Chapter 67

Author’s Note: Hi everyone! Just a quick heads up—I made a few revisions to the previous chapters. I realized I had a continuity slip where Lena had originally instructed Jayden to stay behind and guard the palace, but I later wrote him as being with her in Hoswington. I got so used to having Christian and Jayden side by side that it completely slipped my mind 😭.

Everything’s been corrected now! Thank you so much for your patience, and sorry for the confusion, my dear readers.

—-

Lena’s POV

I stood over Lance as his body finally gave in, collapsing onto the ground with a dull, final thud that echoed across the arena. For a moment, no one moved. No cheers followed, no applause—only silence stretched thin over the crowd like a fragile thread waiting to snap.

I could hear my own breathing, uneven and sharp, feel the lingering tremor in my arm as I tightened my grip around my sword.

They were all staring. Some in disbelief, some in awe, others in something quieter, something more uncertain. They had expected a display, perhaps even a struggle.

Not this.

Not a victory that left no room for doubt. Not proof that I could stand in that ring and hold my own without relying on anything but myself.

But this silence was not just shock. It was anticipation. They were waiting—for me. For what I had promised.

Slowly, I turned to face them, drawing in a steady breath. This was the deal. I win, and I expose them. The Ducaines. Every hidden scheme, every stain they tried to bury beneath their name. My lips parted, ready to speak—

And then I saw him.

Duke Edric.

Our eyes met across the distance, and for once, his expression was not unreadable. There was fury there, raw and uncontained, burning beneath the surface of his usual composure. It struck me harder than any blade could.

“What are you all standing for?!”

His voice cut through the arena like a crack of thunder. The crowd stirred instantly, attention snapping away from me as if pulled by force. “Hurry and fetch a doctor at once!”

The moment shattered. Knights rushed forward, voices rose, and movement flooded back into the space. Edric strode through the crowd, reclaiming control with a single command, as though what had just happened in the ring meant nothing more than an inconvenience.

My jaw tightened. Just like that, the attention I held was gone. Redirected. Controlled.

I exhaled slowly, lowering my sword as I stepped away. Father met me halfway, his presence firm, his gaze searching.

“Don’t you have something to say to your audience?” he asked quietly.

“No,” I answered, my voice steady despite the storm in my chest. “Not now.”

I moved past him without stopping, knowing he and the twins would follow. The noise behind us dulled as we created distance, but my thoughts only sharpened.

“It would be idiotic to expose the Ducaines now,” I continued under my breath. “We don’t have enough tangible proof against everyone involved. The moment they realize we’re onto them, they’ll start cutting ties, erasing connections. We’ll lose everything before we can even act.”

I could still feel Edric’s gaze on my back, heavy and unyielding.

“They’re careful,” I added, quieter now. “Too careful for this to be meaningless. I don’t believe this was impulsive.”

Because it wasn’t. It couldn’t be.

That look in his eyes—it lingered, sharp and deliberate, like a warning carved into my mind. You will regret this.

And then Lance’s voice followed, uninvited, echoing just as clearly. That threat. The one he threw so carelessly into the air, as if it meant nothing.

About Miu.

My steps slowed, just slightly, before I forced myself forward again. Something cold settled in my chest, heavier than the weight of my armor.

No… there’s more to this.

There has to be.

And whatever it is—

It’s already in motion.

“We’re heading back.”

The words left my mouth the moment the door shut behind us. The quiet of the private waiting room swallowed the noise of the arena, but not the tension clinging to my skin.

“But the Assembly has just begun.” Father’s voice came firm, controlled—but there was strain beneath it.

I didn’t answer.

Instead, I reached for the clasps of my armor, fingers moving faster than usual, tugging at the straps with more force than necessary.

It shifted, loosened, fell piece by piece. The weight that had grounded me in the arena now felt suffocating.

“Prepare to leave as soon as possible,” I said, already working the next fastening free. “Only inform the men necessary to travel back with us.”

“Your Majesty—”

“The people of Tungsten can return with the rest of the guards after the Assembly concludes.”

The final piece slipped from my shoulders with a dull thud onto the bench. I exhaled sharply, rolling the stiffness from my neck, but the tightness in my chest refused to ease.

“Lena.”

That did it.

I paused—but I still didn’t look at him.

“You have to stay,” Father said, more firmly now. “You are the Queen.”

