Alle Kapitel von Curvy Queen by Contract - Luna by Fate: Kapitel 21 – Kapitel 30

POV: ScarlettThe news of the murdered guard spread through the palace like wildfire through dry grass. By dawn, servants moved with hurried steps and lowered voices, their eyes darting toward every shadow. Guards stood double at every corridor intersection, their hands never far from their weapons. The festive banners I had helped hang now seemed mocking in the tense atmosphere, their bright colors clashing with the fear that gripped the court.I learned the victim’s name during a hushed breakfast with Jordan. Captain Elias delivered the report personally, his face drawn. “His name was Garrick, Your Majesty. One of the men assigned to the night rotation outside your chambers. Found in the eastern armory with his throat slit. No signs of struggle—suggests someone he trusted.”My fork clattered against the plate. One of my guards. The words hit like a physical blow. Garrick had been a quiet presence these past weeks—tall, broad-shouldered, always offering a respectful nod when I passed

SCARLETT'S POV“Scarlett.”I knew Rowan's voice before I turned around, and for one brief moment, my fingers tightened around Jordan's arm. It was an old reaction, one my body remembered even when my mind knew better, but I refused to let it control me. I raised my head and faced the man who had once made me feel as though being rejected by him was the end of my life.Rowan stood with Elaine beside him, although neither of them looked as confident as I remembered. His eyes remained fixed on my face while Elaine's smile appeared a little too slowly.“Alpha Rowan,” I greeted. “Luna Elaine. I hope the palace has been comfortable.”Rowan stared at me for another second before answering, “It has. Thank you, Your Majesty.”“Your Majesty,” Elaine repeated with a soft laugh. “I must admit, that will take some getting used to.”Jordan's arm became rigid beneath my hand, and I squeezed it lightly before smiling at her. “You will have several days before the coronation. I'm sure you'll manage.”

SCARLETT'S POV“If you move that arch one more time, I am leaving,” Mira complained as she stood in the middle of the ballroom with both hands on her hips.I tilted my head and studied the flowers above her. “It is leaning to the left,” I replied, pointing toward the top of the arch.“It was leaning to the right ten minutes ago,” Mira argued as two servants struggled to hold the heavy wooden frame in place.“That was before we moved it,” I explained, walking closer to inspect the white roses woven through the greenery. “Now it is leaning to the left.”One of the servants glanced nervously at Mira. “Should we move it again, ma'am?” he asked.“No,” Mira answered firmly at the same time I said, “Yes.”The servant looked between us with obvious confusion. “Perhaps I should wait until Your Majesty and Mistress Mira agree,” he suggested carefully.Mira pointed at him with an approving smile. “You are a clever man, Daniel,” she praised. “You may survive this coronation after all.”I laughed

SCARLETT'S POVThe sensible thing would have been to show Jordan the note the moment I found it, but I had already spent half the night convincing myself that the word secret meant something from my past. Elaine had threatened me, Rowan suddenly wanted to explain his mistakes, and now someone was demanding that I meet them before sunrise. I knew how foolish it was to walk into the gardens alone, yet the thought of another person knowing something about me that I did not know about myself had made sleep impossible.“Meet me before sunrise,” I whispered as I held the folded note beneath my cloak. “Well, I'm here.”The eastern gardens were colder before dawn, with mist gathering above the grass and the stone paths barely visible beneath the weak light of the moon. I moved past the fountain and continued toward the old rose garden, keeping one hand over my stomach while the other held the small dagger I had taken from our chambers. Jordan would have been furious if he saw me carrying it,

SCARLETT'S POV“Cassian has disappeared from his cell.”For several seconds, I thought I had misunderstood Elias, because the alternative made no sense. Jordan had doubled the guards around the dungeon, changed their rotations and ordered every person carrying food into the lower cells to be searched. Cassian had spent weeks locked behind stone and iron, yet Elias now stood inside our chambers telling us he had simply vanished.“What do you mean, disappeared?” Jordan demanded as he moved toward Elias. “Men do not disappear from locked cells.”“I know, Your Majesty,” Elias replied. “The guards checked his cell less than an hour ago and believed he was sleeping.”“They believed?” Jordan repeated.“The cell was dark, and there was a shape beneath the blankets,” Elias explained. “When the night guard entered to deliver water, he found rolled clothing beneath them.”Jordan stared at him. “How long has the cell been empty?”“We don't know yet,” Elias admitted.“Then find out,” Jordan ordere