The invitation arrived sealed in crimson wax, the crest of the former king pressed deep into the parchment. Valeria placed it on Elara's desk with her usual quiet efficiency.
"A private dinner," she said. "To honor Prince Dorian and Princess Seraphina's engagement."
Elara's fingers trembled as she broke the seal.
She didn't need to read the contents. She already knew.
The former king was summoning them all—Kael, Dorian, Seraphina… and Lucien.
Lucien, who had been gone since the day he defended her—when Kael humiliated her in court and Lucien stood between them like a shield. The former king had sent him away. And now, he was returning.
---
The palace buzzed with anticipation.
Servants polished silver until it gleamed. Musicians rehearsed in the west wing. The kitchens filled with the scent of roasted meats and sugared fruits.
Elara stood before her mirror, her gown a deep violet trimmed in gold. Her crown sat light on her head, but her heart felt heavy.
She hadn't seen Kael in days.
Not since the rumor of her pregnancy had spread like wildfire through the court.
Not since Seraphina's engagement to Dorian had been announced.
Not since Kael had looked her in the eye and said, "You chose me."
As if she had wanted this.
As if she hadn't been trying to survive.
---
The dining hall was smaller than the grand ballroom, but no less grand. Crystal chandeliers cast golden light across the long table. Velvet drapes framed the windows. The air was thick with perfume and tension.
Elara entered alone.
Kael was already there, dressed in black and silver, his expression unreadable.
Dorian stood beside Seraphina, his smile wide, his hand possessive on her waist.
And Lucien—Lucien stood near the fireplace, his eyes finding hers the moment she stepped into the room.
He bowed low. "Your Majesty."
"Lucien," she said softly.
"You look like a queen."
"I am one."
"But are you happy?"
She didn't answer.
---
The former king rose from his seat, lifting a goblet of wine.
"To alliances," he said. "To peace. To the future of Thorne."
Everyone raised their glasses.
Elara sipped her wine.
Kael didn't.
Seraphina leaned into Dorian, her laughter like bells.
Lucien watched Elara with quiet concern.
She felt the weight of every eye on her.
She was the queen.
She was the scandal.
She was the silence.
---
Dinner passed in a blur of veiled barbs and forced smiles.
Seraphina spoke often, her voice sweet, her words sharp.
"I hope the rumors are true," she said, eyes on Elara. "A royal heir would be such a blessing."
Elara smiled. "Rumors are rarely blessings."
"But sometimes they're true," Seraphina replied.
Kael's jaw tightened.
Lucien shifted in his seat.
Elara leaned forward. "And sometimes they're weapons."
Seraphina's smile didn't falter. "Only if you let them be."
---
After dinner, Elara found Kael in the corridor outside the hall. He had promised to stay away from her but he didn't, he left her talk to him, smile at him and touch him, even if it was just a small hug she knew it meant more than a hug to Seraphina.
He was staring at a tapestry—one depicting the founding of Thorne, a king crowned in blood.
"You promised to stay away from her," Elara said.
Kael didn't turn. "I have."
"She hasn't."
Kael's voice was cold. "I can't control her."
"But you can control yourself."
He turned to her. "I have."
Elara stepped closer. "Then why does it still hurt?"
Kael's eyes burned. "Because I loved her."
"I know."
"You don't."
"I do," Elara said, her voice trembling. "Because I love you."
Kael flinched.
"You think that changes anything?" he said.
"It changes everything."
"No," he snapped. "It changes nothing. You're the reason she hates me. You're the reason I had to marry someone I didn't choose."
Elara's voice cracked. "I didn't choose this either."
Kael stepped closer. "You could have said no."
Elara's breath caught. She looked away.
"I couldn't," she said quietly.
Kael's expression twisted. "And what about Seraphina? What about me?"
Elara's voice broke. "I gave up everything. I was supposed to be forgotten. But I chose this path because I thought—maybe—I could still matter."
Kael stared at her.
"You matter," he said. "But not to me."
Elara's breath caught.
Kael turned away.
Then she said, "You promised to stay away from her."
Kael stopped.
"But she didn't promise to stay away from you," Elara continued. "And you let her come back. You let her smile at you. You let her touch you."
Kael turned slowly. "What do you want me to do? Push her away in front of the court? Humiliate her?"
"I want you to choose me," Elara said. "Just once."
Kael's voice was a whisper. "I can't."
Elara stepped back.
"Then don't ask me to pretend this is a marriage."
Kael's eyes darkened. "It's a kingdom."
Elara nodded. "Then let it burn."
---
Elara returned to her chamber and collapsed onto the bed.
She opened her journal.
She wrote:
> He doesn't know.
> He must never know.
> I loved him before I met him.
> I loved him when he was only ink and longing.
> But now he is flesh and fury.
> And he hates me for surviving.
> I chose this life to escape death.
> But I am dying in pieces.
> And still—I would choose it again.
She closed the journal.
Outside, the palace was quiet.
Inside, the queen wept.
She was free from death but still she couldn't be any happier than she would have if she had just picked that cruel fate, maybe she was just destined to suffer for not living a better life in the real world, maybe this was here punish for writing and crossing the road carelessly. In the real word she didn't have a social life but at least she had a family who cared, friends who made her laugh,a well paying job and a dog, oh how she missed Maxie so much her adorable boy dog. But in this world she also had a family that loves her and a friend who protects her but, it still hurts when the one man she had loved,dreamt of, created and made popular in the real world, was the same man who hated her and couldn't choose her.
---