That made Zara lower her head even more.

And then she began.

She repeated the lie from before, but this time she gave it more roots. Her mother was sick. Her village had the medicine. The people who came with her knew about that weakness. They had threatened to take away the herbs. They said her mother would not survive the cold if the medicine stopped. They told her that Isabella was dangerous to them all, that she would swallow smaller villages one by one, and that if Mira did one small thing, only one small thing, then no one would die except perhaps a ruler who had already become too powerful.

Her voice shook at the right places.

Her fingers trembled over the fur.

She even paused once as if guilt had closed her throat.

Isabella listened quietly.

The whole time, she looked gentle.

Inside, she was not gentle at all.

"Who gave you the poison?" Isabella asked.

Zara swallowed. "One of the older men from the alliance village."

"Which one?"

"I do not know his name."

"How convenient."

Zara’s face paled slightly. "He never told me."

Isabella nodded as if she believed her. "And when were you told to use it?"

Zara hesitated.

That hesitation was the first useful thing she gave.

Isabella noticed immediately.

Zara said, "Soon."

"Soon is not a time."

"They told me before the next hard snow, because after that it would be difficult to move between places."

Isabella’s eyes lowered slightly.

The next hard snow.

That was not nothing.

Outside, winter had already been growing heavier. If someone wanted to move under cover, a heavy snowfall would be useful. It would hide tracks, slow patrols, weaken watch fires, and make scents harder to follow. Beastmen noses were strong, but snow and wind could still bury things if the weather turned harsh enough.

Isabella kept her face calm. "Why poison me with something that takes time?"

Zara’s fingers curled.

For one second, she looked like she had not expected that question.

Then she answered, "They said if you grew weak slowly, nobody would know who did it. They said your males would be too busy worrying over you to think clearly."

That sounded believable.

Too believable.

Because it was exactly the kind of thing an enemy would think.

It also sounded like the shape of a plan.

Isabella’s gaze stayed on Zara’s face. "And after I became weak?"

Zara swallowed again. "They only told me I would be taken away before the blame reached me."

That part was almost certainly a lie.

But hidden inside it was another clue.

Taken away.

So someone expected to come close enough to remove her.

That meant either they had people inside already, or they believed an opening was coming soon.

Isabella’s brows almost drew together, but she stopped herself in time.

Zara was watching too.

This was a conversation between two women pretending to be softer than they were, and both of them knew the smallest change mattered.

"So you risked poisoning me because of your mother," Isabella said.

Zara’s eyes reddened slightly. "I know it was wrong. I know nothing can excuse it. But I was scared."

Isabella leaned back a little and placed one hand over her stomach. "Fear makes people do ugly things."

Zara’s eyes flickered again to the stomach.

Hatred flashed there before she buried it.

Isabella saw that too.

Really, this woman’s control was becoming worse the longer they spoke.

Still, Isabella continued gently, "You mentioned they wanted me down. Why?"

Zara looked confused. "Because of your village."

"My village?"

"You have food, walls, training, healers, learning, and people who obey you. Places like this do not appear naturally. They are afraid that if you keep growing, others will come to you instead of them."

This part sounded true.

That was the annoying thing.

Zara was lying, yes, but she had mixed truth inside it because lies became easier to swallow when wrapped around something real.

Isabella lowered her lashes.

So they were afraid.

Good.

Fear made enemies impatient.

Impatient enemies made mistakes.

After a few more questions, Isabella stood slowly. She had heard enough for now. Zara’s story had holes, but it had also given her useful things. Heavy snow. Delayed poison. People hoping her males would be distracted. A possible move during a time when everyone thought the danger had already settled.

She would have to warn Kian.

Quietly.

They would prepare for an emergency attack without letting the village panic.

She was about to turn when Zara spoke again.

"Lady Isabella."

Isabella paused. "Yes?"

Zara looked at her with eyes that seemed timid on the outside but sharp underneath. "Are you always this kind?"

There it was.

A test.

Isabella knew it immediately.

If she said yes, it would be a lie. Worse, it would be a stupid lie. She had never been some saint floating around handing mercy to everyone who hurt her. When she first came to this village, she had been difficult. Proud. Sharp. Sometimes even cruel in little ways. She could be sweet, yes, but she could also be spoiled, vain, and very capable of making people suffer if they annoyed her badly enough.

Pregnancy had changed her.

Love had changed her too.

The village had changed her most of all.

So Isabella answered truthfully.

"No."

Zara blinked.

Isabella smiled faintly. "I was not always this kind. I have had many moments where I was not the best person in the world. I have been selfish. I have been difficult. I have been mean when I wanted to be. But becoming a mother changes many things. It makes some things feel smaller, and other things feel too important to play with."

Zara stared at her.

For the first time, doubt moved through her expression.

Because that answer did not sound fake.

It sounded too honest.

Too plain.

Too human.

For one strange second, Zara wondered if perhaps she had overthought this. Perhaps Isabella was not pretending as much as she thought. Perhaps pregnancy truly had made her softer. Perhaps the reason she had been spared was not a hidden knife, but this new softness Isabella herself did not fully know how to carry.