Chapter 82: The True Queen
The bedchamber of the Moonlight palace was warm but yet cold. A cold wind blew into the chamber through the open windows, and the moonlight shone brightly inside, casting long, pale shadows across the floor. Azure and Valex slept at opposite edges of the bed, far away from each other, leaving a wide, empty space between them.
Suddenly, Valex’s ears twitched. He opened his eyes slowly as he heard the distant sound of the palace gates being forced open. He raised his head, sat upright, and swung his legs down to the floor, sitting quietly at the edge of the mattress. Azure turned her body, looking at his broad silhouette in the dim light. A quiet panic gripped her chest as she thought, "Your Highness... his reach is getting so far that I cannot grasp him anymore."
Valex stood up, making the wooden frame of the bed emit a loud, creaking sound. He walked straight toward the heavy corridor doors, pushing them open as he stepped out into the open night air of the balcony. He looked down into the courtyard, and his eyes widened in absolute shock. He stared at the back of a woman with long, striking silver hair who was walking confidently toward the servant quarters. He watched her as she moved, completely frozen, feeling as though he had just seen a ghost.
"Is that her?" Valex thought, his heart hammering against his ribs. "The lady I saw during the masquerade ball... the lady who always comes to my dreams?"
Azure, who had followed him out, decided to break the suffocating silence. "Your Highness," she said softly.
Valex flinched, turning around slowly to face her.
"What is wrong?" Azure asked, her voice trembling.
Valex looked right through her, his green eyes completely dull. He walked past her as if he had not heard a single word she said, returning inside. Azure’s hands began to tremble with a mixture of fear and rage. "Why is this happening?" she thought frantically. She rushed to the edge of the corridor and looked down into the courtyard below. She saw an unfamiliar, heavily reinforced carriage and two exceptionally tall, able-bodied men standing beside it. She whispered softly to herself, "What is this? Who are they?"
Turning around, Azure ran back into the bedchamber. She stopped dead in her tracks as she saw Kael and Valex talking quietly in the center of the room.
"Your Highness," Kael said, his posture perfectly disciplined. "You have someone who would like to see you down below."
Valex looked at his First Commander, and without wasting any more time, he walked right past him and strode out of the room. Kael stood in the center of the chamber, a subtle, highly satisfied smirk playing on his lips. Azure caught the expression immediately. She stepped forward, her voice rising in panic. "You! What are you planning?"
Kael’s face instantly turned stone-cold as he looked down at her. He offered no answer, turning on his heel to follow Valex out into the hallway, a genuine smile finally tugging at his lips. Azure touched her forehead, her breathing becoming shallow. "What is happening? This... this does not feel good at all. What is he planning? Who is here?"
Driven by pure terror, she rushed out of the room, following Kael’s shadow and trying her absolute best to catch up to Valex’s rapid strides.
A moment later, the three of them stood before the great palace doors. Azure’s face was filled with visible fear and anxiety as she nervously wrung her fingers together. Kael stood slightly behind the King, his face filled with a deep sense of fulfillment. Valex stood at the center, his expression completely marked by intense anticipation.
Valex extended his large hand and pulled the heavy wooden door open. His eyes widened instantly, his breath catching in his throat as he looked at the silver-haired woman standing breathtakingly before him in the moonlight. He could feel his heart violently hammering against his chest.
Odesse looked up at him, a calm confidence radiating from her posture. "Greetings, my king," she said softly.
The sound of her voice dragged Valex’s mind backward into a chaotic fog. He stared at her, his internal monologue reaching a fever pitch. "This voice... this face... this hair... the woman in my dreams, the woman behind the silver mask... is this truly her?"
Odesse stood there smiling confidently, completely ignoring the King’s confusion as she locked eyes with the witch standing behind him. She let a sharp, mocking smirk creep onto her lips. Tilting her head slightly, she mouthed silently to Azure: I told you I’d be back.
Azure looked at her, her mouth instantly quavering, her entire body shaking as horror took hold of her mind. "Odesse... no, no... it can’t be," she thought, her mind screaming in absolute denial. "Why? How? When? How is she standing here? No... she cannot be here. Odesse is dead! I made sure of it!"
Odesse shifted her gaze back to Valex, her warm eyes softening for a brief second. "My king," she thought, a bittersweet ache swelling in her chest. "I am so happy to see you. How I wish I could just hug you this very instant."
Valex searched her features, his brow furrowed in deep, agonizing confusion. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice rough. "And why are you here?"
