Metheea bolted through the corridors, her skirts swishing violently as her breath rasped in her throat. She didn't stop until the familiar carved wooden door of her chambers loomed in front of her. She pushed it open with trembling hands.
Inside, Lerima stood by the window, arms crossed, expression sharp. She wasn't just a maid. She was HER watcher and handler. Queen Tilde had put her in place to make sure Metheea didn't slip, didn't falter, and didn't ruin the fragile charade.
"You're late," Lerima said, her voice flat.
"Some people kept talking to me," Metheea muttered, avoiding eye contact as she moved to the washbasin. Her hands were still shaking.
Metheea didn't tell her the truth. She didn't trust Lerima one bit.
Lerima didn't move but bored her eyes on her. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Metheea stilled, then she forced her voice calm. "I'm fine."
Lerima didn't believe her. "I hope you didn't do anything that will cost us our heads."
"I also want to live."
The older woman didn't press further. Instead, she held out an envelope.
"A letter came."
Metheea took it warily, breaking the wax seal. Her stomach turned the moment she saw the signature: Count Verry of Matekuya Kingdom. Her betrothed.
The words inside were worse than she expected.
He spoke about her education, her demeanor, and how excited he was to make her into a proper wife once they were married.
He reminded her to stay pure, to stay obedient, to behave like a lady until the wedding. She stared at the words like they were a list of commands.
This wasn't a future she wanted.
Disgust churned in her stomach as she pressed the letter closed. She was supposed to be a pawn, a means to an end. But the idea of being sold off to the Count felt like something worse than death.
"How vile," she whispered to herself.
Lerima raised a brow. "It's a good match."
"For a corpse, maybe," Metheea muttered.
"You want to get out of here, don't you?" Lerima said mildly. "Finish your lessons. Marry the count. You'll have your escape."
Metheea turned sharply. "Escape? You call that escape?"
"I want to leave," Metheea continued, voice breaking. "Send word to my mother. I want to transfer schools. Anywhere but here."
"You know what the Queen said," Lerima snapped. "This is the safest place for you. Now that your engagement is announced, the Katarthans will hunt you. And no one expects you here. Not under their noses."
Metheea swallowed hard. She wanted to scream. Instead, she turned away, dragging herself toward the bed.
She collapsed into it, face down. Her fingers clenched around the bedcovers.
"No," she thought grimly.
Her escape wasn't some gilded marriage. It would be leaving this entire hellhole behind, escaping everyone, and everything. Her goal was to escape to Balagund Kingdom, where no one knew her name and no throne ever cast its shadow.
But not yet. Not until the Queen had eyes on her, following her every move.
She shivered as she remembered the young man.
Azrayel.
Was that really her brother?
Princess Tilde of Dythrid had married Crown Prince Hassid IX of Katarthan to seal a peace pact between their kingdoms. But peace was a fragile thing.
When Tilde conceived her, the Katarthan court turned hostile. There were whispers of threats that the child would be killed. So she ran. She escaped back to Dythrid before anyone could lay a hand on her belly.
She left everything behind even her son.
No wonder he didn't recognize her.
She hesitated, then turned her head slightly toward Lerima, knitting, on the chair. "What does Azrayel look like?" she asked, trying to keep her tone even.
Lerima paused her knitting. Her eyes narrowed with curiosity. "Why do you want to know?"
Metheea sat up slowly, tucking her knees to her chest. "I'm in his territory now. If I know what he looks like, I can avoid him. It's for my safety."
Lerima watched her a beat too long, then said, "Tall. Black hair. Striking face. He has your father's features. Quite handsome, if you're into that sort of thing."
A cold ripple spread through Metheea's limbs.
That was him.
She had kissed her brother.
The thought alone made her stomach revolt.
She kissed her brother, the one who had sent assassins after her since she was a child, just because she also had a claim to Katarthan's throne.
He doesn't know her.
And that would be her strength and by the time he did, it would be too late.