My father’s guard looked lost, unsure whether to obey and fight the princess who looked like their greatest enemy, or wait for the true Lord’s command.
“Silence!” my father roared with such anger that the walls seemed to shake. “Who do you think you are, Fenric?”
The chaos spread, voices rising over one another. I watched, waiting for a verdict. That was when I felt my mother’s hand clamp around my wrist.
"Come, dear," she murmured, her eyes shining with urgency. "We have to go."
"But—" I started, but she didn't let me finish.
“Don’t argue.” Her voice was quiet, but strong. “We have to take advantage of the distraction. Go.”
I took one last look at the hall. I saw my father, tall and furious, holding the weight of all those eyes alone, but before I left, he glanced at me.
I’d never forget the sadness and guilt he carried in his gray eyes.
Chapter 4
My mother pulled me toward a small door behind the altar, leading to the passage the priests used during ceremonies. The space was empty, as were the castle corridors.
“Listen to me, Fiona,” she began, tugging me along, ignoring the fact that I was taller and broader than she was. “You have to leave. What happened today wasn’t a coincidence.”
That much I already knew. After all, how could Merith have breached the castle wards so easily? And besides, who the hell was she? Why was she so intent on seeking vengeance against my father?
I didn’t have time to ask because my mother continued:
“I can’t explain everything now, but know that enemies surround us.”
The air grew colder the deeper we went into the castle.
"Here in the castle?" I asked. She nodded with a resolute gaze. "Are you talking about treason?"
"That doesn’t matter now. They managed to strike our family where it hurts most, but that was only the beginning."
Fear and indignation waged war inside me.
“I can’t go, Mama. I can’t leave you to face them alone.”
My mother stopped and cupped my face with both hands. Her eyes, which had been burning with fury, were now filled with cold determination.
“You must.”
She resumed her pace, leading me away from the echoes of screams drifting from the main hall—a reminder that the world I knew was crumbling stone by stone. I fought the urge topull back, to wrench free and run back to the hall. The thought of my family fighting alone made my stomach turn.
We slipped through another secret passage, but this time we weren’t alone. To my shock, Kristan was there, clutching a bag and a dagger.
“Kristan?”
My best friend’s green eyes filled with tears, and she threw herself at me, hugging me hard. With my new height, she could only wrap her arms around my waist. My own eyes stung at the feel of her love—the one person who had always stood by me, no matter what.
She clung to me like I was the only anchor left in her world, or maybe she was mine. The tears she tried to hide soaked through my ruined dress.
Instinctively, my hands rose and wrapped around her.
“Kristan…” My voice broke, and she only tightened her grip.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but her words came out shaky and thick with emotion.
"I'm so sorry, Fiona." She tilted her head up, her green eyes shining like fireflies in the gloom. "This isn’t fair."
