CHAPTER FIFTEEN : THE QUEEN’S TEST

Elara’s POV

The Queen Mother did not raise her voice.

She didn’t need to.

Her quiet “How interesting” had already drawn the attention of several nobles nearby. Conversations softened. Heads turned slightly. Nothing obvious—court etiquette would never allow that—but enough to make the air feel tighter.

I forced myself to stand calmly beside Prince Adrian.

Inside, my heart was beating far too fast.

“Your Majesty,” Adrian said smoothly, bowing with practised elegance.

The Queen Mother regarded him with polite curiosity.

“You must be Prince Adrian of Valenwood,” she said.

“The same,” he replied.

“I’ve heard you possess remarkable charm.”

Adrian smiled faintly.

“I hope the rumours are kind.”

“They usually aren’t,” she said pleasantly.

Several nearby nobles chuckled softly.

Her gaze shifted to me.

“Lady Elara,” she said. “Walk with me.”

It was not a request.

I followed her through the hall as quietly as possible.

Every step felt like walking toward judgment.

The Queen Mother did not speak until we reached a quieter balcony overlooking the gardens.

The evening sky had begun to darken, the first stars appearing faintly above the palace towers.

She rested her hands lightly on the stone railing.

“You seem to have attracted quite a bit of attention today.”

“I didn’t intend to.”

“Attention rarely requires intention.”

Her eyes studied my face carefully.

“Prince Adrian appears very interested in you.”

“He is a polite guest.”

“And the king?”

My breath caught for the briefest moment.

“What about him?”

Her gaze sharpened slightly.

“You tell me.”

For a moment, I didn’t answer.

Because I knew the truth.

The Queen Mother was not asking casually.

She was measuring my reaction.

Watching.

Calculating.

“The king is my stepfather,” I said calmly.

The title sounded colder than it should have.

She held my gaze a moment longer.

Then, I finally nodded.

“Yes,” she said quietly.

“That is exactly what he is.”

But something in her tone suggested the matter was not entirely settled in her mind.

The Queen Mother turned back toward the court hall.

“You should consider Prince Adrian carefully.”

The words surprised me.

“He would be a powerful match.”

I blinked.

“You approve of him?”

“I approve of stability,” she said.

Her expression remained thoughtful.

“Valenwood is a strong ally. A marriage between their prince and a member of our royal household would strengthen that alliance considerably.”

So that was it.

Politics.

Strategy.

My life arranged neatly into a diplomatic solution.

“And what if I refuse?” I asked quietly.

Her eyebrow lifted slightly.

“You won’t.”

The certainty in her voice sent a chill down my spine.

When we returned to the court hall, the atmosphere shifted again.

Music played louder.

Wine flowed more freely.

But the tension I felt had nothing to do with celebration.

My eyes found Caelan immediately.

He stood near the council table, speaking with two lords, but his attention was elsewhere.

Watching.

Waiting.

And the moment I stepped back into the room—

Our eyes met.

For a brief second, the world seemed to narrow again.

Then Prince Adrian appeared beside me.

“Ah,” he said warmly. “You survived.”

I exhaled quietly.

“Barely.”

“Should I be concerned?”

“Probably.”

Adrian chuckled softly.

“Well, that only makes things more exciting.”

He offered his arm again.

This time, I didn’t hesitate.

Across the room, I felt the king’s attention sharpen instantly.

Adrian leaned closer as we began walking slowly across the hall.

“Do you know what fascinates me most about royal courts?” he murmured.

“What?”

“The games.”

His eyes flickered toward the throne.

“Everyone pretending not to want what they clearly want.”

My stomach tightened.

“You enjoy provoking people.”

“Only when they’re interesting.”

His smile turned slightly mischievous.

“And your king is very interesting.”

Halfway across the hall, a royal attendant approached us.

“Prince Adrian,” he said formally. “His Majesty requests your presence.”

Adrian looked delighted.

“Well,” he murmured, “this should be fun.”

He squeezed my hand lightly before releasing it and walking toward the king.

I remained where I stood.

From across the hall, I watched the two men face each other.

Adrian bowed.

Caelan spoke quietly.

But even from a distance, the tension between them was unmistakable.

Adrian said something that made the king’s jaw tighten.

Then Adrian laughed.

Soft.

Confident.

Dangerous.

And suddenly, I understood something terrifying.

Prince Adrian knew exactly what he was doing.

Moments later, Adrian returned.

Looking entirely pleased with himself.

“Well,” he said lightly, “that was enlightening.”

“What happened?”

“I asked the king for permission to court you.”

My heart stopped.

“You what?”

Adrian grinned.

“And he said yes.”

The room seemed to tilt slightly.

“He didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about it,” Adrian added thoughtfully.

“But kings rarely are when they’re losing something.”

Later that night…

A message arrived at my door.

The east garden. Midnight.

No name.

None was needed.

The garden was quiet again when I arrived.

Moonlight silvered the roses.

And Caelan stood waiting near the fountain.

“You shouldn’t have asked him that,” I said immediately.

“And yet he said yes.”

His voice was tight with controlled anger.

“That’s because refusing would raise questions.”

“And allowing it doesn’t?”

“It gives me time.”

“For what?”

His answer came as he stepped closer.

“For this.”

His hands found my face gently.

And this kiss was nothing like the first.

There was no hesitation this time.

No careful restraint.

Just weeks of tension finally breaking free.

When we finally pulled apart, both of us were breathing harder.

“This has to stop,” he said quietly.

But neither of us moved away.

Because now the situation has become impossible.

Prince Adrian was officially courting me.

The Queen Mother was watching carefully.

And the king…

The king had just kissed the woman another man intended to marry.

The palace had become a battlefield.

And I was standing directly in the middle of it.