By the time I stepped out of the Queen Mother's chambers, my legs felt weak… like the marble floor was shifting under me.
The woman he was meant to marry.
The words echoed through me like thunder.
Zayn and Azael were waiting at the hallway's end the moment the door closed.
Zayn rushed to me first, hands gently cupping my face.
"Maya, are you alright? What did she say? Did she threaten you?"
I shook my head, unable to form words.
Azael watched me quietly — his gaze sharper than Zayn's, like he could already sense what I wasn't saying.
"What happened?" Azael pressed.
I swallowed, forcing the truth out.
"She said… tomorrow, there's a royal council. And I have to stand beside Zayn."
Zayn nodded. "Good. Then she's accepting the marriage."
I shook my head again.
"She said there will be someone else standing beside you."
My voice barely came out.
Zayn frowned. "Who?"
I met his eyes.
"The woman you were meant to marry."
Zayn froze.
Azael's jaw tightened sharply.
Then Zayn exhaled a curse under his breath, stepping back as if he'd been struck.
"Maya, I didn't think she would drag her into this," he whispered.
My chest tightened painfully. "Who is she, Zayn?"
Before he could answer, Azael did.
"Lady Celestine of House Veylor," he said quietly.
"The only daughter of the family that controls the royal treasury."
Treasury.
Money.
Power.
And the Queen Mother chose me… over her?
Of course she didn't accept it.
Zayn rubbed his face with both hands, frustrated.
"That arrangement was made years ago. Before I even knew what I wanted for my life."
"And now she's coming," Azael added.
"To prove you made a mistake choosing Maya."
Silence.
Thick.
Painful.
Humiliating.
My stomach twisted. I knew I shouldn't feel jealous. I knew I shouldn't feel insecure. But imagining some perfect noblewoman, raised for this life, standing beside my husband before the entire council…
It hurt.
More than I expected.
Zayn stepped closer, pulling me into his arms with a soft urgency.
"Maya, look at me."
I lifted my eyes.
"I chose you. Not Celestine. Not the council. Not the crown. You."
His voice trembled with the kind of sincerity that breaks and heals at the same time.
"I don't regret it, and I never will."
Azael cleared his throat.
"Whatever the Queen Mother is planning, it won't be gentle. You both need to be prepared."
Zayn nodded. "Then prepare us."
Azael stepped forward, expression turning serious as steel.
"Tomorrow, Maya will face the council. Not as an outsider. Not as a threat. But as your wife — a potential future queen."
Zayn's arm tightened protectively around me.
Azael lifted his chin.
"And to survive that room, Maya… you must look like one."
A shiver ran through me.
He wasn't talking about gowns or jewelry.
He meant presence.
Control.
Confidence.
Royalty.
Zayn held me closer, his voice brushing my ear.
"We'll get through this together," he whispered. "I promise."
But even his warmth couldn't quiet the dread building in my stomach.
Because tomorrow…
the council wouldn't just be judging our marriage.
They'd be comparing me to a woman bred for the crown since birth.
A woman the kingdom already expected.
And then—
A sharp knock sounded on the door.
A guard stepped in, bowing.
"Your Highnesses… Lady Celestine has arrived at the palace."
Zayn's grip on me faltered.
Azael's head snapped toward the guard.
My breath froze.
"Should I escort her to the East Wing?" the guard asked.
Azael opened his mouth to answer — but the guard continued.
"She has requested an audience."
Zayn's voice hardened instantly.
"With who?"
The guard looked directly at me.
"Princess Maya."
My heart dropped.
Azael cursed under his breath.
Zayn grabbed my hand, eyes full of fire.
"What does she want with my wife?" he demanded.
The guard swallowed.
"She said," he replied slowly,
"that if Princess Maya wishes to stand beside Prince Zayn at tomorrow's council…"
His eyes flicked nervously between the twins.
"…then she must first stand before her."
The room went ice cold.
Zayn took a step forward. "Absolutely not—"
But Azael raised a hand to stop him.
"No," he said quietly. "Let her come."
Zayn snapped his head toward his brother. "Have you lost your mind?"
Azael didn't look away from me.
"Maya needs to see her before the council," he said calmly.
"To know exactly what — and who — she is up against."
My breath trembled.
"Because Celestine Veylor isn't coming to greet you," Azael added softly.
"She's coming to measure you."
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