تسجيل الدخولمشاركة
CHAPTER FOUR (DEATH AWAITS)
آخر تحديث:
2025-10-24 22:53:49CHAPTER FOUR
“This way, my lady. The road to your room,” a gentle voice said beside me.
I turned to find a new girl walking next to me, her hands folded neatly in front of her.
“Almost forgot,” I murmured, trying to steady my mind.
“Should I send the girls away?” she asked.
“Which girls?” I frowned.
“These ones,” she gestured to the group of maids following behind us.
“Oh. Sure. Finally.” I exhaled, relieved. “Someone I can actually talk to.”
The others curtsied and quietly disappeared down the hallway. My new companion lingered, her steps light but graceful.
“I’ve heard of these ladies,” I said, glancing back. “Aren’t they sworn to secrecy or something?”
“Yes, Your Highness,” she replied. “And we did everything possible to conceal the news of your accident. Don’t worry, the king has no idea about what happened.”
I stopped walking.
“What?”
She turned, bowing her head. “I’m deeply sorry, my queen. I should’ve been there. You fell from your horse this morning after sending a letter to Sire Rowland for the meet up”
“Sire who?” I asked, my chest tightening.
“Sire Rowland,” she said softly. “His Majesty’s closest friend. You were supposed to meet him later today, but you tripped before you reached there.”
“I see…she tripped and I got transported here”
My brain froze.
Wait… Rowland? Alaric’s best friend? The same man from the history books?
“You mean… the same Rowland that-”
“Yes, my lady.” She bit her lip. “You were in quite a hurry to see him. It was urgent.”
I didn’t even realize I’d stopped breathing until I let out a bitter laugh.
Of course. Of course this was happening.
The queen whose body I was trapped in wasn’t just any royal wife,vshe was the infamous woman who cheated on the Raven King.
“For heaven’s sake,” I muttered, dragging my hand through my hair. “I defended her in class, and now I’m paying for her mess.”
The lady looked startled but didn’t dare speak.
We finally entered a large chamber. Golden curtains, white marble floors, a tall mirror that looked like it belonged in a museum. I sank into a nearby chair, exhausted.
She stood beside me quietly.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
Her eyes widened, almost like I’d spoken in another language. “Valerie, my lady.”
“Well, Valerie,” I sighed, “you can relax. I’m not going to kill you or whatever it is you people think I do.”
She hesitated, unsure if she should smile. “Forgive me, Your Highness. I shouldn’t have left you alone earlier.”
“I’m not your queen,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. “My name is Liana. I’m from the year 2025. I don’t know what I’m doing here, but I need to go back.”
Valerie blinked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“I’ll… call the royal physician,” she stammered.
“I said I’m fine!” I snapped. “Just take me to the relic before I lose it.”
“The relic?” she echoed. “There’s no relic, my queen.”
“What do you mean there’s no relic? That’s literally how I got here!”
She looked terrified. “Your Majesty, please, you must rest. You’ve had a head injury…”
“No,” I interrupted. “I demand to see the king.”
Her face went pale. “Your Majesty?”
“Yes. The king. I need to tell him everything.”
“No,” she whispered urgently, gripping my sleeve. “You can’t. If His Majesty finds out about your… about Sire Rowland, he’ll have you executed.”
I froze.
Executed.
That word alone sent chills down my spine.
“I’m responsible for your life,” Valerie continued, her voice breaking. “If you die, I die too. Please, don’t do anything foolish.”
I sank deeper into the chair, pressing my fingers against my temples. This was worse than I thought. If Alaric even suspected anything, both of us were done for.
“Okay, fine,” I said after a long pause. “I just need to think.”
But my mind was spinning.
If the relic brought me here, maybe another object could take me back. Something tied to Queen Elara’s spirit.
“Is there any painting of me around here?” I asked suddenly. “Something drawn by… Monk Alphonso.”
Her expression changed instantly. “No, my lady. You hate him. You never allowed him to draw you.”
