I stared at his hands, hesitating. A part of me feared that my suspicion might be right—that he was working with Sebastian. I looked at the faces of the people with him; their features were concealed beneath thin, black cloth. They weren't from the palace. Possibly not even soldiers of Zenon. But why was Jared with them? He wasn't wearing his usual leather uniform either. Instead, he wore a sleeveless tunic that revealed the dragon tattoos inked on both arms.
The sudden cry of the baby startled everyone, drawing their attention.
"Are you here to arrest me too?" I asked.
He dismounted from his black horse and faced me, his expression serious.
"I'm on your side, Rowela."
"I don't believe you. And besides… how do you even know me? We've only just met."
"I'm here to help you."
Sebastian knew exactly how to manipulate me—by using Jared. And even if I liked the commander, I was well aware that his feelings didn't match mine. He didn't even know me that well. Emelia clung tightly to my back, trembling in fear at the sight of Jared and the mysterious men.
"Sebastian ordered you to find me, didn't he? And because of your position, you want to be the one who captures me first. For what? So you can bask in glory? Or make headlines in tomorrow's papers?"
Jared's fists clenched, his thick brows furrowing sharply.
"Don't judge me so quickly! You don't know what my true intentions are!" he shouted.
One of his men signaled to move in. Alarmed, I turned to Emelia and whispered for her to run.
She gripped me harder, unwilling to let go. The look in her eyes said it all: "I don't want to leave you." But I gently removed her hand and gave her a slight push.
"Go! Now!" I cried. She sobbed uncontrollably as she ran off into the woods.
Two of the riders approached and pointed their swords at me. They ordered me to walk into a carriage reinforced with iron bars. Once inside, I sat quietly, and they tied a black cloth over my eyes. I went with them, blindfolded and silent, bracing for whatever was to come. My hands clutched the hem of my green trousers, trembling.
My mind raced. Were they taking me back to the palace to hang me? Behead me? Or worse—feed my corpse to wild beasts? Those were common punishments for criminals. It wasn't impossible.
I was drenched in sweat. The carriage was suffocatingly hot and completely sealed—no windows at all.
Hours passed. When the carriage finally stopped, my back ached from the hard steel bench. I heard the heavy creak of the door opening. I was roughly pulled out, then gently laid down before someone helped me step onto solid ground. They removed the blindfold.
The first face I saw was Jared's—his green eyes filled with quiet resolve as he looked toward the cave entrance.
He led me to a hidden encampment near the cave where people had gathered to eat. A child who looked strikingly like Jared ran up to us and happily offered him a stick of roasted meat. Jared ruffled the boy's hair with a smile and sent him back to his mother.
I was confused. I thought he brought me here to deliver me to the palace. Was this some ploy by Sebastian to have me executed—thrown off a cliff or sacrificed into the volcano looming in the background?
Jared gently took my arm and led me to a small house nearby. We entered, leaving the guards outside. Inside, I found an old man in a long white robe seated next to none other than the Duke who had disrespected Xyra. The duke scowled at me and whispered to the old man. I couldn't hear them, but I knew whatever was said wasn't kind.
Was he planning to punish me for humiliating him at the palace? Perhaps it was better if it were him and not Sebastian or my stepmother, Mira.
"Father," Jared said, bowing respectfully.
"It's good you found her quickly," the old man replied cheerfully, though the duke continued to glare at me.
"Celio, leave us," the man ordered.
"As you wish, Your Majesty," said the duke.
Did I hear that right? Your Majesty? Jared's father is a king?
Duke Celio left, and only the three of us remained. The king broke the silence once the duke was gone.
"Do you know why you're here?"
"You want to punish me for what I did to your duke."
"Duke? What duke?" he asked, confused.
"Wasn't that old man a duke?"
The king laughed. "Celio is just a messenger. I sent him to King Henry's palace to investigate. But what he did to that woman was still inexcusable."
If Celio wasn't a duke, how did he get into the palace?
"Why are you investigating King Henry?"
