The Palace 3 The Lost Daughter Novels & Stories

And I wonder… how long can innocence last in a world built for crowns and cruelty? The palace is quiet this morning, the halls still scented with dew and jasmine. I sit at my desk, the prophecy scroll hidden safely beneath locked panels, yet my thoughts circle endlessly around my second daughter. Kiana. Her laughter drifts upward from the gardens, floating through open windows like music. I rise from my chair and step toward the balcony. Below, Nyara and Selene run alongside her, chasing one another across the grass. Their dresses billow behind them like banners caught in wind.

She looked exactly like I had at her age—the shape of her eyes, the line of her jaw, the desperate expression that made every mother instantly recognize her own child. Greta staggered back two steps, panic flooding her face. “You… how did you get out? What nonsense are you talking about? I’m Lea!” she cried, then spun toward me, rushing forward to grab my arm with trembling hands. “Mother, don’t believe her! She’s some lunatic from the neighboring town. I’m your daughter!” Lorenzo glanced once at the girl in white, then at Greta. His expression didn’t change, but after twenty years of knowing him, I could tell what it meant when his hand subtly moved toward his waist.

] Some even told me not to save Summer. [She doesn't deserve your goodwill!] Seeing the comments, Summer went utterly unhinged, screaming and thrashing around the hospital room. The police and HR department from work arrived at her room. Seeing them, Summer yelled with widened eyes, "What are you doing here? Are you here to arrest me?" My parents immediately stood in front of Summer, protecting her. "You can't take away our daughter. She did nothing wrong. This was all our doing. We did this." "No. It was Sienna. She pretended to be Summer. The job belonged to Summer."

The image of Donga rose in my mind like smoke. Tall, cruel, eyes like knives. The man who ripped the innocence from my childhood, who used me like a tool to cement his empire of fear. He never saw me as his daughter. Only property. Only leverage. And now he was the target. The only problem I had noticed with Lorenzo was that he was too straightforward and too headstrong while the man that should be my father was a sly snake. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, as if I could block out the storm in my mind. What if Donga played on that? What if he twisted it, the way he twists everything?

Ed wiped his face as our mother attempted to console him. “Process what exactly? The omega weeded her way to the King's Palace and pretended to be his lost daughter. She's sick in the head, and whatever witch has helped her devise such a nonsense plan needs to be punished as well.” my father growled. “What are you talking about? She would never do such a thing.” I turned to my father, and he grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and shoved me against the wall. My mother cried out in shock at the aggression my father showed in the palace, of all places.

--- Back at the palace, the air had turned heavy, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath. Matif finally stirred. He sat up in the center of the ritual circle, sweat soaking his tunic, his eyes distant and cloudy as if he were still standing between two worlds. “Matif,” Bernard whispered, kneeling beside him. “Are you with us?” Matif opened his mouth. At first, no sound came. Then, just a whisper: “She… is the lost daughter.” Bernard stiffened. Matif’s voice grew louder, steadier, as if the words were burning their way through his soul.

A procession of somber figures in black filed in. At the forefront was a woman with silver-streaked hair, clutching a photo in a black frame. The girl in the picture beamed, her smile as bright as Evelyn's. "My daughter, Melody Rogers, was Frank's student, too," the woman's voice broke. "He conned her into stealing my credit card and transferring him thirty-four thousand five hundred bucks. Once he had the money, he dumped her. Overwhelmed, she jumped from a building last year. She was just nineteen."

Frankie said and held her arm. -You must not go... You are the daughter of the most feared king and Christopher's wife... this is your palace. He told her, and that left her speechless. She met his eyes, then took Frankie's hand. -Let's have fun! she said she. The prince saw both approaching, very distracted and laughing non-stop. -What's going on? asked the prince, forcing a smile. The girls stopped her dance when they saw her arrive. -It happens that Frankie drowned today in the sea, and I had to rescue him. Go tell the truth.

I reluctantly tore my eyes away from Viktor’s, facing the crowd of people who came today. I could make out August Halifax’s mop of red hair, stylishly parted to the side. A smile formed on his face as we locked eyes, his Dad standing by his side. I wasn’t surprised to see Annalise Halifax missing, August had her on a tight leash after what had happened. August had kept in touch, giving me detailed updates on everything happening in his Kingdom. He was finally able to take the throne, his Dad proud at his side. “As kindhearted, brave, and strong as her Mother.” Dad continued, making my heart flutter from the praise. “My daughter will usher in a new era as the first Alpha Queen.”