The silence in Kael's chambers is deafening.
I've been staring at the same tapestry for an hour, trying to memorize every thread while my mind races with possibilities - none of them good. The morning light that seemed so golden when I woke in his arms now feels harsh, exposing every shadow where danger might hide.
He left before dawn with barely a goodbye, duty dragging him away like chains. Three weeks in the eastern territories, leaving me here with enemies who no longer need to hide their intentions behind careful smiles.
A soft knock interrupts my brooding. "Come in."
Mira enters, her face pale with worry. "Miss, Princess Lyra requests your presence in her chambers. She says it's... urgent."
The way she says 'urgent' makes my skin crawl. Nothing good ever comes from urgent summons when Kael isn't here to shield me from the consequences.
"Did she say what she wanted?"
"No, miss. But..." Mira glances toward the door, then steps closer. "There's been talk. Among the servants. About changes coming now that His Highness is away."
"What kind of changes?"
"The kind that usually end with people disappearing."
*****
Lyra's chambers feel like a sanctuary compared to the whispered conversations I catch in the corridors. Servants huddle in corners, their voices dying when they see me pass. Guards watch me with calculating eyes, as if measuring me for a coffin.
"Thank the gods you're safe," Lyra breathes as I enter. She's pacing by her window, violet eyes bright with fear. "I was afraid they'd moved against you already."
"They?"
"Mother. Seraphina. Half the court." She moves to her door, checking the lock. "They had a meeting this morning. Officially about Kael's progress through the territories. Unofficially..."
"About me."
"About the 'distraction' that needs to be eliminated before it causes more damage to the realm." Lyra's hands shake as she pours tea from a delicate porcelain set. "They're calling it a matter of national security."
The words hit like ice water. National security. The phrase that justifies any atrocity, any necessary sacrifice for the greater good.
"How long do I have?"
"I don't know. But Seraphina was asking pointed questions about your daily routines, your movements, where you go when you're not in Kael's chambers."
"She's planning something."
"She's planning everything." Lyra sets down her teacup with trembling hands. "And Mother is letting her. Encouraging her, even."
*****
I make my way back to Kael's chambers through corridors that feel increasingly hostile. Every shadow might hide an assassin. Every servant might carry poison. Every smile might be the last thing I see.
"Well, well. If it isn't the little pet."
Prince Damon steps out of an alcove, his face still bearing the marks of Kael's rage. But his brown eyes hold something new - not the gentle concern I remember, but calculation. Hunger.
"Your Highness." I incline my head respectfully, every instinct screaming at me to run.
"No need for formalities. We're practically family now, aren't we?" His smile doesn't reach his eyes. "After all, you've had such an... intimate relationship with my dear brother."
"I serve Prince Kael as instructed."
"Oh, I'm sure you do. Very... thoroughly." He steps closer, and I catch the scent of wine on his breath. Day drinking. Never a good sign in princes with grudges. "Tell me, pet - what will you do when he doesn't come back?"
"His Highness will return in three weeks."
"Will he?" Damon's laugh is bitter. "Eastern territories are dangerous. Rebellions. Bandits. Accidents happen to traveling princes all the time."
The implication freezes my blood. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that crowns are heavy things. Sometimes they fall to those better suited to carry them." His hand reaches out to touch my face, and I flinch back. "And sometimes, the spoils of war include... interesting prizes."
"I belong to Prince Kael."
"Do you? Even if he's dead?"
The question hangs in the air like poison. Before I can answer, footsteps echo down the corridor. Damon steps back smoothly, his expression shifting to casual politeness.
"Think about it, pet. When the time comes, you'll want to be on the winning side."
*****
That evening, I kneel in the great hall beside an empty chair. The high table feels wrong without Kael's presence - like a play where the lead actor has vanished mid-scene. Queen Elenora presides with cold efficiency, while Seraphina glides through conversations like a shark scenting blood.
"Such a shame the prince couldn't be here for tonight's feast," Seraphina says, her voice carrying to every corner of the hall. "Though I suppose it gives us time to... reorganize certain arrangements."
"Indeed," the Queen agrees. "Some changes have been long overdue."
I remain kneeling, silent, but every word feels like a nail in my coffin. They're not even pretending anymore. Not bothering with subtlety or careful planning.
"Tell me, dear," Seraphina addresses me directly, her voice honey-sweet. "How are you finding the castle without your... protector?"
"I serve wherever I'm needed, my lady."
"How wonderfully adaptable. I do admire flexibility in servants." Her smile is sharp as a blade. "Though I wonder - are you as... flexible in other areas?"
The innuendo is unmistakable, designed to humiliate me in front of the assembled court. But before I can respond, heavy footsteps echo from the corridor outside.
"Your Majesty." A guard captain appears in the doorway, his face grim. "Urgent message from the eastern territories. Prince Kael's delegation has encountered... complications."
The hall falls silent. Queen Elenora's expression doesn't change, but something flickers in her eyes. "What kind of complications?"
"Bandits, Your Majesty. The prince's carriage was attacked on the mountain pass. There are... casualties among the guard."
My blood turns to ice. Around me, I catch the subtle exchanges of glances, the barely concealed satisfaction on some faces. This feels too convenient, too perfectly timed.
"And Prince Kael?" the Queen asks, her voice carefully neutral.
"Alive, Your Majesty. But the situation remains... fluid."
Seraphina's smile is radiant as she rises from her chair. "How terrible. I do hope the prince recovers quickly from this... unfortunate incident."
But her eyes find mine, and the message is clear: I'm alone now. Truly, completely alone.
"Perhaps," she continues, her voice carrying across the silent hall, "this tragedy will help focus certain... priorities. Remind us all what truly matters to the realm."
The Queen nods slowly. "Indeed. Perhaps it's time to address some long-overdue concerns. Starting with matters of... security."
I kneel there beside Kael's empty chair, surrounded by enemies who no longer need to hide their intentions. No mysterious saviors. No sudden rescues. Just me, a girl with no memory and no allies, facing the full weight of a court that wants me dead.
But as fear claws at my chest, something else stirs beneath it. Something wild and angry and tired of being hunted.