Chapter 3 – Dravic Dawnvele
MARCIA’S PERSPECTIVE
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Terror flashed in the guard’s eyes, and the prince’s men wasted no time dragging him away.
The prince’s eyes shifted to me, returning to their natural shade. The moment my gaze met his, my breath caught in my throat, heart hammering against my ribs.
I tore my eyes away from him, closing them shut.
Focus. Marcia, focus.
Taking a deep breath, I raised my eyes to meet his again.
Last I’d seen him was during my wedding with Kael. He’d barely stayed, hadn’t even congratulated us.
And now, I was seeing him again when I wanted a divorce.
Maybe it was irony. Or destiny.
I would find out soon enough.
“Your Highness,” I muttered, curtsying.
Dravic had been a close friend and comrade of my brothers. Growing up, he would often visit us whenever he returned from
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the borders. We hadn’t interacted a lot, but I’d always admired him deeply. He was a fierce warrior, caring, and charming despite his naturally authoritative personality.
“Spare me the formalities, Marcia,” he said, stepping closer to
- me.
I straightened up, tilting my head back to meet his gaze. Prince Dravic towered over me, his green eyes glinting under the evening sun like the finest emeralds.
“How have you been?” he asked, offering me a smile. The earlier harshness was completely absent from his tone now.
But I guess he’d always been kind to me.
Three years prior to losing my father and brothers, Dravic
nvele had twisted the arm of a young werewolf who had
me a wolf–less witch.
e’d always protected me.
“I’m well,” I lied, even though he had the ability to tell. Werewolves had certain cool tricks like lie detection. They could hear the fluctuations in a person’s heart rate if they focused on it. But he probably wouldn’t do that right now. “What about you?”
“Likewise,” Dravic said with a nod.
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Chapter 3 – Dravic Dawnvele
He wasn’t a man of many words, unless with his friends. My brothers, who we’d never see again.
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I tucked a hair strand behind my ear. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Dravic’s lips curled into a half smile. “This is my palace.”
“I know, but you’re usually on the battlefield.”
His eyebrows furrowed slightly. “You didn’t get the news?”
“What news?”
“We won the war.”
“Oh, that. Yeah, I know. I forgot it was over two months ago.”
“I can understand,” Dravic replied. “I heard Kael just returned home.”
My chest tightened at the mention of him. I swallowed.
“Yeah,” I said softly. “That’s actually why I’m here.”
Dravic sighed. “The king already decreed their marriage. It’s irreversible.”
“I would still like to speak to him,” I stated. “In light of everything my family has sacrificed for this kingdom, an
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Chapter 3 – Dravic Dawnvele
audience is the least I could ask for.”
A dark shadow crossed over his face, and I realised I’d
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accidentally struck a nerve. My brothers had died fighting to protect him. I knew he loved them. The reminder had probably felt like a jab.
“I’m sorry,” I added quickly, “I didn’t mean it like that.”
Dravic gave me a gentle, almost sorrowful smile. “Whether you meant it or not doesn’t matter. Your family gave up their lives trying to save mine, and I will never outgrow the guilt for it.”
I lowered my gaze, unsure of what to say next.
“I’m sorry about your husband,” he said.
My jaw ticked. “I’m not.”
Dravic frowned, and my eyes widened, realising I was revealing
too much too soon.
“I mean,” I blinked, “I can’t change what happened.”
“Then why are you here?” he asked.
I pursed my lips. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
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Because he would do the same thing everybody else did. Try and convince me that staying with Kael was my best bet.
“I will speak directly with the king,” I announced.
“Alright, Mar. If that’s what you want, I will get you an audience.”
My heart skipped a beat, and my mouth parted in shock. Memories flooded my mind.
“What’s wrong?” Dravic asked, stepping even closer.
“Nothing.” I shook my head, lowering my gaze. “It’s just… no one has called me that in a while.”
His hand gently took my chin, and he tipped it up, forcing me to meet his gaze again. His thumb glided over my cheek, brushing off a tear just as it slipped from my eye. Odd tingles shot through my skin, making me suck in a breath.
“You can always depend on me to call you that,” he said, the sincerity in his voice making my heart ache.
I wish I could have depended on you when I’d most needed it.
When my brothers passed, and my mother started looking for matches, a small, childish part of me had hoped Dravic would come forward and offer me protection, that he would assure my mother of my safety so she wouldn’t marry me off. That way, I
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could have continued to train, continued to pursue my dreams.
But as usual, Dravic was away on the battlefield. My mother fixed my marriage with Kael, and all Dravic did was pay my pre–marital property—in gold and jewellery and a thousand material gifts.
“Can we go inside?” I asked, bitterness seeping into my tone.
He wasn’t dumb. He quickly withdrew his hand and stepped away from me.
“Of course.” He turned away, and I stared at his broad back, before tearing my eyes off of him.
I had to stay focused, grounded. I needed my life back.
Standing before the king felt weird. Just like Dravic, the last time I’d seen him was on my wedding day, when he’d blessed Kael and I.
Now he’d allowed my husband to marry another.
Jerk.
“What brings you here, Marcia Lightwood?” he asked in a bored, cold tone. “I am very busy, I do not have time for petty family feuds.”
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I bit my tongue.
My world had flipped in a single day, and he was calling it a ‘petty family feud‘.
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I stared at him, wondering what the consequences of stopping his heart would be. Even if I succeeded, I would likely be executed. Although, Dravic might take the throne and give up his love for fighting if that happened. That would do the kingdom much good.
“I do not have all day, Marcia. Do you seek to reverse my decree about your husband’s second marriage? What’s done is done. My word is set in stone. If that is all, you can see yourself out.”
I took a deep breath, carefully choosing my words. “I am not here to ask you to reverse your decree, Your Majesty. I am well aware that your word is law, and your decisions are in the best interests of Prim, no matter how insignificant they might feel to a commoner like myself.”
He looked pleased with what I said, the sharpness of his expression softening slightly.
If flattery was what he wanted, I’d butter him up like toast.
I swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and summoned every ounce of courage I had.
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Chapter 3 – Dravic Dawnvele
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“What I seek is a rejection from Kael Lightwood, and I ask that you command it.”
The king jolted upright, visibly stunned.
“What?” he blurted, nearly rising from his throne.
Even Dravic, who stood silently to the side, exhaled sharply. He hadn’t expected this either.
Still, I kept my voice steady as I continued.
“As you know, I can’t do it myself—I have no wolf. Please, Your Majesty… free me from a lifetime of pain. Only you can grant me
mercy.”
en I dropped to my knees, eyes cast down toward the marble
floor.
The king didn’t speak for a long moment. When he did, his voice was edged with disbelief.
“Did I hear you correctly?” he asked slowly.
“You didn’t come to stop your mate from taking another… you came here asking for a rejection?”
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