The heavy door burst open with a loud thud.
"This is all your fault!" Virelda screamed as she stormed into her chamber, her silk cloak flying behind her like banners of war. Her face was flushed with rage, her eyes glossy with fury and humiliation.
Selene rushed in after her, the door slamming shut behind them. "Virelda, keep your voice down! Do you want the whole palace to hear?"
"I do not care!" Virelda whirled around, pointing an accusatory finger. "I knew this would blow up in our faces. But you—you brought up the idea. You said we should strike while His Majesty was away. You said she would not suspect anything!"
"And you agreed to it!" Selene snapped back, her tone sharp with equal parts guilt and defense. "Do not act like you were not thrilled at the thought of watching her fall from grace. You were the one who said she was getting too bold!"
Virelda's jaw clenched. "Yes, but I did not ask to be disgraced by Mother! She walked out on us—on me—as if I were a child caught stealing."
Selene crossed her arms. "And you think I was not humiliated? You were not the only one kneeling and begging for forgiveness. We both looked like fools."
There was a thick, simmering silence. The weight of their failure pressed heavily in the air between them. For a long moment, neither said a word. Just heavy breathing and the ticking of the ornate clock above the hearth.
Finally, Selene let out a weary sigh and sat down, smoothing the folds of her gown. "We were careless."
Virelda did not respond immediately. She turned away, eyes narrowing as she stared out the window toward the distant garden.
"She will be more careful now," she said quietly. "We have drawn attention. It is dangerous to push her further."
Selene looked up, eyes sharp. "So we stop?"
"For now," Virelda said, her voice low but firm. "She is not stupid. If we move too soon, we will only make her more untouchable. Worse—we will draw Mother's wrath again."
Selene nodded slowly. "Fine. Let her breathe for now. But we will wait. And next time… we will not fail."
Virelda finally turned from the window. "Next time," she echoed, her lips curling into a cold, thin smile. "We will make sure she has no way out."
Selene sneered. "That servant will be punished for failing. I will make sure of that."
-
The soft rustle of satin skirts echoed as two figures were announced and allowed in. Queen Ava, seated by the fire with a book open in her lap, did not rise. Her expression was unreadable, eyes steady, regal as ever.
"Mother," Selene began softly, bowing her head.
"Please," Virelda added, stepping forward and lowering herself into a deep curtsy. "May we speak with you?"
Ava did not answer immediately. She closed her book carefully and placed it on the table beside her, then met their eyes with the serene coldness of a queen who had ruled for decades. "Speak."
Virelda glanced at Selene, then spoke first. "We have come to… to apologize, Mother. For what happened earlier today. It was… deeply foolish of us."
Selene stepped in quickly, voice tight. "We let our suspicions get the better of us. And we acted without proof. We should never have dragged you into it. It was disrespectful."
Ava studied them both in silence.
"You brought me into a chamber like I was some common guard," she said at last. "To confront a girl with nothing but whispers and malice. In front of her maids, no less."
"Mother, we thought—" Selene tried.
"You did not think," Ava interrupted, her voice calm but cutting. "You acted like jealous village wives, stirring pots of gossip. Do you understand what it means for me to be involved in such pettiness? What it says of this court?"
Both queens lowered their heads further, shame tightening their shoulders.
"We are aware," Virelda murmured. "And we regret it deeply. It will not happen again."
Ava stood slowly, graceful in her movement. She stepped closer, pausing in front of them.
"You allowed emotions to blind your judgment. I warned you both once, quietly. And now you have put yourselves in a position where I had to publicly correct you. Do you think that makes me look strong?"
"No, Mother," they whispered.
She looked at them both for a long moment. Then, with a slight sigh, her tone softened—just a little. "You are queens. Start acting like it. This court needs strength, not schemes. Aurora may not be of noble birth, but she has earned her place through grace—something you both seem to be lacking."
A beat passed in silence. Then Ava gave a slight nod toward the door.
"You are dismissed."
The two queens stood, curtsied again, and walked out with heavy steps and bowed heads.
-
Sunlight poured in through the tall glass windows, casting delicate patterns across the marble floor. The air was thick with quiet tension as the three queens stood before Queen Ava, summoned without warning.
