ARWYN'S POVI found Thrystan standing in the deserted palace garden, fully armored—leather kilt, gloves, boots, and gleaming shoulder and knee pads. How did he know I’d be here? Ever since discovering this hidden corner of the palace, known as the Spring Palace, it had become my refuge. A quiet place to think, to reflect. This was where I shared my first dance with Thrystan, no music but the birds and the rustling trees. He told me to use nature as our maester."There you are," he said with a boyish smile, strolling down the stone steps, adjusting his gloves as he came closer.I raised a brow, casting a glance at his armor. "Oh no, don’t tell me we’re at war already," I muttered sarcastically, my lips curling into a half-smile.His chuckle was deep and familiar, like the echo of distant thunder. "Not yet," he teased. "I’m going dragon riding, and I need you to come with me."The words made my heart skip a beat. His eyes gleamed with the kind of mischief I knew well."You’re joking," I
THRYSTAN POV"Currently, soldiers are stationed at the Base and Noor Settlement. There has been no entry or exit from Reedridge, so it may be the safest place from the plague," Uncle Morwin reported, his voice steady as always.I leaned forward, eyes narrowing as I spoke. "What about the Dragon Spire?"All eyes in the council chamber shifted toward me. Even Father’s gaze settled on me, waiting. But I pressed on. "The Dragon Spire is heavily guarded. It doesn’t allow just anyone in. Shouldn’t it be safe?"Lord Bayan fiddled with the smooth cuboid in front of him—an emblem of his status at the council. Every councilman had one once seated at the table. But here, it was just the councilmen, myself, and the King."Still, Your Highness," Bayan began cautiously, "there's no guarantee. Servants haul carts and supplies from Wyrm to the Spire every day. It could be a risk.""Then shouldn’t we be concerned about the dragons?" I countered, my voice firm. "We don’t know if this plague can’t affec
THRYSTAN POVThe throne room was grand and imposing, as always, but tonight, its grandeur felt like a heavy shroud pressing down on me. The vaulted ceilings stretched endlessly overhead, cold stone walls lined with flickering sconces casting long shadows across the room. The flickers of torchlight did nothing to warm the place. It was always a stark contrast to the rest of the palace, but now it seemed particularly oppressive, as if the very air within these walls weighed more than it should.The King sat on his towering throne at the far end of the room, the coldness of his blank expression mirrored the unforgiving stone surrounding us. His eyes, sharp as ever, locked onto mine as I approached. No hint of emotion flickered across his features; just a steady, piercing gaze that silently commanded me forward.The guards flanked me as I strode toward him, the sound of my boots echoing on the polished stone floor. I could feel their eyes on me, but the King's silence held more weight tha
THRYSTAN POVThe door of the throne room closed behind me with a heavy thud, the sound reverberating down the long, empty hallway. My boots cracked against the stone floor, each step a reminder of the weight pressing on my chest. I needed air—space away from the suffocating words of my father and the ghosts he had raised with them.Love. Duty. Power.They were all tangled together in a knot I wasn’t sure I could unravel. But I knew one thing for certain: I wasn’t going to bury Arwyn. Not like he did.The torches lining the hallway flickered as I made my way toward the Nirhet Chambers. The shadows seemed to chase after me, dancing mockingly on the stone walls, as if they knew the turmoil twisting inside me. I wasn’t ready to face anyone, least of all myself, but there was no room for weakness now. Not with the heist looming. Not with everything at stake.I'm suddenly distracted by the muffled sound of two people talking from mothers bedroom so I open it to be sure she was alright and m
ARWYN'S POVI sit in the dining hall, my hands gripping the edge of the table, knuckles pale. I can't keep still, shifting every few moments as I steal glances at the entrance. My stomach twists in knots, not from hunger, but from anxiety. Where is Daelan? My thoughts race as I wonder if the search for my sisters was successful last night. I don't think I can endure another day of waiting.The door creaks open, and I nearly jump out of my seat. My heart leaps into my throat when I see him. Daelan strides in, his posture calm and collected, but my heart quickens, searching for any sign of good news. As he approaches the breakfast table, my face lights up with a hopeful smile, unable to contain the emotion bubbling inside me. Without thinking, I spring to my feet and pull out a seat for him."Daelan," I say breathlessly, trying to hold back the flood of questions threatening to spill from my lips.He gives me a polite nod as he takes the seat, his eyes flickering with something I can't
ELARIA POVThrystan has grown careless. He didn't cover his tracks well this time, nor did his little lover. After interrogating that rebel, he should have ended it swiftly. But now... now, I'm going to finish what he couldn’t because Thrystan is a threat to himself and this loose end can be his undoing with father.Brax enters the palace stables, his figure cloaked in shadow, hood drawn low over his eyes, and gloved hands concealed in thick leather. He moves with the grace of a predator, always a step too close, too familiar."Apologies for being late, love," he says with a sly smile, leaning in to brush a kiss against my cheek.I pull back sharply, irritation flaring. "How many times have I told you to stop calling me that? Especially out here—someone could hear."His face falls, disappointment flickering briefly in his eyes, but I don’t let it soften me. I refuse to coddle him, not when we stand on such dangerous ground. Still, I lean in, pressing a quick kiss to the tip of his nos
ELARIA'S POVBrax hauls the boy onto the chair after loosening the ropes that had bound his hands and legs, leaving him sprawled out like a broken marionette. His limbs dangle lifelessly, as if the weight of the world had been too much for him to bear. I stand before him, my hands still humming with the remnants of magic, the air thick with the scent of sweat and fear.Sweat pours down his forehead, glistening in the dim torchlight, trailing down his temples like rivulets. His eyes, bloodshot and wide, dart around the room as if seeking an escape that doesn’t exist. His lips tremble, the faintest whisper of a plea escaping them, though he knows better than to beg outright. Fear clings to him, wrapping around his soaked shirt that clings to his lean, trembling body.I take a step closer, my boots echoing ominously in the stone chamber, my gaze locked on him like a predator sizing up its prey. "You’re holding up well," I remark, my voice smooth and cold, an unsettling contrast to the pa
THRYSTAN POVArwyn looks uncertain as I help her through the trees, her eyes scanning the surroundings. I don't release her hand, holding it like letting go might cause her to slip away from me forever. There’s something fragile in this moment, something delicate between us that I’m not ready to lose.“These springs are beautiful, but… you don’t actually bathe out here, do you? It’s so close to the palace grounds,” she muses, walking toward one of the pools, her fingers grazing the rocky edge. There’s a hesitant curiosity in her voice, a kind of innocence that makes me smile.“Oh, I did,” I chuckle, following her. “Those were the good days.”She laughs softly, the sound warming the air, but then she releases my hand, and I reluctantly let her go. “But it’s not even warm,” she says, tilting her head back to gaze up at the star-strewn sky. Her brown hair cascades down her back like liquid gold, and the moonlight catches her features just right. “It’s hardly summer.”I grin, dipping my h