The room falls into a suffocating silence as all eyes snap toward Baron. I glance at Leigh—she’s pale as a ghost. Her face frozen in a look of horror, and her breath shallow as if she’s about to pass out.
Baron straightens even more, his jaw tightening, scanning the room as if measuring everyone’s reactions before settling his gaze on Drystan. His tone is frigid. “I would tread carefully if I were you, Drystan.”
My heart pounds in my chest, a mix of anger and fear rising within me like a storm brewing. “I will not be used like this,” I say, my voice trembling with emotion.
Baron’s expression hardens, as if my daring to speak up was an inconvenience. “As discussed, this is not a request, Eva. It’s for the good of Aetheria and yourself. Soon you will be thanking me for this.”
Callon steps forward, his gaze locking with mine.
Drystan places a calming hand on Callon’s shoulder, though his own anger simmers beneath the surface. “Baron, you claim this is for the good of Aetheria, but it sounds more like it serves only Astermiri’s interests.”
Baron remains unyielding, his voice as rigid as ever. “I am the king of Astermiri, and I will do what is necessary to protect my people.”
I resist the urge to laugh, as if I could forget he is the king.
Garet steps closer to me, his presence overbearing, suffocating. “It is for the best, Eva. You will grow to understand. I promise.”
He reaches out to touch my arm, but I pull away, flinching before I can stop myself. What is he doing? This is the same boy who used to be my friend, who shared countless adventures with me. Now, he’s a stranger, buried beneath layers of authority and coldness. What happened to him? Or was he always this twisted?
“Because your word is worth so much,” I retort, sarcasm dripping from my words like poison.
Callon steps forward, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. “Quite the touching reunion, isn’t it? Garet, forcing a marriage on someone doesn’t usually lead to a happy ending.”His eyes lock on mine for a brief second, and there’s something almost... regretful there? Or maybe I’m imagining it.
Garet’s jaw tightens as he addresses Callon with a steely calm. “You would do well to keep your opinions to yourself, Callon.”
Callon’s smirk deepens, but his eyes darken, a dangerous glint in them. “Oh, Garet. You really don’t get it, do you? Everything is my business.”
My mind spirals, questions swirling like a storm, each one louder than the last. The throne room feels like it’s shrinking, the walls closing in, pressing down on me with the weight of a thousand expectations. My breathing quickens, shallow and ragged, each breath more desperate than the last.
I can’t control it. I can’t catch my breath. My chest is tight, each inhale shallow and labored. Panic grips me, sudden and relentless, squeezing the air from my lungs. My thoughts scramble, unable to find any grounding, and I can’t stop the wave of fear that surges through me. The room tilts, and my legs feel unsteady, as if they might give way at any moment. The weight of it all presses in, and I’m trapped, suffocating in a silence that feels too loud.
Leigh, seeing the look on my face, steps between Garet and me. “Come on, Eva. Let’s go.” Her voice is gentle but firm, a lifeline in this mind-blowing shitshow. Realizing I’m not in control of my own two feet, she grabs onto my arm and guides me.
As we leave the throne room, the suffocating weight starts to lift, but my mind is a chaotic swirl of confusion and anger. What the hell am I going to do? Do I accept this? Do I have a choice? Can I escape? And if I do... where the fuck would I even go?
Leigh keeps a firm grip on my arm, her steps quick and purposeful. She glances back at me now and then, but it’s clear she’s more focused on getting us out.
We turn down a hallway I don’t recognize. Leigh pushes a banner aside, revealing a hidden door. “Shortcut,” she mutters,pulling me through.
Guards follow, but Leigh waves them off. “Not now,” she snaps, and to my surprise, they actually listen. Seriously, where was that energy when I needed it back there?
“Eva,” Leigh says softly, “I know this is all overwhelming, but you need to stay strong. We’ll figure this out together.”
I nod, grateful for her support but unable to shake the gnawing fear in my stomach. “Why is Garet acting like this? He was my best friend, Leigh. Now he’s a stranger, a…a tyrant.”
Leigh sighs, her eyes filled with empathy. “Power changes people, Eva. Garet’s been under a lot of pressure, but that doesn’t excuse his behavior. You deserve better than this.”
Power changes people... That’s the second time I’ve heard that in the past week. Maybe I should get it sewn on a shirt at this rate. Leigh takes us to the back to the palace library, where the peaceful atmosphere is a stark contrast to the tension I just escaped. She finds a secluded corner, and we sit.
“Talk to me, Eva,” Leigh says gently. “Let it all out.”
I take a shaky breath, tears already threatening to spill. “I don’t get it, Leigh. Garet was my best friend. Now he’s someone I don’t even recognize—cold, controlling. And this engagement... I didn’t agree to this. How can they just decide my future for me? Like my life isn’t mine to control anymore.”
The words spill out in a torrent, raw and jagged. Leigh listens with quiet patience, her eyes brimming with understanding. “It’s okay to feel hurt, betrayed. You’ve had so much taken from you—your choices, your trust. It’s not fair.”
And then it hits me, a tidal wave of emotion crashing down. Kendry’s death, Garet’s betrayal, the endless lies. I break, the dam shattering as sobs rack my body. I cry, and I cry, until I’m drowning in the flood of it all, the grief, the anger, the helplessness. My chest heaves with the force of my tears, and I feel like I’ll never stop.
Leigh wraps her arms around me, holding me as I unravel. Her silent comfort is a lifeline in the storm. “I feel so lost,” I whisper between sobs. “I don’t know who to trust. I don’t know what’s coming next.”
