Chapter 36

Leonidas POV

The journey back to the North was shrouded in silence as I was deep in thought, lost in the enigma that was Isadora. Her unexpected arrival had shaken my world more than I wanted to admit.

I looked out of the window; the dark, winding roads seemed to mirror the intricate twists of my thoughts. I couldn't deny the fact that Isadora's sudden appearance had unsettled me. I couldn't ignore the connection we shared, and the fact that she was my mate had sparked something within me, something I couldn't easily dismiss.

It was impossible to ignore our mate bond. I kept replaying our interactions in my mind, her fiery spirit, her defiance, and the underlying vulnerability she couldn't completely conceal.

My beta's voice interrupted my musings. "Your majesty, you know, Isadora is a lot smarter than she looks. She's right about the forced expansion potentially leading to a war. Now that I think about it, Alpha Philip might be biting off more than he can chew."

I nodded, acknowledgi