ALIYA'S POV
Two months had flown by in a whirlwind of duties, councils, and relentless pressure. Each day, the weight of the kingdom's expectations pressed down on me. The court and the council were growing impatient, waiting for Jayden to make his decision about a mate. The memory of the public denouncement haunted me, and I struggled to find a sense of normalcy in my life.
The palace had become a place of quiet torment. I avoided Jayden as much as possible, and when we did cross paths, his cold indifference was a stark contrast to the warmth we had once shared. The pain of his betrayal lingered, but there was also a glimmer of hope that he might still choose me. That hope kept me going through my darkest days.
As the days counted down to Jayden's decision, Raqs, informed me that she n
