<h4>Chapter 220: Breathe Again</h4>


    “Nothing,” Melva replied instinctively. “I was just finishing preparations.”


    Simon’s frown deepened. It was obvious that he didn’t believe her.


    “You don’t feel like nothing,” he pointed out. “Not through the bond.”


    She sighed, shoulders sagging just a little. “I didn’t mean to let it slip,” she replied. Then she bit her inner cheek as she contemted whether she would tell him or not about her worries...


    “That doesn’t answer my question.”


    She looked at him then, really looked at him, and the words she had been holding back finally surfaced.


    “I saw you go to the West Wing,” she admitted softly. “You heard about Princess Ri. I know why you went. I do. I just... wanted to see you before we leave.”


    Simon’s expression softened immediately.


    “Melva,” he said gently. “I didn’t rush there because she matters more than you.”


    She looked away, still unconvinced.


    Who was shepared to Princess Ri? She was only his fated mate, a bond he never asked for. Someone who entered his life unexpectedly, someone he was ordered to mark because of the Alpha King’smand. Nothing more. Nothing chosen.


    Melva tightened her grip on her satchel and forced herself to steady her breathing. She carefully pulled her emotions back, sealing them away through the bond so Simon wouldn’t feel the storm inside her chest. This was not the time for weakness. Not when the world was already on the edge of copse.


    She reminded herself to think rationally.


    She had no right to demand anything from Simon. No right to feel jealous. No right to question his priorities. He had already done more than enough for her. He took her under his wing, protected her, and carried the responsibility of her existence withoutint.


    That alone was something she should be grateful for.


    ‘Feelings,’ she told herself firmly, were a luxury she could not afford.


    “I went because I was informed she had returned fully healed,” he continued. “As Gamma, I needed to confirm it myself. That’s my duty.”


    He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “But when I felt your emotions shift, when I felt that doubt, nothing else mattered.”


    He raised his hand and gently cupped Melva’s cheek.


    The moment his skin touched hers, everything shifted.


    Melva stiffened as a rush of emotions flooded through the bond, so sudden and intense that her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened, and she swallowed hard, her heart mming painfully against her chest.


    Simon’s emotions were inplete chaos.


    Worry. Fear. Urgency. Relief. All tangled together, raw and unguarded. It wasn’t shallow concern or distant responsibility. It was deep, consuming anxiety, the kind that came from the thought of losing someone important. Someone he cared about far more than he ever said aloud.


    Her knees almost weakened.


    He was worried about her.


    Genuinely worried.


    The realization sent warmth spreading through her chest, soft and unfamiliar. For the first time since everything had gone wrong, she felt something steady beneath her fear. Something real.


    Maybe she had been thinking too much. Maybe she had been too harsh on herself.


    Princess Ri was important to him, yes. She was like family. He had never hidden that from Melva. He had been honest from the beginning, never once trying to mislead her.


    But that didn’t erase what she was feeling now.


    Simon cared, not out of obligation, not because of orders or duty. He cared for her.


    “I should havee to you first,” Simon said quietly. “I’m sorry.”


    Melva’s throat tightened. “You don’t need to apologize.”


    “I do,” he replied. “Because I never want you to feel like youe second.”


    She finally met his eyes.


    “I know this path is dangerous,” he went on. “And I know you’re going because Lady Althea needs you. But don’t think for a moment that I don’t care.” He reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. “Come back to me.”


    Melva nodded, emotion swelling in her chest. “I will.”


    Simon straightened, drawing in a slow, steady breath as if bracing himself. His shoulders lifted, then fell, and for a moment he looked like a man standing at the edge of words he did not quite know how to cross.


    “I don’t want you to misunderstand things,” he said quietly. His voice was firm, but there was strain beneath it, as though he were choosing each word carefully.


    “Princess Ri is someone close to me. You already know that. She has always been like family. There’s nothing romantic about it now.” He paused, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “I was just... overwhelmed when I heard she’s finally healed. I wanted to see it with my own eyes. That’s all.”


    Melva listened, her gaze steady on his face. She could feel his emotions shifting through the bond, not guarded this time but hesitant, tangled with worry that she might still doubt him.


    “But you are my—” Simon began, his voice softening, something unspoken heavy on his tongue.


    She didn’t let him finish.


    Melva rose onto her toes and reached for him, her hands gripping the front of his tunic as she pulled him down to her level. Before he could react, her lips pressed against his.


    The kiss was deep and sudden, stealing the rest of his sentence away.


    For a heartbeat, Simon froze in pure shock. Then instinct took over. His hand came up to her waist, steadying her, and his other arm wrapped around her back as he returned the kiss without hesitation. The world around them faded. The chaos of the pce, the looming war, the fear and uncertainty all blurred into nothing.


    Melva kissed him like she had been holding herself back for too long. She poured everything into it. Her doubts. Her jealousy. Her fear of not being enough. Her relief at finally feeling his sincerity. She no longer cared who might see them or where they were. All that mattered was the truth she felt now, strong and undeniable.


    When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads rested together, both of them breathing hard.


    Simon’s eyes searched hers, dark and intense. Whatever he had been about to say earlier no longer mattered. The bond between them hummed, warm and alive, filled with something steady and sure.


    Melva gave him a small, shaky smile.


    “I trust you,” she said simply.


    And for the first time since the chaos began, Simon felt like he could breathe again.