The Villainess Wants To Retire-Chapter 348: AMBUSH

They were midway to the Council Wing when a thunderous sound echoed through the hallway. Barking, the skidding of paws on stone, and a high-pitched yell: "MAMA!"

Eris turned to see Bjorn, the massive ice wolf, charging toward them at full speed. Clinging to the wolf’s thick white fur was Rael, his face a mask of pure, unadulterated joy.

Oh no, Eris thought, her internal panic spiking. I can barely stand. If that wolf hits me, I’m going to shatter.

She braced herself, closing her eyes and preparing for the impact.

"BJORN. STAY," Soren commanded. It wasn’t a shout; it was a sharp, vibrating snap of authority.

The wolf skidded to a screeching halt, his claws sparking against the stone, stopping mere inches from Eris’s skirts. Rael scrambled off the wolf’s back and launched himself at Eris like a projectile.

He climbed her like a tree, his small arms locking around her neck and his legs around her waist. Eris winced as his knees dug into her bruised hips, but she held him tight.

"Mama! Mama! , guess what! Papa took me to see the ice sculptures and I rode Bjorn through the snow and we found a frozen lake!"

"Slow down, little flame," Eris said, a genuine smile breaking through her pain. "I can’t keep up."

"And then we went to the kitchens and Cook gave me honey cakes!" Rael paused, his head tilting as he looked at her. "Mama, where have you been? Papa said you were resting, but that was days ago!"

Eris shot Soren a look that could have withered a forest. "I got kidnapped by a very greedy dog, Rael." 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Soren looked up at the ceiling, suddenly fascinated by the masonry. "I have no idea what she’s talking about."

"What’s kidnapped?" Rael asked.

"It’s when someone takes you somewhere and won’t let you leave," Eris explained.

Rael thought about this. "Like when Papa takes me to bed when I don’t want to sleep?"

"Something like that," Eris said, trying not to laugh.

They continued walking, Eris carrying the boy, with Bjorn trotting happily at her heels. But as they turned the final corner toward the Council Wing, the air in the hallway suddenly turned to ice.

Caelen and Ophelia were walking toward them.

There was nowhere to hide. Caelen froze the moment he saw them. His face went a ghostly, translucent pale as his eyes raked over the scene.

He saw Eris, not as the cold, distant queen he’d discarded, but as a mother. He saw Rael clinging to her, calling her Mama. He saw Soren’s hand resting possessively on the small of her back. The three of them looking more of a family than he ever did with Eris and Rael.

And then, he saw the marks. Despite the makeup, despite the high collar, Caelen knew. He saw the way she shifted her weight, the subtle wince as Rael squirmed against her hip. He saw the glow of a woman who had been utterly, completely satisfied.

I never made her look like that, Caelen’s mind whispered, a hollow, agonizing realization.

"King Caelen. Queen Ophelia," Soren said, his voice smooth and cold.

"Emperor Soren. Empress Eris," Caelen replied, his voice sounding like it was being pulled through gravel.

Ophelia stepped forward, her smile as sharp as a razor. "Congratulations, Empress Eris. On your new position. Though I must say again... Soren, it’s quite a... bold choice. Bringing someone with such a... past into such a prominent role."

Soren’s eyes narrowed, his magic silvering the air. "I’m sorry, what do you mean by that, Queen Ophelia?"

"Oh! I didn’t mean to offend," she said, her tone dripping with false sweetness. "I’m merely concerned for a friend. Sudden changes in leadership can be... destabilizing."

Eris stepped forward, her hand moving to Soren’s arm to settle him. She met Ophelia’s gaze with a cool, terrifying composure. "Your concern is noted, Queen Ophelia. Though I assure you, Nevareth is quite stable. Perhaps you should focus that concern on Solmire’s borders; I hear the winter is particularly harsh this year."

Caelen couldn’t speak. He was staring at a fresh mark peeking out from Eris’s collar, a dark, recent kiss-bruise. He felt like he was dying. He remembered how he used to flaunt Ophelia in front of Eris, how he’d made sure she saw every touch, every smile.

This is karma, he thought. And it’s a slow, agonizing death.

"I heard about the delay with your departure," Eris said, her gaze landing on Caelen. It held for a beat too long, pointed and cold. "Nevareth will do its best to make you feel... at home."

Eris turned to Rael, kissing his forehead, then his cheeks, then his nose. "I have to go now, little flame. I have work."

"Promise you’ll find me later?" Rael pouted.

"I promise."

She handed the boy back to Caelen. Their hands brushed for a fraction of a second. Caelen’s fingers lingered, a desperate, silent plea for her to stay, but Eris pulled back firmly.

"Mama promised!" Rael cheered.

"I heard, son," Caelen said, his voice hoarse.

As Soren and Eris walked away, Soren’s hand returned to her back, guiding her with a casual, absolute possession.

"You handled that beautifully," Soren whispered, just loud enough for the retreating Caelen to hear.

"I wasn’t trying to, "

"Yes you were. And it was perfect."

They reached the massive, ornate doors of the Council Chamber. The Herald stood ready, his silver staff held high. Inside, the muffled roar of the nobility could be heard, the vipers waiting for their new Empress.

Eris stopped, taking a deep, shaky breath.

He took her hand, squeezing it. "You’ll be magnificent. Because you’re Eris. And," he added with a wicked grin, "because they’re all too busy thinking about what we did for three days to question your authority."

"Oh my gods, Soren, "

"Announce us," Soren commanded the Herald.

The doors swung open. The Herald’s voice rang out through the hall: "Emperor Soren Nivarre and Empress Eris Nivarre!"

Eris squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and stepped into the den of lions.