Chapter 3

The people in the hall seemed to ignore what I'd just said. Instead, whispers broke out around me.

"Princess Callista? How did she get in here? The king's going to be furious. Weren't they supposed to keep her locked up in the dungeon?"

"But she's the late queen's only daughter. First they sent her to the beastmen, and now they're treating her like this. Can you really blame her for being angry?"

Before Theron could speak, Charles marched over with a deep frown.

He leaned close and hissed, "Callista, you actually managed to escape? Did you really have to ruin Naia's happiest day with something this disgusting?"

He glanced at the head on the floor, and his expression darkened.

"How can you be this cruel? You even brought a fake head here just to ruin the celebration! Apologize to her right now!"

I studied his face for a moment before finally recognizing him.

So this was the man the late king had chosen for Callista?

Charles looked a lot like his father. The old duke had always favored the illegitimate son he had with his first love, while Charles was pushed aside.

Charles had also lost his mother when he was very young.

One memory came back to me clearly. Charles had once been falsely accused of hurting his brother, and the old duke had both his legs broken as punishment.

Callista ignored every rule of proper behavior, climbed over the wall of the duke's estate, and secretly brought a doctor to his room. The doctor treated Charles just in time to save his legs from permanent damage.

Afterward, Callista used her position as a princess to secure his place in the family and make sure he inherited the title of duke.

Years ago, when Charles was still a boy, he had made a solemn vow before me in Apollo's name.

"I swear to devote the rest of my life to Princess Callista. If I ever break this oath, may the burning sun strip the flesh from my bones."

That boy was long gone. Now Charles couldn't even tell Callista from me.

Before I could answer him, Naia suddenly cried out. Tears immediately filled her eyes. "Th-that's Philippa's head... She's my handmaiden...

"It's all right, Duke Charles. This is my fault. I'm only a vassal duke's daughter, while Callista is a princess... If she wants to kill a maid, there's nothing I can do. Besides, she went to the beastmen in my place. Maybe I should just go back to Highcourt..."

The moment Charles saw her crying, his face hardened.

"Callista, can't you show a little kindness? You're a princess. You're supposed to put your people first. And you're already married. I'm a duke. Of course I can't marry you now. That has nothing to do with Naia. You've already been luckier than most people could ever dream of!"

"But isn't Naia a duke's daughter?" I asked.

"So what? You went to the beastmen, and Naia has had to put up with vicious rumors in the capital because of it!"

I couldn't believe it. How had the late king ever granted a dukedom to a family that produced someone like Charles?

And he had the nerve to call Callista lucky?

As far as I knew, the beastmen had wanted Naia in the first place. She refused to go, so they sent Callista instead.

Callista had cried and fought against it. She even starved herself.

Through her tears, she had begged Charles, "I'm your betrothed. How can you ask me to marry another man?"

Charles had held her in his arms and comforted her with a promise he never kept.

"A princess is born to protect her people. Don't be afraid. Just give me a few months. I'll defeat the beastmen and bring you home."

But Callista's life with the beastmen had been a nightmare.

When they realized they had been tricked, they threw her into a cage with their hounds and forced her to beg for her life.

She suffered one humiliation after another at their hands.

Had she thought of me while she was there? Had she wondered if any of this would have happened if I were still alive?

I couldn't bear to think about it. My daughter should never have suffered like that.

Charles mistook my silence for weakness. He leaned toward me and spoke into my ear. "Apologize and get out. For old times' sake, I'll put in a good word with your brother. Otherwise, he'll send you straight back to the dungeon. Then you won't even be allowed to visit the temple and mourn your mother!"

The people closest to you always know exactly where to hurt you most.

I muttered a spell and plunged my dagger into Charles.

Blood sprayed as the spell took hold.

Every word he tried to say came out as a dog's bark.

"Callista doesn't need to go to the temple to see me. I'll be right beside her from now on. But first, every last one of you will atone for your sin in blood."