The feast began with music, but there was tension braided into every note.
Inside the Grand Hall, torches burned high above, casting golden light over the polished floors and glittering goblets. Nobles filled the tables, wearing their finest velvets and silks, their laughter echoing too loudly, their smiles too sharp. I sat beside Leonard, adorned in a silver gown with sapphire embroidery, my hair coiled and pinned like some treasured ornament. Yet, no amount of finery could silence the storm swirling beneath my ribs.
He hadn't said much since the day before.
He hadn't needed to.
The burning girl, the council's silence, Caelum's words,they were all louder than any court song.
"Smile," Leonard murmured beside me without turning.
I did. Or I tried to. Because the room was watching.
Especially Lady Verona.
She sat across the long table, her gown a bold crimson that clung to her like blood. She hadn't stopped staring at Leonard all evening. Or at me. Her lips curved like she knew a secret I didn't, and it made my skin crawl.
Hadley entered fashionably late, her entrance causing a stir. Dressed in royal lavender with silver crescents threaded into her dark hair, she moved like someone born to this world poised, calm, untouchable.
When she reached the table, she leaned down and kissed Leonard on the cheek. "Brother," she said warmly. Then to me, "You look better, Lisa."
"Thank you," I managed, surprised by the sincerity in her eyes.
She took her seat beside her husband, Lord Rowen, who nodded politely in my direction. His hand never left hers.
I watched them, wondering if Leonard had ever held someone that way. I doubted it.
⸻
Later, when the dancing began and Leonard disappeared into one of the side rooms with Caelum and two older lords, I found myself isolated. Nobles came up to greet me,out of duty, not affection and I gave them the court smile I was quickly mastering.
"Mi lady," a soft voice said.
I turned to see Rhys.
Dressed in dark green with a smirk that didn't reach his eyes, he gave a mock bow and took a sip of wine from his goblet. "Enjoying the show?"
"Which one?" I asked dryly.
He laughed. "Good answer. You're learning."
Rhys was always around when things were about to turn interesting, and tonight, he lingered.
"Leonard's not here," he said, glancing around.
"He's in some meeting."
"More like sharpening daggers," he replied. "These councils are full of cowards. The moment they smell a bit of fear, they tighten their pockets and start planning funerals. Of others, of course."
I frowned. "Are they planning something?"
Rhys didn't answer. But his eyes slid toward a group of nobles seated near Lady Verona, whispering far too intently.
"She's making her move," he finally said. "Verona. Her father's been pushing her into Leonard's shadow since you arrived. Now she's setting fires to watch you burn."
My stomach twisted. "Why?"
"Because you're winning." He smiled, but it wasn't kind. "And she's never had to compete before."
⸻
By the time Leonard returned, the air was heavier.
Caelum trailed behind him, face unreadable. They spoke in low tones to Hadley, who stiffened at whatever Leonard said. Something had changed.
And I was the last to know.
I stepped forward when Leonard caught my eye. "What's wrong?"
He gave me a long look, and for a moment, I thought he'd tell me. But then his face closed again. "Nothing. Enjoy the evening."
"Leonard—"
"Not now," he cut in, his voice soft but final.
I stood there, trying not to feel like a child dismissed.
"Trouble's brewing," Caelum murmured as he passed behind me. "Keep your eyes open."
⸻
Later that night, I wandered into the moonlit corridor near the west tower, seeking air, quiet... understanding. That was when I saw her.
Verona.
Standing beside a cloaked figure near the shadow of the old tapestry room. She leaned close, whispering something. I froze.
"...the cave," the figure was saying. "It's been moved. The prince must be growing suspicious."
"Then speed up the plan," Verona said, her voice low but sharp. "He's distracted by that girl. We won't get another chance."
I stepped back by instinct, but my slipper brushed a loose tile.
The sound echoed.
They both turned.
Verona's eyes met mine and smiled.
"My lady," she called sweetly. "Out for a stroll?"
"I... yes," I said stiffly.
The cloaked figure had already disappeared.
"I hope the feast hasn't tired you. It's quite the adjustment, isn't it? Royal life."
I met her gaze. "I'm adjusting."
Her smile thinned. "Good. We'll see how long that lasts."
She turned, vanishing into the hall like smoke.
⸻
When I returned to the chambers, Leonard was seated before the fire, boots off, shirt partially unbuttoned. He looked exhausted, the flames casting golden shadows on his jaw.
"I saw Verona," I said.
He looked up.
"She was speaking to someone. Something about... a cave. And speeding up a plan."
His jaw tightened. "Where?"
"Near the tapestry wing."
He stood immediately, pulling on his coat.
"I'm coming," I said.
"No."
I crossed my arms. "You can't keep treating me like I'm breakable."
"You are," he snapped. "You don't even know what you are yet."
Silence.
"I know enough to realize I'm in danger," I said softly. "And I deserve to be part of the fight."
He looked at me for a long time, then said, "Tomorrow. Caelum and I will handle this tonight."
"And if they get ahead of you?"
"They won't." His voice dropped. "I've killed for less."
I stepped back slightly. "Is that supposed to comfort me?"
"No," he said quietly. "It's a warning. You're not in a storybook, Lisa. This is not a place where love conquers or goodness wins. This is blood. Politics. Power. If you want to survive here, stop searching for kindness in people who never learned it."
"Is that what you think I'm doing?" I asked.
He didn't answer.
He simply vanished into the hall, cape trailing behind him like a shadow.
And I stood there, in his world, wondering how far I'd already sunk.
⸻
Somewhere, far away from the castle, a cave door pulsed with runes no longer dormant. And deep within, something stirred awake.
Something ancient.
Something hungry.