“I know,” I snapped. Then softened. “I know.”“But you’re going to anyway, aren’t you?”I nodded “I have to.”She didn’t argue. Just nodded, slow and reluctant. “What are you going to say?” she asked.“I don’t know yet.”We spent the rest of the afternoon in companionable silence. And by nightfall,
Damon“You may go.”I was done listening to Elena confirm everything that I finally convinced myself might not be true. But I should’ve expected it. I should’ve known better than to let myself feel anything for a candidate.Elena nodded and left my study the same way she entered. Resigned. Like she
I exhaled slowly. “I’m not angry, I’m disappointed.”Ronan nodded once. “That’s worse.”We stood there in silence for a moment, the breeze pushing through the leaves below, rustling against the stone.“She’s clever,” he said. “But she doesn’t know how to use it without burning something down.”I gla
LilaEmma was still fiddling with my hair when the announcement came through the main hall: Lord Jackson himself had selected a group of high-ranking noble daughters for “formal introductions and private conversation with His Majesty.” It was phrased as a tradition, but it sounded a lot like handpic
Vanessa gasped, obvious to my ear it was too loud, and completely forced. “Oh no! Lady Elena, I’m so clumsy!”I looked down at the mess spreading across my bodice, breath caught in my throat. Someone nearby stifled a laugh. A servant hesitated, unsure whether to intervene.Emma stepped forward fast.
LilaVanessa recovered first, straightening and flipping her hair over one shoulder like we were just old friends caught mid-conversation.“Lord Asher,” she cooed, lips curling into what I’m sure the thought was meant to be inviting. “You’re just in time. We were admiring Elena’s… fashion statement.
LilaThe piano was already warm beneath Emma’s fingers when I stepped up beside her. My dress still smelled faintly of red wine as I folded and draped Asher’s jacket over a nearby chair, just out of reach.The ballroom hadn’t quieted – yet – but I could feel it starting. A ripple of confusion whispe
DamonThe private chamber was smaller than I remembered. I rarely used this room but the musicians said it had ‘excellent acoustics’.Why do I care about acoustics? I wasn’t even sure why I asked her here.That thought had repeated itself a dozen times since I gave the demand. I didn’t usually secon
LilaThe candle on my nightstand had burned down to a stub, its flame trembling like it, too, wasn’t sure whether it should keep going.I lay on my side, fully dressed atop the blankets, my hair still damp from rinsing off the bathhouse steam. The air in my room had cooled, but heat still clung to m
I sat on one of the low, cushioned benches by the wall, arms wrapped around my knees, fingers absently tracing the embroidery on my gown. The moisture in the air clung to my skin, kissed my throat and collarbone, but couldn’t soften the burn sitting in my chest.The ranking hadn’t changed everything
LilaIt was like Emma had become a ghost. I searched for her everywhere but after an hour it was clear she wasn’t in any of the usual places, or any unusual ones either.So I settled into the archives to do a little light brooding and maybe learn a little more before the next trial, whatever it woul
LilaThe package was small—no larger than a folded napkin—but it gleamed like treasure in Emma’s hands.We sat in the lounge, the windows cracked to let in the early light. Morning wind carried the scent of fresh lemon blossoms from the courtyard, soft and sharp all at once. My tea sat cooling on th
DamonThe garden party was a performance. And I was its unwilling centerpiece.Music hummed from the far end of the garden—just loud enough to distract, not so loud it could mask the real conversations happening in whispers behind jeweled fans.I stood beside the advisory circle, a cluster of nobles
LilaThe gardens had never looked more curated.Even the air felt arranged—light, perfumed with blooming roses and honeysuckle, touched with just enough breeze to stir the silk banners strung between marble columns. Golden sunlight filtered through carefully trimmed topiaries and glittered against p
LilaThe trial room smelled like butter and cinnamon—warm, rich, deceptively comforting.Long tables stretched across the marble floor, already dusted with flour. Each station bore a small placard with a candidate’s name and a challenge directive: Create a dessert that reflects your roots.I stared
LilaI knew something had shifted the moment I stepped into the hall.It was in the silence that followed my footsteps. The way the girls at the end of the corridor stopped talking the second I came into view. A glance. A smirk. One of them leaned into the other’s ear like they couldn’t help themsel
By the time I returned to my room, dawn had fully broken. The palace buzzed with early activity, none of it touching me.I curled up on the edge of my narrow bed, the scent of caramel still clinging to my fingertips.After a short nap, I took the long way to the council wing. I told myself it was to