Chapter 4 Shadows Behind the Throne

The blade gleamed in the moonlight, pressed tight to the assassin's throat.

Kael's breath was steady, his stance unwavering, as he stared into the eyes of the man who had tried to kill him only moments ago.

"Say it again," Kael growled. "Which queen?"

The would-be assassin coughed, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. He had fought hard-well-trained, quiet, quick-but Kael had fought harder but effortlessly. The scuffle was brief, brutal, and left the garden's marble tiles painted with streaks of red.

The man hesitated, then spat at Kael's boot. "You already know."

Kael pressed the sword in tighter, drawing a line of blood. "I don't like riddles. Speak."

"Queen Seraphine of Virelia," the man croaked, defiant. "She sends her regards."

Kael's grip tightened on the hilt.

The confirmation shouldn't have surprised him. But it did.

He pulled the blade back just enough to keep the man alive. "Why would the queen of the human kingdom want me dead? We've never spoken. We've never met. I have done nothing to her."

The man laughed, bitter and short. "That's what you think."

Kael's eyes narrowed. "Then tell me what I don't know."

The man only smiled.

Kael moved with lightning speed, twisting the assassin's wrist until the dagger clattered to the ground. Then he stood, towering over him.

"You'll speak again," Kael said coldly, signaling to the palace guards who came rushing in, late but alert. "Take him to the dungeons. I want him alive."

The guards obeyed, lifting the man from the bloodstained floor and dragging him toward the inner chambers. Kael stood motionless for a beat, his pulse still thrumming in his ears, then turned and vanished back into the palace.

---

He didn't sleep.

Instead, Kael stood in the War Chamber alone, staring at the large map of the continent laid across the central table. Markers denoting borders, troop movements, and key cities dotted its surface.

His gaze lingered on the region marked Virelia.

Why her?

Why now?

Queen Seraphine had every reason to see him as a threat-his power, his rise, the prophecy. But that didn't explain an assassination attempt in the heart of Eldoria, during a royal ball meant to symbolize peace.

It was bold. Too bold.

He closed his eyes briefly, hearing again the assassin's words: "That's what you think."

There was something deeper at play. A hidden piece in the game. Something personal.

And it gnawed at him.

---

The next morning, sunlight spilled into the palace like liquid gold. But no one smiled. Word of the incident had been contained to only a few trusted ears, it was better that way to prevent further troubles, yet the air was tense.

Kael stood in the training grounds, hammering his fists against a straw dummy, sweat running down his neck. His blade leaned against the fence beside him, untouched.

He needed clarity. But clarity refused to come.

Only one thing echoed in his mind.

Queen Seraphine. Why would you send a dagger in the night?

The thought was interrupted by the quiet shuffle of footsteps behind him.

He turned. And there she was.

Princess Elara.

Today she was dressed in far simpler attire than the night before-a travel cloak over a muted gray tunic. Her hair was pulled back into a loose braid, and the sharpness in her gaze had not dulled.

"You fight like you're trying to silence the world," she said.

Kael didn't answer.

Elara stepped closer, folding her arms. "No one's seen you since after the dance. Rumors are swirling."

"I don't entertain rumors."

"I suppose you entertain ambushes, then?" Her voice was steady, but something flickered in her eyes. She knows.

Kael studied her. "Did you come to warn me? Or check if your mother's dagger found its mark?"

That earned him a glare. "You think I knew? That I'd be party to something like that?"

"I don't know what you would or wouldn't do," Kael replied. "We only met last night, remember?"

Elara exhaled sharply. "I came because I don't know what's going on. And neither do you."

He turned back to the dummy, landing one final punch before wiping his hand on a cloth. "Then let's not pretend we're allies."

"No," she said. "Let's not pretend we're enemies, either."

The words hung in the air, surprising even her.

Kael turned to face her again, slower this time.

For a second, the hostility melted into something unspoken. Then she looked away.

"I'll speak to my mother," she said finally. "But don't expect answers to come easily. She doesn't share her secrets, even with me."

Kael watched her go, torn between mistrust and something... else.

---

That night, the dungeons were silent except for the steady drip of water and the low groans of distant prisoners. Kael walked slowly down the corridor, his footsteps echoing off the stone walls.

The assassin was chained in a private cell, his wounds cleaned, but his face still bore bruises from their scuffle.

Kael stepped inside.

The man didn't even look up.

"I came for answers," Kael said simply.

