The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 247: A maiden knows.

Chapter 247: A maiden knows.

"You’ll get better," Ren tried to be positive, her voice shaky with hope. "Maybe the Fae..." She suggested. But the King raised a hand, silencing her gently but solidly. That would never happen.

"The Fae will only grant me one favor, daughter... and that is to end this miserable life. Only their punishment can burn out my sins and there is no blessing better than this." His voice was calm, resolved. "I’m ready to go... after the speech."

Ren froze, her breath catching in her throat. No one had told her. That he was going to the Fae realm, to be punished for marrying a High Fae. To be punished for hiding her, and not being able to keep her safe.

She turned toward Kai, eyes wide. "You knew about this?"

Kai shook his head, a troubled frown creasing his brow. "I’m hearing it now. I thought... I thought he’d wait. At least until you give birth to our children. But it seems he is so eager for his death."

Ren’s voice broke as tears welled in her eyes. "You don’t want to see your grandchildren? Can’t you just wait for five months?"

The King sighed, and for a moment, the hardness in his expression softened. "Of course, I do want that," he said, eyes dim with sorrow. "But I may not live to see that day. And if I must die, I want it to be through the Fae punishment. It’s not a gift most receive. It’s a form of... redemption. My heart is on the verge of explosion, if I don’t break my bond with Sunkiath fully, the rush of his power will burn this frail body." He clarified it.

Ren couldn’t speak. Her throat burned with grief. She simply reached forward and clasped his hand tightly.

"Then I’ll go with you," she whispered. "I’ll protect you... if they misbehave or treat you unfairly. My uncle, Lucieth. He is not that gentle. I saw how nonchalantly he killed Acelieth. He didn’t see him as a brother but a demon."

The King gave a soft, almost grateful smile. "Yes. You two will come with me. And you..." he looked at Ren meaningfully, "...you have a message to deliver to your Fae grandfather."

Ren nodded through her tears and quickly wiped her cheeks, trying to stay composed.

Kai placed his hand on her shoulder, grounding her. Strong, silent, and ever-present.

"She’s the one who brought you, Hector," Kai notified, his tone quiet. "I didn’t want to bring him here... but she insisted."

The King nodded slowly, his eyes dim with reflection. "Thank you. Have you found out anything about him? I never knew who his mother was. I... I don’t even remember if we spent that night in the same room. I just remembered that I met a woman in Sobis Village."

Kai’s brows furrowed. That was strange. With the dragon’s magical blood running through him, even drunkenness couldn’t erase memory...not completely.

"Magic," Ren said softly. "She was half-Fae and half-mermaid. That bloodline carries old, rare spells. Her magic... it cloaked your memory. Whether it was done to protect herself or to lure you, we’ll never know her true intention. She’s dead."

The King let out a breath, the weight of untold years pressing on his chest.

Ren turned to the door. "Lora, please come in."

The door creaked open, and the maiden stepped inside, hands folded respectfully.

The King blinked, confused. "Your maiden?"

Kai looked just as surprised.

Ren smiled faintly, but her voice was steady. "Yes, Father."

Father.

The word landed like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. The King felt it echo through him, warming bones he thought had gone cold. He had waited a lifetime to hear her call him that.

And currently, she had.

"Lora," Ren said gently, "come and tell His Highness everything you know about my brother. You are the only one who knows."

The maiden hesitated, then sank to her knees, her eyes misting with emotion. It was painful to see the once-mighty King of Alvonia so diminished, so pale and weary.

"Your Grace... what happened to you?" she asked softly, voice thick with sorrow.

"Ah, please," the King muttered with a faint smirk. "Let’s not make this more awkward than it already is." He gestured toward a chair. "Sit down, child. Tell me...what do you know? I can’t stand waiting anymore."

Lora obeyed, sitting on the edge of the seat, her hands clasped tightly. But her knees were shaking.

"I lived on the Sobis Island," she began, "when the rebellions struck. They killed everyone, and they took the stones from our mines. Lady Ophelia didn’t speak much with anyone... but she liked my mother."

She paused, glancing at Ren and then back to the King. "Later, Hector and I became friends."

The room went still.

The King’s eyes widened in disbelief. "What the hell was a mermaid princess doing there?"

"She wasn’t full-blooded," Lora explained. "Half-Fae, half-mermaid. Her kin cast her out. Said her blood was impure. She had strange magic... very old magic. She could even speak the ancient tongue of the Saints. She didn’t know who her father was, her mother taught her the language of that strange male Fae."

She hesitated, then added, "She could hypnotize people... and erase memories. Hector told me that once. But I thought he was just making up stories to entertain me."

Silence stretched in the chamber again...thicker this time, steeped in shock and slow understanding.

Kai folded his arms across his chest, the weight of truth settling over him. "So now we know why you don’t remember her. But still... Why did she run?" His eyes narrowed. "With a massive dragon at your side, she knew you were the King of Alvonia. She could’ve used that. Take advantage of it."

The King remained silent, visibly unsettled. There was no answer. No memory to pull from.

"I think... I know why," Lora said quietly, her voice steady.

Ren nodded gently. "Go ahead. Tell him." She already knew the answer...Lora had shared it with her earlier.