Chapter 124: The Room They Offer, The Place I Keep
Chapter 123: The Room They Offer, The Place I Keep
Lyria’s POV
Immediately I stepped into the chamber, I saw her.
The Queen sat as she always did, composed, unmoving, her posture so perfect it felt rehearsed. Her gaze was already on me, sharp and unwelcoming, as though she had been waiting for the exact moment I crossed the threshold just so she could look at me like that.
Like I had done something wrong. And given what happened at the ball, perhaps in some sick way, I had.
I bowed at once.
"Your Majesty."
The words left my lips easily, but my chest felt tight. Not from fear—no, not entirely—but from the weight of everything that had happened and everything that had not.
Silence followed.
It settled quickly, stretching between us in a way that made the chamber feel smaller than it truly was. I kept my head lowered, my gaze fixed somewhere on the polished floor, waiting.
Seconds passed.
Or perhaps minutes.
I could not tell.
I was not counting.
The fire crackled softly behind her, the only sound that dared to exist in the space she occupied.
Still, she said nothing.
And now I was wondering if she summoned me to mess with me.
At last, she sighed, the sound heavy with what I could only describe as irritation.
"Well," she said, "you must be very pleased."
The words caught me off guard.
For a brief moment, I frowned, the expression forming before I could stop it. Pleased?
"Where," she asked, her tone sharpening just slightly, "is your mask?"
Ah.
I drew in a quiet breath before answering.
"Pardon m-me, but y-you took it from me last night, Your M-majesty," I said carefully. "D-during the ball, and it was n-not returned."
My words were met with silence.
Then a soft, disbelieving sound left her lips.
I could almost feel the shift in the air before she even spoke again.
"Do not tell me," she began slowly, "that you expected me to summon you... simply to return a mask."
I remained still.
"That I would call for you," she continued, her voice laced with quiet disdain, "for something so trivial."
Her words settled heavily.
"And after what transpired last night..." she added, her tone growing colder, "you dare present yourself before me without it?"
I said nothing.
"Have you grown wings?" she asked. "Do you now believe yourself above instruction?"
My fingers curled faintly against the fabric of my skirt.
"Or," she continued, "have you simply forgotten what that mask was meant to conceal?"
Her gaze dragged over my face as she spoke, her eyes filled with disgust.
"That vile scar of yours," she finished.
I exhaled softly.
Because truly—what did she expect?
Did she think I had hidden it out of pride? That I had chosen to stand before her uncovered? I still remembered the last time that happened; she almost killed me. But I was without a choice this time.
For a fleeting moment, I wondered if she genuinely could not comprehend it.
That she had taken the mask.
That she had not returned it.
That I had nothing to hide behind.
But I did not say any of that.
Of course I did not.
Instead, I bowed further.
"My a-apologies, Your Majesty," I said quietly. "It will not h-happen again."
She studied me for a moment longer.
Then, as though deciding I was no longer worth the effort of that particular line of thought, she shifted slightly in her seat.
"Now," she said, "we shall address something far more important."
My shoulders remained still, though my attention sharpened.
"The entire kingdom," she began, "now believes that y-you are the King’s daughter, born illegitimately by your mother, who seduced him."
I wondered if she was always saying that because she believed it, or if she was saying it so as to make herself believe it.
The King was the one who clung to my mother... it was not my mother who did. But it was not like I could say that to the Queen. She would not believe me anyway.
So I said nothing.
"You will be moved," she said. "To a different chamber."
I blinked once.
For a second, I thought I had misheard.
A different chamber?
For me?
I kept my face blank.
But inside, there was something close to disbelief. Because this was not something they did.
I had been given what I needed and nothing more. A small room. A place out of sight. A place that ensured I remained exactly where they wanted me.
Hidden.
Unseen.
And now she was moving me. I doubted the chambers would be good, though, but I did not say a word.
"I am not doing this for your benefit," the Queen said.
"There are guests within the palace," she continued. "And I will not have whispers circulating about how the King treats his... illegitimate child."
Her lips curved faintly.
A smile without warmth.
"Appearances," she said, "must be maintained."
That was no surprise to me.
"To me," she added, her gaze sharpening once more, "you are nothing but a shadow."
I almost nodded, because once more, the words were not surprising, nor did they hurt.
"One more thing," she said. "Though everyone now knows who you are, you would do well to know your place. Like I said earlier, y-you are nothing more than a shadow. And you will remain that—but this time, you will be a shadow in the light."
Again, I was not surprised. I had expected something of this sort, after all. There was no way things would just go smoothly after the ball. It simply could not happen.
"You are to make Jacinta stand out. People may think you have what it takes to be a Moon candidate, but to me, you do not. You are nothing. Jacinta is the Moon of the Empire—there is no candidate."
She paused, her gaze locking onto mine.
"And if you know what is good for you, then you will abide by my words. And whenever I summon you, you will come to me. Even if you have to crawl..."
Her voice dropped, cold and final.
"...or else your mother dies."
