Evangeline’s heart pounded, but she lifted her chin with practiced defiance. She wouldn’t show weakness before the most powerful man in the kingdom.

King Edward’s sharp gaze swept over her pale form as the door clicked shut behind him.

Master Aldrich had quietly withdrawn, leaving her alone with her former father-in-law in the candlelit chamber.

The King’s weathered face, carved by years of rule and war, softened with genuine concern. “How are you feeling, my dear? Master Aldrich sent word that you’d collapsed.”

Evangeline forced a thin smile. “I’m recovered now, Your Majesty.”

King Edward moved closer, his royal presence filling the intimate space. “I was at the palace when guards told me Sebastian had rushed you here. Then servants started whispering that you were preparing to leave the kingdom.”

His calm voice carried the weight of a man used to uncovering truth. “Perhaps you’d like to explain what happened between you and my son?”

Her forced smile melted away. She dropped her gaze to her trembling hands, trying to gather her scattered thoughts. Telling King Edward the truth felt like surrendering her last shred of dignity.

He’d been nothing but kind during her marriage, showing her the fatherly affection her own father never had. After all, it was King Edward who’d arranged her marriage to Sebastian to save her bankrupt duchy.

Finally, she raised her head, meeting his steady gaze with what courage she could find.

“Sebastian and I… our marriage has been annulled,” she said softly, the words hanging in the herb-scented air like a confession.

King Edward’s silver brows drew together, but his reaction surprised her. Instead of royal fury, she saw deep disappointment—even fatherly grief—in his eyes.

“Annulled?” he repeated, barely above a whisper.

Evangeline nodded slowly, each movement feeling like betrayal. “He’s found love elsewhere. Lady Cordelia carries his child.”

Heavy silence fell between them, broken only by the fireplace’s soft crackling and distant night sounds drifting through the manor. King Edward sighed deeply, rubbing a hand across his bearded face.

“I’m truly sorry, Evangeline,” he said with genuine remorse. “You deserved far better than my son gave you. I fear I failed him in matters of the heart.”

Her throat tightened with unshed tears. “It doesn’t matter anymore, Your Majesty. I need to leave this kingdom. Staying here… it will destroy what’s left of me.”

King Edward studied her with the sharp assessment of a ruler who’d spent decades reading hearts. “Where will you go? Leaving court protection isn’t a decision to make lightly. Do you understand what it means to be without royal protection? To become a wanderer with no sanctuary?”

Evangeline looked away, voice trembling despite her efforts. “Anything would be better than staying here, watching Sebastian build his happiness with another woman.”

King Edward exhaled slowly, shaking his head with what might have been admiration. “You have remarkable determination. But I can’t let you venture into the world without protection and provision.”

“I don’t need charity from the crown,” she replied with wounded dignity, though her voice lacked conviction.

Ignoring her protest, King Edward reached into his doublet and withdrew a sealed envelope bearing the royal crest. He extended it toward her with careful neutrality.

“Take this.”

Evangeline hesitated, eyeing the envelope warily. “What is it, Your Majesty?”

“A letter of introduction,” King Edward explained, his tone measured. “Along with directions to a safe destination. Present this to Duke Alexandro of Meridia—it will be all the credentials you need.”

She frowned in confusion. Meridia was a distant duchy, weeks of travel through mountain passes.

King Edward’s lips curved in a faint, knowing smile that hinted at carefully laid plans. “If you’re determined to leave, at least go somewhere you’ll be safe and valued.”

Tears filled her eyes as she clutched the envelope to her chest like a lifeline. “Who is Duke Alexandro?” she asked, her voice barely carrying over the wind against the windows.

King Edward’s smile deepened, though sadness lingered in his eyes.

“You’ll discover that soon enough, my dear. May God bless your journey. Though you’re no longer my daughter by marriage, you’ll always have my respect and affection.”

Before she could ask the questions burning in her mind, King Edward turned with regal grace and left the chamber, leaving her alone with the mysterious letter and endless uncertainties.

The moment the door closed, Evangeline’s careful composure shattered. She sank into a chair, pressing the sealed envelope to her chest as tears streamed freely down her face.

The weight of everything—her failed marriage, her secret pregnancy, this unexpected kindness from a king—crashed over her in waves.

She sat there in the flickering candlelight, a discarded princess with twins growing in her womb and a mysterious letter promising sanctuary in a distant land.

The future stretched before her, uncertain and frightening, but for the first time since discovering Sebastian’s betrayal, she felt a small spark of hope.