Chapter 23: Forging Destiny Amidst the Storm
The morning after the fate-altering proposal, Astellia Palace was like a stirred hornet's nest, the hum of rumors and startled whispers flowing through every carved hallway. The dawn light, seeping through the tall windows, brought not warmth but a chill, much like the sharp gazes that now ceaselessly followed Shapira. The romantic beauty of the secret garden under last night's moon had vanished, replaced by the bitter reality of a palace rife with intrigue and jealousy. Prince William's proposal, a sincere and courageous declaration of love, spread like wildfire, burning away the peace Shapira had until now enjoyed as an anonymous servant.
In the magnificent breakfast hall, where nobles usually enjoyed their meals at leisure, the tension hung thick in the air. The eyes that had previously only whispered now openly stared at Shapira, piercing her with curiosity, envy, and disdain. Queen Eleanor, seated at the head of the long table, her expression carved in ice, bore not the slightest smile. She wouldn't even deign to glance at Shapira, as if the girl's presence were an unforgivable disgrace. Only William appeared calm, though the tension around them was inescapable. His warm hand occasionally clasped Shapira's beneath the table, as if to convey strength and reassurance. Yet, Shapira could feel a slight tremor in his fingers, a sign that even William recognized the great storm they were about to face.
"Are you certain of your decision, William?" Lord Gareth's voice, that of an elderly noble with a white beard and sharp eyes, broke the suffocating silence. The question, though aimed at William, felt like an arrow piercing Shapira.
William met Lord Gareth's gaze calmly. "I am quite certain, Lord Gareth. Shapira will be my queen."
The echo of his answer was immediately met with a series of suppressed whispers. Shapira felt her skin pale, her head bowed even deeper. The aroma of the delicious dishes on the table tasted bland on her tongue, even choking in her throat. She knew that every word William uttered carried a weight far heavier than a mere personal promise. It was a declaration of war against tradition, against the established order.
*
While Astellia reeled on the brink of excitement and apprehension, Isabelle moved in the shadows, like a snake slithering among cold stones. Her heart burned, nearly scorched by the fires of jealousy and vengeance. William's proposal to Shapira, which she had witnessed firsthand, was the final drop that overflowed her cup of hatred. She would never accept the reality that Shapira, a girl with no name and no noble blood, would sit on the throne that rightfully belonged to her.
"That girl is a harbinger of ill fortune," Isabelle whispered to Lady Seraphina, a young, impressionable noblewoman, in a deserted corridor. Isabelle's expensive perfume filled the air. "Do you see how Prince William, usually so cold and wise, is now as if enchanted? That isn't love, Lady Seraphina, it's sorcery."
Lady Seraphina frowned. "Sorcery? Do you mean … the servant girl used magic?"
Isabelle nodded dramatically. "Aren't rumors already rampant that she is Princess Anya's reincarnation? Don't you know what happened to Princess Anya in the past? Suffering, ruin, and death. That powerful and dark soul has now possessed that innocent girl, using her as a puppet to exact its revenge. She will bring calamity to Astellia, just as Anya did in the past."
Isabelle continued to spread similar whispers, poisoning the ears of gossip-hungry nobles. She not only targeted Shapira's helpless vulnerability but also exploited ancient fears concerning the specter of Princess Anya. Every word she uttered was like a slowly spreading poison, turning curiosity into suspicion, and suspicion into hatred.
Shapira, in her silence, began to feel the wave of slander engulfing her. As she walked in the gardens, she heard servants whispering, pointing at her with looks of disgust. "Look, there she is, the little sorceress trying to ensnare our Prince," a servant said in a barely audible voice, yet clear enough for Shapira to hear. "Is she truly Anya's reincarnation? Doesn't that mean Astellia will be ruined again?"
Every gaze, every whisper, felt like shards of glass piercing her sensitive heart. A feeling of helplessness and loneliness began to creep into her soul. She felt like a puppet on display, judged by everyone, unable to defend herself. The fear of Anya's fate, once vague, now felt more real, as if she truly carried a curse. Princess Anya's blood, now flowing within her, felt like a poison everyone feared.
*
The confrontation Shapira had anticipated finally became inevitable. That night, William summoned Queen Eleanor to his study. The door was tightly shut, but the Queen's raised voice occasionally carried into the hallway where Shapira waited anxiously. She knew it was all because of her, and the guilt choked her.
"William, what are you doing?" Queen Eleanor's voice exploded, filled with burning fury. "Marrying a servant? A girl with no name, no lineage, no honor? Have you lost your mind? Have you forgotten all your palace upbringing, all your responsibilities to Astellia?"
Shapira could imagine Queen Eleanor's face flushed crimson, the veins in her neck taut. She stood outside, listening with a sinking heart.
"Mother, I love her," William replied, his voice calm yet firm, a stark contrast to his mother's rage. "And I will make her my queen. My love requires no lineage or honor, only sincerity."
"Love?" Queen Eleanor scoffed. "What love? A blind love that will destroy this kingdom? Shapira is Anya's shadow! Don't you see, William? Everyone in this palace sees it, feels the danger she brings! She will bring the same calamity as Anya!"
"That is a destiny we must face, not avoid!" William countered, his voice rising. "Anya was not a bringer of calamity, Mother. She was a victim. Shapira is the same. And I will not allow history to repeat itself."
"Nonsense!" Queen Eleanor hissed. "History never lies, William. You will repeat the same mistakes as your father! Do you wish Astellia to be ruined again? Do you wish to see the devastation that once occurred?"
"I will not let that happen. I will protect her, protect you, and protect Astellia," William vowed, his tone filled with iron resolve. "I will not surrender her to anyone. I will make her my queen, and no one can change my decision. I am the Prince, and I will be King. My decision is law."
A momentary silence followed William's bold and powerful declaration. Shapira could feel the tension seeping out from behind the door. She imagined William, standing tall, his dark blue eyes radiating unshakeable determination.
"You will regret this, William," Queen Eleanor said, her voice now softer, but laden with pain and unspoken threats. "And I … I will never sanction this marriage. Do not expect me to grant her a place in this palace as your queen."
Shapira heard footsteps receding, then the door to William's study burst open. Queen Eleanor emerged, her cold eyes fixed on Shapira, who stood not far from the door. The gaze was piercing, filled with hatred and disappointment. Without uttering a single word, Queen Eleanor swept past, leaving Shapira frozen in silence in the middle of the hallway.
William stepped out of his study, looking at Shapira with tired eyes. "Shapira .…"
She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "William, I'm sorry. This is all my fault."
William pulled her into a hug, stroking Shapira's dark hair. "It's not your fault, my love. Never think that. I won't let anyone hurt you."
*
Since William's confrontation with Queen Eleanor, Shapira's days in the palace grew increasingly arduous. She no longer felt like a servant, but rather a captive in a gilded cage, every move watched and judged. Some servants who had previously been friendly now avoided her. The nobles openly gave her looks of disgust or ignored her completely. Even the food served to her in the kitchen now tasted different, as if someone was subtly trying to intimidate her.
One afternoon, as Shapira walked alone down a deserted corridor towards the library, she felt a piercing chill. Suddenly, from behind a pillar, Lady Corinna, an aristocratic woman with an arrogant face, emerged with two companions. They blocked her path.
"Look who it is," Lady Corinna hissed, her eyes narrowing with scorn. "The servant girl who will soon be queen. How pathetic Astellia has become."
"You don't deserve to stand here, much less beside Prince William," Lady Corinna's friend added, her voice sharp. "You will only bring shame and ruin."
Shapira clenched her fists, trying to hold back the tears welling up. She wanted to defend herself, to scream that she hadn't asked for any of this, but her throat tightened. She could only bow her head, trying to walk past them.
"Coward," Lady Corinna sneered, lightly kicking the hem of Shapira's gown. "You can't even lift your head. How could you possibly lead a kingdom?"
Shapira flinched, her gaze shifting to Lady Corinna's dirty foot crushing the gown, a gift from Queen Eleanor. Sudden anger ignited in her chest. She raised her head, her grey eyes locking directly onto Lady Corinna. A resolute glint appeared, the power of Princess Anya beginning to awaken within her.
"I may be a servant," Shapira stated, her voice trembling yet filled with a strange conviction. "But I never sought honor or power. I only wanted to live my life in peace. If Prince William chose me, that was his choice, not my ambition. And I will not bring ruin to Astellia. Rather, it is people like you, who only spread hatred and slander, who will disrupt the harmony of this kingdom."
Shapira's words stunned Lady Corinna and her companions. For a moment, they were silent, surprised by the unexpected courage of the girl they had thought fragile. Shapira didn't wait for their reaction. She dislodged her gown from Lady Corinna's foot and walked away with her head held high, though her heart pounded and her legs felt weak. She didn't realize that from behind one of the pillars, William had witnessed the entire scene, a faint smile spreading across his lips. He was proud, but also knew that Shapira's path would become even rockier.
*
Meanwhile, in the darkest corner of Varkhiel city, far from Astellia's splendor, King Lucian Mordred received the latest report from Isabelle. The room was lit only by the dim glow of green candles emitting strange smoke, and its walls were covered in ominous ancient symbols. The scent of sulfur and magical concoctions filled the air, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
Isabelle, her face deathly pale, bowed deeply before Lucian. "Your Majesty, our plan has succeeded. Astellia is fractured. Hatred towards Shapira grows among the nobles, and Queen Eleanor flatly rejected the marriage."
Lucian, seated on a black stone throne, offered a thin smile. His glassy eyes radiated cold satisfaction. "Excellent. Chaos is my best friend. The deeper their chasm of division, the easier it will be for me to devour Astellia."
He rose, a cold aura enveloping his body. "That girl, Shapira. She's starting to show her teeth, isn't she? There's a power awakening within her, I can feel it even from here. Anya's power, which she was once too cowardly to use."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Isabelle responded, "she is indeed becoming bolder. William protects her like a lioness."
"William," Lucian hissed, the name bitter on his tongue. "He has always been a thorn in my side. But this time, he will lose everything. I will manipulate the nobles' hatred. I will cultivate Queen Eleanor's fears. And I will use Shapira herself as the trigger for destruction. Princess Anya's power is a double-edged sword. She thinks she has found love, but she has only found the rope to hang herself."
Lucian walked around Isabelle, his eyes fixed on her. "I have a greater plan, Isabelle. A plan that will destroy William from within, without me needing to dirty my hands directly. I will make him lose his mind, make him question every decision, until he himself surrenders his throne to me. And Shapira … she will witness it all, then she will come to me willingly, seeking protection and liberation."
Isabelle stared at him with a mixture of fear and awe. "How, Your Majesty?"
Lucian smiled cruelly. "With the deepest betrayal. By awakening the most unexpected enemy. An enemy hidden in the shadows of the past, possessing the power to control memories." Lucian raised his hand, and thick green smoke began to swirl around him, forming the vague silhouette of a figure. "I will reclaim what is rightfully mine. And Shapira, she will be my queen, whether she wills it or not."
The green smoke slowly dissipated, but a tremor of malevolent energy lingered in the air. This dreadful promise, uttered in the darkness, was the beginning of a much greater catastrophe. An ancient power, capable of controlling memories and sowing doubt, was now on the verge of awakening. William and Shapira might believe they had forged their destiny of love, but Lucian had just carved out their destiny of destruction, using Shapira's lack of memory and Queen Eleanor's doubts as his deadliest weapons. The greatest threat was no longer an open sword, but whispers in the mind, eroding trust and twisting reality. And Shapira, with her fragile memory, was the primary target of Lucian's new dark game. The world of Astellia was heading towards the precipice, fractured by intrigue, slander, and unseen threats. William would soon face an unexpected enemy, and Shapira would be dragged into a vortex of manipulated memories, where the line between truth and lies would blur. The hidden danger was far more terrifying than what was visible.