"So...." My supposed fiancé-to-be drawls, "Why are you getting married?"

I raise my brow, my attention shifting from the dried leaves crunching underneath our feet as we strolled along the dead garden of the isle to the man walking beside me.

Layla had suggested Dilin and I take a stroll and talk like civilized people to be wed. While I'd want nothing to do along her command, I had few choices here.

So here I am.

Dilin's gold eyes rose to mine reminding me of the question he asked.

My eyes squint, "Why are YOU getting married?" I shoot his question back at him.

His lips curves and he seems to bite back a smile as he glances away, "Well, I am to get married to find out about certain things."

"What things?" I match my strides with his long ones.

"Something." He mumbles, still containing back a smile.

"Does this something have anything to do with me?" I stop on my tracks realisation dawning upon me, "On that note, why are you listening to Layla? Does she have something against you? Is that why you're forced to marry me?"

Dilin tilts his head in that accessing way again, golden-brown curls falling over his eyes, "No, she doesn't have anything against me. She didn't even force me to marry. I'm a voluntary suitor just like many others you might have I'm sure. Your sister just thought I would be the best match compared to the others, I suppose and that's why she chose me."

Bafflement washes over me in waves, "Why would you want to marry me?"

"Why wouldn't I want to?" He halts glancing at me over his shoulder and passes me a coy smile, "For starters, you're pretty."

I cross my arms over my chest in exasperation, "You can't be serious. No really, why are you marrying me?"

"I told you, I'm here to find out about something." He doesn't look at me as he says the words, seeming to be in deep thought.

"And why?"

Dilin smiles a full blown smile and turns to face me, "Curious little thing, aren't you?"

I knew I was far from little but I chose to keep that to myself. At my stern no-nonsense expression, his smile widens,

"Okay for many reasons...." He elaborates as I give him a wry look, "You're the siren queen and as a researcher that I am, you intrigue me."

And so he decided to marry me? Yes very much believable indeed, note the sarcasm please.

Although. . .

Researcher?

I have a few of them at my court too but they mostly keep to themselves and rarely give opinion during dire situations. They just like to explore and find out about things. They are in many ways like historians. I have no idea why a researcher would even want to marry me to know something about me.

"What exactly do you want to know?"

That has his attention. His eyes flicker from me to something behind me and I look over my shoulder to find Layla and Zander walking at a distance from us.

Layla is chatting animatedly while Zander with the moonlight washing his velvet crimson doublet and smoky dark jeans in silver light and his messy inky hair falling over his forehead looks.....

I bite back a series of curses as he cranes his neck to the side and spots me staring his way. His eyes meet mine and a ghost of a smirk pulls at his lips.

When Layla doesn't seem to notice, he passes me a wink before shooting a sharp glare at something past me and then returns back to being attentively listening to his date as they saunter back into the castle.

All the while I stare with my jaw slack.

What in the seven heavens was that-

"Why are you not marrying him, by the way? Isn't he your mate?" A warm whisper in my ears snaps me back to dear earth.

I slightly turn my head to Dilin and find his face close to mine. The moonlight accentuates his sharp features making me blink for the thousandth time in his presence.

Goodness, he's beautiful.

But then his words register and I push him away with a groan, "Gods, how do you even know about that?"

As far as I knew, I'd made sure not even my closest confidante in my kingdom know Zander is my mate and I could say the same was the situation with Zander. Since we'd presumably "hated" each other almost a month ago and didn't want to declare to anyone we were connected in a way despite our hatred. The other royals are the only ones who know. No one else.

"Just as I know they aren't really married despite her fake parade of an invalid marriage with a fake name that wasn't even hers to begin with." He muses, glancing at the pair.

This researcher is insightful. And that is so very suspicious.

My frown grows, "Are you a spy?"

"I'm but a researcher, love." He looks to me, lips twisting and eyes shining with mischief, "But sometimes we can make excellent spies too, you know. Although spies would rather not reveal their face. A pain really, because many of them I know have remarkable faces."

Where is he even from? Does Layla know he's a researcher slash spy?

I might've asked the questions out loud because his eyes twinkle and he leans into my ears,

"Delos." He whispers, "And she knows. But she doesn't know why I'm actually here for just as she doesn't know that the love spell she used to trap that mate of yours stopped working months ago."

Before I can contemplate his words, before I can register the horrifying truth of it, he's gone with the speed of a light leaving me in a confused state and an ever coiling dread.

Layla trapped Zander with a love spell?

What the hell is happening here?

As promised, a chapter. Now tell me I'm great😎😂

Okay now....

Dilin seems to know a lot, doesn't he?👀

Any theories on why he's interested to know about Marilla or how he knows Layla used love spell to trap Zander into falling for her?

Also for the confused folks who are wondering where Derek is, my sweets these are the events from one month ago leading to the moment in that sneak peak from one month later. So he'd appear eventually....for a valid reason👀🤫