I froze.
The voice echoed in my head again.
"I know what you are, witch."
My heart slammed against my ribs. I turned around quickly. No one, it was empty space. Just the looming castle behind me.
"Who… who was that?" I asked, my voice shaky.
There was no answer.
The silence crawled down my spine like a cold hand.
And then,
"What are you doing, standing like you have got nowhere to be ?"
Arenia's voice came suddenly startling me.
Her heels clicked against the stone as she approached, graceful, cold, and irritated.
"Why are you dawdling?" she asked, her tone flat, vaguely annoyed. "Come. Let's go. Tell me what the king said."
I swallowed hard. My hands were shaking. I curled them into fists so she wouldn't see.
"I… it's nothing," I said. I turned away from the door. "Let's go."
I followed her, walking as steadily as I could, but my legs still felt like glass.
Could I have misheard the voice, it could be my own anxiety talking.
But what if it wasn't. The thought of that had me quivering.
---
The carriage ride was quiet at first. Arenia sat across from me, arms folded, eyes staring out the window.
Then she glanced at me. "Well?"
I took a breath.
"The wedding," I said. "The king said it's set for a month from now."
It sounded surreal.
She turned her head sharply.
"That's fast," she said, brows rising. "Too fast."
I nodded.
She narrowed her eyes, thoughtful. "The king must be intent on this marriage. I wonder why…"
I stared at the wall of the carriage.
So did I.
I bit my lip, then asked the question that had been chewing at the edge of my thoughts.
"After the wedding… where will I live?"
Arenia blinked.
"In the palace, of course."
Then she hesitated.
"Though… that may change. No one really knows how these things go until the crown says it."
The book has said the flower was somewhere within the royal palace, I hope that after the marriage I would have access to the palace. Be able to search for what I needed.
I leaned back, letting the ride sway me in silence.
When we returned to the mansion, a pair of maids greeted us at the entrance. Their eyes darted to me and back again.
"Duchess," one said, bowing. "Something was delivered. It arrived just before you returned."
Arenia nodded.
"Let me see it."
There were two envelopes handed to her, she seemed to have expected it. She scanned through it before putting it aside.
The next one she opened the envelope right there in the hallway. Her eyes scanned the letter quickly, her eyes wide before she passed it to me.
I sighed.
Another letter. I read through it, it was an invitation to something about a blood moon. More court things.
My name was on it.
My new name.
Selene.
Arenia was unreadable at first. Then she looked at me, the corners of her lips pulling down.
"It's an invitation from the Ladies of the Court," she said slowly. "The Blood Moon Gathering approaches."
I blinked. I remembered the words from that day.
They said I wouldn't be invited. That I was untitled and so I could not go.
So why did I get one?
Arenia didn't look happy about it.
She walked toward the drawing room and I followed. She shut the door behind us. She sat down and gestured for me to do the same.
"This is no act of goodwill," she said quietly. "This… this is a test."
She tapped the letter.
"This meeting is sacred and most importantly very political. What happens there—matters."
I frowned. "Should I not go?"
Arenia met my eyes.
"You must go. You are the prince's future bride. It will be your first formal appearance among the inner circle of vampire nobility. You'll be watched. Judged."
She sighed.
"This will either cement you as someone worth watching… or someone easily dismissed."
I clenched my fists in my lap. I hated that I was getting roped into whatever this was.
When she dismissed me, I returned to my room.
I closed the door and stood there for a long time.
The dress still clung to my skin like it belonged to someone else.
I was being pulled into their world.
Dresses. Thrones. Schemes. Everything they lived for… was everything I wanted to burn.
I sat by the window and stared out at the moon, sharp and white in the sky. I needed a plan.
I needed to find the flower.
I needed to bring this whole system down. But maybe I could use this, maybe I could unravel their word from within.
All I need is a plan
---
Kael's POV
The castle was quiet as it always was. I stood in my chamber, pacing.
I couldn't stop thinking about her.
Selene.
When I first saw her in court, she looked… blank. Like her eyes were dulled. There was something restrained about her. She looked like just another puppet with no thought of her own except trivial things like appearances.
I had thought about her as just another puppet in a silk dress.
But today… something changed.
When she snapped at me, when she told me off… there was fire. She came alive.
It was beautiful.
I shook my head, disgusted with myself. Was I that fickle?
She was my father's pawn. I just knew it with the way he is trying so hard to get us married. That made her my problem.
So I couldn't… shouldn't be thinking about how beautiful she is.
I walked to the window and pushed it open. Cool air hit my face.
I was going to stop this marriage. Somehow, whatever it took.
A knock came at the door.
A sharp voice followed.
"It's me."
Maren.
I opened the door. She walked in like she owned the place. Of course she did.
She looked elegant, regal.
Her dress shimmered like moonlight. Her expression, unreadable.
A rebellious voice whispered in my head.
Not like her. Not as beautiful.
I shook my head as I shut the door behind her.
"My father set the date," I said. "A month from now."
She gasped."That's quick."
"I know." I replied.
We stayed in silence for a moment. Her eyes flicked to the fireplace.
Then she spoke softly. Carefully. "I have a plan."
I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of plan?"
Maren looked at me. Her eyes were cold empty caverns. "To get rid of her," she said. "To stop the wedding." Her voice was low.
But underneath it, I felt it strong malice.
"A plan for the Blood Moon," she added. The fire cracked in the hearth.
And for the first time that night, I felt… uneasy.