Chapter 16: The Hidden Room
The air was still.
Neither too warm, nor too cold... as though the world itself held its breath.
Two pairs of eyes met in that suspended moment.
Crimson.
Cold, beautiful, and unreadable.
And pale as snow.
Eyes heavy with sadness.
"So… what brought you here, Duke?"
The Second Empress's voice was calm, her gaze steady.
Duke SilverVeil inclined his head, his lips holding the faintest curve of politeness.
His eyes, however, spoke a language far older than his words.
"I have some business… with my sister today."
"I see." She offered a faint smile. "Then I hope your work is concluded smoothly."
For a moment, he simply studied her.
Silent.
Measuring.
And then, a smile... faint, knowing.
"Yes… though it may take some time. And then you..."
He stopped.
Her brow arched, a flicker of confusion passing through her thoughts.
Is this… something that involves me?
"But tell me," she said instead, "why has the Duchess not come? It has been far too long since she last visited. Do tell her I invite her here whenever she is free."
"Yes," he replied smoothly. "I will tell her."
His gaze sharpened.
"So… what brought you here? My sister tells me you do not visit her often."
She did not answer at once.
Instead, her eyes wandered... as if weighing the value of honesty.
Finally, she said, "I am looking for someone. And I received word that he is here."
The Duke's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then, he looked away and murmured, almost to himself,
"Looks like I save him today…"
"I hope you find what you're searching for," he said aloud.
"I will."
This time, her voice carried an edge... a mix of confidence and something sharper, anger threading through the calm.
Where can one hide… from me?
"Have a pleasant day ahead, Duke."
She turned, her steps echoing softly as she walked toward the First Empress's meeting room.
Behind her, the Duke watched in silence.
His hand rose slightly... as if reaching for something already lost.
"A nice day… without you," he whispered.
His fingers curled into a fist.
And beneath his breath, a vow escaped.
"…Soon, I will have it."
_____________
Cinderella Palace
Top Floor
A place unseen... neither from the outside nor the inside. A floor woven from magic, hidden in the seams of reality.
The corridor was dark, cold, as if freshly carved from the void. No guards lined the walls, no tapestries softened the stone... only a shifting path, its turns twisting like a living thing, designed to lose any intruder.
Two figures walked in silence.
The Second Princess, Aella, held her father's hand, guiding him forward. Her grip was warm, yet hesitant... a contradiction. She moved with confidence, her back straight, her gaze fixed ahead, refusing to look at him.
Asharic watched her from behind.
Their resemblance was undeniable... golden hair like molten sunlight, eyes deep red, as if carved from rubies. But where he was broad-shouldered, regal in his bearing, she was elegance incarnate, her form flawless, her presence sharp as a blade.
After countless turns... each bend in the path designed to disorient... they stopped before a door.
No ordinary entrance. This one answered only to Dragonblood. Only to her.
"We have reached," Aella murmured.
She turned, just for a moment, meeting his eyes... then quickly looked away, as if afraid of what she might see.
The door opened.
Beyond it lay not a room, but another world.
The air was fresh, impossibly so, carrying the scent of distant gardens. The walls stretched high, adorned in crimson and gold, a palace within a palace... a sanctuary untouched by time.
___________
Asharic's POV
So this is where she brought me.
I knew this place.
Not from memory, but from her past... the life she had lived before time twisted back.
Aella had built this refuge after returning from that hellish kingdom, only to find her home in ruins. The royal palace, once grand, had been reduced to skeletal remains. She wandered the broken halls, searching for anyone... anything... left alive.
But there was no one.
Alone, weakened, she had poured the last of her magic, her blood, her very life, into creating this place. A labyrinth where she could hide. Where she could escape.
She succeeded.
And then she died.
And then... somehow... she woke up in the past.
How?
The answer lay in the book I had taken from the dragon's lair... Half-Dragon.
Dragonblood carried rare, devastating gifts. Some could defy even the gods.
Hers was the power to turn back time.
And she didn't even know it.
As for me… my own ability remained a mystery. I had to uncover it... and the conditions to awaken it.
But first, this place.
It was perfect.
Secluded. Guarded by magic. Far from prying eyes.
I could recover here. Regain my strength.
I knew the future. I had the knowledge. But none of it mattered if I couldn't wield power.
Still… why keep it secret?
Ah.
The Second Empress.
She was just like her... my second wife in another life. Stubborn. Relentless. If she suspected I was recovering, she would never let me out of her sight.
Better to hide. Better to move unseen.
Then...
Aella turned.
Her crimson eyes met mine, unwavering.
"I'm sorry, Father," she said, voice low. "For shouting at you before."
Her gaze dropped.
"I don't know what happened to you… but you must stay here now." A pause. "I've prepared everything. It's as comfortable as the King's Palace."
Her fingers tightened slightly on my sleeve.
"Please… get better fast."
I said nothing.
What could I say?
I knew her past. I knew her future.
And so I stayed silent as she left.
The room was vast, opulent... all red and gold, the air crisp through the open window.
This will do.
The Second Empress wouldn't listen to her daughter. But then again, Aella was just as stubborn as her mother.
I had time.
And for now… that was enough.