"I'm not sure if I should tell you…" he hesitated.
"Would you like me to explain instead, Father?" Jared offered.
"Thank you, Jared, but I want to tell her myself."
The king turned to me, his brow furrowed as he began to speak. His eldest son, Prince Draken—kind, respectful, intelligent—was once chosen by the late King Harold to succeed the throne. Draken was six years older than Jared and had been groomed to rule.
But on the day of his coronation, he was poisoned.
The kitchen staff were arrested. Some were executed. After that, everything in the palace changed.
The king had another son—Jared—from a former slave. Instead of choosing Jared as heir, they gave the crown to Henry, who was Draken's age. But King Henry's rise to power felt too convenient, too planned. Once in power, Henry banished Jared's father and the rest of their kin from the palace. Jared had to cut his long hair and disguise himself just to infiltrate the court and win the king's favor.
"He was supposed to be the rightful king of Zenon," Jared muttered, eyes downcast.
"We've lived in hiding for five years, still without justice for my son's murder," the king added, wiping tears with his sleeve.
"I sent for you because I saw potential in you. You will be one of the weapons we use to dethrone the king."
"Me? But I don't know how to fight or kill anyone!"
"The king is looking for a new queen. He'll choose her during his birthday celebration. You won't need violence. I've heard you're cunning. All you need to do is outshine the other women in the competition."
I held my head, overwhelmed. "Even if I wanted to help, I can't enter the contest. I'm already a wanted criminal in the palace."
How could I help them when the entire kingdom viewed me as a fugitive?
"Don't worry, Rowela," the king said calmly. "Jared, take her to Ares."
"Yes, Father." Jared quickly took my arm and led me to a small hut surrounded by candles.
Inside, the walls were lined with shelves holding colorful bottles of cosmetics. A muscular man wearing a dress, his face heavily made up, greeted us.
"Prince Jared, what can I do for you?" He curtsied with exaggerated elegance.
"Do everything you can to change her appearance."
Change my appearance? Were they going to operate on me?
"W-Why?" I asked. Jared didn't answer and left me with the flamboyant man.
"Darling, don't be scared. I'm a woman too, in my own way. I'm just here to transform you."
"Why?"
"So you can re-enter the competition," he whispered.
"You know me?"
"Oh, sweetie! I keep up with all the gossip. I know everything about you."
He began coloring my hair. The process took a while—he dyed it a pale ivory shade and let it sit to absorb fully. I didn't even know hair could be changed like this. He shaped my brows, cut my long hair, then curled it.
When I saw myself in the mirror, I barely recognized my face. I looked like someone else entirely.
Ares stroked my hair, beaming with pride.
Later, we returned to the king, but Jared was already gone—he'd returned to the palace to avoid suspicion.
The king explained the rewards if we succeeded. For now, my priority was to win the contest. He told me how to manipulate the system: it wasn't just about looks or fashion. I'd have to build influence by joining debates, proposing development projects, and winning over the people of Zenon.
I was still dazed—probably from hunger, as they hadn't offered me food—but I tried to absorb everything.
Ares packed the cosmetics into a suitcase and handed me several elegant dresses gifted by the queen. I was told to treat them as treasures.
Jared's younger brother, upon seeing me, sneered and said I looked like a wicked woman—probably because of my new brows.
They gave me several envelopes and instructed me to send letters regularly to a specific address for help if needed. I could also turn to Jared or his cousin Rebecca, who was also in the competition.
Rebecca? I wondered who she was.
The king added a warning:
"Be careful of Sebastian. He's cunning, and he's investigating Jared. Do everything you can to keep his eyes off my son—but be cautious."
I nodded.
Sebastian was cunning—I was one of his victims. But when I return to the palace, I won't let him ruin me again. This time, I'll destroy him first.
That night, I waited for Jared, but he never returned. His mother told me he rarely came home unless stationed nearby. I still didn't fully trust him, but after hearing his father's story, I felt guilt for judging him too soon.