"The Crown has chosen you," she repeated, voice low but laced with authority. "And now the Council must witness it."
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "Witness what?"
"The First Line survives," she said. "And it is awakening."
Before I could ask more, a trumpeting announcement echoed through the hall: the royal council had been summoned immediately. Every high-ranking official in the palace was being called to the throne room.
Zayn tightened his grip. "Maya… stay close. Whatever happens, don't let them intimidate you."
"I… I don't know if I can—" I whispered, my voice trembling.
"You will," he said. "You have to."
Azael stepped forward. "And if they try to deny it? If they try to claim the throne for themselves?"
The Queen Mother's gaze sharpened. "Then they will answer to me. And to the one who bears the blood."
My heart skipped.
That was me.
Me?
I looked down at my hands — still glowing faintly blue, faint like embers in the dark.
The energy pulsed beneath my skin, faint but undeniable.
It recognized the Crown.
It recognized the palace.
It recognized me.
I could feel it stretching, reaching, ready to react if provoked.
Zayn noticed it too. His fingers brushed mine, and a jolt of heat traveled through us both. "You feel it," he murmured. "It's… it's yours."
"Yes," I whispered. "But what do I do with it?"
Before anyone could answer, the doors to the council chamber burst open.
A figure strode in, tall, imposing, dressed in dark ceremonial robes. Her eyes flicked to me instantly.
"Princess Maya," she said, her voice smooth, sharp, like ice over steel.
"I am Lady Seraphine. I see the Queen Mother has informed you… of your supposed 'awakening.'"
My pulse raced.
Zayn's jaw clenched.
Azael's hands curled into fists.
Lady Seraphine's gaze lingered on my glowing hands. A slight smirk twisted her lips.
"Power like that can be dangerous… in untrained hands," she said. "I hope you understand what you're risking by standing there."
I lifted my chin, feeling the strange energy hum beneath my skin. A voice inside me — deep, powerful, ancient — whispered: You are stronger than fear.
"I understand," I said, voice firmer than I expected.
"I am not afraid."
The Queen Mother's lips pressed into a thin line.
Seraphine's eyes narrowed, clearly not expecting my response.
Zayn stepped closer, hands still on mine. "Good. Because you're not standing alone. Not now. Not ever."
Azael's hand hovered over his sword, but he didn't draw it. His eyes softened as they met mine. "We're with you, Maya. Whatever happens."
The Council members, now filing in, whispered among themselves. Murmurs of shock, disbelief, and awe spread through the chamber like wildfire.
Then the Queen Mother's voice rang out, crystal clear:
"Today, the First Line is no longer forgotten. Today, the heir awakens. And today, Princess Maya will stand before the Council."
The energy pulsing through me surged, brighter, stronger.
It wrapped around me, warming, grounding.
And then… a thought struck me like lightning.
They can't stop me.
Not now.
Not ever.
Before the Council could speak, before Lady Seraphine could challenge me further, the glow erupted.
The air shivered.
The room shook.
And the blue light stretched outward, wrapping around the throne chamber like a living crown of fire and ice.
Every whisper stopped.
Every breath halted.
And in the sudden silence, the Queen Mother's voice pierced the air once more:
"Princess Maya… show them the power of the First Line."
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