Betrayed by My Ex, Marked by His Alpha Emperor Brother novel Chapter 58

Chapter 58: Chapter 58

Elara’s POV

"One more for the road, dear."

Margaret pressed a cloth-wrapped bundle into my hands before I could protest. The warmth seeped through the fabric—cinnamon rolls, fresh from the oven. The scent hit me and my stomach tightened with something that wasn’t hunger. It was gratitude. The kind that sits heavy in your throat and makes words feel insufficient.

"Margaret, you’ve already done too much."

"Nonsense." She brushed a flour-dusted hand across my cheek. Quick. Tender. The gesture of a mother who’d had years of practice and no one left to practice on—until now. "You eat properly on that road, you hear me? No skipping meals."

I nodded. Swallowed hard.

Behind her, Robert stood in the doorway of the cottage, one hand raised in a lazy wave. "Safe travels, Ela. Don’t be a stranger."

"I won’t," I promised. And I meant it. This place—this small, weathered house tucked against the mountain—had carved itself into me overnight. The hearth. The bread. The quiet.

Finnian appeared around the side of the cottage, leading a sturdy cargo wagon hitched to two draft horses. It was no elegant carriage. The bed was wide and flat, built for hauling iron ingots and lumber. Canvas stretched over a frame in the back, creating a covered space packed with thick blankets and supplies.

He caught my expression and shrugged. "It’s not pretty. But it’s solid. Won’t throw a wheel on a bad road."

"My carriage—"

"Won’t be ready for quite a while. Probably longer." He secured the last strap on the canvas. "The axle cracked clean through in that attack. I’ve got the parts ordered, but supply lines from the eastern foundries have been unreliable lately. I’ll have it sent to you in the capital once it’s repaired."

I opened my mouth to argue. He held up a hand.

"Ela. Let me do this."

There was no command in his voice. No expectation of debt. Just the steady, open expression of a man who saw a problem and wanted to fix it.

"Then come visit," I said, the words tumbling out before I’d fully decided to say them. "When you bring the carriage. Stay for a while. I’ll show you the city."

His eyebrows rose. A slow grin spread across his face—warm, a little surprised. "I’d like that. I’ve been meaning to go south anyway. There’s a large foundry near the capital that carries specialty metals I can’t get up here. Been putting off the trip for too long."

"Then it’s settled."

Margaret handed a canvas sack up to Finnian, who stowed it behind the driver’s bench. "Sandwiches," she announced. "And an insulated flask of hot tea. The real kind, with honey and a bit of ginger."

Finnian rolled his eyes but smiled. "Ma, we’re not crossing a desert."

"You’re crossing the King’s Road in autumn. Same thing." She fixed him with a look that ended the discussion.

We climbed up. The bench was hard but wide enough for two. Finnian gathered the reins and clicked his tongue. The horses leaned into their harnesses. The wagon lurched forward, wheels crunching over gravel.

I turned back. Watched the cottage shrink behind us. Margaret’s figure in the doorway. Robert’s hand still raised. The forge chimney trailing a thin ribbon of smoke into the pale sky.

Then the trees closed around us and they were gone.

The King’s Road unfolded ahead. Wide and packed hard. Autumn had painted the forest in rust and amber. Leaves drifted down in slow spirals, catching the light before settling on the road like scattered coins.

For a while, neither of us spoke. The horses kept a steady pace. The wagon swayed gently. Wind moved through the canopy above, carrying the smell of damp earth and pine resin.

Finnian broke the silence first.

"Tell me about your boy."

I looked at him. He kept his eyes on the road, but the corner of his mouth was turned up. Genuinely curious. Not prying.

"He’s five," I said. A smile pulled at my lips without permission. "Dark curly hair. Big eyes. More energy than any adult."

"Takes after his mother?"

"In stubbornness, absolutely. In everything else..." I paused. Thought of those gold-dark eyes. That serious little frown he wore when he was concentrating. "He’s his own person. Has been since the day he was born. Give him a few moments and he’ll have everyone in the room wrapped around his finger."

Finnian laughed. A genuine, rumbling sound. "Sounds like a natural leader."

"A natural trouble-maker is more accurate."

He glanced at me. The laughter faded to something gentler. More careful. "And his father?"

The question landed softly. No judgment in it. No sharp edges.

I watched the road ahead. A hawk circled high above the treeline.

"His father doesn’t know he exists," I said quietly. "It was... a brief encounter. An accident. I barely remember the details." The lie came easily. It always did. "By the time I realized I was pregnant, going back wasn’t an option."

Finnian was quiet for a moment. Processing. Then he nodded slowly. "You raised him alone."

"Not completely alone. I have a friend—Brenna. She’s been with me through everything. She helps with him when I’m working."

"Still. That’s a heavy load for one person." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"He’s not a load." My voice came out sharper than I intended. I softened it. "He’s the reason I get up every morning. The reason any of this matters."

"I didn’t mean—"

"I know." I touched his arm briefly. "I know you didn’t."

He relaxed. The wagon rattled over a wooden bridge spanning a narrow creek. Water glinted below.

"So," Finnian said, and something shifted in his tone. Lighter but deliberate. Testing the edges of a question before committing to it. "Is there someone? In the capital, I mean. Someone you’re—"

A chime cut through the air. Soft and crystalline. My hand went instinctively to the inner pocket of my shawl, where a small mirror lay flat against my ribs. The glass was warm. Pulsing faintly with blue light.

"Hold that thought," I said, pulling the transmission mirror free.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify