Romans & histoires Framed And Forgotten, The Heiress Came Back From Ashes

“He doesn’t love me anymore.” Marcus laughed lowly. “Told you this wouldn’t last. A queen can’t lie about the heir and expect to keep her crown.” Silvia slammed the glass down. “Don’t mock me.” He shrugged. “Fine. So what now?” She was quiet for a moment, thinking. Her nails scratched gently at her wrist. “I know her… I’ve seen her before. That name… Alana Winters…” She said the name again, softly. “Alana Winters… Winters… It sounds so familiar. Why can’t I remember?”

“Not enough.” That night, she broke into her old estate for the first time. The house was a carcass of marble and dust, half-burned and half-rebuilt. Her mother’s crypt below it was sealed—just as she’d left it after the explosion. But when she descended the narrow stone steps, she found something new waiting: A crown. Placed on the marble tomb. Wrapped in a ribbon of funeral lace. Her heart stopped. She knew that handwriting anywhere. For the queen I lost, and the ghost I’ll burn the world to find. —L.M.

The one I convinced myself was nothing more than a burden. I chose Annette, and I have never once questioned that decision. Not until today. Estelle, the girl I considered discarded shoes, was now worn by my rival, Zen. The irony; what I cast aside now looked more polished, elevated, far more valuable than when it belonged to me. Zen, that illegitimate bastard stood there, tall and smug, lifting his hand just enough for the cameras to catch a gleam of the ring. Her ring. The ring that she gave him.

He had learned too much about her truth in the last days, and with every moment his silence pressed heavier on her chest. “This place is cursed,” he murmured, his voice echoing faintly in the ruined chamber. “Why come back here, Serenya? The memories will only break you.” She turned sharply, her hood slipping from her head, revealing the face of the hidden heiress—the one the world had not yet named. “Because the past has never let me go, Kaelen. These chains are mine whether I face them or not.” A gust of cold wind cut through the broken walls, carrying with it a sound—a faint clink, like iron striking iron. Kaelen drew his blade, stepping in front of her.

"Because in that game, I was just a pawn your father used to strike at the Shaw family while making his disobedient daughter finally give up hope. "He had you find me, trap me with love and cheap tenderness, and finally turn me into a worthless nobody who couldn't survive without you. That way, he could humiliate the Shaw family and me, and show you how fragile your so-called love really was. Too bad he miscalculated." I looked down at her from above. "He never imagined that the pawn he'd sharpened with his own hands would one day turn around and completely overturn his entire game." Tiffany collapsed to the ground. I did not spare her another glance and walked straight into the glittering b

The days passed by in a blink of an eye and both of them entered the plane to Athens. The flight was exhausting but they managed to make it safely back there. It was the second time Sofia ever stepped back into that house and all the memories of her first time being there flashed through her mind. “It has only been four months, but it feels like I have not been here for a very long time.” She said as she touched the pillar in the house. “I remember when you first came here. You were physically a mess, but you had this determination in your eyes that said you were not going to give in. You were going to get revenge and it moved me.” He held her hand and kissed the back of it.

**A Future Rewritten** The ruins of the once-grand mansion lay quiet under the pale morning light. The air, no longer heavy with an oppressive energy, was crisp and clear, carrying the promise of a new beginning. Clara stood at the edge of the debris, her fingers tightly clasped around Wickham’s hand. Behind them, Margaret, the Guardian, and the children surveyed the aftermath of the relic’s destruction. “This doesn’t feel real,” Margaret murmured, crouching to pick up a fragment of the broken stone that had once been the foundation of their home. “It’s like waking up from a nightmare.”

She screamed behind the maid making sure her message was passed. “Oh poor people, how much I hate them can't be explained”. She whispered to herself as if she was never at that level at a certain time of her life. Certainly people tend to forget where they come from when power comes. No matter where you are, you should remember where you come from. Some people do not know that not heeding to these words could be the beginning of one's downfall. “Stop tormenting the poor soul mother”. Brittany's voice emerged from the corner of the sitting room. It gets louder as she gets close to Evelyn.

“Oh, remember the witch we saw in the woods? The day the rogues attacked? She was doing some hocus pocus that day.” My heart skipped a beat. How could have I forgotten about that day? I remembered that day clearly. That hooded woman was doing some weird things with her hand while sitting on his back… Nathan’s back. It was unfortunate enough that they escaped that day and even worse that I had forgotten about them. Life had been chaotic enough. On top of finding out that I was the heir to the throne and training to be the queen my people deserved, I had had to deal with my ex mate and his craziness.

Anaïs stood at the edge of the large window, looking out over the mansion's well-kept grounds. Her thoughts were distant. Just a few weeks ago, she was a simple girl living in a simple local settlement but here she was, in an estate foreign to what she had known and a future that hung in a balance. The sky was getting darker and the horizon was lit up by the fading sunset. The estate felt more like a cage than a haven, with its vast fountains, tall pillars, and infinite acres of space.