His destined mate

Ethan's POV

As I looked at Bianca's face, her eyes were wide with concern when Sophia revealed the shocking news. Derek, my brother, was working with Emily.

I couldn't believe it. Though he betrayed me but I was hoping that we can still get back to the way we used to be before. Teaming up with Emily??... Then, at that moment, Sophia's serious expression told me she wasn't joking. I felt a surge of anger within me. What exactly do Derek want from me? "Bianca, pls I need to talk to Sophia, alone," I said, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible.

Hopefully she understood and she nodded, her eyes never left mine. I could see the trust in them, the faith she had in me to protect her. I vowed to do everything in my power to keep her safe. As Bianca walked away, I turned to Sophia immediately. "Tell me everything," I demanded.

Sophia hesitated, then spoke in a low tone. "The message was cryptic, but it mentioned Derek's involvement in Emily's plans. I don't know what they're planning, but it can't be good."

I clenched my fists, my mind racing. How could Derek betray me like this? We were brothers, bound by blood and loyalty.

But I knew I had to focus on protecting Bianca and our kingdom. I could not let personal feelings cloud my judgment.

"Sophia, I need you to investigate this further," I said, my voice firm. "Find out what Derek is planning and stop him before it is too late."

Sophia nodded, her eyes were determined to do all it takes to get the job done. "I'll do it, Ethan. But you need to be careful. If Derek is involved with Emily, he will stop at nothing to achieve their goals."

I nodded, my heart heavy with the weight of betrayal. I knew that I had to confront Derek, to find out the truth. But I was scared of what I might discover...

After a lot of thought I decided to see Derek. I walked to his chambers, my heart heavy with emotion. How could my own brother chose to betray me like this? We had grown up and fought together. When I got into his chambers, I found him sitting on a couch, and with a smirk on his face. "Ethan, what brings you here?" he asked, his voice so dripping with innocence.

"I came to have a word with you" his eyes still locked in mine. "What gain can you gain by doing all this?"

His smirk faltered for a moment, before he regained his composure. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, his voice smooth.

But I saw the guilt in his eyes, the hesitation in his voice. I knew I had him cornered.

"Don't lie to me, Derek," I said, my voice low and even. "I have proof. Sophia received a message from an unknown source, revealing your involvement with Emily."

His expression darkened, his eyes flashing with anger. "You'll never prove it," he spat, standing up. "And even if you did, you can't stop what's coming."

I felt a chill run down my spine. What was he planning? And how far had his betrayal gone? Almost losing my mind to think that Derek will do this kind of thing to me. Suddenly, a noise came from outside the room. We both turned to the door, and I saw Bianca standing there, her eyes wide with fear.

"Ethan, I saw Emily," she whispered. "She's here, in the palace."

My heart skipped a beat. Emily was in the palace? Could this be a trap?

I rushed down to Bianca. My heart racing with so much concern. "Where is she?" I demanded, scanning through the hallway.

Bianca pointed down the corridor. "I saw her slipping into one of the guest rooms. I didn't think much of it at first, but then I remembered the pendant Derek was wearing..." I didn't wait to hear more. I grabbed Bianca's hand and rushed down the corridor, Sophia was close behind. We burst into the guest room.

what we found there took my breath away.

Emily stood in the center of the room, a sly smile on her face. And beside her, his eyes gleaming with malice, stood Derek.

"Welcome, Ethan," Emily said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I see you're just in time for the show."

I felt a surge of anger within me, but I kept my cool. "Derek, how could you?" I asked, my voice low.

Derek shrugged. "Oh save that, Ethan. You thought you were the only one who could lead our kingdom. But I have a vision, a vision of power and greatness"

I shook my head, disappointment was written all over my face. "You're making a mistake, Derek. Emily only cares about herself." I warned.

Emily laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "Enough chit-chat," she said, raising her hand.

The room began to darken, shadows swirling around us. And I felt a strange energy building, this shocked everyone there how mighty Emily's power has grown.

I raised my own hands, summoning the ancient magic that flowed through our kingdom. The air seemed to vibrate with energy as I countered Emily's spell. Bianca stepped forward, her eyes shining with determination. "I can help," she said, her voice firm.

I nodded, and together we wove a powerful spell of protection. The darkness receded, and Emily's eyes narrowed in frustration.

Derek took a step forward, his eyes gleaming with malice. "You'll never win," he spat. "We have the upper hand."

I smiled grimly. "We'll see about that."

With a flick of my wrist, I summoned the palace guards. They burst into the room, surrounding Derek and Emily.

"It's over," I said, my voice firm. "You're both under arrest for treason."

Emily's face twisted in rage, but Derek just smiled. "You'll never keep us contained," he said, his eyes glinting with confidence.

That made me frowned, a sense of unease growing in my chest. What did he mean by that? Was there more to their plan than I knew?

As the guards led them away, I turned to Bianca. "We're not out of the woods yet," I said, my voice low. "There's still something we don't know."

Bianca nodded, her eyes wide with understanding. "We'll figure it out together," she said, her hand slipping into mine.

I smiled, feeling a surge of gratitude. With Bianca by my side, I knew we could face anything.

As we walked back to the throne room, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. Derek's words kept echoing in my mind - "You'll never keep us contained."

I immediately turned to Sophia, who was walking beside us. "Sophia, do you know what Derek meant by what he said earlier?" I asked, my voice still very low low.

Sophia frowned. "I'm not sure, but I have a feeling it is connected to the strange occurrences happening around the kingdom. Tools gone missing, strange noises at night... it is as if someone is planning something big." She said as she equally reasoned what she has just said.

I nodded, my mind racing. I needed to get to the bottom of this.

As we entered the throne room, I saw a figure waiting for us. It turned out to be one of the palace guards, looking very nervous.

"Your majesty, I have something to report," he said, bowing. "One of the prisoners escaped during the transfer....Derek is gone."

My heart skipped a beat immediately. Derek was loose in the palace, and I knew he wouldn't hesitate to strike.

"Bianca, stay close," I said, my voice firm. "We need to find Derek before he causes any more harm."

Bianca nodded, her eyes wide with fear. But I knew she was strong enough to protect herself to an extent at least.