Mated To The Alpha King (Raven and Ethan) novel Chapter 356

Chapter 356

Reven’s POV

It had been days since I learned the truth.

Days since I overheard words that shattered everything I thought I knew and forced my heart to beat again after I had sworn it never would.

Days since the knowledge that Alpha Ethan was alive settled into my bones like both a curse and a fragile blessing.

And yet, I was still here.

Still breathing the same stale air.

I’m still walking the same stone corridors.

Still trapped.

I didn’t know what to do with the truth yet. I didn’t know where to start or how to act on it without getting myself killed. The Rough King was not a foolish man. He watched closely. He tested loyalty constantly. One wrong move, one careless expression, and everything would end.

So I waited.

And waiting was its own kind of torture.

I sighed softly as I swung my legs off the bed and stood up. My body protested immediately, every muscle aching as if reminding me that I was still weak, still healing. I ignored it. Pain had become my shadow constant, familiar, unavoidable.

I crossed the small room and entered the narrow bathroom attached to it. The mirror above the basin reflected a woman I barely recognized.

My eyes were duller now. My cheeks hollow. My skin was pale where it had once been warm. Scars traced my body like cruel reminders of what I had endured.

Broken.

That was what he wanted me to see.

That was what he believed me to be.

I stripped out of my thin nightdress and stepped into the bathing space, letting the cool water cascade over me. I washed quickly, efficiently, conserving strength.

As the water ran down my skin, I closed my eyes briefly, forcing myself not to think.

Thinking hurts.

Remembering hurt more.

When I finished, I dried myself and pulled on my uniform, the simple clothing assigned to servants. As the Rough King’s personal maid, my uniform was slightly different. Cleaner. More fitted. Marked.

Ownership disguised as privilege.

I adjusted the fabric carefully and turned back to the mirror

I studied myself one last time.

“You can do this.” I whispered. “Just keep breathing”

Then I left the room.

The kitchen was already awake when I arrived. The soft clatter of utensils and the murmur of low voices filled the air.

As the Rough King’s personal maid, I didn’t need to take orders from anyone there, but I still moved quietly, efficiently, avoiding unnecessary attention.

Today’s breakfast was simple.

Bread.

Fruit.

Tea.

Nothing heavy.

I felt a flicker of relief at that. On days when he demanded elaborate meals, the pressure was unbearable every step watched, every movement scrutinized, every mistake punishable.

Today, at least, I wouldn’t have to exhaust myself further.

I prepared the food carefully, tasting it just enough to ensure it was acceptable. My hands moved automatically, muscle memory taking over while my thoughts drifted elsewhere. Ethan.

Was he searching for me right now?

Had he received the package the Rough King mentioned? stop What had been sent to him that was meant to make him looking?

The questions gnawed at me, but I shoved them aside. This wasn’t the time.

When the tray was ready, I lifted it carefully and left the kitchen, heading toward the Rough King’s chambers.

Each step toward his room felt heavier than the last.

I knocked.

“Come in,” his voice called from inside.

“Your breakfast, my lord,” I said softly.

I nodded. “Yes, my lord.”

Satisfied, he picked up his jacket and moved past me. “Clean the room after I leave.”

He walked out.

The door shut behind him.

I stood there for several seconds, unmoving.

Then I smiled.

Slowly.

Carefully.

He thinks I’ve given up.

He thinks obedience means surrender.

He’s wrong.

I straightened the room as ordered, my mind already racing ahead. Every word he had spoken confirmed one thing: he was afraid. Afraid enough to warn me. Afraid enough to watch me closely. That meant I was dangerous.

Good.

When I finished, I left the room and returned to my duties, moving through the day like a ghost. No one noticed me. No one suspected a thing.

And that was exactly how I wanted it.

That night, when I finally returned to my room, exhaustion pressed down on me like a physical weight. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my hands.

“I’m not giving up,” I whispered into the darkness. “Not anymore.”

I would survive.

I would make him pay.

And then

Then I would find my family.

No matter what it cost.