A sharp, burning pain lanced through Olivia's chest.
She staggered back, choking, as something unseen coiled around her body like invisible chains. Her lungs tightened, her veins felt as though they were being set aflame from the inside. A guttural gasp escaped her lips—then blood. Dark and thick, it dripped down her chin, staining her dress.
Cullen stood before her, his fingers moving in intricate patterns, lips forming silent incantations. Shadows danced along the walls, twisting unnaturally.
The air became heavy. Suffocating.
The spell was crushing her.
Olivia dropped to her knees, her fingers digging into the cold stone floor. Every breath was agony. The taste of iron filled her mouth as more blood trickled past her lips.
Cullen's golden eyes gleamed with amusement and something darker.
"You thought you could waltz in here and command me?" he murmured, his voice soft, lethal. "You forget yourself, slave."
Olivia tried to move, but the magic tightened around her ribs. A pained cry tore from her throat.
The room pulsed with eerie energy. The torches flickered violently, casting grotesque shadows against the walls. Olivia's vision blurred, her strength slipping away—
Then suddenly—
The doors burst open.
A rush of magic flooded the room, strong enough to shatter the oppressive hold on Olivia.
Cullen's spell broke with a violent snap.
Olivia collapsed forward, gasping for air as the invisible force around her dissipated.
A woman stood at the doorway.
Shally.
Cullen's favorite concubine.
Her dark curls framed her delicate yet sharp features, her emerald eyes flashing with something between irritation and amusement. She stepped inside, her silk robes swirling around her ankles as she approached.
"That's enough, my king," Shally said smoothly, placing a hand on Cullen's chest before he could react. "You should cool your temper."
Cullen's jaw clenched, his fingers twitching at his sides.
Shally leaned in, voice lower. "If Queen Khloe learns her favorite handmaid died at your hands, do you really think she'll let a single witch in this palace live?"
Cullen stilled.
A beat of silence.
Then, with a sharp exhale, he turned away.
"Damn her," he muttered.
Shally gave Olivia a knowing look before retreating as swiftly as she had entered.
Cullen grabbed his robe from the chair, throwing it over his shoulders. "Let's go," he snapped.
Ignoring the burning ache in her chest, Olivia forced herself to stand. She wiped the blood from her lips and followed.
Khloe sat tall on the throne, her posture poised yet commanding. The grand chamber was filled with the weight of her presence. At her sides, the two ministers from earlier stood, their expressions carefully schooled into neutrality. The prime minister sat before her, hands folded, his sharp eyes betraying nothing.
Cullen strode inside, his presence a force of its own.
The room dipped into a courtesy as he approached.
He moved straight to the smaller throne beside Khloe's. As he sat, his gaze flickered to her. "This had better be worth my time."
Khloe didn't acknowledge him immediately. Instead, she pulled out several parchments, the crisp rustling of paper filling the tense silence.
Then, she began to read.
"Minister Aldric of Foreign Affairs," she addressed the first man, her voice carrying effortlessly through the room. "You have knowingly aided in the Prime Minister's illegal sulfur trade, making a fortune from it. Sulfur—a key component in explosives—has been smuggled under your watch, endangering the lives of the people. That is treason."
Aldric's face paled, but he said nothing.
Khloe turned to the second man.
"Minister Reynard of Finance," she continued. "Your duty is to ensure that taxes are properly collected. Yet, instead of enforcing the law, you have accepted bribes, allowing the wealth of this kingdom to disappear into the pockets of the undeserving. The labor of our people—their sweat, their toil—has been stolen, leaving many to suffer. That is treason."
Reynard's hands trembled slightly, but he remained silent.
Khloe finally turned her gaze to the man before her.
The Prime Minister.
The man she had trusted like a father.
The betrayal sat heavy in her chest, but she pushed it aside.
"You," she said, her voice quieter now—deadlier. "The one who guided my father. The one who whispered in his ear for years."
She let that sink in before she laid down the final blow.
"For forty years," she enunciated, "you have smuggled sulfur. You have avoided paying taxes on two entire fleets of trade ships. You have stolen from this kingdom before my father even ascended the throne."
The chamber was deathly silent.
Khloe exhaled slowly.
"Throw them in the dungeon," she ordered. "The questioning starts tonight."
Guards moved immediately.
Aldric, Reynard, and the prime minister didn't resist, but their silence spoke volumes.
Khloe watched as they were dragged away.
Then—
A sharp voice cut through the air.
"Who do you think you are?"
Cullen.
He stood now, his expression cold, his golden eyes burning with quiet fury.
"You made this decision alone?" he asked, voice smooth yet sharp as a blade.
Khloe's gaze didn't waver.
"I am the sole heir to this throne," she reminded him.
Cullen tensed.
A slow smile curled Khloe's lips. "Or did you need me to remind you of that?"
The tension in the room thickened.
A flicker of something dark crossed Cullen's face.
Then, after a beat, he exhaled, shaking his head.
Cullen's golden eyes darkened as he studied Khloe, his fingers curling against the armrests of his throne. The court was silent, watching the two rulers engage in their silent battle of wills.
"You do not understand the weight of your actions," Cullen finally said, his voice deceptively calm.
Khloe tilted her head. "Enlighten me."
"The people love him," Cullen continued, referring to the prime minister. "They will not sit idle while you throw him into the dungeon like a common criminal. You risk civil war."
Khloe let out a soft chuckle, her expression unreadable. "Why are you so concerned about humans, my king?"
Cullen's jaw clenched.
The court held its breath.
Khloe leaned forward, her voice smooth as silk. "Or is there something more? A reason why you'd defend a traitor?"
For the first time since he sat, Cullen looked away. It was brief—just the flicker of his gaze toward the floor—but Khloe caught it.
And so did the court.
A slow smile crept across her lips. "I see."
Cullen exhaled through his nose and straightened in his seat. "Do not mistake my caution for weakness.The court wouldn't backdown."
"And neither will I," Khloe countered.
A tense silence stretched between them.
Then, with an air of finality, Khloe turned to her guards. "Increase the security around the dungeons. The questioning starts tonight. Anyone caught conspiring against the crown will face the same fate."
The court erupted into murmurs. Some in fear. Others in agreement.
Cullen stood abruptly, his black cloak billowing behind him as he turned on his heel and left the chamber without another word.
Khloe remained seated, her gaze never wavering.