Elara's POV
The palace gates opened as we approached.
Guards stood on either side, their faces shocked when they recognized me. One of them opened his mouth like he wanted to ask questions, but I kept walking. Head high. Back straight. Looking like a queen even though I felt like a scared girl in borrowed clothes. The sun was already up, there was no way we could sneak back in like we snuck out
Kaelen stayed three steps behind me. Silent. Watchful.
We crossed through the gates and into the main courtyard.
And there, waiting at the top of the palace steps, was Lord Malakor.
He stood with his arms crossed, his face like stone. Cold. Angry. Behind him were at least a dozen guards. All of them looking at us with hard eyes.
My stomach dropped.
"Your Majesty," Malakor said. His voice was sharp. Cutting. "How kind of you to finally return home."
I stopped at the bottom of the steps. "Lord Malakor. I wasn't aware I needed to report my movements to you."
"No?" His eyebrows rose. "You disappear from the palace for days. No one knows where you've gone. Your maid lies to everyone, saying you're sick and resting. The entire council is in chaos wondering if their queen has been kidnapped or killed. And you think you don't need to report to anyone?"
"I went for a private trip," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I needed time away. Time to think."
"Time to think," he repeated. His eyes moved to Kaelen. "And your guard here thought it was a good idea to help you vanish without a word to anyone? Without informing the Captain of the Guard? Without taking proper security?"
"I ordered him to take me," I said quickly. "He was following my commands."
"Was he?" Malakor descended the steps slowly. Each footstep echoed in the courtyard. "Because a guard's first duty is to the safety of the crown. Not to the whims of a foolish girl."
He reached the bottom step. Walked straight past me.
And punched Kaelen in the face.
The sound was like a crack of thunder. Kaelen's head snapped back. He stumbled but didn't fall.
"No!" I screamed. I lunged forward, grabbing Malakor's arm. "Stop! Don't touch him!"
Malakor turned to me. His eyes were ice. "Don't touch me, Your Majesty. This doesn't concern you."
"Doesn't concern me?" My voice rose. I could feel fury burning in my chest. "He's my guard! You just hit him! Of course it concerns me!"
"He failed in his duty," Malakor said coldly. "He took you out of the palace without proper security. Without informing anyone. He put your life at risk. That is treason."
"I ordered him to!" I shouted. "It was my idea! My decision!"
"And that makes it worse!" Malakor shouted back. His face was red now. Angry. "You're the queen! You don't get to just leave whenever you feel like it! You don't get to put yourself in danger because you're bored or scared or whatever childish emotion drove you to this madness!"
"I am not a child!" I said.
"Then stop acting like one!" he roared. "You have a kingdom to rule! People depending on you! And instead of doing your duty, you run off to play peasant in the countryside! Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? Do you understand the danger you put yourself in?"
"I understand perfectly," I said through my teeth.
"Do you?" He stepped closer to me. "Bandits roam those roads. Criminals. People who would kill you for the clothes on your back, let alone for who you are. And your guard here let you go anyway. Helped you. Encouraged this recklessness."
"He tried to stop me," I lied. "I insisted. I'm the queen. He has to obey me."
"No," Malakor said. "He has to protect you. Even from yourself. And he failed."
He turned back to Kaelen, who was wiping blood from his lip. "You're done. Finished. I'm having you removed from the palace guard immediately."
"You can't do that," I said.
"Watch me," Malakor said.
"I won't let you," I said. My voice was shaking now. With anger. With fear. "He's my personal guard. My choice. You have no authority to remove him."
"I have every authority," Malakor said. "Captain Varrus!"
The Captain of the Guard stepped forward from the group behind Malakor. He looked uncomfortable. Unhappy. But he bowed to Malakor anyway.
"Yes, my lord?"
"Bring the security regulations," Malakor ordered. "The section on guard conduct and punishment."
Varrus hesitated. "My lord, perhaps we should discuss this inside–"
"Now, Captain," Malakor said.
Varrus sighed and pulled a small book from his belt. He flipped through the pages, found what he was looking for, and began to read.
"Section twelve, paragraph four," he said quietly. "Any guard who removes a member of the royal family from the palace without proper authorization and security measures shall be subject to immediate punishment. Said punishment to be determined by the council or their appointed representative."
"And what are the standard punishments, Captain?" Malakor asked.
Varrus looked at me. His eyes were apologetic. "Dismissal from service. Or fifty lashes with the horse whip."
My blood went cold.
"Fifty lashes?" I whispered.
"Unless," Varrus continued, still reading from the book, "the queen wishes to transfer the punishment to any accomplice who aided in the deception. In which case, the accomplice will receive the alternative punishment of tongue removal for lying to the crown."
Lena. He was talking about Lena.
"No," I said. "Absolutely not. Lena did nothing wrong. She was just following my orders."
"Then your guard takes the punishment," Malakor said. He sounded almost pleased. "Fifty lashes. Or dismissal. His choice."
"This is insane," I said. "I won't allow it."
"You don't have a choice, Your Majesty," Malakor said. "The rules are clear. The council wasn't informed of your disappearance. Proper security wasn't maintained. Someone must answer for that."
"I'm the one who should answer!" I shouted. "I'm the one who left! Punish me!"
"We can't punish the queen," Malakor said. "But we can punish those who enabled her foolishness."
He gestured to the guards. "Take him. Prepare the courtyard."
Two guards moved toward Kaelen.
"Don't you dare," I said. I stepped in front of Kaelen. "I am your queen. I'm ordering you to stop."