“Why?”
“You said he was cursed. That he always painted what the soul hides.”
I swallowed hard. “Perfect,” I muttered under my breath.
Monk Alphonso. The only man who recorded Alaric’s story. Maybe he was the key to all this.
I stood up abruptly. “Where does His Majesty sleep?”
Valerie blinked rapidly. “His chambers, my lady.”
“I want to see him tonight.”
Her mouth fell open. “What? No, absolutely not.”
“Why not? We’re married, aren’t we?”
“Well… yes, but…”
“But what?”
She hesitated, twisting her fingers. “You and His Majesty… you’re not exactly… happily married.”
I frowned. “Meaning?”
“You despise him, Your Highness. You refuse to share his chambers. You barely speak unless it’s necessary. If you suddenly appear there tonight, everyone will think something’s wrong.”
“Something is wrong,” I said under my breath.
“My lady, please, let me call the royal physician. Perhaps your memories”
“Valerie.” I looked up sharply, channeling whatever authority I had left. “I said no.”
She dropped to her knees immediately. “Forgive me, Your Majesty.”
I sighed. I hated this power,this fake fear people showed me,but I had no choice.
“I need to be dressed,” I said finally. “If I’m going to survive here, I have to start acting like a queen.”
She nodded quickly and went to fetch the garments.
As she left, I walked toward the mirror. My reflection stared back at me, the face of a woman whose life was tangled in betrayal and secrets. The infamous queen.
I traced my fingers along the edge of the glass. “Why me, Elara?” I whispered. “Why pull me into your story?”
The reflection didn’t answer, but something deep in my gut told me this was only the beginning.
If I wanted to return home, I needed Monk Alphonso’s help.
If I wanted to survive, I needed to win Alaric’s trust.
But the question that haunted me most was simple
Was I here to save him… or to finish what Elara started?
أحدث فصل
THE RAVEN KING’S BRIDE CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN : A FORMIDABLE INSIDER
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVENELARA’S POVI’m getting married.The sentence replayed in my head over and over again as I paced the length of my chamber. The word didn’t make sense.It didn’t exist in history. Not in the memories I carried. Not in the past I knew.My hands trembled slightly as I stopped near the window and stared out at the dark palace gardens. The wind rustled through the trees, making the leaves whisper secrets to the night.This had to be it.The war?The same war Alaric fought in the history I remembered. The one he returned from with a broken heart after seeing me in bed with Rowland.My stomach twisted painfully.If that future was already starting to shift… if events were already rearranging themselves… then I was running out of time.I resumed pacing.Every step felt heavier than the last.I had to stay away from Rowland.That much was clear.Until I understood what was happening, until I knew exactly where fate was trying to drag us, I couldn’t risk repeating the same m
THE RAVEN KING’S BRIDE CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX: A PREDICTED WAR
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIXELARA’S POVThe moment he said it, the world inside my chest shattered.“I’m getting married.”For a second I thought I had heard him wrong. The words echoed in my head like a cruel joke that refused to fade.“You say what?” I asked slowly, my voice barely holding together.Alaric didn’t even look disturbed. He stood near the window, his back half turned to me, the fading evening light stretching across his shoulders like a crown made of shadows.“I said I’m getting married,” he repeated, his tone calm. Too calm.My heart slammed violently against my ribs.He had to be joking.This was not supposed to happen. It was never part of the plan. Not in the past. Not in the future. Not in any history I knew.My voice rose before I could stop it.“Get married to who?” I demanded, stepping closer. “Who the hell are you getting married to?”Now he turned fully toward me, his expression cold and distant. The kind of look that made it feel like he had already pushed me out of hi
THE RAVEN KING’S BRIDE CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE: PLANS FOR A NEW WOMAN
