Chapter 63: Shadows in the Court

Chapter 63 – Shadows in the Court

The moonlight spilled through the stained glass windows of the eastern hall, casting muted red and silver patterns onto the polished floor. Serena stood in the corridor outside the Council chamber, her thoughts churning like a storm. Inside, Elias was arguing with the elders—again.

She could hear his voice, sharp with frustration. Words like “loyalty,” “betrayal,” and “destiny” echoed behind the heavy oak door.

Theron stood beside her, arms folded, leaning against the cold stone wall. His eyes didn’t leave the door, but Serena could feel his thoughts. He was calculating, always analyzing, like a soldier preparing for war before it had even begun.

“You think they’ll turn on him?” Serena asked quietly.

Theron’s jaw tightened. “I think some already have.”

Serena looked away. “All because of me.”

“No.” His voice was firm. “Because they fear what they don’t understand. You just happen to be the symbol of that fear.”

She closed her eyes, drawing in a shaky breath. “That’s not comforting.”

Theron turned to her. “But it’s the truth. And the truth means we prepare.”

The doors creaked open then, and Elias stepped out. His golden eyes landed on Serena immediately. His expression was tight, unreadable.

“Well?” she asked.

“They want you out of the kingdom.”

The words hit like a blade between her ribs.

Serena blinked. “What?”

“Not permanently,” he added quickly, reaching for her hand. “They want to send you to the southern stronghold. As a… guest. For your safety.”

“For their comfort, you mean.” Her voice was bitter now. “They want me gone so they can sleep at night.”

Elias didn’t deny it.

“I won’t go,” she said firmly, yanking her hand away.

Theron straightened. “It’s not safe here, Serena.”

“It’s not safe anywhere!” she snapped. “Do you think the South will protect me if they learn what I am? What I might become?”

Elias stepped forward, cupping her face in his hands. His touch was warm—desperate.

“I won’t let them hurt you,” he whispered. “But I need time to gain their trust again. To fix what’s breaking.”

“I’m not leaving you,” she said, eyes wet now. “Not after everything.”

Theron cleared his throat. “There’s another way.”

Both turned toward him.

“The scrolls your mother left,” he said slowly. “There was mention of an old temple—hidden beneath the Ashen Mountains. It’s where the first Moon Priestesses trained. It’s said the temple responds to blood. To power.”

Serena’s brow furrowed. “You think it could help me control this… gift?”

Theron nodded. “If it still exists.”

Elias looked torn. “It’s a myth.”

“So was she,” Theron said, motioning to Serena.

A heavy silence fell.

Serena turned back to Elias. “Would you come with me?”

“I…” He hesitated. “They need me here. If I leave now, it’ll be seen as abandonment.”

Her chest ached. “So I go alone?”

Theron stepped in. “Not alone. I’ll go with her.”

Elias’s eyes narrowed. “You expect me to send the woman I love into the mountains with my commander?”

Theron didn’t flinch. “With someone who would die for her.”

Elias looked between them, conflict written all over him.

But Serena had already made her decision.

“I’ll go,” she said, voice steady. “And when I return, they’ll know exactly who they were so afraid of—and why they were wrong.”

That night, the castle felt colder.

Serena stood on the balcony outside her chambers, her cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders. She watched the stars blink through clouds, wondering which one her mother had wished on for protection. Wondering if the Moon Goddess really watched from above.

Behind her, the door creaked open. Elias stepped onto the balcony, silent as shadow.

“I don’t want you to go,” he said.

She didn’t turn.

“But I know I can’t stop you.”

His arms slipped around her waist, pulling her back against his chest.

Serena let herself melt into him, just for a moment. The warmth of his body, the steadiness of his heartbeat—it was home.

“You’ve always been a king to them,” she whispered. “But to me, you’ve always been more than that.”

Elias kissed her shoulder, his lips brushing the curve of her neck.

“And you’ve always been my reason to fight.”

She turned in his arms, facing him. “Then kiss me like it’s the last time.”

And he did.

It was fire and rain and everything between. His hands tangled in her hair, her fingers dragged down his back. Their mouths met again and again—frantic, yearning. Elias lifted her, carried her back inside, and laid her gently on the bed as though she were something precious.

Because she was.

Their bodies moved with a rhythm that had nothing to do with fate or prophecy. It was raw. Human. Real.

And when they collapsed into each other’s arms afterward, breathing hard, neither said a word.

Because everything had already been said.

And in the morning, she would leave.

But tonight, they had each other.

Far to the north, another prophecy unfolded.

The cloaked figure in the forest had removed her hood now. Her eyes were glowing silver. And beside her knelt a boy no older than sixteen, trembling with power he didn’t understand.

“She will awaken it fully soon,” the figure said. “And when she does, the blood of the kingdoms will run like rivers.”

“But she’s one of us,” the boy whispered.

“No,” the woman said coldly. “She belongs to the Goddess. And the Goddess demands balance.”

A fire sparked to life between them.

“Serena must fall… or everything will burn.”