I must have sat on that freezing balcony for twenty minutes. My brain was trying to process the absolute train wreck I'd just witnessed. My sister making out with her side piece, and her fiancé watching it happen like he was front row at a tragic opera.
When I finally scraped enough composure together to stand up, my legs were numb. The Prince's coat was still draped over my shoulders. I folded it carefully over my arm, and crept back inside The corridors were mostly deserted now. My shoes barely made a sound on the plush carpets. I pray I wouldn't run into anyone else. I'd reached my limit for dramatic confrontations for one night.
When I made it to my room, I immediately closed the door behind me and sat on the nearest chair. I needed a moment. Actually, I needed a whiteboard, a stiff drink, and maybe a fast-forward button to skip the execution part of this timeline.
My heart stopped when a violent knock rattled the wood.
Please, not now.
Before I could even think of a response, the door swung open. Soleil stood in the doorway. She was still in her butter-yellow gown, but the 'perfect princess' filter had definitely glitched. Her golden hair was messy, the kind of messy that comes from fingers tangling in it. Her lips were swollen and red, it was the universal 'I just hooked up in a bush' look.
But it was her eyes that bothered me. Her sapphire gaze was blazing, manic and dangerous. She didn't say a word. She just marched in like she owned the place, her eyes scanning the room like a predator looking for weakness. She checked the rumpled bed, the discarded slippers, she must be judging my lack of organization.
Then, her gaze locked onto the bundle in my arms. She stared at the black, military-cut wool coat with the royal crest on the buttons. The silence in the room stretched so tight I thought it might snap and take my head off. She knew exactly whose coat I was holding. And judging by the look on her face, she was doing the math on how I got it.
"And what, pray tell, is that?" She took a deliberate step closer, her voice rising with every syllable. "That is His Highness's coat, is it not? The Crown Prince's coat... in your bedroom?"
"Soleil, it's not what you think," I tried to calm my voice. I knew this was coming, but I didn't expect her to burst in looking like a vengeful banshee.
"Not what I think?" she hissed and advanced further into the room until she was mere inches from me. "First, you steal Elios's affections, letting him make a mockery of my position by offering you his quarries! And now this? You dare to entertain His Highness in your chambers, whilst he is still betrothed to me?"
The venom was practically dripping off her. "You are a traitor, Sierra. A snake beneath my very roof! How could you betray your own sister?"
Her sharp words should have stung. They should have made me flinch. The real Sierra probably would have crumpled into a sobbing mess. But me? I just felt a cold resolve. The audacity of this woman was actually impressive.
Oh Soleil, you had pushed me too far.
"A traitor, you say, Soleil?" I met her crazy eyes and let a dry, humorless smile touch my lips. "That is a rather potent accusation, coming from you."
Her jaw tightened. "What insinuation is that? You dare imply—"
"I imply nothing. I merely state the truth," I cut her off. " And the truth, my dear sister, is that the only traitor in this room is the one who publicly disgraces her betrothed by embracing another man. The one who risks not just her own reputation, but the very honor of the royal family, for a fleeting, foolish passion." Her eyes were wide with disbelief. I guess she hadn't expected this. She had expected tears, denial, maybe some begging. She wasn't expecting me to pull a knife at a gunfight.
"You... you speak nonsense!"
"Do I?" I took a slow step toward her, forcing her to instinctively back up. "I was on the balcony tonight, Soleil. Just after the final dance. I saw you." I paused for maximum impact, "And so, it would seem, did the Crown Prince."
The color drained from her face so fast I thought she might faint. She looked like a ghost. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, but no sound came out. The anger in her eyes evaporated, replaced by pure terror.
"You have not just destroyed your own carefully crafted reputation, Soleil," I continued, twisting the knife just a little. "You have jeopardized everything our ancestors built. Generations of our family worked, bled, and strategized to elevate the Castillo Dukedom. They secured our place, our influence, our very name in this kingdom." My gaze hardened, sweeping over her distraught face. "And you, in your selfish recklessness, have thrown it all away for a mere dalliance."
Soleil stared at me, her perfect porcelain mask finally shattered. Her 'Main Character' mask had shattered. She wasn't the brilliant heroine anymore. She was just a terrified girl who realized she'd gambled the entire Dukedom and lost.
She didn't say another word. She ripped the door open and fled into the hallway, leaving behind only the scent of jasmine and the echo of her panic.
I finally did it. I pulled the loose thread, and the whole sweater is unraveling.
But as I looked down at the heavy black coat in my hands, the victory tasted like ash. The Crown Prince saw everything. He knows we're all liars. What is he going to do now? Is he going to destroy the Dukedom? Is he going to execute us for treason?
I sank onto the edge of my bed, clutching the coat of a man who held my life in his hands. I wonder if I'd just saved myself or signed my own death warrant.
I got exactly zero hours of sleep. My body was exhausted, but my brain was running a marathon of 'What If' scenarios. I spent the night staring at the ceiling, waiting for the royal guards to kick down my door and arrest me. By morning, I was running on caffeine and panic. Mary laced me into my dress, blissfully unaware that I was internally screaming.
When I walked into the dining hall, the vibe was weird. The Duke was smiling, completely clueless that his golden daughter had nuked our reputation last night. Soleil, on the other hand, looked like a walking corpse.
"Good morrow, Sierra," he greeted me with a warm smile. It seemed he hadn't yet been informed about last night's disaster. My eyes fell on Soleil. She was staring at her empty plate like it held the secrets of the universe, refusing to make eye contact.
I looked at the untouched buffet. "Are we detained for an arrival, Papa?"
"Indeed. His Majesty will be joining us."
The King? Great. Just what my ulcer needs.
The doors swung open, and it wasn't just the King. He was accompanied by the Queen... and the Crown Prince.
We stood up so fast I almost knocked my chair over. I braced myself for shouting, accusations, maybe a sword fight. Instead, Prince Theron calmly took the seat next to Soleil. His expression was a total blank slate. No anger, no disgust, no 'I saw you cheating in the bushes' glare.
What is happening? Did they talk? Did she somehow gaslight him into thinking he hallucinated the whole thing?
"Duke Castillo," the King began, his voice surprisingly cheerful as he took a sip of water. "We are honored to break our fast with you."
"The honor is all ours, Your Majesty," father replied.
"This gives us an opportunity to speak freely before you return to the Dukedom," the Queen added with a warm smile. "We are soon to be family, after all"
Family? I choked on my own spit when I heard the word. Do you know your future daughter-in-law was sucking face with another guy in your garden twelve hours ago?
The King set down his water glass, the sound echoing slightly in the large hall. His eyes drifted to father, to Soleil, and then toward Prince Theron, "The solemnization is fast approaching, and while the date is settled, the official proclamation of the decree has yet to be publicly established. I deem it prudent we make a succinct announcement now, Duke, to solidify the union of my son, Prince Theron, and the Lady Soleil. We must proceed without delay."
I think my brain short-circuited. Proceed? After last night's betrayal on the balcony?
I looked at Prince Theron. He literally watched his fiancée cheating last night, and he's just sitting there letting this happen? A cold wave of dread washed over me. The King clearly didn't know. Which meant the Prince hadn't told him.
He was covering for her.
But why? Is this a trap? Is he biding his time so he can destroy us publicly? Or does he actually not care? The fact that I couldn't read him was terrifying.