“I am well aware of what I am.” My voice came quieter, but colder. “And I am also aware when something is wrong.”

I finally turned, meeting his gaze. There was frustration in his eyes. Concern. Restraint.

“There is no changing my mind,” I continued, each word deliberate. “Do as I say, or I will leave for the palace on my own. With or without any of you.”

Silence fell between us, heavy and unyielding.

I turned away before he could answer, dragging a hand through my hair as I paced once across the room. The air felt too tight. Too still.

Damn it.

That man…

That calculating bastard.

Nothing about this felt right. Not Lance’s challenge. Not Edric’s reaction. Not the way everything had shifted so quickly, as if I had stepped into right onto his trap.

He let this happen.

No—

He wanted this to happen. He wanted me to be as preoccupied as possible.

My jaw clenched as the thought settled deeper.

What are you planning…?

The question circled, relentless, but it was no longer the one that mattered most.

Because beneath it—louder, sharper—was something else entirely.

A single name.

Miu.

I closed my eyes for a brief second, forcing a steady breath—but it did nothing to quiet the unease clawing at me.

Please…

My hand curled into a fist at my side.

Please be safe.

—

Third Person’s POV

Back in the palace, the morning unfolded in quiet brilliance.

Miu stood by the grand hall’s veranda, fingers lightly resting against the cool stone railing as she tilted her face toward the sky. It stretched wide and endless above her—clear, impossibly blue, untouched by clouds. The kind of sky that made the world feel lighter, as if nothing dreadful could exist beneath it.

“Ahh… the sky is so clear today,” she breathed, drawing in a deep breath of fresh air.

A gentle breeze swept through the veranda, lifting strands of her hair and sending them dancing around her face. She smiled without thinking, eyes soft as she let the moment linger.

But it wasn’t just the weather that brightened her mood.

It was the quiet thrill sitting in her chest—the anticipation of what the day would bring.

“Good morning, Your Majesty.”

Miu turned at the familiar voice, her smile widening as Daliah approached her side.

“Good morning, Daliah,” she greeted warmly. “Have you ever seen the sky this blue? The winter season must be far behind us now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I’d say so.” Daliah came to a stop just beside her, her posture composed as always, though there was a hint of fondness in her gaze. “You seem to be in quite a good mood today.”

Miu let out a soft, almost sheepish laugh as she turned her attention back to the view beyond the veranda. The palace grounds stretched out below them—lush, open, bathed in the golden light of morning.

“Oh, is it that obvious?” she admitted, her hands clasping together in front of her chest. “Dr. Fahlada finally allowed me to go out today. I’m visiting Tungsten.”

There was a quiet excitement in her voice, one she didn’t bother to hide.

“She really is a strict doctor,” Miu added with a playful sigh, though the fondness in her tone betrayed her words.

Daliah smiled softly. “Well, she is a very reliable young lady.”

Their shared chuckle faded into a comfortable silence as they both faced the open view once more, letting the calm of the morning settle between them.

It was Miu who noticed it first.

A car, moving steadily along the palace pathway below, its presence small against the vastness of the grounds. Her gaze followed it idly at first, curiosity flickering—until it came to a stop.

The driver’s door opened.

“Oh,” Miu murmured, leaning forward just slightly. “Speaking of… the doctor is here—”

She paused.

Because from the opposite direction, another figure appeared.

Earn.

Even from a distance, there was no mistaking her—dressed in training attire, hair slightly disheveled, her pace light but purposeful as she jogged toward the car. She must have just finished her morning routine.

Miu watched, her curiosity sharpening.

The two met halfway.

For a brief moment, they simply stood there. It was too far to hear anything, too far to catch the details—but there was something unmistakable in the way they greeted each other. A pause. A shared smile.

Small. Natural.

Easy.

Earn gestured toward the doctor’s belongings, already reaching for them before Fahlada could protest. The doctor hesitated—just a fraction—before letting her.

And then—

They walked.

Side by side.

Not hurried. Not distant. Just… together.

“Huh…” Miu muttered under her breath, her head tilting ever so slightly as she observed them make their way toward the palace.

There was something there.

Something subtle.

Something interesting.

Slowly, a mischievous smile began to spread across her lips, her eyes glinting with quiet amusement.

Well, well…

It seemed Tungsten wasn’t the only place where things were beginning to bloom.