MIREYA POV
I froze, every muscle tight.
Did he just say… daughter?
His finger lifted slowly and pointed to a large picture on the wall. My stomach dropped. My eyes widened.
She looked exactly like me.
"My daughter… Faye," he said softly, his voice heavy with grief. "She died of a disease. It's been a month now. May the heavens guide her path to the afterlife."
I couldn't breathe. My chest felt tight, my heart pounding so hard it hurt. The resemblance was uncanny… her dark hair, the shape of her eyes, the curve of her jaw. It was like staring at a reflection of myself… but it wasn't me.
I pressed back against the marble table, my hands shaking. Words caught in my throat. Fear twisted in my tummy.
He sighed, a sound heavy with loss. "And now… You are here. Perhaps it is fate. Perhaps the heavens have sent you to me."
I wanted to speak, to deny it, to run… but every part of me was frozen.
"Faye was to take part in the Trials in Iron Spire… and seduce the Enforcer… but… death…" His voice broke, and the words hung in the air like a curse.
I blinked, my stomach twisting. Seduce? Trials? Enforcer? My mind raced, but I couldn't make sense of it. I pressed myself harder against the wall, my hands trembling.
"My Lord" I whispered, barely able to form the word. My throat felt tight, my chest pounding.
"Now this is where you come in," Lord Malric said, his eyes on me. "You're going to fulfill my daughter's dreams… win the Trials and marry the Enforcer."
"My lord…" I tried to speak, my voice trembling. "I… I'm an Ungifted. I have no powers… It's impossible for me to compete. If I get caught… I would die."
He looked at me, cold and unreadable. Then, slowly, he smiled. A smile that made my stomach twist. "Leave that to me," he said.
He paused, his gaze drifting somewhere far away. Then he called sharply, "Greta… Greta!"
"Yes, my lord," a small woman answered, stepping into the room. She looked about my age, maybe a little older, with sharp eyes and hair pulled tightly back. Her hands were folded neatly in front of her, and her expression was polite… but I could see the tension in her shoulders.
Lord Malric's smile didn't leave his face as he gestured toward me. "Greta will be your maid from today. She will attend to all your needs. Get some rest… lessons start by morning. Greta, please show her to her room."
Greta bowed slightly and stepped forward, her sharp eyes flicking to me. I swallowed hard, my stomach twisting. Maid? Lessons? None of this made sense.
She gestured toward a hallway. "This way," she said, her voice quiet but firm.
I followed, my legs stiff, heart hammering with every step. The mansion seemed even bigger from the inside. The halls were lined with dark wood panels, and torches flickered along the walls, throwing long shadows that danced and twisted as we walked. I hugged myself, feeling small and lost in the vast, cold house.
Greta didn't speak much, just led me up a wide staircase and down a long corridor. Finally, she stopped in front of a tall, heavy door. "Your room," she said simply, and opened it.
It was large, much larger than any room I had ever slept in, but it felt cold and empty. Heavy curtains blocked the moonlight, and the furniture gleamed under the dim candlelight. I stepped inside cautiously, my hands shaking.
"Rest now," Greta said, her voice calm but firm. "While I make you dinner and prepare you a bath, my lady."
I nodded silently, my stomach twisting. Dinner? Bath? None of it felt normal, and every part of me wanted to run, but the walls of the room pressed in, cold and unfamiliar. I hugged myself, curling up slightly on the edge of the bed.
Greta moved quietly around the room, setting down a few things… fresh linens, folded clothes, and a small candle on the nightstand.
I pressed my hands to my face, trying to slow my breathing. I have to survive this… I repeated the words like a mantra, but fear gnawed at me anyway. The Trials, the Enforcer, Lord Malric… and now living in this mansion, with every shadow and flicker of light making my heart jump.
Greta paused by the door and looked at me, her sharp eyes softening just slightly. "Try to rest, my lady," she said again. "You'll need your strength for tomorrow."
I nodded, unsure if I could, unsure if sleep would even come. Alone in this grand, cold room, I felt smaller than ever… and the reality of what I was facing pressed down on me like a weight I couldn't lift.
Greta moved quietly around the room, setting things in order. After a few minutes, she gave me a small nod and said, "I'll let you be for now. Dinner and your bath will be ready soon, my lady."
And just like that, she was gone, the door clicking shut behind her.
The silence hit me like a wave. The grand room, the heavy furniture, the flickering candle… it all felt empty and cold. I pressed my hands to my face, trying to hold back the storm inside me, but I couldn't.
It all came crashing down.
I sank to the floor, my back against the bed, and let myself fall apart. Tears streamed down my face, hot and unrelenting. I cried for the Trials, for Soren and Lief, for Edda, for Brina… for all of us. I cried for the fear that gripped me, for the loneliness that stretched wide around me, for the world that had tossed me into this place with no help, no friends, and no escape.
My body shook, and I gasped for air between sobs. The mansion didn't feel grand anymore… it felt like a cage, like every stone and shadow was pressing in on me.
I curled up tighter, hiding my face in my arms, wishing I could disappear, wishing I could be anywhere else. But I knew I couldn't.
I had no choice but to face this.
And the thought made the tears come faster.