,INNOCENT LOVE

Elsewhere...

In Jona's room, tension hangs heavy in the air. As soon as Jona stormed out of the grand hall, Catherina trailed after him, her steps purposeful.

She's seen the cracks in his resolve and knows this is the perfect moment to strike.

She doesn't bother to knock, pushing the door open and stepping inside without hesitation.

Jona is pacing furiously, his clenched fists trembling with suppressed rage. Tears glisten on his cheeks, though he quickly wipes them away when he hears her enter.

"What kind of man are you?" Catherina's voice cuts through the room, sharp and disdainful. "Crying instead of fighting? Pathetic."

Jona freezes, then whirls around, glaring at her. "What are you doing here?"

She steps further in, closing the door behind her with a soft thud. "You think everything you want is just going to fall into your lap while you sulk?"

Jona's scowl deepens. "What are you talking about?"

Catherina crosses her arms, her expression cool and calculating. "Oh, come on, Jona. Everyone knows how much you want the throne. And everyone also knows your father thinks you're a joke. Let's face it—no one takes you seriously as a prince."

"And so?" Jona snaps defensively. "How is that any of your business?"

"I want to help you," she says smoothly, her tone laced with an air of false sincerity. "We can work together: I'll help you get the throne,"

Jona narrows his eyes at her, suspicion flickering in his gaze. "And what do you want from me?"

"You will help me win Arthur back. A win-win game. You and I—perfect partners."

"What bothers you so much that lead you to do all this?" Jona asks ,

Catherina's expression softens, her voice turning honeyed. "I don't understand how a man could choose anyone over me. Leave alone another man over me, certainly not even a woman. Ever since that one time Arthur and I were... intimate, he has never touched me ever again."

Jona raises an eyebrow, incredulous. "What do you mean? Hasn't he always done whatever you wanted, punishing Madin for your lies? I know they were lies, by the way. That boy is too innocent for the things you claimed he did. But even so, Arthur believed you, didn't he?"

"Well, not anymore," she admits bitterly, her jaw tightening. "He sees through me now. And worse, he's obsessed with finding Madin. That boy is his weakness and his strength."

Jona frowns. "What do you mean?"

Catherina's lips curl into a sly smile. "Arthur is strong because of Madin—he fights harder, he leads with purpose, all for that boy. But that strength is also his greatest weakness.

His fixation makes him vulnerable, distracted. He's not a king right now; he's a man chasing a shadow. If Madin disappears for good, Arthur will have no choice but to look elsewhere—back to me."

__ And when that happens, I'll be queen again__ She thinks to herself, not letting Jona know her true intentions.

Jona stiffens, his eyes narrowing. "And how is that going to help me?"

Catherina shrugs, her expression unrepentant. "If I help you rise, it serves my goals too. Arthur will never be the same without Madin. Without him, your father might finally realize that Arthur isn't infallible. That's where you come in." She says knowing very well that the former king would never give up on Arthur as a king.

"So what do you want me to do?" Jona asks, though his tone is guarded.

"Find Madin before Arthur does," she says, stepping closer, her voice low and conspiratorial. "Bring him to me. Once Madin is out of the picture, Arthur will have no choice but to move on. He'll come back to me, and the kingdom will need a stronger leader than a grieving man. That leader could be you."

Jona's jaw tightens, his suspicion warring with the ambition rising within him. "And what happens to Madin?"

"Leave that to me," Catherina says lightly, dismissing his question. "The boy is irrelevant. What matters is that we act before Arthur finds him. Time is on our side, Jona, if we're bold enough to use it."

Jona hesitates, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. He doesn't trust her—not fully—but her words ignite a flame in him that he can't ignore.

"And what makes you think my father would give up on Arthur as a king? He would do anything to make Arthur stand again, that's how it has always been since we were young."

"Leave your father to me, just do as I say." She says firmly.

As the night deepens, Catherina leaves Jona's room with a satisfied smirk.

Wandering the shadowed halls, her footsteps echo ominously against the cold marble floor. She revels in the quiet power of the night, her mind alight with schemes.

In his room, Jona stares at his reflection in the mirror, his thoughts a storm of ambition and resentment. He can still hear Catherina's taunting words: No one takes you seriously. No one sees you even as a prince.

The sting of her truth only hardens his resolve. If his father won't see him as worthy, then perhaps it's time to carve out his own path to the throne—and if Arthur's precious Madin is the key, then so be it.