Mated To The Alpha King (Raven and Ethan) novel Chapter 363

Chapter 363

Reven’s POV

Two days.

That was how long it took for my body to remember how to breathe without pain screaming through every

vein.

Two days of lying still in Edna’s quarters, drifting in and out of sleep, my body soaked in bitter herbs and silence. Two days of being watched carefully, fed in small portions, and scolded in hushed tones.

Two days of my wounds being cleaned again and again until the angry red softened into dull pink and the swelling receded enough for me to move without blacking out.

Two days of survival.

Edna had been right; my body was weak. Not broken, but fragile in the way glass is fragile: intact until struck the wrong way.

“You heal faster than I expected,” she said on the morning of the third day, tightening the final bandage around my arm. “But don’t mistake that for strength.”

I didn’t answer.

Strength wasn’t something I could afford to misunderstand.

By the time the guards came for me, I could walk on my own. Slowly, yes, but upright.

My back still burned beneath the cloth, and my ribs ached when I breathed too deeply, but I welcomed the pain. It reminded me I was alive.

They didn’t take me back to the dungeon.

Instead, they took me to the kitchens.

The smell of bread and simmering broth filled the air, warm and deceptive. The kitchens were already alive with movement, maids chopping, stirring, and rushing about under the sharp commands of the head cook.

No one looked at me twice. To them, I was just another servant returning to duty.

That was the way I liked it.

Invisible.

I tied an apron around my waist and rolled up my sleeves, ignoring the tight pull of bandages beneath the fabric. The head cook handed me a basket of eggs without a word. I cracked them carefully, one by one, letting the contents slide into a large bowl. My hands were steady now.

Good.

UUO

Breakfast had to be perfect.

The Rough King liked his meals simple but exact–nothing burnt, nothing undercooked. Sabrina preferred sweetness, excess, and attention. She would complain no matter what, but I would give her nothing to complain about today.

I worked methodically, letting the rhythm calm my thoughts. Bread sliced evenly.

Meat seasoned lightly. Eggs beaten smooth. I plated everything with precision, arranging it carefully on the

tray.

As I worked, my mind wandered where my body could not.

The dungeon.

The hidden file.

It sat exactly where I had left it, wedged between two stones in the far corner of that cursed cell. I had touched it briefly in my thoughts every day since its weight, its danger, and its promise.

It was proof.

Not just of cruelty but of patterns. Of decisions made in secret. Of wolves punished, executed, or disappeared under the Rough King’s command without council approval.

Justice, written in ink and sealed with arrogance.

When the tray was ready, I lifted it carefully and headed toward the private dining chamber.

The Rough King was already seated when I entered, relaxed as if he had not threatened to kill me days ago. Sabrina sat beside him, draped in fine fabric, her expression bored and sharp all at once.

Her eyes flicked to me.

They narrowed.

I kept my gaze low and my posture respectful.

I set the tray down and began serving silently. I could feel the Rough King watching me–not openly, but with that quiet awareness that made my skin crawl.

“You’re moving better,” he remarked casually.

“Yes, my king,” I replied.

Sabrina scoffed. “Of course she is. Rats are hard to kill.”

I said nothing.

The Rough King chuckled softly. “Leave her be.”

14:04 Wed, Feb 11

Chapter 363

His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer. “You’ll stay today. Attend to things.”

My pulse quickened.

“Yes, my king.”

60

56 vouchers

He dismissed me with a wave of his hand. I stepped back, bowed, and turned away slowly, forcing myself not

to rush.

Opportunity rarely announced itself loudly.

The free hours came after breakfast, when the palace settled into its deceptive calm. Guards shifted posts. Servants rotated tasks. The Rough King retreated to his chambers, and Sabrina vanished to wherever she hid her boredom.

I waited.

Then I moved.

The dungeon entrance was less guarded during the day. No one expected anyone to go toward it willingly. I kept my head down, my steps light, carrying a bucket and cloth as if on cleaning duty.

No one stopped me.

Inside, the air changed instantly cold, damp, heavy with old fear. My stomach clenched as memory clawed at me, but I didn’t slow.

I reached the cell.

My cell.

The place where blood had soaked stone and a dog had been unleashed like a weapon.

I knelt quickly, pressing my fingers into the crack between the stones. My heart hammered as I pried the file loose, the familiar rough edge biting into my skin.

There you are.

I tucked it carefully beneath my apron, pressing it flat against my ribs, and stood.

I did not look back.

I did not linger.

I walked out just as quietly as I had entered.

Once safe, I found an empty storage room and locked the door behind me. My hands shook as I pulled the file free and opened it fully for the first time.

Names.

14:04 Wed, Feb 11

Chapter 363

Dates.

55 vouchers!

Orders.

Signatures

Council laws ignored. Punishments delivered without trial. Wolves accused without evidence. Property seized. Blood spilled.

My throat tightened.

This wasn’t just cruelty.

It was treason.

I closed the file slowly.

This will destroy him.

But only if it reached the right hands.

The council.

The problem was getting it to them without it being traced back to me.

As if summoned by fate, the palace bells rang.

Council meeting.

My breath stuttered.

Today.

I pressed my back to the wall and let out a slow breath. This was dangerous. Too dangerous. But opportunities like this did not come twice.

I waited.

Hours passed.

Then footsteps echoed voices, heavy doors opening and closing. The meeting ended. Council members began to leave in small groups, cloaked and distracted.

I positioned myself near the corridor, pretending to adjust a tapestry.

One of them passed close enough for me to reach out.

I did.

“My lord,” I whispered urgently.

14:04 Wed, Feb 11

Chapter 363

He turned, startled, his eyes flicking to my apron, my plain dress. “What is it, girl?”

I swallowed and pressed the file into his hands before my courage failed. “Please. Take this.”

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