Cynthia Raventhorn stood in the middle of Aurelia's bedchamber like she owned it. Her crimson lips curved into a smile that never reached her dark eyes. She carried herself with an elegance that was almost predatory.
Aurelia studied her in silence, still seated at the edge of the bed. Gwen lingered nearby, stiff as a board, the air heavy with tension.
"Well," Cynthia began, her tone honeyed but sharp, "so it's true. The king really did marry the cursed princess of the Flameborne line." Her gaze flicked over Aurelia from head to toe, her expression one of irritation. "I must say, I imagined someone… taller."
Aurelia's lips twitched. "And I imagined the nobility of Valkoron would at least have the decency to greet their queen properly."
Cynthia's smirk widened. "Oh, forgive me, Your Majesty. I wasn't sure if we were calling you that already, given the… circumstances."
Gwen took a step forward. "Watch your tongue, my lady—"
Aurelia lifted a hand. "It's fine, Gwen." Her eyes never left Cynthia. "Please, Lady Raventhorn, tell me why you're here. I assume it isn't to discuss my height."
Cynthia began to circle the room slowly, dragging her perfectly manicured fingers along the edge of a table. "Curiosity, perhaps. You see, we Valkorans value strength—the kind that commands respect, inspires fear, bends the knee. I simply wanted to see what sort of queen our king has chosen. Especially when rumors say he chose out of pity rather than love."
Aurelia felt the sting of the words but hid it well. "Rumors," she said calmly, "are the language of the weak. I've never cared much for gossip."
Cynthia turned sharply, eyes gleaming. "And yet gossip builds or destroys a throne faster than swords, Your Majesty. I wonder… do you even understand the game you've been thrown into?"
Aurelia rose from the bed. The morning light caught the gold in her hair and the defiance in her stance. "If you're referring to court politics, Lady Raventhorn, I assure you—I've learned to play harder games."
"Oh?" Cynthia stepped closer, their faces only inches apart. "Then perhaps you'll forgive my bluntness." Her voice dropped to a venomous whisper. "You shouldn't be here. You don't belong in this kingdom, much less beside its king. You're cursed. Flawed. A burden he doesn't want."
Gwen gasped. "How dare you!"
But Aurelia didn't flinch. Instead, she gave a small, knowing smile. "Is that what they say about me? Or is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night?"
Cynthia blinked, momentarily thrown off. "Excuse me?"
Aurelia tilted her head slightly. "You seem very invested in who I am—or am not—to the king. Tell me, Lady Raventhorn, does your loyalty come from service or something… else?"
A flicker of darkness crossed Cynthia's eyes before she masked it with a brittle laugh. "I see what you're doing. Clever. But don't mistake my honesty for envy."
"Oh, but I do," Aurelia said softly. "Because only envy speaks with such poison."
The air between them crackled. Gwen shifted uneasily, glancing toward the door as if expecting guards to burst in.
Cynthia drew herself up, her composure slipping. "You may wear a crown, but you'll never be queen. You're an outsider, a foreigner with tainted blood. The people will never follow you."
"And yet," Aurelia replied, voice low and steady, "here you are—standing before me, acknowledging me. If I were truly unworthy, you wouldn't need to remind me of it, would you?"
Cynthia's jaw tightened. "Don't mistake tolerance for respect."
Aurelia stepped closer, close enough for the tension to sizzle between them. Her voice turned to anger. "And don't mistake your arrogance for power."
Her tone burned now. "You think you can intimidate me because of what I am? Because of what I've lost? You know nothing of me, Lady Raventhorn. You see a curse—I see survival. You see weakness—I see the fire that refused to die. Cursed as I may be, I am still Aurelia Flameborne, the unmatched and fearsome daughter of Emberhold. You had the audacity to come into my chamber and act like you're some higher being? How dare you."
Cynthia stepped back, her mask cracking. "What are—?"
Aurelia cut her off, her voice ringing like tempered steel. "Listen well, Lady Cynthia. I'm not the type of woman who backs down from a fight. You might have done as you pleased before, but that ends the moment I stepped foot in this realm. You're nothing but a spoiled little girl pining after a man who doesn't even want you."
Cynthia stared, wide-eyed. This wasn't what she had expected. She had heard that the cursed queen was meek, broken, barely visible. She had imagined an easy victory—an intimidation. But this woman before her radiated power, her mere presence commanding the air around her.
Aurelia took another deliberate step closer. "If Valerian wanted you," she said coldly, "he'd have married you years ago when his mother urged him to. But he didn't. Which means he didn't want you. So yes, I may be cursed, but I'm better than you. At least he married me—while you'll remain what you've always been… unwanted."
Cynthia's lips trembled. "How dare you say that to me! You think you've won? You haven't. His family will never see you beyond your curse. Even the people already hate you for what you are."
Aurelia scoffed. "I don't care what people think of me. I might have before—but not anymore."
"You'll find," Cynthia said tightly, "that this kingdom doesn't take kindly to threats, Your Majesty."
"And you'll find," Aurelia replied coolly, "that I don't make empty ones."
Cynthia turned sharply toward the door. "Enjoy your coronation, Flameborne. I'll be watching."
"I expect nothing less," Aurelia said, her voice like quiet thunder. "After all, predators always watch what they fear."
Cynthia froze for a heartbeat, then swept out of the room without another word. The door shut behind her with a resounding thud.
Gwen exhaled shakily. "Saints above, I thought she was going to strike you."
Aurelia sank back onto the edge of the bed, a slow smile tugging at her lips. "Strike me?" she scoffed. "She wouldn't dare. If she tried, I would've shown her her place. She came to rattle me—it didn't work."
"You were incredible," Gwen said, awe in her voice. "But gods, Aurelia… what if she tries to retaliate? After all, Valkoron is her home."
"Let her," Aurelia murmured, her gaze fixed on the door. "Let them all talk. For the first time, I don't care."
Her voice softened, but there was steel beneath it. "I'm done being afraid, Gwen. If they see me as cursed, I'll turn that curse into my strength. If they call me unworthy, I'll make them bow anyway. Today's not just a coronation. It's the beginning of something none of them are ready for."
Gwen's lips parted, unsure whether to smile or worry. "You're starting to sound like a queen."
Aurelia's eyes gleamed with quiet fire. "That's because I am one."