LOGINEvelynTwo Years LaterThe gardens outside the palace were alive with late-spring blossoms, their perfume carried on a gentle breeze to fill my nose, as my daughter’s laughter, bright and bubbling, carried across the lawn. I watched her reemerge into view, weaving through the rose bushes as she chas
Evelyn The throne room of my father’s palace had never looked so magnificent. Banners in silver and deep royal blue draped from the vaulted ceilings, fine designs embroidered into every piece of fabric. Torches burned in golden sconces, their flames reflected in polished marble floors. The air carr
Logan Two Months LaterThe room was awash with candlelight from the hundreds of candles lining the space. They collectively cast their amber glow on the stone walls, giving our surroundings a soft appearance.Laughter and music poured through the air, filling every corner with celebration. Tonight
LoganThe tavern was alive with laughter. It felt like everyone else there had something to celebrate as well.Around us floated the sound of clinking glasses and the scent of roasted meats wafting through the air. The scene was incredibly jovial and a far cry from the war councils and court politi
“He loves her,” I said quietly, though the words sounded fragile echoing against the empty walls of the throne room. “And you would punish him for it.”“Love is only worth so much,” my father said, the warmth of a moment ago gone. His eyes hardened. “A ruler must make decisions based on what is best
EvelynThe throne room always felt too large. It had been so long since I had been inside the vast, sprawling space, and even then, it had been filled with others for my brother’s princely coronation ceremony when he was fourteen. But now it was just us, my father and I. There weren’t even guards in
Evelyn didn’t speak again for a while. She stitched my side with practiced hands, her face pale and tight with concentration. Every now and then, her fingers trembled. She wiped at her eyes once when she thought I wasn’t looking.“You’re angry,” I said.She didn’t answer.“You blame me?”“No,” she s
EvelynLogan hadn’t spoken to me in days.The silence should have been a relief. After all the tension, the arguments, the way his eyes used to follow me like a storm, I thought I’d finally be free of the weight of it all. I should’ve felt lighter, untethered. Instead, I felt hollowed out.It was li
“You alright?” I asked, turning to scan the chaos around us. We were exposed out here.“I— I think so,” he stuttered, voice shaking. He looked so frightened, so young.“You think or you know?”He straightened, teeth clenched. “I’m good.”“Then fight like it.”Another rogue spotted us, this one sprin
I turned away from him without answering. He cursed behind me but didn’t follow.Later, back at the field camp, I paced like a caged animal. My body ached from overuse, and my palms were stained with dried blood, but I couldn’t stop moving. Warriors came in waves—some bruised, some broken, all needi







