The Bride He Hates-Chapter 88: Letter From An Old Friend

Lyanna didn’t confront Azrael about the late-night conversation she had overheard.

What would be the point?

During breakfast, the next morning, they had a polite conversation about nothing important, followed by reviewing intelligence reports in Victor’s office, and dealing with the correspondence from allied courts.

But something had changed. She had been fighting so hard to be included, to prove her worth, that she was exhausted now.

"Your Majesty," Victor said as she reviewed the latest scout reports. "Are you well? You seem distracted."

"No. I’m not fine. But I don’t know what to do about it."

Victor put down the document he had been holding.

"Is this about Lady Sienna?"

"It’s about my husband. He says he values my contributions and agrees that I should be included. But when Sienna questions my qualifications, suggests including me is more trouble, he doesn’t defend me. He just goes silent."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, your strategic contributions have always been valuable." Victor said. " Your Majesty, may I speak frankly?"

"Please."

"Lady Sienna is threatened by you. She has positioned herself as the intelligence expert but you’ve been asking the right questions and catching discrepancies. So she’s convincing His Majesty that your competence is actually incompetence."

"And it’s working." Lyanna said bitterly.

"His Majesty is exhausted, is under immense pressure, and is listening to someone who offers him the easier option." Victor said. "It’s easier to work with someone who already knows everything than to include someone who’s still learning."

"So what do I do?" Lyanna asked. "Keep fighting to be included while his new partner whispers in his ear that I’m a burden? Keep trying to prove my worth while she undermines every contribution I make?"

"You can stop fighting. Step back from the intelligence work for a few days. Let His Majesty and Lady Sienna work together without you. See what happens then."

"That sounds like giving up."

"No. In fact, you’d be giving him space to realize what he has lost." Victor said. "Right now, he is taking you for granted."

Lyanna took Victor’s advice. Not because she wanted to play strategic games with her husband but because she was genuinely exhausted from fighting for basic respect and inclusion.

She stopped attending the morning intelligence briefings, stopped reviewing reports in Victor’s office and stopped attending strategy sessions.

On the first day, Azreal hardly noticed. On the second day, he noticed but seemed relieved.

"I’m glad you’re taking some time for yourself." He told her. "You’ve been working so hard on intelligence matters. You deserve a break."

On the third day, he was conflicted.

"Are you sure you don’t want to attend the strategy session this afternoon? We’re finalizing the defensive deployment plans."

"I’m sure." Lyanna replied. "I know you and Sienna can manage."

"But I’d value your input..."

"Really?" Lyanna smiled. "Or my observations will slow down your analysis?"

"You heard that conversation."

"Go to your meeting, Azrael. I have other matters to take care of."

She spent her days in the garden, working along with servants to plant winter vegetables, in the castle’s administrative wing, reviewing financial reports and resource allocation.

The courtiers noticed her absence from strategic meetings and began talking.

"Have you noticed the queen isn’t attending council sessions anymore?" Lord Cassius said to a group of nobles while Lyanna was passing through the corridor.

"Perhaps she finally realized her capabilities." Another one said. "It’s better to gracefully step back than continue to slow down important decisions."

"Or perhaps, His Majesty is making decisions without consulting her. Have any of you seen them together lately?"

"His Majesty is spending most of his time with Lady Sienna these days, while the queen is elsewhere."

"Hush."Lord Cassius said, spotting Lyanna. "Her Majesty might hear..."

"I already heard." Lyanna said, stepping forward. "And you’re right. My husband and I are currently living separate lives."

The nobles looked shocked that she admitted it.

"Your Majesty, I’m sure it’s just the stress of the Crimson Cross situation..." Lord Cassius said.

"Or has my husband found a more compatible partner for his work?"

"I’m sure His Majesty doesn’t think of you that way."

Lyanna laughed at the answer and left. She didn’t care what they thought.

That evening, Lyanna ate alone in her chambers. Azrael was in another strategy session. She was finishing her meal when Clara brought an unexpected message.

"Your Majesty, Ambassador Roland from Valdris has sent a letter. It arrived by courier this afternoon."

Lyanna was surprised as she took the sealed letter. She hadn’t had any communication with Roland since he had left months ago.

Why is he writing to me now?"

She broke the seal and started reading.

Your Majesty Lyanna,

I hope this letter finds you well and that your new life as a vampire queen suits you. I’m not writing this letter for diplomatic matters, but out of concern as a friend.

Word has reached Valdris about tensions at Thornfield. There are rumours of Crimson Cross threats, along with rumours of troubles between the king and queen. I know court gossip is often exaggerated, but I felt I had to reach out.

Please remember that if you ever need refuge, Valdris is open for you.

With genuine concern and respect,

Roland Ashford

Ambassador of Valdris. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Lyanna stared at the letter for a long time.

Roland was offering her exactly what Victor had suggested, space to step back, an alternative to the constant battle she was fighting at Thornfield.

She heard footsteps in the corridor. Azrael was returning from his meeting. She quickly folded the letter and put it into her desk drawer.

"Lyanna?" Azrael entered, looking tired but happy. "We’ve finished the first revision of the defensive protocols. Would you like to review them?"

"In the morning." Lyanna said. "I’m tired."

He walked behind her chair and put his hands on her shoulders, gently massaging them.

"I’m sorry. I know we’ve been distant lately. Because of the Crimson Cross threat and all the strategic planning, we hardly see each other anymore."

"We see each other." Lyanna replied. "We just don’t connect."

His hands froze on her shoulders.

"What does that mean?"

"It means despite living in the same castle and sleeping on the same bed, we’re not actually together. You spend your days with Sienna. I spend mine elsewhere. We’re like parallel lines these days, that never meet."

"I’m here now..."

"You’re here to discuss work." Lyanna replied. "When was the last time we talked about something that wasn’t strategy, intelligence or Crimson Cross? When was the last time you asked how I was feeling, what I was thinking, whether I was happy?"

"I don’t know." He admitted after a long pause.

"Neither do I." Lyanna smiled sadly.

She got up and went to bed without waiting for his answer. She lay awake, thinking about Roland’s letter.

She had the chance to choose something different if things became unbearable for her.

But the question was: had it already become unbearable? Or was there still something worth fighting for?