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVEALARIC’S POVThe worst part about betrayal is not the anger. It is the doubt that follows after.I had convinced myself I was done with her. I had repeated it like a prayer for two whole days. “I disgusted her”, that was what she said. The words still rang in my ears, sharp and humiliating. I had sworn with every fiber in me that I would deal with her. I would make her life miserable just as she had done with mine. And yet the moment I saw her in that hall , something inside me shifted.Her stare was not cruel. It was not mocking. It was not the look of a woman who despised her husband. It was steady. Almost pleading. And when she stepped forward, willing to sacrifice herself for those fools, I felt something twist in my chest.It did not make sense.Something about the whole situation sounded wrong. The missing money. The way it unfolded. The way she carried herself. I was already searching for a way to avert the trial even before I admitted it to myself. I did no
THE RAVEN KING’S BRIDE CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR: GUILTY
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOURELARA’S POV“Announcing…..”The heavy doors burst open.“My king.”Every head turned at once.Rowland.He strode in with authority and bowed deeply before Alaric, his voice calm but urgent.“Sire Rowland,” Alaric said, surprise flickering across his face. “What a pleasant surprise. I learned you had traveled.”“I have returned, my king,” Rowland replied. “And I bring something that will interest you. I looked into the gold case, and we discovered something… enlightening.”The court stirred.Alaric leaned back slightly. “As you already know, the missing coins were found in the queen’s chambers. I have chosen to grant her a trial instead of immediate punishment. What is it that you have found?”Rowland lifted his chin. “It may delight you to know, my king, that the queen is innocent.”A gasp rippled through the hall.My breath caught.“What do you mean?” Alaric demanded.“Bring them in.”The doors opened again, but this time not gently. Five figures were dragged ins
THE RAVEN KING’S BRIDE CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE: ANOTHER DAY
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREEELARA’S POV“Your Highness,” I began, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the weight pressing against my chest, “as you well know, during the time of the theft, I was at the Nations. And at the time you received news of it… we were in a hotel room. Pardon my choice of words. An inn. Together.”I made sure I stressed the last word.Together.A wave of gasps swept through the throne room. Some of the older ministers stiffened in their seats. A few guards shifted awkwardly, their eyes fixed on the marble floor. Even the cabinet members exchanged quick glances. They all understood what I was implying.The king and I had not left each other’s side that night.I lifted my chin slightly.“How exactly do I orchestrate a theft I was not even present to commit?” I continued, carefully piecing my logic together. “How do I steal from a palace I was nowhere near?”Alaric did not react. His face remained unreadable, carved from stone.I pressed on.“And when the coins wer
THE RAVEN KING’S BRIDE CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO: SETTING IT STRAIGHT
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWOELARA’S POVThe moment he said he would give his verdict tomorrow, I knew something inside us had finally broken.I stood there watching Alaric walk away from me as if I meant nothing, as if everything we had shared was some elaborate mistake he was now desperate to erase. My chest felt tight, like someone had wrapped iron chains around my ribs and pulled.“Alaric,” I called after him.He stopped but did not turn immediately. The guards stood stiffly beside us, their presence suffocating.“Excuse us,” I said, my voice trembling despite the effort to steady it.They looked at him for approval. He gave a slight nod.When he finally faced me, his expression was colder than the marble floors beneath our feet.“What do you want?”I stared at him, and the tears came before I could stop them. I hated crying in front of him. Hated looking weak. But this was not weakness. This was fear.“Alaric,” I said again, softer this time. I could see it now. The pain in his eyes. The ex
قد تعجبك أيضًا
The Gentle Dragon
Cooper51.3K وجهات النظرThe Dragon King's Chosen Bride
AT_Imagination39.4K وجهات النظرI am the dragon
BurntAsh3s28.9K وجهات النظرThe Destroyer
Bryant55.3K وجهات النظرAn Assassin's Magic
LovieJ345.0K وجهات النظرHer Savage Mates
Blera680 وجهات النظرReincarnation of my competitive spirit
Martian falcon8.2K وجهات النظرTHE BLOODBOUND CHRONICLES
Ema281 وجهات النظر
