All Chapters of The Echopraxic Crown Princess: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

My mother held my hand, her eyes rimmed with red."The Crown Prince has a childhood sweetheart who's been raised beside him since they were little," my mother had warned me. "Apparently she has some kind of panic disorder. She cries, faints, and collapses over the slightest thing."Elara, whatever you do, don't copy her. Your body won't survive even one round of that nonsense."On my very first night in the Crown Palace, Adrian never came to my chambers.His delicate childhood sweetheart did.Lillian Vale stood outside my door with tears shimmering in her eyes."Your Highness, please don't be angry. Adrian only stayed with me because my condition flared up. He didn't mean to neglect you on your wedding night..."Her lips trembled."Maybe I should just die. Then I wouldn't come between you anymore."She pulled a silver hairpin from her hair and raised it toward her wrist.My eyes lit up before common sense could catch up.My hand shot toward the scissors on the table.I copi

Chapter 2

The doors flew open.Crown Prince Adrian strode in, undoing the clasp of his outer coat as he spoke."The council ran late today. I know it's our wedding night, but I truly couldn't get away—"The sentence died in his throat.He stopped.The room reeked of blood.Nora knelt beside the bed with both hands stained red. Three soaked layers of cloth were pressed around my wrist.I was half-conscious against the pillows, my face nearly colorless."What happened?"Adrian crossed the room in three strides and grabbed my wrist."Why is there so much blood?""Your Highness, call the royal physician!" Nora cried. "Her bleeding won't stop!""Adrian!"Lillian's tearful voice came from behind him.She stumbled forward clutching her chest."I'm so frightened..."Adrian turned, frowning."Lillian? Why are you here?"She dropped to his feet and clutched the hem of his coat."I only came to greet Her Highness. I wanted to explain that you were busy tonight and didn't mean to abandon

Chapter 3

"She's not breathing!"Nora's scream tore across the courtyard."Your Highness! My Lady isn't breathing! Please call the physician!"Adrian had just reached the courtyard gate.He stopped dead."Get the physician. Now!"Within minutes, Royal Physician Alden Mercer, head of the imperial medical staff, came stumbling into my chambers with his robe barely fastened.The moment he saw me, his face changed."Lady Elara Ashford?"He rushed to the bed, checked my breathing, then seized my wrist."How long has she been bleeding?""Almost... almost two hours," Nora sobbed."Two hours?"Mercer swore under his breath and immediately began treatment.Without even turning around, he shouted at Adrian."Your Highness, Lady Elara has a severe congenital clotting disorder! Why wasn't I called when she'd been bleeding for two hours? Another few minutes and you'd have had a corpse on this bed!"Adrian stood in the doorway with a deep frown.Lillian leaned against him."Adrian," she whis

Chapter 4

Lillian strolled to my bedside with a bright smile."You've been trapped indoors for days. You must be bored. Why don't I take you for a walk?"Nora blocked her."No."Lillian spread her hands and slowly turned in a circle."Look. No hairpins. No knives. No scissors. I haven't brought anything dangerous."She pointed outside."I only want to walk along the city wall and get some fresh air. There's nothing up there but stone. Nothing for Her Highness to copy."Her expression became sincere."I really do want us to get along. We're going to be living in the same palace for a long time. We can't stay like this forever."Nora looked at me anxiously."My Lady..."I studied Lillian.She had a point.No pillars, no blades."Fine," I said. "We'll go. Nora comes with me."The wind was strong on the city wall.Autumn air snapped at my cloak and made me cough twice.Lillian walked beside me without crying for once, chatting as though we were friends."Did you know Adrian and I

Chapter 5

Lillian's smile vanished.She stood at the edge of the wall with one heel still hanging over empty space, suddenly too terrified to move.Below us, Ashford cavalry filled the road as far as I could see.Mother climbed the steps and stared at her."Well? Why aren't you jumping?"Lillian came back to herself.Her expression changed instantly.She clutched her chest and crouched down."My... my panic disorder..."Tears appeared on command.She collapsed to the stones, trembling violently."Lady Ashford, why would you bring so many soldiers to frighten me? I only invited Her Highness for a walk... My heart can't take this..."Mother crossed the wall one step at a time until she stood over her."I told you to jump. Why did you come back from the edge?"Lillian looked up through tears."I was upset. I said something foolish. I wasn't really going to jump.""You weren't?"Father climbed onto the wall behind her.He looked over the drop, then back at Lillian."Your heel was

