The chamber was silent.
Even the council members who had spent decades in the palace hadn't dared to speak.
All eyes were fixed on me — on the glowing blue veins threading across my hands, pulsing like living energy.
Zayn's grip on my hand was firm.
Azael's eyes never left me, protective, calculating, waiting for me to falter.
And then the doors at the far end of the chamber opened.
All heads turned.
A woman entered.
Tall. Regal. Elegant. Her presence commanded the room without a word. Her gown was deep emerald with gold embroidery — the colors of her house, the House of Vaylor.
Her hair cascaded in waves, black as midnight, and her eyes… sharp, calculating, piercing through every soul in the room.
"Lady Celestine," the Queen Mother said with a measured tone. "You've arrived."
princess Celestine's lips curved into a faint, unreadable smile.
She glided forward, every step deliberate.
"My Queen Mother," she said smoothly. "And… Princess Maya."
Her gaze landed on me, a flicker of something unreadable passing through it — respect, recognition… or perhaps calculation.
"The House of Vaylor welcomes the heir of the First Line," she said, voice like silk over steel. "Though I must ask… are you prepared to wield that power responsibly? Or will it burn the kingdom down around you?"
A murmur ran through the council.
I swallowed hard, feeling the energy in my veins pulse faster.
Yes, the voice inside whispered. You are ready.
Zayn's hand tightened on mine. "Maya… be careful," he murmured.
Celestine's eyes flicked to him, sharp as a dagger. "And you," she said softly, "Prince Zayn Montclair… it seems the crown chose your wife over the throne. How… intriguing."
Azael's jaw tightened, but he remained silent.
I took a deep breath, letting the glow under my skin respond to my confidence. The energy expanded, filling the chamber, radiating from me like a living crown.
Celestine's smile widened slightly, intrigued.
"So the tales are true," she said. "The First Line awakens… and she is more than they imagined."
The Queen Mother's expression hardened.
"Lady Celestine," she said, voice low and commanding, "your house has been given a place here to advise. Do not undermine the heir to the First Line."
Celestine's eyes glittered. "I do not undermine. I observe… and I prepare. The House of Vaylor always survives."
Azael's hand drifted near his sword hilt, but he did not draw. Zayn, meanwhile, stayed close, keeping me anchored.
I lifted my chin, letting the energy ripple over me. "I am the heir," I said firmly, voice echoing through the chamber. "Not a child to be judged, not a threat to fear. I will not be hidden again."
Celestine's gaze lingered on me longer than anyone else's. She tilted her head slightly, as though studying a rare jewel.
"Very well," she said softly. "Let us see if the First Line truly has returned… or if this crown is already too heavy."
The tension in the room thickened.
Even the Council members, previously silent, leaned forward, whispering in shocked awe.
The Queen Mother's eyes, however, never left mine.
And in her expression, I could see that the true trials were only just beginning.
Zayn's voice was quiet but urgent. "Maya… this is only the beginning."
I nodded, feeling the glow intensify, rising like a tide inside me.
Let them come. The thought pulsed in my mind.
Let the House of Vaylor, the Council, even my own Queen Mother see what I am.
And just as I readied myself for what was to come, Celestine stepped closer, her smile darkening slightly.
"Princess Maya," she said softly, almost a whisper.
"Power like yours… draws enemies from the shadows. Be careful whom you trust."
The chamber fell silent.
Even the ancient bells outside seemed to tremble.
Because everyone knew: Lady Celestine of the House of Vaylor did not speak lightly… and she never made idle threats.
and this challenge could win her the throne