Chapter 246

Alexander POV

I stood before the King, my body still weak from the poison, but my mind sharp and steady. Ella stood at my side, her presence grounding me, a silent promise that we would face whatever came next together.

I could feel the weight of her gaze on me, the quiet strength she offered just by standing there. But it wasn’t just the King I had to answer to.

Elizabeth was in the room as well.

That would make this harder for Ella. She and Elizabeth had come to trust each other, but the truth I was about to reveal would shake even the most unshakable bonds.

I wished she wasn’t here—wished I didn’t have to see the betrayal in her eyes when she learned just how much Ella and I had kept from her, from all of them.

The King sat rigid on his throne, hands clasped tightly together, his expression unreadable. The guards were stationed outside the doors, leaving only the four of us inside. It was rare for the King to grant such a private audience, but this was no ordinary conversation.

This was a reckoning.

I was finally going to be held to account for all of my lies and deceptions. My identity, something that I had hidden my entire life, was going to be revealed and I had no idea if I would survive it.

I was always certain that if anyone knew who I really was, it would cost me my life. But I had made a decision, and today it would be revealed.

I took a breath and forced myself to meet the King’s gaze. “I’m ready to tell you everything.”

The King gave a slow nod. “Then speak.”

I reached for Ella’s hand and she laced her fingers with mine without hesitation.

We had talked about this last night, what I would say when the moment came. She knew that I was going to reveal it all. It was pointless to try to hide now.

So many people had already been hurt, it was time to be honest, no matter how difficult it was.

“I am the biological son of the Northern King.” The words left my mouth with measured control, but even knowing what was coming, I still felt the weight of Ella’s sharp inhale beside me.

I didn’t look at her. I couldn’t. I had to focus.

“I was an unwanted child, the son of one of his many mistresses. He gave me to the Black Rock pack because they were loyal to him. So, I became Alexander Black,” I continued. “My father placed me here, raised by a Southern Alpha, so that I could eventually infiltrate your government. My mission was to work my way to the crown, and when the time came, to hand over control of the South to my true father.”

Elizabeth’s sharp intake of breath was followed by a tense silence. I braced himself for the King’s reaction, but he said nothing, waiting for more.

“When I was a teenager, I was sent North to train under my uncle, Ironfang.” The name hung heavy in the air. “He taught me how to fight, how to lead. My training was brutal, and at first, I played the part they expected of me. I had to. But I never wanted any of it. I never wanted to be their pawn.”

The King’s expression didn’t shift, but I could sense the tension in his posture, the way his fingers curled slightly against the arms of his chair.

“When I was strong enough to start resisting, I did,” I said. “I gathered others who wanted out—who wanted to fight back. We started small, stealing from the Northern King’s illegal trade routes, disrupting his operations. I built a network of people who were loyal not to the North, but to me.”

I let that sink in before delivering the final truth. “That is how I became the Ice King.”

Silence filled the room. A long, suffocating silence.

Then the King scoffed. “An impossible story.”

“I agree,” I said calmly. “But it’s the truth. Whether you believe me or not doesn’t change the reality of it.”

Ella’s fingers twitched at her side, but she still didn’t speak. I wondered if she even knew what to say.

Elizabeth, however, did.

“You’re telling me,” she said slowly, as if struggling to form the words, “that all this time, the Ice King—the man my father and I considered one of our greatest threats—was you?”

I turned to her, meeting her gaze directly. “Yes.”

She shook her head, her jaw clenched. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Her question wasn’t directed to me, but to Ella. The hurt in her eyes was obvious.

“I couldn’t,” Ella said softly.

“She’s only known the whole truth for a few weeks,” I admitted.

“And I knew you wouldn’t be able to keep the secret if you knew the full truth,” Ella said sadly.

The hurt in Elizabeth’s eyes was undeniable. But there was something else too—understanding. I hadn’t expected that.

The King exhaled heavily, running a hand over his face. “As insane as your confession sounds,” he said, his voice tinged with exhaustion, “it aligns with the confessions we’ve already received.”

My breath caught. “Confessions?”

The King nodded. “David, Amanda, Archer… even Diana. They all painted the same picture. Diana’s account was particularly damning.”

“And Ironfang?” I asked, unable to deny my curiosity.

“He’s in custody,” the king explained. “And he hasn’t spoken a single word since he was arrested.”

He met my gaze again. “You told me the truth. That much is clear. The problem is, I don’t know what the hell to do with it.”

I didn’t move, didn’t speak. I waited. I had known this wouldn’t be simple.

It was Elizabeth who broke the silence.

“He’s the only one with the insider knowledge we need,” she said, turning to her father. “If we want to put an end to the Northern King’s schemes, Alexander is our best chance.”

The King’s expression darkened. “And what you’re suggesting would lead to war.”

“War is coming whether we want it or not,” Elizabeth countered. “At least this way, we have a chance to win.”

“I don’t think it has to come to all that,” I said softly.

The king’s sharp eyes darted to me. “Explain.”

“War would be the last thing the Northern king wants,” I said. “He’s… weaker than he lets on. His mind is going, it had been for years. I think that it would be possible to take him out from within his own ranks if we did things right.”

“You mean with spies?” he asked skeptically. “You know how they treat spies in the North?”

A cold feeling washed over me as I nodded. “I know better than most,” I said softly.

Elizabeth squeezed my hand.

I had told her about the man I killed, the one that I only just learned was Diana’s younger brother. I never learned his name, had never seen him at all until the moment he was thrown at my feet and I was ordered to kill him.

Ella may have forgiven me for what I had done, but I would never forgive myself.

“I want to trust you,” the king said tensely. “I want to believe that your loyalty lies with the South, but you understand why that’s difficult.”

I remained silent, waiting for the King to make his choice. My fate—and perhaps the fate of the entire kingdom—rested on what he decided next.