Chapter 2

I had barely stepped out of the temple when the ancient building behind me collapsed with a deafening crash. It had stood through every major event in the kingdom's history, and now it was gone.

I returned to the capital and walked straight into the castle. No one tried to stop me. I placed Callista's body inside the crystal coffin in Verdant Hall.

Then I went to find my foolish son—the king.

Before I could get far, a maid blocked my way. "Who let you in here? Everyone is celebrating the knighting of Lady Naia's brother. Why are you here?"

One look at the contempt on her face told me she thought I was Callista. It wasn't surprising. My daughter and I looked almost exactly alike. The late king used to joke that once Callista grew up and started wearing my dresses, even he wouldn't be able to tell us apart.

My eyes burned with tears, but I held them back and looked at the maid with all the authority I once had as queen.

"You lowborn wretch. The king will punish you for speaking to me like that."

The maid froze for a second before bursting into laughter.

"And what are you? Do you think you're still the pampered little princess you were when the late king and queen were alive?

"The king doesn't care about you. Ever since Lady Naia arrived in the capital, you've been the one sent off to marry the beasts. Your fiancé dumped you!

"When you went on a hunger strike so you could go to the temple, the king ordered me to bring you food. I starved you until you passed out. I thought he'd punish me, but he praised me!"

The other palace maids burst out laughing.

Only then did I realize that Callista's life during those years had been even worse than I thought.

Three years after I faked my death, the Duke of Highcourt sent Naia to the capital.

On her very first day there, Naia broke several things I had left Callista.

Callista was heartbroken, but instead of defending her, Theron lost his temper with her.

"They're just ordinary things. What's the harm in letting her play with them? Naia just lost her mother. Why would you show off the things Mother left you right in front of her?"

To make Naia happy, my idiot son ordered Callista to give her everything she owned.

Her dresses. Her jewelry. Her rooms. Even her title and authority.

In Naia's second year in the capital, she accused Callista of trying to slash her face.

Theron grabbed a dagger, cut Callista across the face, then slapped her.

"Don't think being my sister gives you the right to hurt people. You're vicious!"

By Naia's fourth year in the capital, even Charles, the man Callista was supposed to marry, had fallen for her.

"Why are you here? Lady Naia has already been more than generous to you. Do you want me to—"

The palace maid lifted her hand to slap me.

Before she could touch me, I drew my dagger and plunged it into her chest.

Her eyes went wide, and she died on the spot.

The other palace maids stumbled backward in horror.

"Y-you... You killed Lady Naia's handmaid! She came all the way from Highcourt with her! I'm telling the king!"

I didn't bother with the maids as they scattered. I crouched down and recited a severing spell.

The spell sliced the dead maid's head clean from her body. I picked it up and headed for the Silver Dome Court.

I pushed open the doors and walked through the music and dancing, carrying the bloody head until I reached Theron.

He was looking at Naia with open affection.

"The Rose of Highcourt, indeed. If Aphrodite herself came down to earth, I doubt she'd be any more beautiful. You're the only woman worthy of being this capital's princess!"

I threw the severed head at Theron's feet.

The entire hall fell silent. Every eye followed the trail of blood across the floor until they landed on me.

"I don't remember having a daughter other than Callista. And I certainly don't remember giving anyone else the right to call herself a princess."