Azure looked at Valex, and a sudden, desperate smirk returned to her face. "That’s right," she thought, letting out a frantic internal sigh of relief. "His Highness doesn’t remember her at all. It’s fine. He thinks she’s a stranger."
Odesse gathered her skirts and bowed slightly with practiced, flawless grace. "Queen Odesse," she announced clearly. She raised her head slowly, a sharp, unyielding smile settling onto her face.
Azure glared at her, her heart dropping into her stomach. "I told him Odesse was dead," she thought frantically. "Why would she say her real name? She is surely wouldn’t..."
Before Azure could speak, Odesse continued smoothly, her voice echoing into the foyer, "Your Queen Odesse."
Valex stared at her, his face completely marked by confusion. "What do you mean?" he demanded softly.
Odesse gently rubbed her eyes, maintaining her absolute composure. "I am quite tired, my king. The journey was very difficult, and standing here in the cold air will not do us any good." She tilted her head toward Valex, wearing a soft, bright smile that illuminated her features. "Why don’t we talk in the morning, my king?"
Valex completely froze as she smiled at him. He felt a sudden, powerful warmth flood his chest, but his brainwashed mind could not explain it. He stepped back automatically, allowing her to pass. Kael immediately stepped aside as well, bowing his head deeply. "Welcome back, Your Highness," Kael said loudly, ensuring the entire courtyard heard him.
Odesse smiled at the commander and walked past the threshold into the palace, her head held high. Cara and the two tall Hisponian soldiers followed immediately behind her, carrying her heavy travel trunks.
Valex and Azure stood at the open palace door, entirely confused and frozen in place. Azure turned to Valex in a full panic, grabbing at his sleeve. "Your Highness! Why would you let that strange woman into the palace? You do not know her, and she may be a dangerous assassin or..."
Valex ignored her completely, turning his sharp gaze directly onto Kael. "Why did you call her ’Your Highness,’ Kael?"
Kael looked his King dead in the eye, his voice ringing out with absolute confidence. "That is because she is your queen, Your Highness."
Azure glared at Kael with pure hatred, a cold panic steaming in her eyes as she looked back up at Valex. Valex looked down at Azure, his voice dropping into a quiet, suspicious whisper. "I thought you told me Queen Odesse died as a result of us mating."
Azure opened her mouth, her mind racing to formulate a lie. "Your Highness, she must be an imposter..."
Before she could speak, a firm, older woman’s voice echoed from the grand hallway. It was Miss Faye. She walked out of the shadows and stepped directly into the palace threshold, her eyes shining with tears of joy. "No," Miss Faye said loudly, her voice filled with absolute authority. "Queen Odesse is truly alive. That is your true queen, Your Highness."
Miss Faye walked right past Valex, a wide, triumphant smile on her face as she followed Odesse deeper into the palace.
Valex looked down at the floor, the heavy weight of a dozen contradictions crashing into his mind. Azure began to stutter violently, her hands shaking as she tried to defend herself. "Your Highness... the people in this palace... they are completely delusional! They are lying to you! They must have brought this fake woman here in order to fool you and steal your throne! You have to trust me, Valex! You have to trust me and not them!"
As Azure pleaded, the color of Valex’s eyes began to violently tamper. His natural, fierce amber eyes flashed brightly, fighting to overcome the artificial green tint of Azure’s mind-control spell. The two colors clashed in his irises, vibrating with intense internal warfare. But as soon as Azure frantically touched his bare arm, trying to channel her influence, the green hue flooded back, suppressing the amber.
Valex looked down at her small hands on his skin. Slowly, deliberately, he reached down and removed her arm from his hold, dropping his hand to his side.
Azure watched him in absolute disbelief. Valex turned away from her, walking deeper into the palace halls with slow, heavy steps. He murmured to himself, his voice sounding hollow and utterly exhausted, "I don’t even trust myself any longer... so why would I trust you? If I don’t even love you... then why am I bound to you? But how can I love her if I do not even know her or remember her face? Is all this a grand plan for my assassination? I am truly tired... I need to sleep."
He walked up the grand staircase without looking back once. Azure and Kael stood at the bottom of the steps, watching his retreating figure.
The moment the King disappeared around the corner, Azure snapped her head toward Kael, pure evil and malicious fury burning in her eyes. "You knew about this," she hissed, her voice dripping with venom. "How did she return? What did you do?"
Kael looked down at her, his expression entirely blank and unbothered. He gave her no reply, turning his back on her as he walked away, leaving her standing entirely alone in the grand foyer.