Aurora, dressed in a soft lilac gown, stood with poise, though her hands were clasped tightly before her. Selene lips were set in a thin line, her dark green skirts swishing as she shifted her weight. Virelda, ever composed, stood with arms lightly crossed, her gaze cold and unreadable.
Queen Ava sat in her high-backed seat, flanked by two maids. She looked at the three younger women with a calm, commanding expression.
"I called you here," Ava began, voice smooth, "because I grow weary of the division I see festering among you. You are queens of Velmora. This palace breathes because of the power you each hold—either in name, blood, or influence."
She let her eyes pass over each of them.
"I will not allow this house to splinter from within. Not when the kingdom watches. Not when our enemies outside grow restless."
Virelda remained still, Selene blinked slowly, and Aurora simply lowered her head in respect.
"You may not like each other," Ava continued, her voice steady. "But you will not act on it. You will not disgrace this crown with childish rivalries. If you cannot be sisters in truth, then be allies in duty."
She rose, robes sweeping as she stepped toward them.
"You will eat at the same table without whispering. You will walk the same halls without spying. You will smile in public, and keep your claws hidden in private. That is what it means to rule."
There was a beat of silence. Then she asked, "Do I make myself clear?"
All three nodded.
"Yes, Mother," came the echoes—soft, obedient.
Ava studied them for a moment longer, then gave a small nod. "Good. I have said all I needed to say."
With that, she turned and swept out of the chamber, her maids trailing behind her like shadows.
As the door shut behind her, silence fell.
Aurora waited—expecting the moment Ava's presence faded, Selene would hiss something cruel, or Virelda would roll her eyes and mutter an insult.
But neither happened.
Selene glanced at Aurora briefly, said nothing, then turned and walked toward the exit, heels tapping smartly.
Virelda followed, chin high, skirts rustling as she swept past without a word.
Aurora stood alone, slightly startled. Her fingers relaxed at last.
But as they left, deep within them, the quiet war still burned.
Selene's thoughts simmered, I will never like her. She does not belong.
Virelda's resolve hardened, Let Mother believe what she wants. That girl will never be my equal.
-
The sound of hooves echoed through the palace courtyard, followed by the trumpet call of heralds. As tradition demanded, letters had been sent ahead announcing the King's return from his royal hunt. Maids bustled, guards stood at attention, and the queens received their notices with mild curiosity or feigned grace.
But Aurora did not wait in her wing. She went straight to him.
She was already in his chambers by the time Aldric stepped in, dusty and worn from travel. She flew into his arms without hesitation.
"Aldric," she breathed against his chest, arms clinging to him. "I have longed for you."
He let out a low, soft laugh, the kind only she could pull from him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her there, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"And I you," he murmured. "Every day."
She looked up at him, eyes shining with a relief she did not try to hide. "You are back safe."
"I told you I would be."
"I still prayed."
He kissed her then—tender, unhurried, as though the world had paused for this moment alone.
Soon after, Aldric bathed and changed into a soft tunic while Aurora called for a quiet dinner to be brought to his chambers. A table near the fireplace, two steaming plates, and a jug of honeyed wine.
They ate slowly, laughing in low voices, their shoulders brushing with every movement. Aurora picked pieces from his plate, teasing him gently about how thin he looked. Aldric let her, eyes never leaving her face.
Afterward, the plates were cleared, the candles dimmed, and they curled into the massive bed, the velvet drapes half drawn.
Wrapped beneath the warmth of furs and each other, Aurora nestled against him and began to speak. Her voice was soft but full of life.
"I have so much to tell you," she said. "So much happened after you left."
Aldric stroked her back gently. "I am listening."
And so she told him everything. She left out nothing.
And Aldric listened—quiet, attentive, his expression darkening at the right moments and softening when she smiled.
When she finished, there was silence for a moment. Then he pulled her closer.
"What do you wish me to do," he whispered into her hair, "anything you desire."
Aurora looked up at him. "Nothing. Mother has already intervened, and Myla is dismissed."
"Are you certain?"
"I am."
He kissed her forehead, and they drifted into the night, wrapped in the rare peace that only came when they were together.