Elara's POV
The scream woke me up.
My eyes snapped open in the darkness. My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears. For three seconds, I couldn't remember where I was or why my chest felt so tight.
Then I realized the scream came from my own throat.
"Princess Elara!" Zara burst through my bedroom door, her gray hair messy and her eyes worried. "Another nightmare?"
I pressed my hands against my face, trying to slow my breathing. "I'm fine, Zara. I'm sorry I woke you."
That was a lie. I wasn't fine. For the past week, I'd been having the same terrible dream. In it, I was drowning in dark water while everyone I loved stood on the shore and watched me die. They didn't help. They just... watched.
Stupid nightmare. Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.
"It's your engagement celebration day," Zara said softly, sitting on the edge of my bed like she did when I was little. "Nervous?"
"No," I said quickly. Too quickly. "I love Cassian. I trust him completely."
Zara's wrinkled hand touched my cheek. Something flickered in her eyes—something that looked almost like sadness. "Do you trust him, child? Really?"
What a strange question. "Of course I do. Why would you ask that?"
She opened her mouth, then closed it. Finally, she said, "Nothing, dear. Just an old woman's worries. Come, we need to prepare you. The celebration starts in two hours."
I pushed the nightmare away and focused on getting ready. Today, I would officially announce my engagement to Lord Cassian Darkmore, the man I'd loved for three years. In six months, we'd marry and I'd become his wife before becoming queen. Everything was perfect.
So why did my hands keep shaking?
Zara helped me into my celebration dress—deep purple silk that made my violet eyes stand out. She brushed my silver-blonde hair until it shined. In the mirror, I looked like a princess from a fairy tale.
But the girl in the mirror had dark circles under her eyes from too many nightmares.
"Zara," I said suddenly, "do you think Seraphine is happy for me?"
My handmaiden's hands stopped moving through my hair. "Why do you ask about your stepsister?"
"She's been... different lately. Quieter. She keeps looking at me with this strange expression." I turned to face Zara. "Like she knows something I don't."
"Princess—" Zara started, but a sharp knock interrupted her.
"Elara!" My stepsister Seraphine swept into the room without waiting for permission. She looked beautiful as always, with her dark hair and perfect smile. "Ready for your big day?"
"Almost," I said, smiling back. "Sera, I wanted to ask you—"
"You'll want to see this." Seraphine pulled out a small box from behind her back. "A gift. For the happy bride-to-be."
Inside the box was a delicate silver bracelet covered in tiny blue stones. It was beautiful.
"It's lovely," I breathed. "Thank you."
When I reached for it, Seraphine grabbed my wrist—hard. Her smile didn't change, but her eyes went cold. "Wear it today. Don't take it off. No matter what happens."
Then she let go and her warm expression returned like nothing happened. "See you at the celebration, sister!"
She left as quickly as she came.
I stared at the bracelet in my hands. My wrist still hurt where she'd grabbed it.
"Don't wear it," Zara said immediately. "Princess, please don't wear that thing."
"Why not? It's just jewelry."
"It's not—" Zara stopped herself, looking afraid. "Please trust me."
But I was already putting it on. "You're being paranoid. Sera would never hurt me."
The moment the bracelet touched my skin, I felt... strange. Like something cold had crawled under my skin. I tried to take it off, but the clasp wouldn't budge.
"Zara?" My voice came out small and scared. "It won't come off."
Zara's face went white. "Oh, child. What have they done?"
"What do you mean 'they'? Who's they?"
Before she could answer, royal guards appeared at my door. "Princess Elara, it's time."
The celebration hall was packed with hundreds of nobles. Everyone who mattered in the kingdom was here. Candles blazed everywhere, making everything look golden and warm. Musicians played. People laughed and danced.
I stood at the entrance, searching the crowd for Cassian. My future husband. The man who told me every day that he loved me.
There—standing near the center stage. Tall, handsome, perfect Cassian with his dark hair and charming smile. He was talking to Seraphine, their heads close together like they were sharing a secret.
Something in my stomach twisted.
They looked up at the same moment and saw me. Cassian smiled—but it wasn't his usual warm smile. This one was different. Colder. Like the smiles predators give before they attack.
"People of Valdris!" the announcer called out. "Princess Elara Veyshara has arrived!"
Everyone turned to look at me. Hundreds of eyes. Hundreds of smiles.
Why did they all suddenly look like wolves?
I walked down the long carpet toward the stage where Cassian waited. Each step felt heavier than the last. The bracelet on my wrist felt hot now, almost burning.
Cassian held out his hand to help me onto the stage. When I took it, his fingers were ice cold.
"Hello, Elara," he whispered, so only I could hear. "Are you ready?"
"Ready for what?"
His smile grew wider. Sharper. "To lose everything."
Before I could ask what he meant, he pulled me close and spun me to face the crowd. "Thank you all for coming to this celebration!" he announced loudly. "I have an important announcement to make about my engagement."
Relief flooded through me. See? Nothing was wrong. This was just my nightmare making me paranoid.
"I'm calling off my engagement to Princess Elara," Cassian said clearly.
The room went silent.
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. "What?"
Cassian's arm around my waist felt like a trap now. "I'm calling it off because I'm in love with someone else. Someone better."
"Cassian, this isn't funny—"
"I'm in love with Princess Seraphine."
He released me and walked across the stage. Seraphine stood there, no longer hiding her cold smile. Cassian pulled her against him and kissed her—long and deep—in front of everyone.
In front of me.
The room exploded with shocked whispers and gasps.
My legs stopped working. I couldn't feel my body. This had to be another nightmare. It had to be. I'd wake up any second and Zara would be there telling me everything was fine.
But I didn't wake up.
Cassian broke the kiss and turned back to face the crowd, keeping Seraphine in his arms. "That's not all I have to announce," he said. His voice carried across the silent room. "Princess Seraphine has brought to my attention certain... evidence. Evidence of treason."
"What?" My voice came out as a broken whisper.
Seraphine stepped forward, pulling papers from her dress. "These are letters, signed by you, dear sister. Letters where you planned to murder our father and sell our kingdom to our enemies."
"That's insane!" I finally found my voice. "I never wrote those! I would never—"
"Your signature is right here," Seraphine said sweetly, holding up the papers for the crowd to see. "Every letter. Every treasonous word. All in your handwriting."
The crowd's whispers grew louder. Angry. People who smiled at me moments ago now looked at me with hate.
"No," I said desperately, looking around the room for one friendly face. "No, this is a lie! Someone help me! Please!"
But no one moved. No one helped.
Just like in my nightmare.
The main doors burst open. My father—the King—strode in with royal guards following him. He looked older suddenly. Broken.
"Father!" I ran toward him, relief making me dizzy. "Father, they're lying! I didn't—"
"Silence!" His voice cracked like thunder. "I've seen the evidence. I've seen your signature."
"But I didn't write them! Someone forged—"
"GUARDS!" he roared. "Arrest Princess Elara for high treason!"
Guards surrounded me. Their hands were rough and cold. Metal chains wrapped around my wrists, heavy and humiliating.
"Father, please!" Tears burned down my face. "Please, you have to believe me!"
He wouldn't look at me. "You are no longer my daughter. You are a traitor to the crown."
The crowd started chanting: "Traitor! Traitor! TRAITOR!"
As the guards dragged me toward the door, I looked back one last time. Cassian had his arm around Seraphine. They were both smiling—really smiling—like this was the best day of their lives.
Seraphine caught my eye and mouthed two words: "Goodbye, sister."
Then someone hit me from behind and everything went dark.
When I woke up, I was in a dungeon cell, and my nightmare had only just begun.