I didn't sleep.
I spent the entire night staring at the ceiling, replaying everything Tala had said.
Running meant death. Submission meant breaking. Survival meant walking the line between them.
By the time dawn light crept through my windows, I'd made my decision.
I would survive. And I would do it on my terms.
The door opened softly. Tala entered carrying a breakfast tray.
"Good morning, my lady." She set down the tray, then paused, studying my face. "You didn't sleep."
"No." I sat up. "I was thinking."
"About the Queens' Court, my lady?"
"About everything." I pushed back the covers. "Tala, I need you to help me choose the right dress. Something that makes a statement."
"Of course, my lady." She moved to the wardrobe immediately. "May I suggest the emerald gown? It's bold. Commanding."
She pulled it out, and I knew immediately it was perfect.
Deep emerald green with silver embroidery. The kind of dress that demanded attention.
"Yes. That one."
"An excellent choice, my lady." Tala laid it carefully on the bed. "Shall I prepare your bath?"
"Please."
While she prepared the bath, I forced myself to eat. Every bite felt like sand, but I needed my strength.
Tala returned and helped me bathe, her hands gentle and efficient.
"My lady, if I may ask... are you frightened?"
I met her eyes. "Terrified. But they won't see that."
"Very wise, my lady."
She helped me into the emerald gown. The fabric felt like armor against my skin.
"Your hair, my lady. Down or up?"
"Down." I made the decision quickly. "Let them see it. Let them remember exactly who walked into their court."
"As you wish, my lady." Tala's hands worked through my white hair, weaving small braids at the sides and securing them with silver pins. The rest flowed loose down my back.
She painted my lips deep rose. Lined my eyes with kohl.
When I looked in the mirror, I barely recognized myself. I looked powerful. Untouchable.
Like a queen.
"Perfect, my lady." Tala stepped back. "You look every inch a queen of Anex."
"Good." I stood, smoothing the emerald fabric. "Now tell me exactly what will happen when I walk into that room."
"Yes, my lady." Tala's voice became instructive. "Queen Mireya will sit at the head. The other queens will flank her. You will stand until invited to sit."
"And if they don't invite me?"
"Then you stand, my lady. With your head high."
I nodded. "What else?"
"They will ask questions, my lady. About Nok. About your father. About the king." She hesitated. "About your... your curse."
"Let them ask." My voice was steady. "I have nothing to hide."
"Very good, my lady. But please, be careful with your words. Everything you say will spread through the palace."
"I understand."
Tala moved to a small box on the dresser. "My lady, I took the liberty... there is a necklace. It belonged to a former queen. I thought perhaps..."
She held out a simple silver chain with a single emerald.
"Put it on me," I said.
Her fingers fastened it around my neck. The emerald settled perfectly against my skin.
"It suits you, my lady."
"What happened to the queen who owned this?"
Tala's face went carefully blank. "She disappeared, my lady. Five years ago."
"Did the king search for her?"
"For weeks, my lady. He never found her."
I touched the emerald. "Then I'll wear it in her memory."
"She would be honored, my lady."
A clock chimed somewhere in the palace. Eight-thirty.
I felt my heart rate spike but kept my face calm.
"We should go, my lady," Tala said quietly. "Arriving exactly at nine shows respect without desperation."
"Then we leave at eight-fifty."
"Very wise, my lady."
I spent the next twenty minutes standing at the window, controlling my breathing. Steadying my nerves.
I was terrified. But I would walk into that court like I owned it.
At eight-fifty precisely, I turned to Tala. "Let's go."
"Yes, my lady."
We walked through the palace corridors. Servants stopped and stared. Guards watched with blank faces. Whispers followed us.
I kept my chin up. My shoulders back. My pace measured and deliberate.
Every inch a queen.
"You're doing beautifully, my lady," Tala murmured beside me.
"Thank you, Tala."
We reached the west wing at eight-fifty-eight. The ornate door loomed before us.
Tala stopped. "This is where I must leave you, my lady. Servants aren't permitted inside."
"I understand." I looked at her. "Thank you. For everything."
"It is my honor to serve you, my lady." She bowed. "Be strong. Be smart. They will test you, but you are stronger than they know."
"I am."
The clock began to chime nine.
Tala knocked once.
A cold female voice answered from within. "Enter."
Tala opened the door.
I took one breath. Two. Then stepped forward.
The room was exactly as I'd imagined. Ornate. Uncomfortable. Filled with women in silk and jewels.
At the head sat a woman with dark hair and cruel eyes. Queen Mireya.
She smiled when she saw me. It was not a kind smile.
"Ah. The fifth queen."
Every eye in the room turned to me. Assessing. Judging.
I stood perfectly still. Let them look.
The door closed behind me with a soft click.
I was alone now. No Tala. No ally. Just me and four queens who wanted me gone.
A servant, an older woman with a voice like winter, stepped forward.
"Presenting Her Grace, Princess Hazel of Nok," she announced. "Fifth Queen of Anex."
Silence.
I stood at the threshold in my emerald dress, my white hair flowing like a river of moonlight, and met Queen Mireya's eyes without flinching.
She studied me for a long moment. Then her smile widened.
"Welcome, sister," she purred. "We've been waiting for you."
The other queens shifted in their seats. Watching. Waiting to see what I would do.
This was it. The moment that would define everything.
I stepped fully into the room.
"Thank you for the invitation," I said clearly. My voice didn't shake. "I'm honored to meet my sisters."
Queen Mireya's eyes glittered with something dark.
"Oh, darling," she said sweetly. "The honor is all ours."
She gestured to the empty space before them.
"Please. Stand there. We have so many questions."