Chapter 4: The Wives' Circle
The wives' court was a palace within the palace—opulent, veiled, and just as treacherous as the high council chamber. Its garden bloomed under an enchanted dome, where the air always smelled of jasmine and dusk. Here, politics wore silk, and betrayal came wrapped in perfume.
Liora entered for the first time under the watchful eyes of three queens.
Maevia, First Wife—sharp as glass, her expression unreadable, her presence a lesson in elegance and unspoken warning.
Sarenya, Second Wife—regal and devout, the daughter of a priest-king from the east, known for her calm wisdom and her network of temple spies.
Nyra, Third Wife—young, flirtatious, and rumored to be more dangerous than her laughter suggested.
They sat beneath the Moon Arbor, sipping rosewater and pretending not to be curious.
"You must be very special," Nyra said sweetly, "for the spirits to have screamed your name so… theatrically."
Liora smiled without showing teeth. "Perhaps they were just bored."
Maevia set her cup down with a soft clink. "The spirits do not get bored. But the court? It tires quickly of new favorites."
Sarenya, ever the peacemaker, leaned forward. "You'll find that survival here depends not on the king's favor—but on who holds your leash when he isn't looking."
Liora met her gaze steadily. "I don't wear leashes."
Nyra giggled. "That'll change."
The air shimmered. A hush fell as a servant approached and knelt beside Liora. A sealed scroll was handed to her—inked in the king's personal script.
Liora broke the wax and read.
One line.
Meet me where the moon first found you. —K
She folded the scroll slowly, aware of three queens watching her every move.
"Lovers' notes already?" Maevia said coolly.
But Liora said nothing. She simply rose, bowed with grace honed in another life, and left the circle with the dignity of someone who knew they were already being written into history.
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The moonlit balcony overlooked the spirit-lake, still and glassy as truth. Kaelen waited there, dressed simply in a dark robe, a single sapphire ring glowing faintly on his hand.
"You called," Liora said.
"I did."
He turned to her. "The court wants you tamed. The council wants you watched. My wives… want you broken."
"And you?"
"I want you to decide for yourself what you want."
That stopped her.
"I wasn't expecting a choice."
"You've always had one. You just weren't told."
Liora stepped closer. "Then I choose this: tell me why you really brought me here. The spirits don't choose without cause."
Kaelen hesitated. Then he whispered, "Because I dreamed of you. Before the Choosing. Before I even knew your name."
Liora's breath caught. Magic hummed between them like a drawn bowstring.
And far above them, hidden in the shadows of the palace towers, someone else was watching.
And plotting.