📍 Chapter 52 – The Prince's Bargain
Zara sat quietly on the edge of the bed, her fingers twisting the edge of her silk robe as the candlelight flickered across the walls. The council meeting had changed something inside her. She had spoken—just one sentence—but it had echoed through the entire palace like thunder.
She wasn't invisible anymore.
But that didn't mean she was safe.
The knock on the door came just past midnight.
Three slow, deliberate taps.
She stood quickly, heart rising to her throat. "Who is it?"
"Open the door."
Prince Zaire's voice.
She hesitated for only a second before unlocking it. He stepped inside without waiting, dressed in black robes, no guards in sight. He looked tired, but alert—as if war lived just behind his eyes.
"I didn't expect you," she said quietly.
"No," he replied. "You didn't. And yet, here I am."
He walked past her, his hands clasped behind his back, and stopped at the foot of her bed. He stared at the floor for a moment, then lifted his eyes to meet hers.
"You surprised them today."
Zara looked down. "Was I not supposed to speak?"
Zaire tilted his head. "You weren't. But you did. And they listened."
She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stay steady. "They laughed."
"Some did. But not all. Eshan has held that council with an iron mouth for years. You embarrassed him. That means something."
She didn't know if it was praise or warning.
Zaire turned fully toward her. "My mother will not be pleased. She prefers queens who smile and nod. Not those who answer back."
"I didn't mean to offend anyone," she said quickly.
"You didn't," he replied. "You defended yourself. I expected you to remain silent. I was wrong."
Zara looked at him, unsure if it was truly a compliment.
He stepped closer, his voice dropping. "Do you want them to fear you, Zara?"
She blinked. "What?"
"Fear protects. Power listens to power. If you want a place in this palace that isn't just ornamental, you'll need more than beauty