Chapter 27:

I sit on the edge of Caspian's bed, my fingers tracing the intricate patterns on the quilt. The room is quiet, save for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. 

It's been over an hour since he left, and the silence is starting to get to me. My mind wanders back to our earlier conversation, the way his voice had softened when he told me I wasn't disposable. 

My heart does a little flutter at the memory, and I quickly push the thought away. He'd never feel that way about me. I'm just his maid, nothing more.

A knock on the door pulls me from my thoughts. I frown, glancing at the clock. He wouldn't knock on his own door, would he? 

I stand, smoothing out my skirt as I move to open it. My hand hesitates on the knob for a moment before I twist it, pulling the door open.

Eden stands on the other side, a tray of freshly baked cookies in her hands and a premeditated smile plastered on her face. 

The smile falls the moment her eyes land on me, replaced by a look of pure disdain.

"What are you doing in here?" she demands, her voice sharp.

I straighten, meeting her gaze smugly. "I'm the prince's maid. I have every right to be in his room."

Her eyes narrow, and for a moment, she looks like she might say something else. 

Instead, she tosses the tray of cookies to the ground, the porcelain shattering and cookies scattering across the floor. 

She steps forward, her nails digging into my arm as she drags me out of the room.

"Let go of me!" I shout, trying to pull away, but her grip is like iron.

"You think you can just waltz into his room when he's not here?" she snaps, her voice rising. "What were you trying to steal, huh?"

"I wasn't stealing anything!" I protest, my voice echoing down the hall. "He told me to wait here for him!"

She doesn't listen, her nails digging deeper into my skin as she pulls me down the hallway. 

The commotion draws the attention of the other maids, who gather in small clusters, whispering and pointing. 

My face burns with humiliation, but I keep my head held high, refusing to let her see how much this is affecting me.

"What's going on here?" a familiar voice calls out, and I turn to see Ethan striding toward us, his expression stern.

Oh thank goodness!

Eden stops, her grip on my arm tightening for a moment before she releases me. "I caught her in the prince's room," she accuses, pointing at me like I'm some spectacule. "She was trying to steal something."

"That's not true!" I snap, rubbing my arm where her nails have left angry red marks and broken some skin, giving way for blood. "He told me to wait in his room for him."

He steps between us, his gaze flicking to my arm. "Are you okay?" he asks, his voice softer now.

I nod, though my arm stings. "I'm fine."

He turns back to Eden, his expression hardening. "What authority do you have to assault the prince's personal maid?"

She glares at him, stepping closer until they're almost nose to nose. "I'm to be his mate," she smirks, her voice low and dangerous. "You may be the queen's nephew, but you'd do well to remember that."

There's a pit in my stomach at her words, a sinking feeling that I can't quite shake. I knew this was coming, but hearing it out loud still feels like a punch to the gut.

Ethan doesn't back down, his voice steady. "You don't know if he'll choose you."

Her lips curl into a sneer. "The king and queen have already declared it in secret. It's only a matter of time before it's made official."

With that, she turns on her heel and stalks away, leaving me standing there with Ethan and a crowd of curious onlookers who already seem to be passing around the news.

He dismisses the maids with a wave of his hand, his attention focused on me.

"Come on," he says, gesturing for me to follow him. "There's a first aid kit in the common room. Let's get that arm cleaned up."

I nod, falling into step beside him as he leads me down the hall. The common room is warm and inviting, with plush couches and a large fireplace. 

A group of teenage pups are playing a game in the corner, but they pause to bow to Ethan before resuming their laughter.

He grabs the first aid kit from a cabinet and gestures for me to sit. I do, wincing as he cleans the cuts on my arm. 

His touch is gentle, his movements careful as he applies antiseptic and bandages.

"How's Cassidy?" He asks, as be wraps my arm up with a small white bandage.

"She's... well, she's being Cass, I guess," I shrug. "She talks about you a lot though. It's always 'Ethan this' or 'Ethan that'."

He looks up, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Of course she has."

I chuckle, though it's short-lived. The weight of Eden's words still hangs over me, a dark cloud I can't seem to shake.

So it's been decided already?

"Don't let her get to you," Ethan says, his voice soft but firm. "Even if the king and queen have decided she's to be his mate, the majority of the pack would never accept someone that mistreats people as their queen. And Caspian? He'd never choose her, not if she was the last woman on earth."

I look down at my hands, my fingers twisting in my lap. "It doesn't matter," I say quietly. "The king and queen have spoken and Caspian has no choice but to accept it. They can't change their minds because she mistreats ordinary maids like us."

He sighs, closing the first aid kit and setting it aside. "You're more than just a maid, Delilah. Don't let anyone make you feel otherwise."

I smile at him. If someone had told me that the Ethan that dragged me to the council was a sweet person, I may never have believed.

He rises to his feet and gives me a hand, his eyes sparkling. "Cassidy would loose her shit to see a bandage on your arm."

"She'd even go more crazy when she finds out who did it."

That gets him to chuckle. "I better get back to training. You keep out of Eden's way, okay?"

"You don't have to tell me twice."