Chapter 189: Crushing Her Illusions
{Third Person}
Queen Lysandra arrived at the King’s quarters with perfect composure.
Outwardly, she looked every bit the concerned and devoted wife. Her expression carried just the right amount of worry, and her steps were measured and graceful as she entered Sebastian’s private sitting room.
Inside, King Sebastian sat in silence. His posture alone told her everything she needed to know—or at least, so she thought.
He looked tired, the kind of exhaustion that went beyond physical fatigue.
Lysandra inwardly felt satisfied. Good. This meant the news had truly affected him.
Suppressing the joy bubbling in her heart, she carefully arranged her expression into one of concern and slowly approached him.
"Your Majesty."
Sebastian did not respond. He merely remained seated, staring ahead.
Meanwhile, Lysandra was not discouraged. She had expected this. In fact, his silence only encouraged her more, so she moved ahead and took a seat not too far from him and spoke gently.
"Your Majesty, what is this I am hearing about the Alpha Prince leaving the palace?"
Still, Sebastian said nothing. He didn’t even spare her a glance.
Lysandra continued speaking in a soft, consoling tone. "I was deeply shocked when I heard the news." She sighed softly, lowering her gaze in practised sorrow. "It hurts me greatly."
That was a lie—a complete lie. But her performance remained flawless.
"I know how much you love Alexander." She paused, watching him carefully. Still, there was no reaction, but she continued anyway.
"And it is truly a pity that he has chosen to abandon his family and separate himself from all of us."
Sebastian almost rolled his eyes. He was not fooled by that fake concern dripping from her tone.
On the other hand, Lysandra mistook his silence for grief, and that made her bolder. She leaned in slightly, speaking as though trying to comfort a broken-hearted husband.
"I also cannot believe that the Alpha Prince is willing to give up his title just to go live outside like a commoner."
Sebastian’s brows furrowed sharply at that statement. The shift in atmosphere was so sudden that Lysandra instantly felt it.
For the first time since her arrival, Sebastian turned his head and looked directly at her. Then, slowly, he sat upright.
The cold, dangerous look in his eyes made her heart skip.
"Where," Sebastian asked slowly, "did you hear that nonsense?"
Lysandra froze. The question caught her completely off guard. Her mind went blank instantly. She could already sense that something was wrong.
She stared at him in confusion. Even fear.
She did not understand what she had said wrong. His voice had changed. The exhaustion was still there, but now anger simmered beneath it.
Lysandra opened her mouth. "I—I thought..." Her voice faltered.
Sebastian’s gaze hardened. "You thought what exactly?" The question came sharper this time.
Lysandra felt a chill crawl down her spine. She had never expected this reaction. She swallowed a gulp, but no words came.
When she failed to answer, he finished the thought for her, his voice rising. "You thought Alexander leaving this palace meant he would no longer be the Alpha Prince?"
His eyes burned into hers. "Who told you that?"
The roar in his voice made her visibly shudder. Shock crashed into her so hard that for a moment, she could barely process his words.
Confusion soon turned into disbelief, and then into something even worse—devastation. Her face lost colour.
She stared at Sebastian as though she had misheard him. Alexander... Would still remain the Alpha Prince? No. That was impossible. No, that made no sense.
Just minutes ago, she had already imagined everything. She had imagined her Zarek rising and the title finally falling into her son’s hands.
She had imagined victory, yet now, Sebastian was telling her that none of it would happen.
The realization hit so brutally that it felt like someone had punched straight through her chest.
For a terrifying second, Lysandra genuinely felt as though her heart had stopped. Her breathing became shallow.
Twice, she struggled to compose herself but failed. Her hands tightened against her robes. No. This can not be happening.
Just then, Sebastian pointed a finger directly at her. His voice was ice cold.
"I don’t know what nonsense is going on in your head, but let me remind you..." His eyes narrowed. "Alexander will remain the Alpha Prince until the day he dies."
Lysandra’s breathing quickened.
Sebastian’s voice became even colder. "Or until he succeeds me and becomes the next Alpha King."
Each word crushed her further. Lysandra felt a heavy pressure building in her chest. The joy from earlier had vanished completely, replaced by something far uglier.
Raw panic.
She desperately wanted to speak, to explain and defend herself. She wanted to say that she had no such thoughts. But before she could utter a single word, Sebastian raised a hand.
It was an order for her to seal her lips.
Lysandra obeyed instantly. It’s not like she had a choice in the first place.
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
Her heartbeat pounded violently.
At least she was sitting across from him. Had she been seated beside him, she feared the panic consuming her might already have become obvious.
Sebastian was not finished. Not even close.
His gaze remained fixed on her like a blade. "If any foul play is used..." His voice dropped into something terrifyingly calm. "And something happens to Alexander... none of your children will ever succeed the throne."
Lysandra felt the blood drain from her face. Her eyes widened. For a moment, she actually stopped breathing.
Sebastian’s expression remained merciless. "There are other capable people in this kingdom. If necessary, I will choose one of them."
His voice carried absolute authority, and his words struck with devastating force.
Lysandra felt a violent pang in her chest. Her stomach churned. The bile rising from deep within nearly reached her throat.
She could barely breathe or think. This was worse than humiliation.
This was a direct threat, not just against her ambitions, but against everything she had spent years building.
And the worst part?
She could not say a single word.
She sat there in silence, trembling inwardly, while the weight of Sebastian’s warning crushed every illusion she had walked into that room with.