The palace was tense. Word had traveled faster than fire on dry parchment—Queen Aurora and Queen Selene had fought. Not with words. With hands.
Whispers ran through corridors, slipped under chamber doors, and curled like smoke into every corner of the palace. Servants murmured in clusters, some siding with Aurora, others shaking their heads in disbelief.
"She should have stayed calm," one kitchen maid whispered.
"But would you stay calm if someone called your mother a whore twice?" the other retorted.
"I would not. I'd cut her tongue out." Another added.
And while gossip swirled outside, inside her chamber, Aurora sat frozen. A single folded parchment lay on her table—the royal summons. Her hands were cold, her heart fluttering like a caged bird.
Her maids, equally tense, tried to console her, offering warm cloths and gentle words, but nothing could reach her. She was scared—not of punishment—but of disappointing Ava. And worse… Aldric.
In another wing of the palace, Selene was no better. She stood rigid, arms crossed, her face a mask of bitter regret and smoldering pride. The summons lay untouched on her table.
General Alric—her father—loomed beside her like a stormcloud. His voice was sharp.
"You fought another queen? In public?"
"She provoked me," Selene snapped, fists clenched. "She is disrespectful."
"Your crown should have outweighed your temper," Alric muttered coldly. "You will answer for this. Do not expect favoritism."
Selene blinked, tears threatening. "You will let her go free?"
But he did not answer. He only walked out, leaving her alone with silence and shame.
-
The inner court was quiet when the grand doors opened.
Only Queen Ava, King Aldric, and Queen Virelda were present—seated at the crescent-shaped royal bench. The atmosphere was icy, charged with royal disapproval.
Aurora and Selene entered together, their heads bowed, their hearts pounding.
Ava's expression was unreadable. Virelda's was smug. Aldric sat silently until they bowed, and then he motioned them to rise. His eyes locked onto Aurora's face. For a moment, he said nothing.
Then his voice, firm and royal, cut the silence.
"Two queens… fighting in the royal chamber. You bear the crown. You represent Velmora. And yet… you have dragged its name through disgrace."
He paused, letting his words hang heavy in the air.
Selene was the first to speak. She did not hesitate—she spun her tale cleanly, sharply, twisting the truth like silk in her fingers.
"Aurora insulted me. She raised her voice. She struck me first. I tried to remain calm, your Majesty…" she lied, tears threatening at her lashes. "But I was pushed too far."
Aurora opened her mouth to interject, but Aldric raised a hand.
"You will speak when I deem it your turn."
His voice was not harsh, but its command was undeniable.
Aurora bowed her head. Silence.
When Selene finished, Aldric turned to Aurora.
"Now. Speak."
Aurora's voice was steady, though strained.
"I spoke only to leave, Your Majesty. Queen Selene insulted me, but I ignored it. It was when she insulted my mother—a second time—that I defended myself. I slapped her, yes, but she tried to strike me first."
She inhaled, her hands trembling.
"I know I should not have raised my hand, but I could not allow my mother's name to be disgraced again. Whatever punishment you deem fit, I will bear it."
Aldric leaned back slightly, thinking of turning to Virelda. He caught her movement out of the corner of his eye—Virelda quickly turned her face away, avoiding his gaze, as if knowing what he would ask. He dismissed the idea of calling her to testify.
Then came Ava's voice, cold and measured.
"Not only did Queen Selene fight… but she also lied. To the king."
Selene's heart skipped. Her throat tightened.
"My maid, Elyna," Ava continued, "was outside the door. She heard every word."
Selene's eyes widened in horror. Her knees nearly gave out. Her voice came out small.
"I… I lied." She quickly knelt. Voice shaking "Forgive me, Your Majesty."
Ava's smirk was ice.
Then she turned to Aurora.
"And you… while defending your mother is understandable, you forgot your crown. You should have reported Selene. Not fought like a street girl."
Aurora lowered her gaze in shame. Ava paused.
"Elyna was not outside the door," she said flatly. "I lied, too… to reveal the truth. I could feel Selene was lying, so I said it."
Selene bit her lip, humiliated, rage simmering beneath her skin. Aurora stood stunned.
Virelda stiffened in her seat, praying inwardly that she would not be asked why she had not stopped the fight.
Ava turned to Aldric, and he gave a small nod.
"Whatever punishment you deem fit, mother. It shall be done."
Ava looked between the two girls.
"Both of you are to remain in your chambers for seven days. No visitors. No maids. No sunlight. You will tend to yourselves. Food will be left at your door. That is all."
Aurora blinked, stunned. It was not the punishment she expected. She had imagined flogging… public humiliation. But this? This was mercy. Humbling, yet merciful.
But to Selene, it was hell.
No maids? No help? Dressing herself? Tending to her own hair and clothes? She felt her heart plummet. Her pride collapse.
Ava added the final sting.
"And for the letters... I choose Queen Virelda's. It showed dignity and grace. That is what I expect of a queen."
Virelda's heart bloomed with smugness. She smiled softly, proud.
Selene's eyes burned with rage and defeat. Another loss. Another moment where she knelt in shame while Aurora was left standing.
Aurora felt no pride in it. Only sadness. She had disappointed Ava. And perhaps… Aldric.
"You may leave," Ava said at last.
Virelda stood first, smiling as she walked out like a crowned victor.
Selene and Aurora walked out next—silent, stiff. One burned with fury. The other with regret.
And in the silence of that corridor, the echo of judgment still rang.
