The castle was quiet after Cecilia left.
Too quiet.
I sat still in my seat long after she had vanished behind the tall oak doors, pretending to be just another noble visitor. My fingers clutched the edge of my gown, knuckles pale. Something about her eyes,it had struck something in me. Familiar, yet twisted. I didn't say anything to Leonard, not yet. Not until I was sure.
"I'll have someone escort you back to your chambers," Leonard finally said from beside me. Cold. Formal. The way he always was around others.
I wanted to say something to question him, to ask if he noticed what I did. But he had already stood and turned to the guards, face unreadable.
"Tell the council I'll see them at sunset," he told one of them, then to me, his voice sharper, "And prepare yourself. We're attending tonight's gathering in the Great Hall."
"A gathering?"
He didn't answer. Just walked away.
⸻
The maids dressed me that evening in a maroon velvet gown with golden threads at the hems. I hardly spoke while they worked. Kate's hands trembled a little more than usual as she adjusted my corset.
"My lady... is it true what they're saying?" she asked, eyes not meeting mine.
"What are they saying?"
"That... witches may have infiltrated the court."
My lips parted. So people were already whispering.
Lydia walked in, carrying a jewelry box. "Everyone's nervous. The ball tonight isn't just a celebration. It's a test."
"A test?"
Peace closed the windows gently. "Political rivals, noble houses, possible alliances... and some spies."
"And who do they think the spies are?" I asked carefully.
Lydia hesitated. "Some believe they're among the noblewomen."
My heart twisted. "And they don't suspect me?"
"Some do," Kate whispered.
That silenced the room.
⸻
The Great Hall was glowing.
Hundreds of candles floated from the ceiling, and crystal chandeliers glimmered like frost. Nobles lined the hall in shades of royal blue, black, and crimson. Laughter echoed against the marbled walls, but it didn't feel warm,it was sharp, cold, calculated.
When I entered, flanked by guards, the room shifted. Whispers. Head turns. Jealous eyes.
I didn't know most of them. I hadn't met many of the court's noblewomen, but from the looks I was getting... they already knew who I was.
"My lady Lisa," one of them said, walking up to me. Blonde, tall, dressed in icy blue silk. "I've heard so much about you."
She didn't bow. She just stared, eyes glittering.
"Lady Marcelline," she introduced herself, then leaned closer. "You play piano beautifully, by the way. Some say music is the only talent you have."
I smiled. "It's a useful talent, especially when others are tone-deaf."
Her eyes widened, her smile faltering.
Two other girls beside her snorted and quickly turned away.
"Do be careful, Lady Lisa," Marcelline added, voice sugary. "Not every court is welcoming. Especially to... strangers."
And there it was.
The outsider card.
⸻
Leonard arrived minutes later, dressed in a dark suit with silver embroidery that shimmered like stars. His presence changed the entire room. Conversations died. Nobles bowed quickly. Marcelline and her circle dropped into low curtsies so fast I nearly laughed.
He didn't speak to anyone. Not even me.
He took his place on the raised dais, beside an empty chair where a queen might sit. I stood below him, like everyone else.
Soon the music began, and the dancing started. Courtiers swirled across the floor in elegant rhythm. And then, the whispers started again.
"Why isn't the princess dancing?"
"Is she not allowed?"
"Does the prince even speak to her?"
"She doesn't look like us."
"She's cursed, maybe."
I turned away, heart burning.
"She is not cursed," a woman's voice cut through the crowd.
I turned.
It was Hadley.
She wore emerald green, her black curls braided with silver chains. She walked across the hall with grace and strength. Nobles parted for her. She was respected no, feared in her own quiet way.
"Sister," Leonard said from above, eyes softening slightly.
Hadley curtsied lightly, then made her way to me.
"I've been waiting to meet you properly," she said. "Come. Walk with me."
⸻
We walked along the stone balcony above the court, the cool night air brushing our skin. Inside, the music played on, the politics danced beneath velvet gowns and poisoned smiles.
"You've noticed it too, haven't you?" Hadley said.
"The shift in the air?" I asked.
"The presence of something... dark."
"Yes," I whispered. "One of them was here. Disguised. A witch."
She nodded slowly. "Leonard suspects. But he won't speak of it openly."
"He always looks so cold."
"He has to," Hadley replied. "If you knew what he did to protect me..."
She paused, then continued. "The court tried to marry me off when I was fifteen. To an old man three times my age. Leonard burned the documents and threatened the council. They never tried again."
I stared at her.
"I owe him everything," she added. "He may seem ruthless, but he protects what he loves. Even when he pretends not to care."
"And me?" I asked. "Does he... care?"
Hadley smiled faintly. "You're not just his wife, Lisa. You're part of something much bigger. You'll see."
⸻
When we returned to the court, the mood had shifted.
Nobles were gathering at the front. Someone had collapsed.
"She fainted," a nobleman shouted.
But I saw the truth.
The girl's eyes were completely white.
Her body trembled violently on the ground as if possessed.
Whispers. Screams.
Leonard appeared instantly. A flick of his fingers and the crowd parted.
He crouched beside the girl and pressed two fingers to her forehead. Her body froze.
Then, a voice erupted from her mouth—a voice that wasn't hers.
"THE GATE WILL OPEN."
The voice echoed through the hall.
"THE KEY IS AWAKENING. THE FIRE GUARDIAN CANNOT STOP IT."
Then the girl gasped and fell unconscious.
Gasps filled the room.
A silence heavier than death followed.
Then chaos.
Nobles demanded answers.
Leonard stood slowly. His face unreadable.
"Take her to the eastern wing. No one follows," he ordered.
Guards moved instantly.
I stared at him, frozen.
The key is awakening.
The fire guardian.
He looked at me then. His eyes unreadable.
But I knew.
He had heard it too.
And so had everyone else.
The court would never be the same again.