All Chapters of AN OATH STRONGER THAN DESIRE (To love beneath the crown): Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The palace of Zytherra was a labyrinth at night. Torches flickered along the corridors, shadows dancing against polished stone walls, as if the building itself whispered secrets it had no right to tell. Kaelin moved carefully, her steps echoing softly, alert to every creak in the floorboards. She had returned to this place as an outsider; her influence, her intelligence, and her subtle authority setting her apart, but tonight, she felt more exposed than ever.The grand banquet had ended hours ago. Nobles had returned to their quarters, the corridors mostly empty except for a few late-night attendants. Kaelin paused at the corner of a hallway, letting the silence wrap around her like a cloak. That’s when she noticed the small slip of parchment tucked into the edge of a torch sconce, almost invisible in the dim light.Her fingers trembled slightly as she retrieved it. The handwriting was unfamiliar (deliberately elegant, precise) but the words carried an unmistakable sting:“Some loyalt

The morning light fell harshly on the grand hall of Zytherra’s palace, illuminating gilded walls and silent courtiers frozen in their rituals of obedience. Kaelin’s boots made no sound on the marble floor, but every glance she cast was deliberate. Today, her steps were not only measured, they were calculated.The letter she had discovered days ago had shaken her. The words hinted at unseen forces moving within the palace, but they were maddeningly vague. “Not everything is as it seems. Some moves are meant to blind. Some to bait. Watch the ones closest to you.”Her pulse quickened as she considered the possibilities. Was the warning meant for her alone? Or for the one whose presence always unsettled her as much as it drew her in - Riven?The Princess’s First Major MovePrincess Seraphine had been observing Kaelin for weeks, her composure perfect, her intentions hidden beneath a flawless smile. Today, she planned her first deliberate strike: subtle enough that no one could pin it on he

The Hall of Sovereigns had never felt so watchful.Kaelin sensed it the moment she crossed the threshold—an almost imperceptible tightening in the air, as though the stone walls themselves were listening. Conversations softened. Footsteps slowed. Eyes lingered just a second too long before sliding away.Something had already begun.She did not know what yet, only that she was stepping into a carefully prepared moment.The council session had been called unexpectedly, a summons issued at dawn under the royal seal. Matters of border stability, trade routes, and regional alliances were the official agenda, but Kaelin had learned that in Zytherra, urgency rarely meant honesty. The court thrived on implication far more than declaration.She took her place among the lesser advisers, posture composed, expression neutral. Her presence here was still considered temporary by most—a useful mind, a clever observer, nothing more. That anonymity had protected her thus far.Today, it felt dangerousl

The morning in Zytherra arrived quietly, as if the city itself were reluctant to acknowledge the night’s events.From her chamber window, Kaelin observed the pale light creeping across the rooftops. Smoke still lingered in the air, faint but unmistakable, clinging to stone and memory alike. Below, guards changed shifts, their hooves striking the cobblestone. Life resumed its measured rhythm.She had not slept.Her body bore no injuries, yet tension persisted in her muscles, settled deep and stubborn. The attack had been swift and efficient—too precise to dismiss as mere coincidence. Worse, it had been deliberate.They had been aware of her whereabouts.A soft knock sounded.Kaelin turned, already alert. “Come in.”The door opened to reveal a young palace aide, her expression tense with apprehension. “Lady Kaelin. You have been requested.”“By whom?”The girl hesitated. “Commander Riven.”Of course.Kaelin followed her through corridors still hushed from dawn. Servants moved quietly, t

Aurelian departed from the palace well before dawn.He did not exit through the gates, nor was he accompanied by an escort or announced. Instead, he traversed a narrow passage concealed behind an unused armoury—a stone surface that had been smoothed by the weight of countless footsteps that no longer graced it openly. The guards stationed nearby remained oblivious to his presence. They remained oblivious to his presence.The air beyond the palace walls was frigid and damp, a pervasive sensation that settled into the lungs without seeking permission. Aurelian drew his cloak tighter, adopting a slight slouch in his posture, and breathing measured to project a shallow appearance. Anyone who observed him from a distance would perceive him as ill-suited for the journey.Anyone who followed him would be mistaken only once.The rendezvous point was situated several miles east, where the terrain declined and the venerable watchposts stood abandoned, their purpose long forgotten by the crown.