Chapter 5 THE SECRETS SHE LEFT BEHIND

The east wing was quieter than the rest of the palace- less guarded, dimmer, with cold marble beneath her feet and long-forgotten tapestries on the walls. Zara walked slowly, the faint sound of her shoes echoing with each step. According to Sera, this wing had once been Seraphina's private space before the engagement.

Now, no one used it.

Zara clutched her cloak tighter and looked over her shoulder. No guards. No Kael. Just shadows.

A rusted iron key hung from the waist of one of the maid uniforms in the laundry room-she'd seen it earlier when pretending to admire the embroidery. It had taken a fake stomach cramp, a mild distraction, and a stolen second to slip it into her cloak.

She reached the final door in the hallway-a narrow one with golden etchings at the top. Faint flowers carved into the arch. The handle was cold when she turned it.

The key fit.

The lock clicked open with a slow groan, and Zara slipped inside.

Seraphina's old chamber was coated in dust and silence.

Moonlight spilled in from a tall arched window, casting long silver shadows across the wooden floor. A four-poster bed sat untouched in the center, still made up with faded sheets. On one side, a writing desk. On the other, a dressing table with a cracked mirror. A faint scent lingered in the air-rosewater and parchment.

Zara's fingers brushed the edge of the desk. Her flashlight flicked on as she crouched and opened the first drawer. Empty.

She tried the second.

Letters. Old parchment tied with a crimson ribbon. Some had royal seals; others were torn open, written in flowing script.

Most were harmless. Notes from friends. Family updates. One was from a tutor complaining about Seraphina skipping language lessons.

But one note, buried beneath the rest, caught her eye.

No date. No seal. Just four lines:

I cannot marry him, no matter what they say.

If you're reading this, then something went wrong.

Trust no one from the council. Especially not...

Burn this.

The last line was smudged. A tear had bled the ink across the paper.

Zara stared at it, heart hammering. Seraphina didn't want to marry the king. She might've tried to escape, or worse, been taken because of it.

Then why bring me here? Why now?

She folded the note and tucked it deep into her cloak pocket, switching off the flashlight.

Just as she turned to leave-footsteps echoed outside the door.

Zara froze.

The knob twisted.

She ducked behind the wardrobe just as the door opened and a voice called softly, "Seraphina?"

Zara held her breath.

A boy no older than seventeen-stepped in. Slender frame. Soft curls and large brown eyes. He looked around the room like it was sacred.

"I thought I saw your light," he whispered. "I wasn't sure it was really you."

He stepped closer to the desk. "I thought you were dead."

Zara slowly stepped out of the shadows. "I'm not."

The boy gasped. "Stars above... it is you."

She nodded slowly. "Do you remember me?"

He let out a shaky breath. "Of course. I used to bring you books from the kitchen hall. You once told me I had the nose of a fox and the hands of a poet."

Zara's lips twitched. "Sounds like something I'd say."

He stepped forward. "Where were you all this time?"

"I don't remember," she said honestly. "Pieces come and go."

He frowned. "They say you were taken. Or that you ran."

"I don't know what to believe either."

He hesitated. "You walk different now. And your voice is... thicker. Like the sea wind."

Zara's heart stopped.

"I'm still me," she said quickly. "Just... changed."

He didn't question it out loud, but she saw it in his eyes.

Something was off.

"I have to go," she said. "Please don't tell anyone you saw me here."

He nodded slowly, clearly torn. "Be careful, my lady. They watch everything now. And if you are Seraphina..."

He didn't finish.

He didn't need to.

Back in her chamber, Zara barely had time to hide the note beneath the mattress before Sera burst in.

"My lady," she said, breathless. "Lord Darius requests your presence. You're to attend the midday offering in the courtyard."

Zara blinked. "Offering?"

"It's the king's blessing to the people-a ritual the queen-to-be must attend by his side. Or in his absence... with his second."

Zara's stomach dropped. "Kael."

Sera gave her a helpless look. "You'll need to smile."

Zara muttered, "Kill me now."

The courtyard buzzed with whispers the moment she stepped into view.

Villagers lined the low stone walls. Nobles stood on balconies above, draped in silk and gold. The air was thick with incense and petals. A long altar stood at the center, flanked by guards in gleaming silver armor.

And Kael.

He waited at the edge, jaw tight, eyes sharp. He looked at her like he didn't trust her one bit-and yet she was still walking toward him.

"You're late," he muttered under his breath.

"I'm wearing half a chandelier," she hissed back. "Sue me."

He didn't smile, but something flickered behind his eyes.

Together, they stepped onto the altar.

A priest began the offering-chanting in old Aurellian, hands raised. Kael knelt. Zara followed, trying to mimic the motion without tripping over her gown. People bowed. The priest offered petals to the sun.

Zara's hand trembled as she took her turn, lifting a golden bowl of oil and pouring it into the ceremonial flame. Her arms felt like lead. Her nerves screamed. But when she looked up-Kael was watching her.

His gaze wasn't suspicious this time.

It was something else. Curiosity. Doubt. Maybe... admiration?

She didn't dare hold it long.

The ceremony ended. Bells rang. And as Kael helped her down the altar stairs, he leaned in close enough that only she could hear:

"You may fool the council. But you won't fool me forever."

Zara didn't look at him.

Instead, she whispered back, "Then you better decide what you'll do when I stop trying."