-
The golden light of dusk streamed through the high arched windows of Queen Virelda's chamber, casting long shadows across her velvet-draped walls. The air was rich with the scent of rosewood and wine.
Virelda stood before her mirror, her fingers tracing the edge of the royal scroll Ava had chosen—her scroll. A slow smile curled her lips.
She turned, eyes glittering, and poured herself a glass of crimson wine. Lifting it high, she whispered to her reflection.
"This time, I won."
She sipped slowly, letting the taste settle on her tongue like triumph. Her smile deepened as she imagined Aurora and Selene locked in their rooms—isolated, humiliated.
"Let them claw at each other all they want," she muttered. "I will be the one standing when it is all over."
She tipped her glass again, savoring the silence of victory.
-
The moonlight bled gently through the lattice windows of Queen Ava's private parlor, washing the ivory walls and golden drapes in a soft silver hue. A gentle breeze swirled the scent of fresh lilies around the room. The fire in the hearth crackled softly.
Queen Ava sat in her favorite cushioned armchair, a goblet of rich mulled wine cradled in her hand. Across from her, King Aldric sat with one leg crossed over the other, a rare look of calm on his usually unreadable face. Only here, in this chamber with his mother, did he allow his shoulders to ease.
Ava was the first to speak, her voice quiet but edged with emotion.
"I adore that girl… I really do," she said, not looking at him. "But today, I was… disappointed."
Aldric lifted an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Disappointed?" he asked, swirling the wine in his goblet. "I rather like it."
Ava turned to him, frowning slightly.
"Your Majesty liked that a queen brawled like a village girl in the dust?"
"Not the fight," Aldric replied smoothly, sipping his wine. "But that she stood up for herself. For her mother. I got to see her angry. And she was magnificent."
Ava let out a short laugh, surprised and amused by her son's rare opinion.
"You have changed, Your Majesty" she said, shaking her head.
Aldric leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on his knees. His tone softened.
"Mother… do not be too hard on her. She was provoked, deeply. She did not throw the first insult. You would not want me standing idle if someone dragged your name through the mud, would you?"
Ava turned her head, her gaze resting on him. Her smile rose slowly, warm and tinged with nostalgia.
"You were barely seven when one of Velric's women insulted me," she recalled, eyes distant. "And you, little thing, stood on a chair and screamed at her like a lion cub. You told her that if your father could not throw her out, you would-and you did."
Aldric chuckled softly, a rare warmth in his eyes.
Ava sipped her wine again, the memory clearly dear to her.
"You have always had that fire. And now… I see it in her too."
There was a comfortable silence for a moment. The fire cracked. Aldric's gaze returned to the flames, reflective.
"Thank you, Mother," he said after a beat, "for the light punishment."
Ava raised an eyebrow, amused.
"For Aurora? Or for both."
"Aurora," he replied simply.
Ava narrowed her eyes, sipping slowly.
"Why do you thank me, Your Majesty?" she asked, her tone playful. "Do not tell me… have you grown fond of her? Dare I ask… is it love?"
Aldric blinked, lips parting slightly. He did not answer.
Ava's laugh rang out like wind chimes.
"Saints above, I cannot believe it," she said, grinning. "My son… in love."
Aldric stood abruptly, placing his goblet down with more force than necessary.
"I have work to attend to."
"Your Majesty—"
"Goodnight, Mother," he said, already heading for the door, the faintest flush on his ears betraying him.
Ava only laughed more as the door closed behind him.
She shook her head, raising her glass in the air to no one.
"So… it begins."
-
The corridors outside the queens' chambers fell into a hush.
The order had been made clear: seven days. No contact. No attendants. No luxuries. Food was to be placed at the door, windows sealed, and not a soul was to step within.
Aurora's Chamber – Day Two
The first day had passed like a fog. Aurora had not spoken a word since the doors shut behind her.
She paced her chamber, fingers brushing the edge of her window—locked and sealed from the outside. The air was stuffy, the stillness pressing. Her meals came on a silver tray with no words, no footsteps to follow it. Her maids' laughter, their whispered jokes and gentle encouragements… all gone.
But worse than the quiet was the dream.
Every night, deep forest, wet earth, strange voices murmuring her name in a language not her own, yet hauntingly familiar. A fire flickered far off, always too far to reach. Sometimes the white-haired woman would appear, whispering things Aurora could not recall by dawn.
She'd wake gasping, drenched in sweat, her chest tight with dread. She stopped sleeping by the third night.
She sat by the locked window for hours, her knees drawn to her chest. The palace never felt more like a gilded prison than now.
"What is wrong with me?" she whispered into the silence, her voice hoarse. Her thoughts turned against her. Was she cursed? Was she being called to something far beyond her control?
Selene's Chamber – Day Four
Selene was unraveling.
The moment the door had locked, she had screamed—screamed at the walls, the ceiling, the guards she knew were posted beyond. Her voice had cracked, and still, no one came. No servants to prepare her robes. No one to bring her scented water. No one to comb her hair.
By the fourth day, her nails were chipped, her hair undone, and her eyes puffy from crying. She'd never known true loneliness before—not in this way. She had never dressed herself since childhood.
A cracked mirror reflected the version of her she never wanted the world to see.
And worst of all?
No word from her father.
She whispered to herself to pass the time—first blaming Aurora, then Ava, then the guards, then even her own reflection.
"I will win back the court… I will."
But deep in her bones, Selene knew—this was no mere quarrel. Aurora had become more loved, and she herself was slipping from everything she thought she deserved.