The assassin laughed softly. "Everyone does."

"You said I already know. What are you talking about cause I don't think I do."

"You will."

Kael stepped closer. "Tell me what Queen Seraphine wants."

"She fears the prophecy," the man said. "Fears what you might become."

Kael narrowed his eyes. "That much is obvious. What's not is why she'd risk starting a war over it."

The man looked up, eyes gleaming. "Because you're not just a threat to her kingdom. You're a threat to her throne."

"What do you mean?"

"She's hiding something," the man said. "Something buried deep. And you, Kael... you're the key that could unlock it."

Kael frowned. "Unlock what?"

But the man only smiled.

Then his body spasmed. He gasped-and his eyes rolled back.

Kael lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar.

But it was too late.

Foam frothed at the assassin's mouth. His body jerked once, twice-and then stilled.

Kael cursed under his breath.

Poison. Someone had silenced him.

Someone in this palace.

---

By dawn, Kael stood once again in the high tower, overlooking the valley where mist curled between the trees. The cool wind bit at his face, but his thoughts ran hotter than ever.

Virelia wasn't just afraid.

They were hiding something.

Something tied to him. To the prophecy. To the reason Queen Seraphine had sent a killer rather than a diplomat.

And now the only man who might've told him the truth was dead. What could be so deep to have made them poison him from spilling the truth?

He needed a different path to answers.

He needed to learn who Seraphine really was. What past she carried. What secrets she buried. He needed to know more about Virelia.

He would start with her daughter.

---

That evening, Kael sought out Elara.

She was in the palace's west gardens, seated on a marble bench under a blooming mythera tree, its violet blossoms glowing faintly in the twilight. She didn't turn when he approached.

"I heard the assassin's dead," she said.

Kael nodded. "Poisoned before he could say much."

She looked down. "So it was her."

"I believe so," he said. "But there's more to it. He said I was a threat not just to her kingdom... but her throne."

That got her attention.

She turned sharply. "What?"

"He said your mother fears me not just because of the prophecy-but because of something she's hiding. Something connected to me."

Elara stood, tension coiling in her shoulders. "That doesn't make sense. You were a child when she came to power. There's no history between you."

Kael stepped closer. "Unless she's hiding history."

Elara stared at him. "What are you implying?"

"I'm saying your mother may know more about who I am than I do."

Silence stretched between them.

"I want to trust you," Kael said quietly. "But I need your help to uncover the truth."

"Why should I even help you?" she said, folding her arms.

"Then don't. I'll take care of it myself"

She looked away, jaw clenched. "Fine. You're so rude, but I'll help you regardless. If she's hiding something... I don't know what it is. But I'll find out. Know that you owe me."

Before Kael could reply, he was interrupted by Princess Elara's guard.

"The queen calls for you my princess. It's time to go home."

___

The delegation from the human kingdom and other royals was preparing to return home. Their carriages were lined at the gates, bearing the royal crest of Virelia. Courtiers exchanged carefully measured goodbyes. Smiles were strained. Diplomacy hung heavy in the air like smoke.

Kael stood at the edge of the courtyard, watching it unfold.

He knew this was not over.

He could feel it in his blood.

Elara emerged from the palace, her travel cloak sweeping behind her, her expression set like stone. She looked every inch the princess now-controlled, unreadable, powerful.

Yet when her eyes found Kael's across the distance, something shifted.

She walked toward him slowly.

"You won't stop me?" she asked, voice low.

"Would you listen if I tried?"

A flicker of amusement tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Probably not."

They stood facing each other in silence.

Kael's gaze searched her face, uncertain of what he wanted to say-or what he wanted her to say.

"I still don't trust you," she said finally. "But I'm beginning to think I need to."

"I feel the same," Kael replied, his voice rough. "I want to understand. I want to know the truth."

"I'll try to find it," Elara promised. "But if she's hiding something... I'll be putting myself in danger too."

Kael didn't reach for her. He didn't dare.

But his voice was softer now. "Then be careful, Princess."

She gave a slight nod, then turned to leave.

But halfway to her carriage, she stopped-and glanced back over her shoulder.

Their eyes locked again, something passing between them. A question. A promise. A warning.

Then she climbed into the carriage and was gone.

Kael remained rooted where he stood, the wind tugging at his cloak, the scent of departing horses and distant flowers filling the air.

He wasn't sure if he had just lost something...

...or if it had only just begun.