ANMELDENCHAPTER 50: The Servant's DawnElena's POVI woke to darkness and the sound of bells.Three chimes. Three in the morning. The omega servants' wake-up call.Around me, bodies stirred in narrow cots crammed together in a room barely large enough to hold them all. The air was thick with the smell of unwashed bodies and exhaustion. Someone coughed. Another whimpered softly in her sleep, caught in whatever nightmare plagued her.I lay still for a moment, staring at the water-stained ceiling, trying to remember how I'd gotten here.*Three days,* I thought. *Three days since I woke in Kieran's chambers. Three days since Anna informed me of my new reality.*My back throbbed—a dull, persistent ache that never quite went away. The healers had done their work well enough. Most of the wounds had closed, the flesh knitting together with surprising speed that had made them exchange worried glances when they thought I wasn't looking. But they'd insisted I keep the bandages on."Don't draw attention,
CHAPTER 49: lookng for answersElena's POVThe light hurt.Not just my eyes… though they stung and watered every time I tried to open them—but something deeper. Something in my chest that felt raw and exposed, like a wound that would never quite heal.I have been awake for hours now. Bearing the periodic arrival of the healer with her bitter medicines and pitying looks.Maya came and went, always gentle, always careful not to touch me. The guards outside my door…sorry, Kieran's door, changed shifts with military precision. I heard their murmured conversations, the way they fell silent whenever footsteps approached, as if expecting their king to return at any moment.He never did.Part of me was grateful. But another Part of me wasn't, the part that tried so much to ignore.*Stop it,* I told myself firmly. *Stop thinking about him. Stop remembering the way he caught you, the way he looked at you like you mattered. It was all a lie. All of it.*But was it? That was the question that hau
Chapter 48: the invitationKierean povMy body stiffened,It was king darius, apparently he didn't leave with the others.I let out a bitter laugh. "Define 'well.'""You didn't kill anyone. In your current state, I consider that a victory." He walked toward me, his expression serious. "But Kieran, they're not wrong to be concerned…“I made myself clear that everyone should leave.” I growled."Now, now, Kieran," Darius's voice called out, dripping with false cheer. "Why leave so soon, And here I thought we might have a chat. Just the two of us. King to king."I stopped, my jaw clenching so hard I heard my teeth grind together. "I believe I made myself clear in the Great Hall, Darius. Your presence is no longer required.""Ah, but that's where you are wrong." His footsteps grew closer until he was standing beside me, close enough that I could smell the cloying scent of his cologne. "We have so much to discuss. So many... fascinating developments."I turned to face him, keeping my expres
Chapter 47: council meeting 2Kierean povThe Great Hall was packed, just like I had expected. Every Elder had answered the summons, their aged faces grave as they sat in their high-backed chairs arranged in a semicircle. At the far end, King Darius lounged in his chair with calculated nonchalance, but his eyes were sharp as knives.The room fell silent as I entered. Every eye turned to me, and I felt the weight of their judgment like a physical thing pressing down on my shoulders."Your Majesty," Elder Aldric spoke first, his voice carrying despite his advanced age. "Thank you for finally gracing us with your presence."The rebuke in his tone was subtle but unmistakable. I had kept them waiting, and they all knew it."Elder Aldric," I acknowledged with a slight nod, taking my place at the head of the hall. "Councilors. I understand you have concerns about recent events.""Concerns?" Lady Sabrina, let out a sharp laugh. "Your Majesty, what we witnessed yesterday goes far beyond 'conce
Chapter 46: the counci meetingElena povMarcus stood in the doorway, breathing hard like he had run all the way here. His eyes immediately found me on the bed, and for a moment, something flickered across his face. Wonder? Fear? I couldn't tell. But then his expression smoothed into professional neutrality."Your Majesty," he said, though his gaze lingered on me for another moment. "The Council of Elders is assembled. They are demanding your presence. Immediately.""Tell them I am occupied," Kieran replied without looking away from me. His voice was strained, tight with emotion he was clearly trying to suppress."With respect, Your Majesty, this isn't a request. After what happened in the courtyard, they're... concerned. And they're not the only ones. The noble houses are in an uproar. King Darius is threatening to leave despite your lockdown order. And there are rumors spreading about…" He glanced at me again, then back to Kieran. "About what people saw during the punishment.""I do
CHAPTER 45: The Voice WithinElena's POV*Wake up.*The voice was soft, almost musical, like wind chimes in a gentle breeze. It drifted through the darkness that had swallowed me, pulling at something deep inside my consciousness.*Wake up, Elena. We need to talk.*I didn't want to wake up. The darkness was peaceful, painless. Waking up meant returning to the agony, to the pain, it meant facing reality. *I know it hurts. But you need to wake up. Now.*The voice was more insistent this time, and I felt myself being pulled upward through layers of unconsciousness like swimming through honey. The darkness began to lighten, shifting from black to grey, and with that shift came the pain.Oh gods, the pain.It started as a dull ache in my back, then blossomed into searing agony that stole my breath. Every nerve ending screamed. My skin felt like it was still on fire, the silver burns refusing to heal properly even now. I tried to move, to shift into a more comfortable position, but even th
Chapters 9Elena povThe command was soft, but to me, it sounded more like a god looking at me from above. absolute. I reached for the laces at the back of my gown with shaking fingers, fumbling with knots that suddenly seemed impossible to untie.Kieran watched my struggle for a moment, then when
Elena's POVThe door closed behind Mira with a soft click that sounded like a prison lock sliding into place.Kieran stood in the center of my chambers, filling the space with his presence in a way that made the enormous room feel suddenly small. He wore black as always, but tonight the clothing se
Chapter 12: my chambers now!!Elena pov"Very well," he said coldly, whatever I thought I saw, vanishing immediately. "Let the demonstration proceed."The crowd erupted in excited murmurs. Ronan, my supposed sparing partner, stepped into the ring, rolling his massive shoulders. He looked at me the
The Hidden PrincessElise's POVI stared at the ceiling of my bedroom and counted the cracks in the stone for the hundredth time. Seventeen. There were always seventeen cracks, spreading out like tree branches from the corner near the window.A wicked smile tugged at my lips. Elena thought there we







