All Chapters of The Heart of the Queen: Legacy of The Moonborn: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Lucien. He looked like a ghost. Paler. Thinner. The sight of him like that made my stomach twist—not out of longing. What I felt was a mix of old pain and something I couldn’t discern. He didn’t move for a while. Just stood there eyes never leaving mine. Then he started walking toward me, slowly, almost hesitantly. “Aria,” he said, voice low. My body stiffened. I wanted to walk away, but then I saw his eyes. They weren’t full of his usual rage or cold indifference. They were just… tired and empty. He looked broken in a way I wasnt quite sure I'd felt myself. “Can we talk?” he asked. “Just… somewhere quiet. Please.” I hesitated. Every nerve in me screamed to say no. To turn and walk away. I owed him nothing. But the way his voice cracked at the end... it wasn't like Lucien to beg. Something had happened. “Five minutes." I muttered. He nodded. I followed him out through one of the side doors. We stopped at a narrow corridor away from the rest of the gala. Lucien ran a hand thro

《》Ansel's POV The torch flickered as I moved quickly, but carefully—not fast enough to be detected, not slow enough to be caught. The map trembled slightly in my hand, the parchment was worn thin at the edges from use. I had memorized the path weeks ago, but I still checked every turn. One wrong step and I’d end up in the waterway beneath the Citadel or completely lost. It was very helpful that Caelin had drawn these maps. He knew these tunnels. Too well. They thought it was because of his rank. But he told me once that he used to run down here as a boy. Long before the council. Now he was just another secret buried under our feet. I kept walking. The air grew colder the closer I got to the exit. And the stone passage eventually gave way to roots and soil. The path narrowed before opening into the hidden hatch. Caelin had told me once during one of our late-night meetings "If you ever need to disappear, follow the mushrooms" I found the tiny glowing caps now and smiled bi

The hallway stretched in front of me like an endless tunnel. My sword stayed raised, pointed at the figure in the dark.“Who’s there?” I asked again, sharper this time.Footsteps.Then a voice.“It’s me,” she said, breathless. “It’s just me.”Ansel stepped into the dim light, hands raised.She looked like hell. Hair wild, clothes wrinkled and stained, a rip at her shoulder like someone had grabbed her. Dirt smudged her cheek.She stopped a few steps away. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”My grip on the sword loosened. Just a little.“What happened to you?"“I—I left the twins for a second. Just a second, I swear. I went to use the restroom, and I heard something, a noise. I followed it…”She hesitated, looking away.“There was an intruder. He must’ve heard me following him. He jumped me. Locked me in one of the old storage rooms. The door jammed shut. I just got out.”Her voice shook on the last part.I took a step closer, scanning her face. Bruises. Fear. “Are you hurt?” I asked.“No

We left at sunrise.No goodbyes. No lingering. Just quiet footsteps and cold wind.The Citadel disappeared behind us like a bad memory.Ronan didn’t say much as the carriage pulled out. His jaw clenched, eyes on the road. The twins were curled up in the opposite seat with Ansel between them, both sleepy, both too quiet for kids their age. Trauma did that. I hated how well I knew that.“Where are we going?” I finally asked.“A place no one will find us,” he said.“You said that about the Citadel.”“I meant no one.”I didn’t ask more. I'd grown to trust him completely. He'd never given me a reason to doubt him. We were on the path for hours. The road narrowed the farther we went. Trees thickened. Civilization fell away.It felt like breathing after being strangled for weeks.Just when I started to relax, Ronan cursed under his breath.“What?”He didn’t answer. Just looked out the window again.“Ronan—”“We’re being followed.”The blood drained from my face. I turned.A black horse. Dis

I woke up later than I meant to. I was still somehow weary from my birthday gala.I took my time with breakfast, barely tasting it. My thoughts were all over the place. And I had this constant strange, muffled feeling.After eating, I went looking for the twins. When I stepped out into the garden, I spotted them instantly. They were busy chasing each other around a tree while Ansel stood nearby with two guards stationed discreetly by the hedges. It almost looked normal.But it wasn't. They shouldn't have to live their lives under constant supervision like this.Kael saw me first and sprinted over, cheeks flushed. “Will he still be leaving tonight?” he asked, voice pitched with a hope he didn’t bother hiding.I already knew who he was.I hesitated. “Yes.”Kael’s shoulders sagged a little. Talia came up beside him, her eyes searching mine. “But he didn’t say goodbye yet.”“He will,” I said gently. “Later.”Neither of them answered. They just turned back to the garden, a little quieter t