Chapter 17

Hannah’s POV

Everything felt… heavy.

Like I was being pulled under something I couldn’t fight.

Voices echoed around me, but they were distant. Faint. Like I was underwater and the world was happening somewhere above me.

I tried to move.

Nothing.

My body didn’t respond.

A small panic started to build in my chest.

Am I… dying?

The thought came slowly, but once it did, it refused to leave.

No.

No, I couldn’t be.

Not yet.

Not when my mum just

The memory hit me all at once.

Her face.

Her voice.

The way she looked at me the last time I saw her.

My chest tightened painfully.

“Mum…”

The word barely formed in my mind, but the pain that followed was sharp.

Too sharp.

And then

Darkness shifted.

I gasped softly as my eyes fluttered open.

The ceiling above me came into view, unfamiliar but slowly becoming clear.

My room.

The palace.

Right.

Reality settled in, and with it came everything else.

The exhaustion.

The weakness.

The emptiness.

I swallowed, my throat dry.

For a second, I just laid there, staring blankly.

Then I felt it.

A presence.

I turned my head slightly.

Kael.

He was sitting beside the bed.

Still.

Quiet.

Watching me.

I didn’t know how long he had been there.

Or why.

“You’re awake,” he said.

His voice was calm, like always.

But there was something different underneath it.

Something I couldn’t quite name.

I tried to sit up, but my body protested immediately.

A soft groan escaped my lips.

Before I could try again, his hand moved.

Firm.

Gentle.

He pushed me back down slightly.

“Don’t,” he said. “You’re not strong enough yet.”

I frowned.

“I’m fine,” I whispered, even though I clearly wasn’t.

His jaw tightened.

“You collapsed.”

“I’ve been worse.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

A silence followed.

Heavy.

His eyes stayed on me, studying me like he was trying to figure something out.

“Why didn’t you eat?” he asked.

Straight to the point.

Of course.

I looked away.

“I wasn’t hungry.”

A lie.

We both knew it.

“You’re lying.”

I let out a small breath.

“I didn’t feel like sitting across from people who think they own me.”

There it was.

The truth.

It hung between us, sharp and uncomfortable.

For a second, I thought he’d snap.

Or get angry.

Or remind me of my place.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he leaned back slightly in his chair, his gaze never leaving mine.

“We don’t think,” he said slowly.

“We know.”

My chest tightened.

Of course.

That’s how they saw it.

Control.

Power.

Ownership.

I laughed softly, but there was no humor in it.

“That doesn’t make it better.”

“No,” he agreed.

That caught me off guard.

I blinked at him.

“You agree?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he looked away briefly, like he was choosing his words carefully.

Then

“This wasn’t supposed to be complicated.”

I frowned.

“What does that mean?”

His eyes returned to mine.

“It means,” he said, his voice quieter now, “you weren’t supposed to matter.”

The words hit harder than they should have.

I looked away quickly, pretending it didn’t affect me.

“Well,” I muttered, “you should’ve chosen someone else.”

Another silence.

But this one felt… different.

Less tense.

More… uncertain.

A knock interrupted the moment.

Neither of us moved at first.

Then Kael stood up.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Tianna stepped in, holding a tray.

Her eyes immediately went to me, relief washing over her face.

“My lady… you’re awake.”

I gave her a small nod.

“I’m okay.”

She didn’t look convinced.

She placed the tray on the table and walked closer.

“You need to eat,” she said gently.

I opened my mouth to protest m

Then stopped.

My stomach betrayed me with a quiet growl.

Great.

Kael noticed.

Of course he did.

“Eat,” he said simply.

I rolled my eyes slightly but didn’t argue this time.

I didn’t have the strength to.

Tianna helped me sit up slowly, placing a pillow behind my back.

Every movement felt heavier than it should.

Like my body didn’t fully belong to me.

She handed me the tray.

I stared at the food for a second.

Then started eating.

Slowly.

Quietly.

The room remained silent.

Too silent.

And then

The memory flashed again.

Selene.

Her face.

That moment.

My hand froze mid-air.

My breathing hitched.

“Hey”

Tianna’s voice came quickly, soft but concerned.

I shook my head slightly.

“I’m fine…”

But I wasn’t.

Not even close.

I looked up.

At Kael.

“…don’t let her come near me.”

The words came out firmer this time.

Clear.

Intentional.

His expression didn’t change much.

But I saw it.

That shift in his eyes.

That understanding.

“She won’t,” he said.

And for some reason…

I believed him.

But deep down

I knew this wasn’t over.

Not even close.