The Messenger( Iva) novel Chapter 189

New Family-1

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The morning sun streamed through the tall windows of the royal dining hall, casting golden light across the long table. Iva sat beside Caleb, her fingers wrapped around a warm cup of tea, watching as servants moved quietly around them, replenishing platters of fresh bread, fruits, and cured meats.

The queen was already there, elegant as always in a deep green gown, her hair swept up in an intricate style. She smiled at Iva across the table, warm and encouraging.

The king arrived moments later, his presence filling the room like a storm front. He took his seat at the head of the table with the gravity of a man accustomed to commanding armies and shaping nations.

For a while, they ate in comfortable silence.

Then the king set down his fork.

His eyes moved to Caleb, then to Iva, sharp and assessing.

“Have you had the chance,” he asked, “to take any decisions regarding the future?”

Iva’s stomach tightened. She felt Caleb’s hand find hers beneath the table, his fingers intertwining with

hers.

Caleb looked at her.

The weight of his gaze was heavy, but not in the way it had been before. There was no pressure there. No expectation. Just… patience. And something softer beneath it.

“I will support her,” Caleb said, his voice steady, “whatever she decides. I don’t want to take her decisions from her.”

He squeezed her hand.

Iva’s heart jumped in her chest. Her eyes filled with tears-not from sadness, but from something deeper. Something that made her throat tight and her chest ache.

She looked at him.

At this man who had once been a stranger.

Who had once been terrifying in his power and his intensity. Who had stood before her like a wall of stone, unreadable and untouchable.

She could not help herself from comparing.

The Caleb she had met in the beginning-cold, commanding, shrouded in shadows-felt like a different person. That Caleb had been a crown prince first and a man second. His words had been measured. He had watched her like she was a puzzle to be solved. Plus, the suspicion…

But the Caleb who sat beside her now… he was different.

He looked at her like she was precious. He spoke to her like she mattered. He squeezed her hand like he was reminding her-and himself-that they were in this together.

12

New Family-

He had changed.

Or maybe, she thought, he had simply let her see who he truly was beneath the crown.

The eyes of the king and queen were on her.

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Iva cleared her voice. She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin, meeting their gazes with as much confidence as she could muster. It was still intimidating to be in their presence.

“I have given it a thought,” she said. “And I would like to go ahead with the mating ceremony that Her Majesty the Queen started to arrange.”

The queen’s eyes widened. Her hand flew to her chest.

“Considering that I am already marked,” Iva continued, her voice growing steadier, “I want to follow whatever traditions are to be followed. I want to respect your culture and your rites.”

The queen and the king exchanged a glance. Both of them had surprised expressions on their faces-but beneath the surprise, there was something else. Something that looked remarkably like pleasure.

The queen’s smile was radiant. “Oh, my dear. That is wonderful news.”

The king nodded slowly, his sharp features softening almost imperceptibly. “The ceremony will be important. A public declaration of your bond. It will solidify your place within the pack and within the kingdom.”

Iva nodded. She had expected that.

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