MasukShare
Chapter 31: The Weight of the Crown
Tanggal publikasi:
2026-05-09 18:10:09The knock had long since faded, replaced by the quiet shuffle of the servant who had delivered the message. Selene and Orion lingered in the warm light of their chamber, Camille cooing softly in her crib, a small tether of life and normalcy in the middle of the shifting palace. The message had been simple, direct: the council awaited them. No ceremony, just the gravity of expectation. Selene rose first, brushing a strand of chestnut hair behind her ear. Her eyes, icy-blue and sharper than
Bab terbaru
Mate In The Shadows Chapter 55: The Last Frost
The cold arrived before dawn. Not ordinary winter cold. Not the sort people had grown accustomed to over the past months. This was sharper. Meaner. The kind that slipped through cracks in doors and settled into bones. The kind that made people wake up already annoyed.By sunrise, frost coated nearly every rooftop in the city. Windowpanes glittered white. Stone streets sparkled beneath a thin layer of ice. The fountain in the market square had frozen around the edges during the night, and several merchants immediately began complaining about it. As tradition demanded. "I can't feel my fingers." "You have gloves." "They aren't helping." "You said that yesterday." "Because it was true yesterday too." The argument continued. Nearby, children ran through the streets laughing as though they had been personally gifted the greatest weather imaginable. One little boy slid across an icy patch and nearly crashed into a snowbank. His friends applauded. Adults shook their heads. Children re
Mate In The Shadows Chapter 54: First Days
The silence woke Selene. Not because it was loud. Because it wasn't. For several moments she remained where she was, staring at the ceiling and trying to identify exactly what felt wrong. The room was warm. The fire had burned low during the night. Snowlight filtered softly through the curtains. Everything appeared perfectly normal. Which was suspicious. Camille was nowhere to be heard. Selene sat up immediately. The cradle beside the bed was empty. She stared. Then blinked. Then stared harder. "...Orion?" No answer. The other side of the bed was empty. Selene narrowed her eyes. That explained absolutely nothing. She pushed aside the blankets and stood. The palace was not in danger. She knew that. If something serious had happened, she would have known already. This felt different. This felt like baby-related trouble. Which was somehow its own category. Selene wrapped a robe around herself and stepped into the adjoining sitting room. Then stopped. Orion occupied one of the armchai
Mate In The Shadows Chapter 53: The Turning Year
A few days later, the palace found itself preparing for the final evening of the year. Not with urgency or endless ceremonies. Simply with tradition. The sort of traditions people followed because their parents had followed them. And their grandparents before that. Traditions nobody questioned anymore because they had become part of life itself. Throughout the city below, lanterns already appeared outside homes. Small lights. Warm lights. Families would leave them burning through the night to welcome the coming year and guide good fortune toward their doors. Children ran through snowy streets carrying paper lanterns nearly as large as their heads. Shopkeepers decorated windows. Bakers prepared special breads. And somewhere, inevitably, somebody was already arguing about the proper way to celebrate. As tradition demanded.Inside the palace, things were not much different. Camille sat in the middle of a blanket on the floor. Looking offended. Very offended. The cause of this inj
Mate In The Shadows Chapter 52: Among Familiar Faces
Breakfast had already been underway for several minutes when Evangeline finally decided she could not ignore it any longer. The dining room felt comfortably alive that morning. Snow drifted lazily beyond the tall windows while servants moved quietly between tables carrying fresh bread, tea, and warm dishes. Camille occupied Selene's lap. Or rather, half of Selene's lap. The five-month-old had recently discovered that sitting upright offered significantly better opportunities to observe the world. She now took that responsibility very seriously. At present she was watching a spoon. Watching it with deep suspicion.Across the table, Orion appeared entirely invested in a discussion with Quilan regarding winter supply routes. Sable read. Or pretended to. Elira drank tea. Theron looked like he had already disagreed with somebody at least twice. Everything felt normal. Which was exactly why Evangeline finally spoke. "Can I ask something?" Selene glanced up. Evangeline pointed her fork light
Mate In The Shadows Chapter 51: Between Snowfalls
The palace remained quiet for all of thirty minutes. Then Orion returned. Fresh winter air followed him into the royal chambers as he stepped through the door, brushing a few lingering snowflakes from his shoulders. He had spent part of the morning checking on the training grounds and speaking with a few of the guards rotating through the outer walls. Nothing urgent. Just life continuing. The sort of responsibilities that never truly disappeared.The fire still burned steadily in the hearth. Selene slept peacefully beneath the blankets. And Camille was awake now. The five-month-old laid beside her mother, entirely occupied with a lock of chestnut hair she had somehow claimed as her own. Orion stepped into the chambers and stopped. Orion watched the scene for a moment. Then chuckled softly. Camille looked up immediately at the familiar sound. Her eyes brightened. The hair remained firmly in her grasp. "That doesn't belong to you," he informed her. Camille ignored him. Orion
Mate In The Shadows Chapter 50: Five Months
A little over a week later, winter settled more deeply over the kingdom. Snow covered rooftops in soft white layers. Frost decorated palace windows each morning. The northern winds still arrived sharp enough to remind everyone exactly where they lived, though the palace itself remained warm beneath roaring fireplaces and thick stone walls. Five months had passed. Five months since Camille's arrival. Five months since an impossibly small child had somehow managed to reorganize the lives of everyone around her. Selene discovered this fact at dawn. At first she thought she was dreaming. Voices drifted softly through the room. Someons talking. Whispering.She opened one eye. Then blinked. Then stared. Orion sat cross-legged on the floor near the fireplace. Camille sat propped carefully against several pillows in front of him. They appeared to be having a conversation. A very serious conversation. Unfortunately only one of them spoke a recognizable language. "Ba." Orion nodded.."I
Mate In The Shadows Chapter 45: The Sound Of Arrival
By afternoon, the palace no longer felt merely busy. It felt alive in every direction at once. From the upper gallery overlooking the central halls, Selene stood still for one brief moment simply watching the chaos unfold beneath her. Servants crossed the marble floors carrying towering winter
Mate In The Shadows Chapter 44: The Rhythm Of Morning
Winter mornings arrived quietly inside the palace now. Not silent. It was never silent. Just softer than they once had been. Before dawn fully broke across the mountains, servants already moved through the upper corridors carrying fresh wood for the fireplaces while warm golden light flickered aw
Mate In The Shadows Chapter 43: The Shape Of Winter
A few months had passed. Winter arrived quietly. Not all at once. Just slowly enough for the palace to wake one morning beneath pale silver skies and realize the world had changed around it. Snow dusted the outer walls in soft layers while lanternlight glowed warmly against stone pathways below
Mate In The Shadows Chapter 42: What Remains After Survival
Dusk settled slowly across the palace, washing the stone corridors in gold and amber while lanterns flickered awake one by one beneath the deepening sky. Below the upper balconies, the courtyards remained alive with movement; servants carrying trays toward the dining halls, musicians tuning instr
Anda juga akan menyukai
I Am The Luna
Moonlight Muse3.1M DibacaPregnant, I left him To His First Love
Collins Patrick 522.6K DibacaKing Alejandro: The Return Of Her Cold-Hearted Alpha
Moonlight Muse633.0K DibacaAlpha Kai
J. Tarr512.5K DibacaWhen the moon binds us
Daisy~writes157 DibacaThe Lycan King's Silver Mate
OTHNIELLA87 DibacaToo Curvy To Be Luna, Too Strong To Break
SusuP34 DibacaToo Late To Claim Me
Denny Ink20 Dibaca