Azure turned around, looking outside into the open palace courtyard. The servants and guards who had gathered were all staring directly at her, their faces filled with quiet satisfaction. A little servant girl looked straight at Azure, stuck out her tongue, and made a mocking face to make fun of her.
Losing her mind completely, Azure let out a maniacal, frustrated shout. She grabbed the handles of the massive palace doors and slammed them shut forcefully, the sound echoing like thunder through the halls. She rested her back against the heavy wood, sliding down slowly until she hit the cold floor. She covered her face with her trembling hands, weeping and rocking back and forth like a maniac.
...
Upstairs in the royal guest quarters, Odesse entered the warm bedchamber where her belongings had been placed. She sat down at the edge of the mattress, finally letting out the breath she had been holding. Cara and Miss Faye immediately sat down on each side of her.
Miss Faye wasted no time, throwing her arms around Odesse and hugging her tightly to her chest. "My child," Miss Faye wept, her voice thick with emotion. "I am truly happy you are safe."
Miss Faye pulled back slowly, a huge, radiant smile breaking across her tear-stained face. "My joy can simply not be contained. I cannot tell you how relieved I was when I heard were here. I knew you would return to us, Odesse. I always knew it."
Odesse smiled warmly, her eyes glittering. "All you need is a little faith, Miss Faye. Even if it is as small as a seed, you can do exceptional things with it. I learned that from the incredible pack that saved me and helped me heal."
Miss Faye reached up, gently touching Odesse’s face with her weathered hands, tears rolling down her cheeks. Suddenly, the deep, heavy voice of one of the Hisponian soldiers broke the emotional silence, causing her to flinch in surprise.
"We shall take our leave now, Your Highness," the tall soldier said, standing tall by the doorway. "We wanted to ensure you reached your inner chambers safely. Now that we see you are secure, we are able to return to the Hispo region."
Miss Faye turned her head, her eyes widening in absolute awe as she took in the majestic, muscular structure of the two dark-skinned warriors. Odesse stood up from the bed and walked toward them slowly, her movements full of grace. "Please send my deepest greetings to the King and Queen," Odesse said softly. "And tell Prince Ronan that one of these days, I shall surely visit the Hispo region again—and I will bring His Highness with me."
The two soldiers placed their hands over their chests, bowing deeply in absolute respect.
Cara leaned closer to Miss Faye, watching them with a flushed face. She whispered under her breath, "They are such an absolute masterpiece..."
Miss Faye nodded her head in complete agreement, her eyes never leaving the foreign warriors. Just as the soldiers turned to open the heavy bedroom door, it swung inward. Kael walked into the chamber.
The two Hisponian soldiers stopped, bowing their heads slightly as they passed Kael in the doorway. Their immense presence, broad shoulders, and powerful build were overpowering even for the First Commander. The sheer weight of their aura made Kael flinch slightly, shifting his weight as he watched them walk down the long hallway. Their movements were in absolute, flawless unison—majestic, yet deeply unsettling.
Kael walked into the room and closed the door behind him. He looked over at Odesse, a soft, genuine smile appearing on his face as he saw her safe in her chambers. Cara looked at Kael from the edge of the bed, her eyes widening in surprise as she thought to herself, "Wait... is Kael actually smiling? I have never seen him look so human."
...
Downstairs, Azure was still sitting on the cold floor at the palace threshold. Her face was entirely wet with tears, her heavy purple gown crumpled around her legs.
Suddenly, the long, dramatic shadows of two massive bodies were cast over her, blocking out the light from the hallway. She looked up, her entire body trembling with fear. She flinched violently at the sight of the two towering Hisponian soldiers standing over her.
Azure scrambled to her feet quickly, moving out of the way and pressing her back against the wall. The soldiers looked down at her with cold, unbothered expressions. One of the men reached out, pulled the massive palace door open, and stepped out into the night.
The second soldier began to walk out, but he paused right in the middle of the threshold. He turned his head slowly, his striking eyes locking onto Azure’s terrified face. Speaking in a deep, low rumble, his foreign accent cutting sharply through the quiet hall, he delivered a terrifying promise.
"If I find out you hurt the Queen," the Hisponian soldier whispered, his voice dangerously calm, "I myself will return with our troops. We will sell you as meat for the forest dwellers... and absolutely no one in this kingdom will ever know what happened to you."
Azure flinched violently, her breath catching as she shook in pure, unadulterated fear.
The soldier offered a cold smirk, turned around, and slammed the heavy palace door shut behind him with a deafening thud. The sound reverberated through the empty corridors, leaving Azure standing completely alone, trapped in a state of absolute terror in the palace halls.