Chapter 6

Adrian rode hard through the cavalry line as the soldiers opened a path.He jumped from his horse and ran up the steps."Stop!"He crossed the wall and immediately placed himself between Father and Lillian."General Ashford, have you lost your mind?"Father didn't lower his sword."Your Highness returned at the perfect time. Ask your precious childhood sweetheart what she did while you were away."Adrian looked down at Lillian.She reacted as though salvation itself had arrived.She scrambled to his feet and wrapped both arms around his leg."Adrian! They're trying to kill me! I didn't do anything and they want me dead!"She pointed at Mother through her tears."Lady Ashford brought an army to frighten me. My panic disorder has already attacked several times..."Adrian's face darkened.He stood in front of her and glared at my father."General Ashford, since when do you draw a blade against people of the royal household?"Father's voice was ice."She lured my daughter

Chapter 7

Emperor Roland Valcourt climbed the city wall with his cloak snapping in the wind.He took in the scene at a glance: Father with his sword drawn, Adrian with a hand on his weapon, and two armies facing each other on the road below."Have you all finished making fools of yourselves?"Silence fell over the wall.Adrian dropped to his knees first."Father, General Ashford mobilized troops around the city and intended to—""Quiet."The Emperor didn't even look at him.He walked straight toward me.He stopped in front of me and studied my face.I was gray with exhaustion, my lips cracked and bloodless. The wind had lifted the edge of the bandage on my wrist, exposing the wound beneath.The Emperor's expression darkened."Where is Physician Mercer?""Your Majesty, I'm here."Mercer hurried forward from the imperial entourage."I ordered you to watch over her. Is this what you call watching over her?"Mercer dropped to his knees."The fault is mine, Your Majesty. The Crown Pr

Chapter 8

The city wall went completely silent.Lillian dropped to her knees with both hands wrapped protectively around her belly."This child is of royal blood! Please have mercy, Your Majesty!"She turned tearfully toward Adrian."You promised me. You said you'd protect me and our child."The Emperor slowly turned his head."Adrian. Is she telling the truth?"The Crown Prince stayed on his knees, head down.His body had gone rigid.After a long silence, he answered hoarsely."Before the imperial marriage decree... Lillian and I were intimate."The Emperor's face went thunderous.He said nothing.Instead, he looked at Physician Mercer."Examine her."Mercer approached and knelt beside Lillian.For once, she didn't resist.She even rolled up her sleeve willingly.He checked her pulse.One second. Two. Three.His brows drew together.He switched wrists and checked again.Then he stood and faced the Emperor."Your Majesty... Miss Vale is pregnant. Approximately two months."

Chapter 9

Lillian's smile froze."What... what do you mean?"Of course the child is Adrian's. Whose else could it be?"Before I could answer, Father stepped forward."Your Majesty, I have something to report."He withdrew a sealed document from inside his coat and presented it with both hands.The Emperor opened it.Father's voice carried across the wall."When I agreed to this imperial marriage, I did so because I trusted Your Majesty. But there was another reason as well."Before I gave my only daughter to the Crown Prince, I personally investigated his health."He paused."His Highness suffered a severe fever for more than a month as a child. It caused permanent damage. The former head of the imperial medical staff kept a sealed record."Father turned toward Adrian."The Crown Prince is infertile."Adrian's head snapped up."What? That's impossible!"Father faced the Emperor again."That was one reason I was willing to let Elara enter the Crown Palace."The Crown Prince coul

Chapter 10

I returned to the Ashford estate with Physician Mercer in attendance.He checked my pulse twice every day, morning and evening, and kept a steady stream of medicine coming.Half a month later, I finally looked like myself again.Then a messenger arrived from the palace.The Emperor's chief steward came carrying a sealed imperial decree.He opened it and read aloud."Crown Prince Adrian failed in virtue, protected a murderous mistress, and deceived the throne. He has proven himself unworthy as a husband."Therefore, Lady Elara Ashford is granted an imperial writ of repudiation. This is not the Crown Prince dismissing his wife. It is the Crown Princess dismissing her husband."The steward continued."Lady Elara Ashford is of pure character and suffered greatly through no fault of her own. His Majesty deeply regrets the harm done to her."She is hereby created Princess of Haven, granted a private residence, lands sufficient to support three thousand households, and the full cere

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP