The porcelain clink of teacups filled the silence between them.
Crown Prince Adrienne sat with his usual composure, red eyes reflecting the faint sunlight filtering through the tall windows of the imperial garden. Across from him, Elara held her cup with practiced grace. Steady hands, polite smile, heart a tangled knot of plans she could not speak of.
Their weekly tea meetings had always followed the same rhythm: Adrienne discussed politics, reforms, and the Emperor's decrees, while Elara nodded, commented, and pretended to care.
But today, her gaze kept drifting, beyond the hedges, past the fountains, toward the towering spires of the Imperial Library visible in the distance.
"Is something troubling you, Elara?"Crown Prince Adrienne asked, voice calm but sharp enough to slice through her reverie.
Elara looked up, her tone even. "Ah, forgive me, Your Highness. I was only thinking… I heard that the Imperial Library recently acquired new historical archives from the southern provinces."
Adrienne tilted his head. "You're interested in history now? That's new?"
"I find history more consistent than people,"she said plainly, her lips forming a faint, fleeting smile. "At least it does not change its mind every season."
A quiet pause lingered. Her words were sharp, but her delivery was too smooth to be called insolent.
Finally, Adrienne chuckled softly. "That's… an interesting way to see it. If you'd like, I can arrange access. The inner halls are restricted, but my fiancée is an exception."
She inclined her head slightly, eyes calm. "Your generosity is noted, Your Highness."
Something in her tone. So measured, so deliberately void of warmth, made Adrienne's chest tighten.
He brushed it off and rose from his seat. "Then let's not waste time."
The Imperial Library towered like a cathedral of knowledge. The scent of aged parchment and ink hung thick in the air. Sunlight streamed through glass domes, illuminating shelves that stretched toward eternity.
Elara's fingers brushed across the bindings of ancient tomes, tracing faded emblems of forgotten empires. Her gaze darted subtly from title to title.
Annals of the Great Unification
Genealogies of the Crowned Realms
Treatises on Blood and Legacy
But nowhere, not once, did the name Nytheris appear.
"How peculiar…"she murmured under her breath.
Adrienne, standing beside her, glanced up from a scroll he had been reviewing. "What is?"
Elara quickly masked her expression. "It's nothing. I was only curious how well-preserved these records are."
He watched her for a moment longer, then his attention was drawn elsewhere as an imperial guard entered quietly.
"Your Highness,"the guard said, bowing. "His Majesty requests your presence immediately. It concerns the Council's decision on the western front."
Adrienne sighed softly. "Of course it does."
Then, turning to Elara, he added, "I'll return shortly. You may remain here — explore as you wish. Just… don't wander too far into the restricted aisles."
Elara bowed her head lightly. "Understood."
As he left, his footsteps echoing down the marble corridor, her heart began to race.
Now.
She moved swiftly, scanning the upper tiers of shelves until she reached a secluded corner marked "Sealed Histories."
The books here were older, their titles nearly erased by time. Her fingers stopped on one, a volume titled "On the Vanished Realms."
When she opened it, dust scattered like ghosts. Her eyes widened as she read a passage, fragmented but clear enough to sting:
"The Kingdom once known as Nytheris held friendly ties with the Aetherion Empire. However, Nytheris soon faced a sudden crisis. They closed their borders, and all connections they built beyond their lands vanished like a bubble. The whereabouts of the Nytherians remain unknown. Myth, or memory?"
Her breath hitched. Aetherion... Connections? Vanished?
She turned the page, but before she could read further, a voice interrupted.
"Well, well… I didn't think the perfect Lady Elara would be hiding in dusty corners."
Her blood ran cold.
Turning slowly, she found Darien Valemont, son of Marquis Valemont. The man responsible for several of her deaths in past lives, leaning casually against the pillar. His smile was disarming, but his eyes glinted with malice disguised as mischief.
"Lord Darien," she greeted coolly. "I wasn't aware you were granted entry here."
He chuckled. "I wasn't. But when Lady Seraphine mentioned you were at the palace, I got curious."His gaze swept the shelves. "You and the Crown Prince… studying old books? Sounds thrilling."
Elara closed the tome discreetly. "You shouldn't be here."
"Neither should you," he countered lightly, stepping closer.
''The crown prince granted me permission,'' Elara responded in defense.
"You've changed," Darien said, stepping closer. "You used to laugh more. Smile. Pretend to care. Now you look at me like I'm an inconvenience."
"You finally noticed,"she replied flatly.
His grin faltered. "Careful, Elara. People who stop pretending don't live long in this palace."
Her eyes narrowed. "You mistake growth for pretense."
"Do I?" His tone softened, dangerously low. "Or are you just hiding something?"
Her pulse spiked. He couldn't possibly know… could he?
She turned away, forcing calm into her voice. "You should leave before someone sees you. The Crown Prince won't take kindly to intruders."
Darien smirked faintly. "Oh, don't scare me with that, My Lady. I'm not afraid of a man who-"
Before Darien could finish his sentence, Crown Prince Adrienne suddenly talked, ''Afraid of what, Young Lord Valemont?''
His eyes are as sharp as a sword when he seriously looked at Darien.
''You'll know soon, Your Highness. Let's see how long she can keep up this act. If you'll excuse me, I still have some matters to attend to. Enjoy your time, both.'' He bowed and left the Imperial library.
Adrienne's red gaze shifted to Elara. "What was he talking about?"
"Idle nonsense," Elara said simply. "You know how men like him love to hear themselves speak."
He studied her for a moment, but her calm expression betrayed nothing.
After a pause, he said, "Would you like to continue reading, or shall we visit the Crown Princess's Palace? The renovation might interest you."
"I've read enough for today," she replied smoothly. "Lead the way, Your Highness."
I already have what I came for, she thought, fingers brushing the hidden parchment at her wrist. Anything beyond this is just pretense.
The palace stood at the far edge of the imperial grounds, serene, silver-roofed, and adorned with intricate carvings of celestial flowers. Marble floors echoed softly beneath their steps as attendants bowed while passing.
Adrienne led her through the grand foyer, the air filled with faint scents of lilies and polish.
"It's been vacant since the last renovation began," he said. "My father insists it should reflect the Empire's elegance. I, however, think it's excessive."
"You think most things are excessive," Elara replied, her tone polite but distant.
He smiled faintly. "You've been paying attention."
"Only because I'm expected to," she said, eyes fixed ahead.
His steps faltered slightly, then continued. "Perhaps that's what makes you interesting."
Elara did not answer.
They reached the greenhouse, where light poured through the glass and flowers bloomed in waves of color.
"It's beautiful,"Elara said after a moment. Not with awe, but with observation.
Adrienne leaned slightly against a pillar, watching her reaction. "I suppose it is," he murmured. "Feel free to look around. I'll rest here for a while. This place always makes me sleepy."
"Rest well, Your Highness,"she said with formal detachment and turned away.
Adrienne sank into the cushioned bench, arms folded loosely. His eyes fluttered closed, and within moments, sleep claimed him.
Darkness.
Then, the echo of laughter, wine glasses clinking, music swelling in a grand hall.
Adrienne blinked. He was standing in a familiar ballroom, but the air felt wrong. The chandeliers shimmered red, and across the floor, Elara stood, elegant in silver silk, raising a glass of wine to her lips.
He wanted to call out, but his voice caught as her body suddenly trembled. The goblet fell, crimson spilling across white marble.
"Elara!" he tried to move, but he couldn't. His feet were rooted to the floor.
He could only watch as she collapsed, her eyes wide with pain, and there, in the reflection of the glass, he saw himself watching her die.
His heart pounded, the guilt was suffocating, unexplainable. Then, the scene shattered.
Now, he stood in a sunlit garden. The younger Elara smiled up at him, offering a basket of pastries.
"I baked these for you, Your Highness," she said sweetly, eyes shining with hope.
He heard himself respond coldly, voice dripping with disdain. "She thinks I care. Pathetic."
Her smile faded, and again, darkness swallowed everything.
"Your Highness!"
Adrienne jolted awake, breath ragged. Elara was kneeling beside him, her expression neutral yet alert.
"You seemed troubled," she said.
For a heartbeat, he could only stare at her.
The sunlight streaming through the glass bathed her in gold. Her violet hair shimmered like spun moonlight, her bright blue eyes glowed with quiet warmth, and for the briefest moment, everything around her blurred, like the world itself bowed out of focus.
"You were restless," she noted quietly. "Perhaps avoid napping where you might be seen like that."
Her words were courteous, but distant. Concern hidden behind composure.
He sat up slowly, breath still uneven. "I… I must have dozed off."
Elara frowned. "You looked like you were in pain."
He didn't answer. Something inside him twisted.
A strange ache that didn't belong to this life. Before he could think, before logic could catch up, he reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Elara froze, eyes wide. "Your Highness—?"
His hand trembled slightly against her back.
"Forgive me,"he murmured, voice low and rough.
"I just… I saw you—"He stopped himself. What was he supposed to say? That he'd watched her die?
She stayed still, uncertain and unable to move away.
"Then wake up, Your Highness. Dreams don't deserve apologies." Her tone cut through softly, cool and firm.
He drew a slow breath, pulling back slightly, his gaze lingering on her face. "Perhaps you're right."
But as he looked into her eyes, part of him whispered,
Then why did it feel so real?