THE KING'S POSSESSION

Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Says Who?

The throne room was heavy with the echoes of Teressa's confession and each word lingered in the air like a ghost from the past. Ilyana sat frozen on the throne, her mind reeling as the truth unraveled before her. She had spent years nursing her bitterness, her anger directed at the man she once loved, believing him to be a betrayer. But now, faced with the painful reality, the walls she had built around her heart began to crumble.

Ilyana's gaze fell to the floor, her vision blurred with tears. The memories of Alistair flooded her mind—the way his eyes would light up when he saw her, the warmth of his embrace, and the quiet moments they had shared away from the burdens of royalty. She remembered how he would bring her fresh fruit each morning, smiling like a child proud of his small gift, and how he would fret if she stayed up late, worrying that she would exhaust herself with royal duties. His gentle nature, his kindness, his insecurities—they were all things she had cherished, things she had longed for in the years since his disappearance.

But those memories had been tainted by the belief that he had betrayed her. The thought of him being unfaithful had festered in her heart like a wound that refused to heal, poisoning her thoughts, consuming her. And now, knowing the truth, the regret was almost unbearable.

Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to swallow the lump of emotion that had formed there. Alistair had never betrayed her. He had sacrificed everything for her, for their daughter, for their family. And she had hated him for it. The realization cut deep, and she struggled to reconcile the years of anger with the love she still harbored for him.

"I loved him," Ilyana whispered, her voice breaking the silence in the room. She looked up at Teressa, who stood before her.. "I loved him with all my heart. His smile, his kindness, his tenderness—everything about him. I loved how he would fuss over me, how he was always so concerned with my well-being. I loved how he would bring me fruit every morning, even when I told him I wasn't hungry." A bittersweet smile tugged at her lips as she recalled those moments.

Tears slid down her cheeks, and she didn't bother to wipe them away. "I missed him. Every single day. I missed him, even when I was furious at him. And now..." Her voice faltered as the weight of her guilt pressed down on her. "Now, I've spent years hating him for something he didn't do. I've cursed his name, despised him, all while he was protecting me. Protecting us."

Ilyana's eyes met Teressa's, and for a moment, there was no throne, no titles—just two women connected by the past, one who had lost the man she loved and one who had lost a brother-in-law. "I cannot change what my father did. I cannot make him pay for his crimes. But I can choose to forgive the man who gave everything for me."

Teressa looked at Ilyana with sympathy, understanding the depth of the Empress's struggle and grief. "Your Majesty..."

"I will not let Alistair's memory be tainted any longer," Ilyana continued, her voice trembling but resolute. "He was a good man, and he sacrificed everything for us. I will forgive him, not just for his sake, but for mine. Because I loved him... and I always will."

The room seemed to exhale as the words left Ilyana's lips, the burden she had carried for so long finally lifted. For the first time in years, she allowed herself to remember Alistair without the shadow of betrayal darkening his memory. She allowed herself to feel the love she had buried beneath layers of anger and grief. And in that moment, she found peace.

Teressa watched in silence, tears streaming down her own face. She could see the change in the Empress, the way the tension left her shoulders, the way her expression softened with acceptance. It was a moment of quiet reconciliation, of healing, as Ilyana let go of the past and embraced the truth.