Chapter 2

Without the Chalice of Calm, I coughed up blood every two hours. Each time, it came as a black liquid streaked with a silvery sheen.

I tucked my bloodstained handkerchief beneath my pillow after every fit. By the end of the night, the pillow itself had already been soaked through with my blood.

…

On the third morning, an imperial clerk came to my quarters.

"Congratulations, Lady Undine! Your wedding will take place seven days from now. I have the record of your measurements so we can tailor your wedding dress. Please, have a look."

I could not, in fact, have a look. Instead, I reached out and felt the fabric he offered. It was soft, silky, and cool beneath my fingertips. From the texture of the embroidery alone, I could tell the needlework was exquisite.

The clerk continued fussing over the record. "The future queen shall have gold trim, while the royal consort shall have silver trim..."

I froze. "The royal consort?"

The clerk realized he had let the secret slip.

"U-Um, well... I... I..." He faltered for a moment before finally confessing. "His Highness said Lady Giselle saved his life, so he owes it to her to bring her into the royal family as well. She will... Well, be the royal consort..."

He spoke quickly, as though afraid I would fly into a rage. "His Highness also said he intends to honor the proper hierarchy among his consorts. You'll always be his queen and wife, so..."

I listened in silence.

Three years ago, Emile Albrecht had been a prisoner awaiting execution. Heavy snow had blanketed the city, yet I had knelt outside the prison for more than three days in support of him.

He had reached for me through the bars, his face smeared with dried blood. "Once I'm out of here, I'll marry you and only you. No one could ever replace you, Undine. My life will always belong to you."

I performed Soulforging for the second time and rewrote his fate, clearing his name in the process. He became the heir apparent, while I lost my sight.

And now he was going to marry another woman alongside me and make her his consort. We were supposed to wear our wedding dresses on the same day, pledging our lives to the same man.

I barely had time to process the revelation before I heard someone open the door to my quarters.

The footsteps were featherlight. A thick, cloying perfume reached me.

Giselle had arrived.

"I heard the wedding dresses are finished. I need to try mine on and see whether it fits," she mewed, her voice so sweet it tasted like poison.

I ignored her, though my fingers tightened around my walking stick. Emile had carved it for me after I first lost my sight. He had spent three days making it, working so tirelessly that blisters covered his hands by the time he finished. He had wanted every measurement to fit me perfectly.

He had told me the walking stick would be his eyes. As long as I held it, a part of him would always be with me.

A sudden force slammed into my shoulder.

I staggered as my legs gave out, and my knees struck the corner of the bed. The walking stick flew from my grasp as pain and shock forced my fingers open.

I heard it snap once, then twice.

Giselle planted her foot on the broken pieces. She ground her heel against them until they creaked.

"Oh no! I'm sorry! It was an accident. I lost my footing..." A giggle hid beneath her apology as I crawled across the floor, feeling desperately for my stick.

My fingertips brushed the splintered wood and traced the familiar carvings he had left behind.

Then I heard a flurry of hurried footsteps outside. Emile had arrived.

"What happened?"

Giselle responded before I could.

"Your Highness! I accidentally slipped and broke Undine's walking stick! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!" she cried, her voice trembling with tears.

I gathered two broken pieces into my hands and lifted my face, my lips quivering. Somehow, I could feel him looking at me. "You made this for me, Emile. Do you remember?"

Silence ensued.

Then Emile walked toward me and crouched beside me. He ignored the broken walking stick. Instead, he pulled a heavy tiara from his pocket and gently settled it onto my head.

He glanced at the shattered stick, his expression darkening. Then he lifted me into a bridal carry despite my resistance, holding me against his chest.

Resting his chin atop my head, he spoke in a low, hoarse voice. "It's broken beyond repair, so don't dwell on it. Let bygones be bygones.

"From now on, I'll be your eyes. Whenever walking becomes difficult, I'll carry you wherever you want to go for the rest of your life."

He tightened his arms around me. His voice remained steady. "I'm marrying her to repay a debt. But you're the only woman my heart will ever belong to. So don't let this weigh on you. It hurts me to see you in pain."

Then he left.

Giselle left as well.

Before she walked out, she deliberately passed close to me and whispered, "His Highness treats you so well, Undine! Don't worry about me. I know I'm only a consort. I would never overstep my place!"

My quarters finally fell silent.

I reached up and touched the tiara. It was heavy, cold, and pressed so hard against my scalp that it hurt.

I tore it from my head and hurled it onto the floor. The sharp clang of metal striking stone echoed through the room.

Another force stirred inside me.

I turned aside and vomited blackened blood once more. The silvery light within it faded away.

The second fragment of my soul was gone.