THE KING'S SECRET

The next morning, a royal guard entered Maya’s classroom and walked to her desk.

“Miss Hart.”

Every student turned to look.

“His Majesty request your presence.”

Whispers immediately spread through the classroom. Maya ignored them and followed the guard outside.

Damien was already waiting near the academy gates. He wasn’t wearing his royal uniform. He was wearing a black training jacket and a simple black pant.

Without the crown and the royal cape, he didn’t seem regal or royal, just a normal everyday man.

Behind him stood two large black horses.

“We are leaving the academy?” Maya asked.

“For a few hours.”

“Why?”

“You have to learn how to control your powers.” His eyes settled on her.

“If it happens again in the middle of campus. Innocent students could get hurt.”

Maya looked down.

“I don’t even know how it happened.”

“I know.” His voice remained calm. “That’s why we’re going somewhere quiet.”

The ride beyond Silverclaw felt strangely peaceful. The academy disappeared behind rows of towering pine trees.

Cold mountain air brushed against Maya’s face. She had never traveled far into Frostpine before.

The forest looked untouched. Birds flew between the ancient branches.

They eventually reached a wide clearing surrounded by cliffs. A waterfall poured into a clear blue lake. The only sounds were rushing water and distant birds.

Damien climbed off his horse. “This place belongs to the royal family.”

Maya looked around.

He walked toward the center of the clearing. “Come.”

She followed.

“I want you to relax.”

Maya laughed awkwardly. “I don’t think I’m very good at relaxing.”

His lips almost curved into a smile. “Close your eyes.”

She obeyed.

“Take a deep breath.”

The wind brushed through her hair.

“Now…” His voice became softer. “Think about what happened that night.”

Immediately her heartbeat increased.

“I…” Her breathing became uneven. “I can’t.”

“You can.” His voice stayed steady. “I’m here.”

Something about those words, settled the panic inside her.

She inhaled slowly. Nothing happened. She inhaled again. Nothing.

Some minutes passed and there was still nothing.

Finally, Maya opened her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.”

They rested beside the water.

Damien sat on a fallen tree while Maya skipped a small stone across the lake. It bounced twice before sinking.

She reached into her bag.

Damien’s shoulder became tense when he recognized the photograph.

“I found writing on the back.”

She handed it to him. “Do you know who wrote it?” she asked watching him.

Damien did not answer.

“Did my mother need protection?”

Damien’s fingers tightened around the old photograph. “I told you I can’t answer your questions. If I do… your life will never be the same again.”

The silence stretched between them.

Maya slowly walked closer to the edge of the lake. The clear water reflected the mountains behind them. She looked down at her own reflection.

“When I arrived at Silverclaw…”

Damien turned toward her.

“…I thought I could start over.” She wrapped both arms around herself.

Damien listened without interrupting.

“But now…” She looked back at him. “…my life is even worse than after Lucas rejected me. Now, people are scared of me.”

Damien wished he could simply tell her everything. But he stood there with nothing but silence.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew through the clearing causing Maya to shiver.

Without thinking Damien removed his jacket and held it toward her. “You’ll get cold.”

She hesitated. ”I’ll be fine.”

“Take it.”

Their fingers brushed as she accepted it. Maya quickly slipped the jacket over her shoulders.

She could smell cedar wood and the faint scent that always surrounded him. for reasons she couldn’t explain, it made her feel safe.

The afternoon passed without success. Her powers refused to appear again.

As they prepared to leave, Damien walked up behind her.

“When people look at a king… they believe I always know what to do,” he started, looking in the direction of the water.

“The truth is… there are days when I question every decision I’ve ever made.”

Maya never expected someone as powerful as Damien to feel this way.

“I think you are doing better than you realize,” she said in a soft voice.

Damien looked at her. Despite everything, she still found kindness. Most people would have become bitter but she hadn’t.

“You’re stronger than you know,” he said quietly.

Maya blinked. “I don’t feel strong.”

“Strength isn’t the absence of fear.” He looked directly into her eyes. “It’s choosing to keep walking despite it.”

Maya suddenly became aware of how close they were standing. Her heartbeat quickened and she stepped back first.

“So…” she cleared her throat. “We should probably head back.”

Damien nodded once. “Yes,” his voice sounded quieter than before.

****

Back at Silverclaw, Ethan was waiting outside the girls’ dormitory.

“You’ve been gone all day,” he said, the moment he saw Maya climbing down from the king’s horse.

Maya nodded. “We were training.”

Ethan looked at Damien. “Training.”

Damien climbed off his horse. “Miss Hart’s safety is now a royal concern.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “Is that a new jacket?”

Maya looked down. “Oh.” She quickly removed it. “I forgot I was wearing this.”

Damien accepted the jacket without saying anything. He mounted his horse.

“If anything unusual happens,” he said to Maya, “send word immediately.”

“I will.”

He nodded once before riding away.

Ethan watched until the Alpha King disappeared among the trees. “The way he looks at you...”

Maya shrugged. “I’m the student who almost destroyed half the school… He’s worried.”

He looked toward the road Damien had taken. “That wasn’t the look of a teacher.”

Maya’s heart stumbled. “Stop imagining things.”

“Alright,” he sighed. “But I know what I saw.”

They walked toward the boys’ dormitories.

“I know you are worried,” Maya said.

“I am.”

Maya stopped walking and looked at him. “He is the Alpha King.”

“I am not saying he’s a bad man,” he took a slow breath.

“I’m saying when influential people like him gets close to somebody as lowly as us,” he paused and exhaled sharply, “the ones who suffer from it are the ‘lower’ ones.”

Maya became quiet. She wanted to argue but she couldn’t. Because deep inside, she had already begun to notice the strange feelings she got whenever Damien is around her.