Setting: Velaris Royal Court, Queen's Chamber, and the Tower of Scrolls.
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[Scene 1 – Queen's Private Chamber]
The Queen's study smelled of ancient parchment, citrus oil, and something darker — incense that masked rot.
She sat at her crescent desk, a wineglass untouched beside her. A single candle flickered, casting her ageless face in restless shadows.
Before her knelt a messenger, trembling.
> "You are certain?" the Queen asked quietly.
> "Yes, Your Grace. The letter was intercepted. The sender was… from the outer isles. They claim the bloodline didn't perish."
The Queen rose.
Her silhouette towered in the candlelight — long robes swirling like thunderclouds.
> "Then it begins," she whispered. "It's time the girl learned what it truly costs to wear the crown."
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[Scene 2 – Lyra's Awakening]
Lyra woke with a pressure in her chest — like the universe had turned its gaze on her.
Her dream still clung to her:
A throne of thorns. A faceless queen. A mirror that showed Kaelrin's back, walking away.
She dressed slowly, instinctively choosing white silk — purity, rebirth, danger cloaked in elegance.
As she entered the main hall of Norwyn estate, Alina rushed in, cheeks flushed.
> "You've been summoned."
> "Another duel?" Lyra asked dryly.
> "No," Alina said, voice trembling. "A proposal."
Lyra blinked.
> "Kaelrin—?"
> "No… the Queen."
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[Scene 3 – The Proposal]
The royal court gathered in the Velvet Atrium — an opulent room rarely used unless history was about to be written.
Kaelrin stood on the Queen's left, still bruised from the duel, but more composed than ever. Lyra stood on the opposite side, facing the dais.
The Queen raised her goblet.
> "Let it be known: Lady Lyra Norwyn shall be bound to the House of Velaris — not by blood spilled, but by vows made."
Lyra's pulse skipped.
> "To whom?" she demanded.
A figure stepped forward from behind the curtains.
The crowd gasped.
> "Prince Cassian Velaris," the Queen announced.
Cassian.
The third heir. Presumed dead. Exiled for disobedience. Kaelrin's older brother — returned from the void.
Cassian stood tall, robed in shadow-dyed crimson. His gaze was unreadable. His presence? Dangerous.
> "You're not dead," Lyra breathed.
> "Not yet," Cassian said, smiling faintly. "And I don't plan to be. Not now that I've seen you."
Kaelrin stepped forward, fury tightening his voice.
> "This is absurd. You banished him."
> "And I've recalled him," the Queen said coolly. "His blood is still royal. And Lyra will unify the court if bound to him."
Lyra's voice was ice.
> "What if I refuse?"
The Queen's smile was sharp. "Then I exile you. As I did him. And this time, no stag will guide you back."
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[Scene 4 – The Private Confrontation]
That night, Kaelrin stormed into the Tower of Scrolls — a forgotten place of knowledge where Lyra had hidden herself.
> "You can't marry him."
> "Do you think I want to?"
> "Then say no!"
> "And lose everything? My name? My people? Alina?"
Kaelrin grabbed her hand, softer now.
> "Then run with me."
Silence.
> "Kaelrin…" her voice broke. "Running isn't ruling. And we were never meant to run."
He dropped her hand.
> "Then you've already made your choice."
> "No," she whispered. "I'm trying not to choose between heartbreaks."
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[Scene 5 – Cassian's Intentions]
Cassian invited Lyra to walk with him through the Winter Gardens.
Frost-covered roses bloomed like ghosts.
> "You hate this too," Lyra said.
> "I hate the theater of it. But not you."
> "Flattering."
Cassian stopped.
> "Do you know why I returned?"
> "To wed me?"
> "To protect Velaris. From my brother. And from the Queen."
Lyra's brow lifted.
> "You're claiming Kaelrin's a threat?"
> "He doesn't want the throne. That's the danger. Men like him... let the wrong people take it."
> "And you?"
> "I want the crown. And I want you beside it. Not as an ornament — but as the iron keeping it upright."
She studied him.
He was power. Cold, deliberate, steady. The kind of man who played long games.
> "So you want an alliance."
> "I want a partner," Cassian said.
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[Scene 6 – Alina's Warning]
Later, in Lyra's chamber, Alina helped her remove her ceremonial pins.
> "You don't trust him," Alina whispered.
> "No."
> "Then why consider this?"
Lyra sighed. "Because Kaelrin is drowning in restraint. And Cassian… swims in storms."
> "But which one will anchor you, Lyra? And which one will pull you under?"
Lyra stared at her reflection.
She didn't have an answer.
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[Scene 7 – The Mirror Room]
In a forgotten hall beneath the castle, Lyra stumbled upon the Mirror Room — enchanted glass walls showing visions from possible futures.
She saw…
Herself in white — hand in Cassian's, crown heavy on her brow.
Herself running through the forest — Kaelrin beside her, both hunted.
Herself alone — the throne empty, her hands stained with flame.
She dropped to her knees.
> "What choice won't end in ruin?"
A voice echoed from the mirror:
> "The one made with your full heart. Not half."
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[Scene 8 – Ending Note]
At midnight, Lyra penned a letter.
Two, in fact.
One addressed to Kaelrin.
One to Cassian.
Only one would be sent at dawn.
And her hand hovered… between the two.
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✨ To Be Continued…
In Chapter 18: "The Fire Between Brothers"
Cassian and Kaelrin's secret history is revealed
A duel of philosophies, not blades
Lyra's decision is finally made — but is it too late?
And a betrayal none of them saw coming