Amara's POV
I stood at the edge of the war room, staring at the crimson-streaked dagger laid on the glass table—the very one Skylar had used to wound Chris.
It should have never happened.
Not in his chamber. Not under my watch.
The moment he said, "Deal with her as you please," it wasn't just a green light—it was a declaration of trust. The kind of power that wasn't handed out lightly in the Blackwood Empire.
I didn't smile. I didn't nod.
I simply turned and walked out, my mind already stitching together the next series of moves. Skylar wouldn't just be punished. She'd be dismantled, reputation and all, piece by piece—publicly.
But still, something gnawed at me.
Not guilt.
It was Darius.
He had grown silent lately. Too silent. And in an empire like this, silence wasn't peace—it was plotting. I trusted Chris with my heart. But Darius? I trusted him with my eyes open.
I entered the eastern holding tower, where Skylar had been relocated—no longer in a cell, but under humiliating, constant watch. Once a Queen, now just a cautionary tale.
The guards snapped to attention.
I waved them away. "Leave us."
The room was dim, the only light coming from a single slit in the stone wall. Skylar sat on the iron bench, no longer in silks, no makeup. Just plain gray cloth.
She looked up at me. Defiance flickered in her eyes—but something else too.
Hurt. Maybe regret. But not fear.
"You should've killed me when you had the chance," she said softly.
I laughed, slow and deliberate. "That would've been merciful. And I don't do mercy."
She leaned forward, chin raised. "You'll never be what I was to him."
I walked closer, heels echoing against the cold stone. "You're right. I'll be more."
For a moment, we stared at each other—two women shaped by love, rage, and ambition. But I was no longer the assistant behind the throne. I was the Empress-to-be. And Chris had made that loud and clear.
I turned to leave, but paused at the door.
"Prepare her for public address," I said to the guards. "Let her make her statement to the nation... then cut the feed before she finishes."
Let the world watch her fall.
Let the people see who their ruler truly trusts now.
And when I walked back through the castle, every corridor whispered the same thing:
Amara is no longer just by Chris's side—she is the power beside the throne.
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