The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 224: Shielding Family

William, in his white wolf form, sat beside her, a silent and comforting presence. He watched over her as she vented her frustration, her sobs echoing in the quiet forest.

He looked out, sensing that Jerrick had left, and let out a sigh. Jerrick truly trusted him on this. Jerrick wanted her to be open with someone, even if it wasn’t him.

"You can’t do it alone. You’re right," William said softly, his voice a gentle rumble that matched the calm of the night.

Jessamyn looked at him, her eyes still red from crying, but now there was a hint of resolve in them. "Thank you, William. For listening."

He nudged her gently with his nose, a reassuring gesture. "You’re strong, Jessamyn. And you have people who care about you. Lean on us. You can talk to Jerrick. He trusts you and loves you."

"I can’t tell him everything," Jessamyn said, her eyes reddening once again. Her voice was tinged with a desperate sadness that broke William’s heart.

William wanted to confront her about that opinion but decided to listen to her first. She was not an unreasonable person. Her reason might be valid, although he lately found that women tend to complicate simple issues for reasons that only their overworking brains could think of.

Life is simple. Overthinking makes everything complicated. Was that hard to fathom?

"Then tell me... Why did you lie about your feelings for me to that man? Who is that man?" he asked, his tone gentle, hoping she would tell him the truth.

"He is my master... from the council," Jessamyn sat comfortably on a protruding root, her fingers tracing the rough bark absently. "He taught me to use a crossbow and gave me some lessons on defense."

William nodded, understanding now the connection. "What did he want?"

"I told him..." Jessamyn hesitated, her eyes glistening with fresh tears. "I told them that you were the Lycaon Wulfhednar they were looking for."

"So,~"

"I put your life at risk," Jessamyn added before William could finish. She knew what she did, and she wanted to let William know for his own safety. Her voice trembled with guilt and fear. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

William let out a deep breath. "Why?"

"To protect my son," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "To enable his safe birth..."

There was a reason her master brought up William in their conversation. She was relieved she lied to them. She was right about them.

William raised his brows. It looked like she was counting her chickens before they hatched, but he couldn’t ignore her words as Jerrick had told him about the prophecy she received.

The gravity of her situation began to dawn on him.

"Will you help me with this?" Jessamyn asked, her voice filled with a mixture of hope and desperation.

"Tell me everything," William said, his tone firm yet compassionate.

Jessamyn nodded. She wetted her parched lips and gulped. "They know I am Gemma Luna, but they don’t know I know who I am... They made me believe they were waiting for Lycaon Wulfhednar but..."

"Their intention is not good?" William asked; a note of urgency in his voice.

Jessamyn nodded, her eyes filled with fear and determination. "I’m sorry, I exposed you and lied about you to~"

"That’s fine. Even if you told me, I would have agreed to this. I do not mind acting as a cover to protect Jerrick and his family," William said.

Those words were from his heart. What did he have? Nothing! He had nothing to lose. It would be a noble cause to be a shield for his brother’s family. He would never regret that.

This explained why she lied about her supposed feelings toward him. Gemma Luna was to fall in love with Lycaon Wulfhednar. So was the prophecy.

Jessamyn looked at him, relieved.

"They do not want your child with Lycaon Wulfhednar to be born. That’s what you’re saying?" William asked, seeking to understand the gravity of the situation.

"Yes," Jessamyn replied, the weight of guilt pressing heavily upon her.

"Ah... you did good..." William patted her hand with his paw. It was a smart plan. Now the council believed he was Lycaon Wulfhednar and the possibility of her bearing a child with him was nil. To them, Jerrick was insignificant, and they wouldn’t be concerned if she had a child with him.

Unless...

"Your child’s aura wouldn’t be hidden," William said, his voice thoughtful. If their child was destined to be significant, he would be recognized.

"My son will know to protect himself. And there is Jerrick," Jessamyn said, her voice trembling slightly. The thought of bringing a child safely into the world terrified her, but she knew she had to face it with courage.

William let out a deep breath. "Can you really break the curse?" he asked, his eyes searching hers.

"I am supposed to..." Jessamyn smiled, though her eyes filled with tears. She didn’t want to discuss it further, the burden of her destiny weighing heavily on her heart.

William, missing the despair in her heart, pressed on. "He talked about someone else... What was that about?"

"I..." Jessamyn looked up, the leaves rustling above her. Through the gaps, she could see the stars twinkling in the night sky. "I’m not sure..."

William observed her closely. He couldn’t determine whether she was lying or simply unwilling to talk about it. He sensed that she knew more than she was letting on.

"Imogen..." he whispered. "You know, don’t you?"

Jessamyn gasped, her eyes widening in surprise. She hadn’t been thinking about Imogen at all and was startled that he knew Imogen was alive.

"Can it be her?" William asked, his tone curious.

Jessamyn looked away, her mind racing. "Can be..." she said, although she knew the council wasn’t referring to Imogen’s return. It was someone else, someone who would cause a much bigger commotion in Ayberia.

"What are you going to do?" William asked, concern lacing his voice.

"What should I do?" Jessamyn looked at him with a wry smile. She wasn’t worried about Imogen’s return. Imogen might cause a commotion, but she could be managed. She was a nobody in the grand scheme of things.

William made a cutthroat gesture, and Jessamyn laughed, a sound filled with both amusement and irony. "How come you understand me so well?"

William’s eyes softened. "Because we’re family, Jessamyn. We face these battles together."

Jessamyn looked at him, her own eyes softening in response. "I’m glad you are family, William," she said, her voice filled with genuine affection.

"You know," William began, his voice trailing off, laden with unspoken thoughts.

"That there is more than one with Theodulf blood, borne out of a woman from the Theodulf bloodline?" Jessamyn asked her words a quiet revelation.

"Ah... you even know about our mother. I’m a bit jealous everything got revealed to you," William admitted, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

Jessamyn’s smile was tinged with a mix of emotions. "She..." William hesitated, the weight of his words hanging in the air. "Our mother..."

"Is alive," Jessamyn finished, her eyes meeting the white wolf with certainty and sorrow.