Whispers of a Wilted Bloom

Previously

…And Zade Arkin, for the first time in a long time, felt a tremor of unease that ran deeper than any territorial dispute. The king’s decree had been issued, not by him, but by the very forces that threatened to consume them all. And he knew, with a certainty that chilled him to the bone, that Lily’s fate was no longer solely in his hands. It was intertwined with the enigma that was Xavier, a dangerous dance that could lead to either salvation or utter ruin. He picked up the envelope, his fingers brushing against the embossed crest, a silent promise forming in his heart: he would protect his daughter, no matter the cost. Even if it meant stepping into the serpent’s lair himself.