seeing this, Kaelan didn’t press the matter. He gently patted my back. “Moira has always been the most understanding. It was foolish of me to doubt. You rest now. Your husband will stay right here with you.” I don’t know how long I slept, but I was awakened by a commotion in the courtyard. I opened my eyes to see Carol lying in the center of the yard, being beaten with rods. Her clothes were soaked in blood; she was barely breathing. The Crown Princess, Lady Isolde, sat nearby, watching with a cold, detached air. Seeing me awake, Kaelan didn’t bother with an explanation. He simply placed a hand on my shoulder, holding me down. “The Crown Princess is disciplining a servant, Moira. Do not interfere.” I learned the reason for this brutality. After delivering my request for separation, Carol had fetched the doctor for me. The King and Queen, already feeling guilty over the Crown Prince’s broken betrothal, were furious when they heard how Kaelan had abandoned me for Isolde’s minor complaint. They had harshly reprimanded Isolde, calling her a viper. Unable to touch me, Isolde had decided to take her anger out on Carol. Tears streamed down my face as I watched my friend dying. I clutched Kaelan’s sleeve. “Your Grace, I beg you, save her. It is all my fault.” “Carol was only worried for me.” Kaelan looked pained. “Moira, she is just a servant. Let the Crown Princess vent her anger, and this will all be over.” I stared at his handsome face, unable to comprehend the blackness of the heart that beat beneath it. Just because we were born common, did our lives not matter? Me. Carol. The hundred families of Serpent’s Hollow. I could no longer contain my rage. “Is this how you felt when you butchered Serpent’s Hollow?” I screamed. “They were just commoners, after all!” His face contorted as if I had struck him. He lunged, his hand clamping around my neck, his eyes burning with fury. “Moira, what nonsense are you spouting?!” I struggled, and the movement tore open the wounds in my lower body. Blood gushed out, staining the bed anew. The sight of it seemed to break his rage. He panicked, fumbling to hold me. “Moira, stop moving, don’t move!” I pushed his hands away, my gaze filled with hatred. “Kaelan, was it fun? Lying to me for all these years?” “Hundreds of lives, and my two children. Does your conscience never torment you at night?” His hands hovered in the air, trembling uncontrollably. “You know?” When I didn’t answer, he began to explain. “Moira, I had no choice! Someone in Serpent’s Hollow saw you with the Crown Prince. If word of the pregnancy got out, it would have thrown the entire court into chaos!” I laughed, a cold, broken sound. “Was it the court you feared for, or were you afraid your precious Isolde would lose her power?” His brow furrowed, his guilt instantly replaced by annoyance. “This was my decision. It had nothing to do with Isolde. Do not drag her into this.” Even now, he was protecting her. I was a fool. “And my children? The first I lost to grief, a grief you caused. What about the second?” Now that I had torn away the last veil of deceit, he dropped the act. “Yes. I had it taken from you.” “I wasn’t ready to be a father.” “Even now, you lie to me…” “Moira, enough of this madness! Whatever I have done, consider it my debt to you. I swore I would make it up to you. I will let you live out your days in splendor, secure as a princess!” I didn’t want to hear any more of his empty promises. “Kaelan, I want nothing from you. I will give up everything for a separation. Let me go.” “If you fear I will silence you as I did my village, you can take my life as well.” “I only ask that you save Carol.” I thought the weight of hundreds of lives on his soul might be enough to bargain for one. I had underestimated his depravity. “Moira, stop. This time, I cannot help you.” “Isolde’s heart has been wounded. She is a sensitive, fragile soul. If Carol lives, she will not be able to sleep at night.” I finally understood. In Kaelan’s world, a commoner’s life was worth less than Lady Isolde’s peaceful slumber. I shoved him away and dragged my broken body into the courtyard. I fell at Isolde’s feet, clutching the hem of her dress. “Your Highness, I beg you, spare Carol. It is all my fault.” Isolde smirked. “And what was your fault?” “I am low-born. I should not have troubled the royal physician.” “I should not have displeased Your Highness.” “Enough,” Isolde said, kicking my hand away in disgust. “You are covered in filth. It’s nauseating.” She turned to Kaelan. “Kaelan, I’m tired. Will you take me home?” Kaelan glanced at me, crumpled on the ground. He hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he chose Isolde. I felt for Carol’s faint pulse. I called out to Kaelan one last time. “Your Grace, can you at least send for Master Elian?” Kaelan started to give the order, but Isolde cut him off. “No physician is to be called. I have spared her life. Whether she lives or dies is up to fate.” Kaelan gave me one last, complicated look, then clenched his jaw and turned away. At that moment, something inside me shattered. I screamed at his retreating back. “Kaelan, let us separate!” Isolde, hearing this, laughed aloud. “She wants a separation, Kaelan. Aren’t you going to comfort her?” He shot me a look of pure annoyance. “She doesn’t need comforting. It’s just an empty threat. Outside this manor, she cannot even feed herself.” “Besides,” he added, his voice laced with contempt, “she’s carried two children and been married twice. Who else would have her?” He was right. Outside these walls, I would likely die. But to stay here was a fate worse than death. Ignoring the pain, I crawled back inside and placed the writ of separation on the table. I found a rickety handcart in the stables, and with Carol inside, I left the manor. This time, I was finally free. On his way back from escorting Isolde, Kaelan saw a familiar figure walking towards the city gates. He squinted, but couldn't make out the face. “Is that Moira?” he asked his attendant. The attendant followed his gaze. “Your Grace, your eyes must be playing tricks on you. Why would the Princess leave the city alone?” Leave the city? A sharp pain, like a needle, pierced Kaelan’s heart. He felt breathless. There was only one reason Moira would leave the city. The separation was real. If it was real… was she gone from the manor? A cold dread enveloped him. He was afraid. Afraid that she was gone, and he would have no idea where to even begin looking for her. “Back to the manor! Now!” As he arrived, he saw Isolde’s maid waiting anxiously at the gate. He rushed forward. “Isolde… is the Crown Princess alright?” “Your Grace, Master Elian’s calming drought for the Princess is missing a key herb. I’ve checked every apothecary in the city. I came to see if the manor had any in its stores.” The household steward was just coming out. Kaelan lunged towards him, but the herb was the last thing on his mind. “Is the Princess in the manor?” “Her Highness has left.” “Where did she go?” “I do not know, Your Grace.” The steward then turned to the maid, bowing apologetically. “I have searched our stores. I’m afraid we are also out of that herb.” The maid wrung her hands. “What shall we do? The Crown Princess’s pregnancy is already so fragile…” Kaelan stared at Moira’s empty chambers, hesitating. His attendant saw his conflict. “Your Grace, help the Crown Princess find her medicine first. The Princess Moira loves you so much. How could she truly leave you? She is likely just angry, throwing a tantrum. She will probably return on her own by nightfall…” Kaelan allowed himself to be convinced. “You’re right. Where else could she possibly go without me? Let her have her tantrum. I will soothe her when she returns.” …
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