Gavyn Pace POV:

I pushed the door open, and her scent hit me first—lilies, and something clean, like fresh rain.

Azura. My wife.

She sat up in our bed, the silk nightgown I had sent her clinging to her slender frame. Her dark hair spilled across the white pillows like a splash of ink.

The war was won. The rebellious lords were crushed. My duty was done. Now, it was time for my reward.

"Azura," I said, my voice a low rumble. I let the door click shut behind me. "I'm home."

I moved toward the bed, unfastening the clasps of my leather tunic. I expected her to smile, to welcome me with the adoration she always showed.

Instead, she flinched when I reached for her, pulling away so my hand met empty air.

A flicker of annoyance sparked in my chest. My dragon soul, always close to the surface after a battle, stirred with impatience.

"What is this?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. "Your husband returns victorious, and you greet him like a stranger?"

Her eyes, wide and dark, finally met mine. They were filled with a strange, unreadable emotion.

"Gavyn," she whispered, her voice trembling. "In your heart... who is more important? Me, or Isabela?"

The question was absurd. I frowned. "Don't be foolish. You are the Lady of the Pace estate. The wife of a Dragon Lord. Isabela is... she needs looking after."

It was the truth. Isabela was delicate, a sweet flower, worthy of care. And Azura was my wife. Surely she could have the patience for that.

I leaned in to kiss her, to put an end to this ridiculous conversation. She turned her head, and my lips brushed against her hair.

My patience snapped.

I gripped her shoulder, my fingers digging into the soft fabric of her gown. "Azura. Do not test me. Fulfill your duty."

Just as I was about to force the issue, a frantic pounding came from the door, followed by a high-pitched wail.

"My Lord! It's terrible! Lady Isabela... she's dying!"

My blood ran cold.

I released Azura instantly, my body moving before my mind could process the words. I was halfway to the door when Azura's voice, surprisingly steady, called out.

"Gavyn, wait."

I turned, my hand on the doorknob, my heart pounding with a sudden, sharp fear for Isabela. "What is it now?"

She stood before me, barefoot on the cold marble, her face a mask of concern. "I know you're worried. But you've just returned. There are family matters, documents that need your seal before you report to the capital."

She looked up at me, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Leave your Dragon Lord's Seal with me. I can handle the trivial matters. You go. Go and be with Isabela."

I stared at her. My wife. So understanding. So generous. The guilt I felt for my earlier impatience was a sharp sting.

Without a second thought, I pulled the heavy, obsidian-and-dragon-crystal seal from the pouch at my belt and pressed it into her small, cool hand.

"Thank you," I said, my voice rough with emotion. I gave her a quick, clumsy pat on the head. "You are a good wife."

Then I was gone, running down the hall toward the sound of weeping, my mind filled with only one thought: Isabela.

Azura Holt POV:

The moment the door slammed shut, my mask of the loving wife dissolved.

I looked down at my hand.

The Dragon Lord's Seal was heavy, cold, and real. It was the key to my freedom, a symbol of the power he so carelessly wielded and had just as carelessly given away.

I didn't waste a second.

I bolted the door.

From a hidden compartment in the wardrobe, I retrieved the document I had prepared weeks ago. An annulment agreement, written in the indelible ink of dragon's blood, its terms legally binding under the laws of the kingdom.

It cited our marriage was unconsummated and that both parties wished to dissolve the union.

I pressed the seal into the red wax, imprinting the Pace family's flame dragon crest onto the parchment.

Then, I took the small knife from under my pillow and pricked my thumb. A single drop of blood welled up.

I signed my name, Azura Holt, with my own blood.

I folded the document carefully, the paper still warm. I slipped the seal back into his pouch. The first chain was broken.

Azura Holt POV:

Gavyn did not return.

The next morning, sunlight streamed into the master bedroom, illuminating an empty, undisturbed bed. A small, cold smile touched my lips.

Clara brought my breakfast, her face etched with worry. "My lady, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Clara," I said, and for the first time in years, it felt true.

Before she left, I pressed the sealed annulment into her hand. "Deliver this to the Royal Magistrate's office. Have it filed under the civil docket." She nodded and tucked it into her apron, saying nothing.

I had her spread the rumors. Quietly, in the servant's quarters. How Lord Pace had kept Lady Isabela with him at the war camp. How they were inseparable. It was a violation of military conduct, a stain on the honor of a Dragon Lord. It wouldn't dethrone him, but it would plant seeds of doubt among the family elders.

While the whispers began to circulate, I turned to my own affairs. My dowry, my alchemy workshop—assets that Lady Pace had greedily absorbed in my past life. This time, I would secure them before the annulment became public.

That's when the steward burst in, his face pale. "My lady! Lord Pace has given an order... to uproot all the Duskroot from the gardens."

My heart stopped.

"He says... he says Lady Isabela is allergic to the scent," the steward stammered.

I walked to the window. Below, gardeners were tearing my precious Duskroot from the earth. The deep purple flowers, my one small joy in this cold fortress, were being tossed aside like weeds.

I had tended that garden for three years. It was the only place I felt a sliver of peace.

Watching the destruction, the last, lingering ember of affection I might have held for Gavyn was extinguished. It was ripped out by the roots, just like my flowers.

I felt nothing. No tears, no anger. Just a vast, cold emptiness.

I turned from the window. "Prepare my carriage. I'm going to visit my mother-in-law."

On the way to the main house, I could hear the servants whispering. The rumors were spreading faster than I'd hoped.

Lady Pace was in her private salon, sipping tea. She greeted me with a smile dripping with false sympathy.

"Azura, my poor child. You must have been so lonely last night."

She pulled me down to sit beside her, her hand cool on mine. "Men are thoughtless creatures. Gavyn was only worried for Isabela. She is your sister, after all, and so very fragile."

I remembered these same words from my past life. They had been a balm to my foolish, hopeful heart. Now, they were just poison wrapped in silk.

I bowed my head, playing the part of the grateful, chastened daughter-in-law. "You are right, my lady. It was petty of me to be upset."

Her smile widened. "I'm so glad you understand. Now, about the welcome banquet... I simply must have a new perfume. Lady Holt will be there. I cannot be outshone."

There it was. Her true concern.

I smiled back, a mirror of her own insincerity. "Of course, my lady. I've already prepared something for you."

I presented her with a small, elegant box. Inside were three bottles of my latest creation, "Flora's Divine." One of them, the centerpiece, was a heady, intoxicating magnolia scent.

She was delighted, praising the exquisite bottles and the rich fragrance, completely oblivious to the venom hidden within the gift.

The welcome banquet would be my present to Isabela.

After leaving her, I didn't return to my rooms. I had the carriage take me into the city.

The carriage rolled through the city gates, stopping before the gilded sign of the finest apothecary in the capital: Cloudmist Perfumery. I needed to replenish my supply of Duskroot.

And I needed to be seen.