Shadows of Desire and Deception
The halls of Draven fell silent once the ceremonial rites concluded. Candles flickered in the black-and-silver candelabras, casting elongated shadows that seemed to twist and writhe against the walls. Princess Elara moved through the corridors, escorted by Kaelen, toward the quarters prepared for her wedding night. Though the chamber was lavish, lined with polished obsidian floors and tall, frost-framed windows, Elara's heart was unsettled.
Lyra followed closely, sensing the tension in her friend's steps. "Tonight," she whispered softly, "you must find rest. Tomorrow, the court begins again. And tomorrow, your role as Kael's bride… officially starts."
Elara pressed her hands to her chest, breath hitching at the thought. She had expected Kael to be present for the evening, to stand beside her as tradition dictated, to observe, to guide. And yet, no sign of him appeared. The chamber felt vast, cold, and empty despite its warmth.
"I… I thought he would be here," Elara murmured, her voice barely audible. A pang of disappointment mixed with a strange sense of relief. Without Kael, she was free to reflect, to breathe, to face her new life without the weight of his gaze pressing upon her.
Lyra gave a faint, sympathetic smile. "Perhaps it is better this way. You can settle, understand the palace, and prepare yourself. He may not be here, but that does not lessen your importance—or your strength."
Elara moved toward the window, her reflection staring back from the polished black sill. Her hair spilled across her shoulders, golden and warm against the dark hues of her gown. Her eyes—emerald, fierce, intelligent—betrayed both her resolve and her vulnerability. A strange flutter of loneliness settled over her, the absence of Kael magnifying the reality of the union she had been forced into.
"I am married,but I'm not excited like any bride would." she whispered to herself, the words tasting strange and heavy. "And yet… he is not here. What am I to think? What am I to feel? He did not even touch me during the ceremony, what was I thinking to expect him to be here for the wedding night. It's not like I want him where anyway."
Hours passed slowly. Elara wandered the chamber, examining the tapestries and artifacts that lined the walls, each a testament to centuries of northern power. She thought of Kael—his form commanding, his presence magnetic, his silver eyes capturing every detail of her first arrival. And though nothing of the sort had been shared between them beyond the ceremonial bow, she sensed something beneath his gaze, something undefined, subtle, and unsettling. "Why does he not touch anybody? Not even Lady Selene. Does it have something to do with the rumored curse"? She thought.
...Selene's end...
Meanwhile, in another wing of the palace, Lady Selene paced her own chambers. Her long black gown trailed across the polished floors as she pressed her hands to her temples, a storm of frustration and fury brewing within her.
This is not how it should have been, she thought bitterly. I was meant to be queen. I have been his closest confidante, his advisor, the one who understood him. And yet… this southern princess arrives, radiant and proud, and he chooses her for the ceremony, for the union, for the throne?
Selene's mind replayed every interaction she had shared with Kael: the long discussions in his private chambers, the hours spent in strategy and counsel, the laughter that had sometimes touched even the shadowed prince. She had expected the crown for herself, had believed it her due.
And that's what the leaders made her understand so when she heard of the marriage, she thought it was just a transaction for peace but looking at how beautiful that southern princess is, she's beginning to consider if Kael will fall for that bitch. She considered herself the soon-to-be queen but now… the tables had turned, and the weight of jealousy twisted her heart.
We shall see, she murmured to herself, determination hardening. If she wishes to wear the crown, she will have to survive her wedding night first and then me later. I will not be sidelined. Not by her. Not by anyone.
.....Elara's end.....
Back in her chambers, Elara sat by the window, gazing at the distant peaks of Draven. The wind moaned through the palace, carrying with it a strange sense of solitude and anticipation. She allowed herself a quiet moment of reflection, imagining what the coming days would hold.
Kael's absence for the evening was both a relief and a source of longing—relief that she could gather her thoughts, but longing for the presence of the man whose mere image had stirred her in ways she did not fully understand.
Lyra placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Rest, Elara. Tomorrow is the beginning of much more than you know. And tonight… tonight is yours. Own it."
Elara closed her eyes, drawing a deep breath. She was both bride and stranger in a foreign land, caught between duty and desire, honor and curiosity. The night stretched endlessly, shadows dancing across the obsidian floors, and somewhere deep within, a spark of something new—the awareness of Kael, of her own heart, of the complicated web of power surrounding her—began to grow.
And somewhere in the palace, Lady Selene plotted, her every thought a silent challenge to the princess who had arrived uninvited into the northern court. The night was long, and the palace full of whispers, anticipation, and the quiet stirrings of emotions that would soon shape the destiny of both kingdoms.