The words hung in the air between us.
I want a divorce.
King Asher went completely still.
His ice-blue eyes locked on mine, and for three heartbeats, the throne room was silent as a grave.
Then he laughed.
It was a dark, terrible sound that echoed off the golden walls.
"A divorce." He said it slowly, like he was tasting the word. "You've been my wife for three days and you want a divorce."
He moved toward me. I forced myself not to step back.
"Do you know what happened to the last person who tried to leave me?"
I shook my head.
"Neither does anyone else." His smile was cold. "Because no one ever found the body."
My blood turned to ice.
He stopped inches away. Close enough that I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes.
"You are mine, Hazel. Your father signed papers. You said vows. There is no divorce in Anex." His voice dropped to a whisper. "There is only me."
I couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe.
He studied my face for a long moment. Then stepped back.
"Take her to the east wing," he said without looking away from me. "The blue chambers."
Doors opened. Servants appeared.
"Get her cleaned up. Dressed properly." He finally glanced at an older woman with gray hair. "She dines with me tonight. Eight o'clock. My private chambers."
The woman bowed low. "Yes, Your Majesty."
King Asher turned back to me. "Don't be late."
Then he walked away.
And I understood.
He hadn't threatened to lock me up. He hadn't needed to.
Because where would I run?
I was in the center of his kingdom. Surrounded by his guards. His people. His power.
I was already trapped.
---
The blue chambers were beautiful.
Silk curtains. Soft carpets. A bed large enough for four people. Windows that overlooked gardens so perfect they looked painted.
A golden cage.
"Your bath is ready, my lady," the gray-haired woman said quietly.
I let her help me undress. Let her wash my hair. Let her treat me like porcelain that might shatter.
"What's your name?" I asked softly.
"Tala, my lady."
My heart stuttered. "Tala?"
She looked up, surprised. "Yes, my lady."
"I had a maid named Tala. In Nok."
Her expression softened slightly. "It's a common name."
"She was kind to me."
"Then she was wise." Tala began rinsing my hair. "Kindness to those who suffer is never wasted."
I wanted to ask what she meant. But her face had gone carefully blank again.
After the bath, she dressed me in deep blue silk. Pinned my white hair up, leaving a few strands to frame my face. Painted my lips a soft rose.
When I looked in the mirror, I barely recognized myself.
"You're very beautiful, my lady," Tala said quietly.
I met her eyes in the reflection. "Does it matter?"
"In this palace?" She paused. "Yes. Beauty is currency here. Use it wisely."
Before I could ask what she meant, there was a knock at the door.
"The king is ready for you, my lady."
---
His private chambers were nothing like I expected.
Smaller. Warmer. A table set for two by a crackling fire. Bookshelves lining the walls. Maps spread across a desk.
This was where he actually lived.
King Asher stood by the window, a glass of wine in his hand. He turned when I entered.
His eyes swept over me. Slowly. Deliberately.
Something flickered in his expression.
"Come here," he said.
I walked toward him. Stopped a few feet away.
He gestured to the chair across from his. "Sit."
I sat.
He poured wine into my glass. Set it in front of me.
"Drink."
I took a sip. It was rich. Warm.
He sat across from me, studying me over the rim of his glass.
"You're quiet," he observed.
I said nothing.
"Most women talk when they're nervous. They babble. Beg. Try to charm me." He tilted his head. "But not you."
I met his eyes. "Would it matter if I did?"
"No."
At least he was honest.
He gestured to the food. "Eat."
I picked up my fork. The food was exquisite. I tasted nothing.
We ate in silence for several minutes.
Finally, he spoke.
"Why did you ask for a divorce?"
I set down my fork. "Does it matter?"
"Yes."
I looked at him. Really looked at him. At the scar on his brow. The cold eyes. The hands that had signed papers condemning men to death.
"Because I've been a prisoner my entire life," I said quietly. "If this is just another tower, I'd rather die."
His expression didn't change. "And if it's not?"
"Then I'll know when I see it."
He leaned back in his chair. "You're not what I expected."
"Neither are you."
His eyebrow rose. "What did you expect?"
"A monster."
"And what do you see instead?"
I studied him carefully. "I haven't decided yet."
Something like amusement flickered in his eyes.
"Honest. I like that." He refilled his wine. "Do you know why I married you without seeing your face?"
I shook my head.
"Because everyone told me not to. They said you were cursed. Dangerous. Bad luck." He took a slow sip. "I wanted to see what they were so afraid of."
"And?"
He set down his glass. Stood. Walked around the table until he was standing beside my chair.
I froze.
His hand reached out. Touched my hair. Lifted a white strand and let it fall through his fingers.
"They were right to be afraid," he said quietly. "Just not for the reasons they thought."
I looked up at him. "What does that mean?"
He stared down at me with those ice-blue eyes.
"It means you're dangerous, Hazel. But not because you're cursed." His fingers traced my jaw. "Because you make me curious."
My breath caught.
"And curiosity," he murmured, "is a weakness I can't afford."
He stepped back. Returned to his seat.
"You'll stay in the east wing. You'll have freedom to walk the gardens. The library. Anywhere except the north tower." His eyes locked on mine. "That's where the other queens live."
"Why can't I go there?"
"Because I don't trust them not to kill you."
The words were casual. Matter-of-fact.
Like murder was just another Tuesday.
"They hate you already," he continued. "You're young. Beautiful. New. And I've never invited any of them to dine with me privately." He smiled coldly. "You're a threat."
"I don't want to be."
"Too late." He leaned forward. "You are. And that means you stay away from them until I decide what to do with you."
"What are you going to do with me?"
His smile turned dangerous.
"I haven't decided yet."
We stared at each other across the table.
Then he stood. "You're dismissed."
I stood too. Started toward the door.
"Hazel."
I stopped. Looked back.
He was watching me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.
"Don't try to run. I will find you. And I won't be gentle when I do."
It wasn't a threat.
It was a promise.
I walked back to my chambers in silence. Tala was waiting.
"How was dinner, my lady?"
I didn't answer. Just moved to the window. Stared out at the gardens bathed in moonlight.
At the walls surrounding the palace.
At the freedom I didn't have.
"My lady?"
I turned to face her.
Tala's eyes were kind. Patient.
And in that moment, I made a decision.
"Tala," I said quietly. "We need to run."