Chapter Five: Masks and Mirrors
The palace was preparing for the Spring Masquerade—a tradition meant to honor the gods of rebirth and new beginnings. How fitting, I thought, that I would use it to begin my own.
A beginning forged in silence.
In secrets.
In vengeance.
"Will you wear a mask of gold or silver, Princess?" Marella asked as she laid out gowns in shades of moonlight and blood.
I picked the black one, laced with obsidian gems and raven feathers.
"Neither," I said. "I want to be unforgettable."
The ballroom shimmered like a dream that night.
Masks glittered like stars, laughter floated like perfume, and music wound through it all like a spell.
But I was no one's dream tonight.
I was a storm wrapped in silk.
As I entered, heads turned. Even behind their jeweled masks, I could feel their stares.
Kael, in gold and emerald, spotted me instantly. He made his way toward me with the arrogance of a man who believed he still owned my heart.
He bowed low. "Stunning."
"Of course."
"Will you dance with me, Princess of Thorns?"
"Just one," I said, letting him lead me into the crowd.
We spun beneath the crystal chandeliers, but my focus wasn't on his hands—it was on the watchers. I noted who whispered to whom. Who lingered too close. Who watched me too closely.
"Do you remember our first kiss?" Kael murmured, voice rich and low.
I nodded. "Under the moonlight. In the east gardens."
"You tasted like roses."
"You tasted like ambition."
He smirked. "And you loved it."
"No," I whispered, my smile never fading. "I survived it."
His jaw tensed.
Good. Let the rot show, Kael.
The song ended, and I stepped away. Caden was near the pillars, watching with narrowed eyes.
"You clean up well," I said, approaching him.
He held a glass of wine but hadn't touched it.
"Didn't feel right," he said, nodding toward the goblets. "Not tonight."
"You're cautious."
"I'm alive."
I liked that answer more than I should have.
"You noticed anything... unusual?" I asked, nodding toward the guests.
He shifted beside me, eyes scanning. "The nobles from the eastern coast all arrived together. Too quiet. They're plotting something."
"They always are," I replied. "The trick is figuring out if it's about gold, or blood."
By midnight, the masks had begun to slip—figuratively and otherwise. I watched Duke Alvan share a secret conversation with Lord Vasric, both of whom would later support the motion to strip my crown.
I memorized every movement. Every whisper.
Later, I found myself in the empty hall near the royal archives, following a hunch.
And I wasn't alone.
Voices echoed behind the door.
"We move against her slowly. She still holds favor with the King."
"The Prince grows impatient. He expected her broken by now."
Kael's name was never spoken, but it didn't have to be.
I backed away, silent as breath.
By the time I returned to my chambers, I knew one thing for certain:
The noose was already being tied.
But this time, it wouldn't find my neck.
It would find theirs.
To be Continued...