The sword came down before I could finish praying.
Cold steel pierced my chest, and pain exploded through my body. I tasted blood as my knees hit the marble floor.
So this was how I died.
Not as the Crown Mage who had protected the Elarion Kingdom for ten years.
Not as the woman who had sacrificed her magic, her youth, her everything.
But as a traitor.
"My name is Elara Valen," I said hoarsely, lifting my head despite the guards pressing me down. "And I did not poison the king."
My words echoed through the execution square then vanished into silence.
No one answered.
The crowd stared at me with hatred and fear, whispering my name as if it were a curse. Above them all, on the high platform, stood the royal family.
And beside the throne…
Prince Kael.
My heart clenched painfully. He was the reason I was here. My childhood friend. My secret lover. The man who had sworn to stand by me no matter what.
I searched his face, desperate
"Kael," I whispered. "You know the truth.
Our eyes met.
For a brief moment, something flickered in his gaze hesitation, maybe guilt.
Then he looked away.
The king's advisor stepped forward. "Elara Valen, by royal decree, you are found guilty of treason and regicide. Your execution shall be carried out immediately."
The executioner raised his sword.
I closed my eyes.
If there is a next life, I prayed bitterly, I will never love so foolishly again.
The blade fell.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
I gasped and shot upright.
Air flooded my lungs as if I had been drowning. My chest rose and fell violently, my heart pounding so hard it hurt.
I was alive.
I stared around in confusion. This was not the execution square. The room was small and unfamiliar, with pale curtains and a faint scent of herbs. My hands unbound. My body whole.
Slowly, I looked down.
No blood. No wound.
A cracked mirror stood across the room.
I staggered toward it.
The face staring back at me was younger. Softer. Fragile.
But the eyes they are mine
"This is impossible…" I whispered.
The door burst open before I could think further.
A maid rushed in, her face pale. "Miss Elara! Thank the gods you're awake!"
Miss?
Before I could ask, she bowed deeply. "The royal decree has arrived."
My stomach dropped. "What decree?"
Her lips trembled. "You are to be married at dawn."
Married?
"To whom?" I asked.
She swallowed hard.
"To His Majesty of the Shadow Realm," she whispered.
"The Shadow King the cursed ruler who kills every bride before the full moon."
My blood ran cold.
I had escaped death.
Only to walk straight into another.