Semua Bab The seventh princess : Bab 1 - Bab 8

Going to the market in Equedore is usually one of my favorite things. I love seeing all the colorful stalls, smelling the spices, and buying some nice dresses. Today, though, was… different. Mortifying. I was browsing the pottery stand, looking for a new vase for my room, when I saw them. Just a bunch of plain iron spoons on the next table. Nothing special. Except… a loud, brutal internal clang that felt like a bell began ringing in my head the second my eyes landed on them. It wasn't a real bell, of course, more like a sound inside my skull, insistent and unbearable, as if something hungry had just been awakened within me. My hands began to tremble, a strange energy climbing through my ribs.I tried to ignore it, focusing on a blue vase with painted flowers. But the ringing just got louder, like someone was banging on a metal pot right next to my ear. My hands felt even twitchier, and this weird urge bubbled up inside me, a feeling I couldn't explain. Before I even knew what was happ

Breakfast the next morning was a tense affair. The clinking of silverware against the delicate porcelain plates was amplified in my ears, each tiny sound a prelude to the brutal clang I now dreaded. I kept my gaze firmly fixed on the detailed patterns of my plate. The aroma of freshly baked bread and roasted meats, usually so comforting, now carried that faint, metallic undercurrent that made my stomach churn.“Isla, you’re barely touching your food,” Papa observed, his voice laced with concern as he lowered the morning’s dispatch. His usually jovial face was creased with a subtle worry.“Just not very hungry this morning, Papa,” I mumbled, pushing a piece of buttered toast around my plate. The lie felt like a lead weight in my stomach.Anne, perched opposite me, her gaze sharp and assessing, didn’t miss a thing. “You’ve been quiet since that incident at the market. Something happened, didn’t it?” Her tone was direct, brooking no evasion.A cold shiver traced its way down my spine, a

The announcement of my betrothal to Prince Caius of Eldoria had cast a fragile veil of hope over the worried faces of the court. The kingdom seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief, their future queen seemingly embracing a path of stability and alliance. But beneath the surface of forced smiles and polite congratulations, the darkness within me continued to stir, fueled by unsettling dreams and the persistent, insidious pull of iron.Barely a week after the announcement, a royal messenger announced the unexpected arrival of Prince Caius. Papa, looking genuinely pleased, greeted the young prince in the grand receiving hall.“Prince Caius! A pleasant surprise,” Papa boomed, extending a welcoming hand. “We weren’t expecting you so soon.”Caius clasped Papa’s hand, his smile radiating genuine warmth. “Your Majesty, the journey from Eldoria was smooth. And if I may be so bold, I found myself… eager to spend time with my soon-to-be wife.” He offered a charming smile, and Papa’s eyes t

Annie stood like a guard by the tall window in her room. The moon in the sky looked like a shiny silver coin. Its pale light made her face look bright and dark in places, showing how smart she was, now that her eyes were squinted as she thought. She hadn't been able to sleep well since Isla and Prince Caius came back. The prince was polite but in a way that hid something Annie felt was very wrong. Isla's eyes were puffy and red from crying. Annie knew something bad had happened when they were out.Her eyes went down to the big dark garden. She had gone there to feel the cool night air, hoping to calm the worried feeling in her mind. That's when she saw it – a shadow that moved quickly and strangely across the neat grass. It was big and not easy to see clearly. It moved with a scary speed and like it was flowing. It was close to the ground, much lower than a person, and it moved with a wild, like-a-hunter grace. A shiver, not just from being cold, went down her back. She couldn't reall