I was starting to realize that the palace was more dangerous than I'd ever imagined.
It wasn't just Kaelen's coldness or Darius's cruelty it was the quiet way people watched me. The way conversations stopped when I entered a room. The whispers I couldn't quite catch.
I was a stranger here. An outsider. And I was walking on thin ice.
Kaelen hadn't spoken to me since the night he kissed me if you could even call that a kiss. It had been a warning. A claim. And it left me even more confused than before.
But confusion wouldn't protect me here.
"Adrien."
I flinched at the sound of his voice. Turning, I found Kaelen standing in the hallway, his expression unreadable. He looked like a prince cold, beautiful, and untouchable.
"Come with me."
I didn't have much of a choice.
He led me through the palace, past towering marble columns and silent guards. When we reached a set of heavy double doors, Kaelen pushed them open without hesitation.
Inside was a council chamber and every head turned when we entered.
I froze. The room was filled with nobles men and women with sharp eyes and sharper smiles. Darius was there, of course, lounging in his seat like he owned the place.
But there were others I hadn't seen before. A dark-haired woman with a scar across her cheek. An older man with a gold ring on every finger. And a boy barely older than me who watched me like he was waiting for me to make a mistake.
"Why is he here?" the boy asked, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Because I want him here," Kaelen said simply.
The tension in the room spiked.
"This is reckless," the scarred woman said. "You've already made yourself vulnerable, Kaelen. Parading your..." her eyes flicked to me, "pet around won't help."
I felt my face burn, but Kaelen's voice cut through the room like ice.
"Watch your tongue, Selene."
So this was Lady Selene. And if the look she gave Kaelen was any indication, she wasn't a fan of his choices.
The meeting didn't get much better from there. They talked of politics and war of border skirmishes and old alliances crumbling. And through it all, I felt their eyes on me.
When it was finally over, I followed Kaelen out in silence. But I couldn't keep my mouth shut for long.
"You really know how to make a guy feel welcome," I muttered.
Kaelen didn't smile, but there was something almost amused in his eyes. "You'll get used to it."
"I'd rather not." I stopped walking. "What am I even doing here, Kaelen? Why bring me into this?"
For a long moment, he said nothing. And then so softly I almost didn't hear him he said, "Because I don't trust anyone else."
The words hit harder than they should have. But before I could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall.
A guard approached, his face pale. "My prince there's been an attack."
Kaelen's eyes darkened. "Where?"
"The southern village. They've taken hostages."
He didn't hesitate. "Prepare the horses."
And then his eyes turned to me. "You're coming with me."
"Are you insane?" I stared at him. "You just said you don't trust anyone here. And now you want to drag me into a war zone?"
"I said I don't trust anyone else." His voice softened. "But I trust you."
And God help me I wanted to believe him.