The castle never slept.
Even long after the last goblet was drained and the nobles vanished behind closed chamber doors, the air still trembled with whispers. Secrets hung from its high arches like chandeliers too heavy, too sharp. And I was in the middle of it.
The morning after the court incident, I was summoned not by Leonard, but by Hadley.
Leonard's half-sister stood in the west wing, her dark green dress brushing the stone floor, her arms crossed. She was beautiful in a proud way. Not soft, not cruel, but commanding. The kind of woman other noblewomen either feared or envied.
"You don't sleep much," she said, eyeing me.
"I've had a lot on my mind."
"I would imagine," Hadley replied, then gestured. "Come. Walk with me."
We strolled along the long sunlit corridor, guarded only by the shadows of passing servants. I wondered what she wanted but she didn't speak until we reached the gallery that overlooked the training yard.
Below, I spotted Leonard,sword in hand, sparring with three guards at once.
He was ruthless. Every strike was precise, every dodge terrifyingly fast. The guards looked more like sacrificial lambs.
He was teaching them something.
Or showing them how hopeless they were.
"You think he's cold," Hadley finally said beside me, "but you haven't seen him at his worst."
I said nothing.
She continued, "He keeps everything inside. He believes if the world sees even one crack, everything he built would fall apart."
"Then why let me into it?" I asked, my voice quiet.
"Because he's not as heartless as he thinks."
Hadley leaned over the balcony slightly, her eyes on her brother. "He saved me once. I was fifteen when they tried to sell me off. He burned the contract. Burned the man who signed it too. No one ever dared again."
I looked at her, stunned.
"I don't want you to be afraid of him," she said. "But I also don't want you to think he's safe."
That was the last thing she said before leaving me alone.
⸻
Later that day, there was a commotion near the gate. I watched from the eastern tower as a group of carriages rolled into the courtyard, led by banners of violet and gold.
"A delegation from the West," Lydia explained. "From Asterath. They weren't expected."
More nobles.
More tension.
Leonard stood at the entrance, flanked by Caelum and two guards. He looked annoyed, but remained composed. He welcomed them with a false smile.
Asterath was a rival province noble but disloyal. Their leader, Lord Garrick Vael, was known to play both sides of power. Behind him was a striking figure: a woman in crimson robes with a veil that shimmered like blood. Her eyes met mine from afar.
She smirked.
"Who is she?" I asked.
"No one knows," Peace whispered. "They say she's his advisor. A witch, maybe."
I felt the cold settle into my bones again.
⸻
The palace held a dinner that night in honor of the sudden guests.
The grand hall was ablaze with candles. Music played softly from harpists tucked behind curtains. Laughter bubbled from noble lips but none of it reached their eyes.
Leonard sat at the head of the table, crown absent, dressed in black. I sat to his right. Lady Verona, smug and sparkling, sat further down, laughing too hard at Lord Vael's jokes.
The woman in red sat silently beside her lord. She hadn't removed her veil, and no one dared ask her to.
"Your wife is quite... composed," Lord Vael said, eyeing me as he sipped his wine.
Leonard barely blinked. "She has more spine than most men in your court."
A few snickered. Verona's lips twitched.
"Is it true she burned a witch with you?" he asked, the question casual.
"No," I said quickly. "I only watched."
The veiled woman tilted her head. "Watching is sometimes more powerful."
Her voice was like velvet laced with poison.
Leonard's jaw twitched. Caelum, seated behind him, didn't take his eyes off her once.
"I hear witches have grown bolder lately," Lord Vael mused. "Strange accidents. Missing nobles. Murmurs of forbidden magic."
Leonard said nothing. But I felt the room shift. Coldness settled like fog. Even Verona's laughter ceased.
"Have you found the source yet, Your Highness?" Vael asked, his tone mocking.
Leonard's smile was dangerous. "Not yet. But when I do, I won't need a trial."
He raised his goblet. The room drank in silence.
⸻
That night, Leonard returned to our chambers late.
He didn't speak to me. He pulled off his coat, his gloves, and washed the blood off his hands in the basin. He always had blood on him now.
I watched from the bed, unable to sleep.
"Who was she?" I asked. "That veiled woman."
"Trouble," he said, drying his hands. "Don't look at her again."
"Is she a witch?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he walked to the window, stared out into the night. "I don't trust Vael. He didn't come for pleasantries."
"Then what?"
He glanced at me. "He's sniffing for cracks in the throne. Looking for weaknesses. You included."
I sat up. "Do you think he knows about me?"
"No," Leonard said quickly. "No one knows. And no one will."
He walked closer, stood at the foot of the bed. "You'll remain quiet. Out of sight when needed. No magic. Not unless I say so."
I wanted to protest, but I didn't. Not yet.
"I'm not your prisoner," I said instead.
"You're my wife," he replied calmly. "And my responsibility."
"Is that all I am to you?"
His silence answered me.
Then he turned. "Sleep, Lisa. Tomorrow, we train."
"Train?" I frowned. "I thought you didn't want me using—"
"You'll learn to defend yourself," he said. "In secret. But I'm not risking your life again. I won't lose what's mine."
I didn't know whether to be grateful or afraid.
⸻
In the shadows of the court that night, the veiled woman met with a man.
Jeremy.
His face was burned, half-hidden beneath a mask. But he lived.
"They don't suspect," she said.
"She's growing," Jeremy rasped. "Faster than expected."
"She'll awaken fully soon."
"And then?"
"We tear the kingdom apart."