The next morning, I woke to the elegant chiming sound of bells.
Duchess Arenia was already waiting for me. I hadn't even dressed..l
Her eyes flicked over me like I was a display piece. "We leave in twenty minutes," she said. No smile.
She turned to servants behind her. "Have her perfect." She said simply before leaving.
I swallowed hard. My hands were cold. My legs felt weak, though I tried not to show it. Today was the day.
I was going to face the vampire court.
---
The palace was massive. It rose like a mountain, made of black stone that shimmered slightly in the morning light. The gates were tall and silver-tipped. Guards stood everywhere. Still as statues.
Inside, the halls were wide and glittering. Mirrors lined the walls. Candles flickered in crystal holders. The scent of old roses and burning incense clung to everything.
The court room was worse.
It wasn't a room. It was a world.
Gold chandeliers hung from the ceiling, so high up I could barely see them. Velvet banners lined the walls, deep red and dark purple, with symbols I didn't know.
The floor was polished marble, black and white like a chessboard. And above it all—on a raised platform—sat the vampire king.
He was smiling, he seemed the very picture of benevolence. But Lyra knew his cruelty ran deep, she could see it in his eyes.
He was the creature responsible for how everything was now, the one who ushered in this cruel system.
The nobles were already gathered. I could feel their eyes on me as Arenia led me through the crowd.
"Walk like you own the ground," she whispered without looking at me.
My heart was thudding. My palms were damp. I lifted my chin. Tried not to let my breath shake. I kept my steps even. Slow. Controlled. But inside, I was spiraling.
Don't look afraid. Don't trip. Don't look at the prince. Don't look at anyone.
We stopped just before the throne.
The king rose. His voice filled the chamber without effort.
He called the court into session. Lyra tried to be as invisible as possible, but then she heard his words…
"Let it be known," he said, "that the woman who saved my son's life will become his bride. A union of honor, strength, and future power." He pointed at me.
I stood very still. My stomach turned.
Somewhere above, I heard him—Kael, my betrothed.
"No." His voice was sharp. "This is ridiculous. I—"
"Enough," the king said, not even raising his voice. But it cut through the air like a blade.
Silence.
"The decision is made son." The king's voice sounded softer. "You owe her much more."
I could feel Kael's glare even without looking.
I didn't care.
He didn't matter. Not his hatred. Not his pride. He was part of the world that took my parents. If he wanted to burn with rage, let him.
He was only a means to an end for one thing.
The flower.
The one in the royal garden. The one that could kill a vampire. I didn't know where it was. I didn't know how I'd find it. But I would.
As the king sat down, murmurs rippled through the room.
I caught bits and pieces.
"Who is she?"
"Appeared from nowhere. Isn't that suspicious?"
"She's too quiet."
"She doesn't know anything, does she?"
This court wasn't just full of vampires. It was full of vipers.
I thought I might get away with blending in. I thought, for a moment, they were moving on. Other business was called forward. A few nobles stepped up to speak to the king.
Announcements. Updates. Petty arguments.
For a moment, I thought they'd forgotten me.
Then a voice rang out, slicing through the chatter.
It was sharp and lyrical.
"I would like to request something."
Everyone turned.
The woman who spoke stepped forward, her gown a shimmering dark blue, her skin like porcelain, her hair a silver cascade down her back. Even among vampires, she was... stunning. Striking.
She didn't look at the king.
She looked at me.
"The blood moon is coming soon hosted and attended by the private council of titled women. We would, of course, like to include the prince's future wife."
She paused. Her smile was slight.
Then she tilted her head, eyes gleaming.
"What is your name, dear?"
Every eye in the court turned.
My mouth went dry.
"I... I-I..." Somehow I felt like I had been caught with the way she was looking at me, like she knew all my secrets.
Nothing else came out.
I stared like a deer caught in the light.
"She does not have a name," Duchess Arenia said suddenly, "poor thing, You see, she was not raised in court. She was... abandoned."
A gasp moved through the room.
"She was made," Arenia continued smoothly, "by a vampire, probably someone here—who then left her alone, lost in the forest. With no memory. No guidance. She is learning."
She turned then, addressing the king with perfect grace.
"Your Majesty. It would be only fitting for you to name her now, since she has no one else to do so."
The king's eyes glittered.
He stared at me intensely for a moment. I could hardly breathe.
He looked at me like I was a game piece.
Then, after a pause, he said, "Then let her be called... Selene."
The name dropped into the silence like a stone.
Selene.
Not Lyra. Not who I was. But the name I would wear.
He turned away without another word.
The beautiful lady, the one who had first spoken, nodded once. "How lovely," she said. "She must attend The ladies meetings coming up soon"
Another woman spoke up. She looked elegant too, but older. Her voice was softer, but there was something behind it.
"So generous," she said, with a polite smile. "But of course, as she is now still untitled, she cannot attend the gathering of titled ladies."
The room froze.
I glanced at Arenia. Her face had gone cold. Stiff. Her eyes said everything.
This wasn't about a party.
This was about power. And they had just drawn a line in blood.
The king sighed, clearly annoyed.
"We will not squabble in my court. Take this up outside."
The first lady smiled. Not at me. Not at Arenia. But to herself.
A little smirk of victory.
Moments later, court was dismissed.
The nobles began to drift away, whispers curling through the air like smoke. I didn't move until Arenia took my arm.
She led me outside without a word. Her grip was tight. We got into the carriage. The door shut behind us.
Only then did she speak.
"We must be careful," she said. "The first woman who spoke—her name is Lady Maren. She is not just beautiful. She is influential. She's had her sights on the prince for years. That invitation was no act of kindness."
I stayed quiet.
Arenia's jaw tightened. "She wants you to fail. She will test you. And the court—" she shook her head. "They see you as decoration. The king does not value you. Not truly." She ended with a sigh.
I looked out the window. The palace was still in view, looming in the distance.
Arenia was worried.
The prince hated me.
The court was ready to eat me alive.
I didn't care.
Let them hiss. Let them plot. Let them fight over titles and tea parties.
I was here for one reason. I would find that flower. I would save my parents.
And I would burn this court to the ground right after.