Sunlight, thin and pale, struggled through the grime of the prison window, a weak blade against the perpetual dark. It found me on the floor, the stone leaching warmth from my bones with a familiar, greedy chill. Outside, the coo of mourning doves was a gentle mockery, a sound from a world that no longer included me. The air was thick with the stench of damp stone, stale sweat, and something else… the metallic tang of old fear. It coated the back of my throat. I hugged my knees to my chest, burying my face between them as the image of Lyra bloomed in my mind again, as vivid as it had been in my dream. I never have the same dream twice. I need to have Amelia find her. A girl that can control that much mana cannot be allowed to fall into my father’s hands.

The scrape of boots on stone pulled me from my thoughts. A guard stood at the cell door, keys jingling as he turned the lock. Beside him, ever-present, was Amelia. “The king has released you, Princess,” the guard sneered, the title an insult on his lips. “Enjoy the walk. Frankly, I’m amazed you’re leaving on your own two feet after what you did to Lord Dolion.”

My eyes fell to the dusty floor, my nails digging into my arms. The urge to lash out was a physical thing. Instead, I forced a smile. “It feels unreal to be leaving. I’m so grateful.”

He scoffed. Amelia cut him off with a look. “Princess Thalia, if you would please follow me, I will escort you to your chambers.” As we walked away, I whispered, “I desperately need a bath. The stench of this place is clinging to me.”

The walk through the palace was its own form of punishment. Nothing had changed. Servants averted their gazes as I passed, but not before I caught their thinly veiled looks of disgust. The whispers were the worst. As we rounded a corner, a maid’s voice carried down the hall.

“Do you really think she didn’t do it?”

“I’m sure she did,” another replied, “and just blamed it on someone else.”

A familiar chill settled deep in my bones. Before, I would have been furious. I would have confronted them. Now, their words were just stones hitting an already bruised body. There was no anger left, only a hollow ache. I hugged my arms to my chest, a useless shield against their words, and stared at the floor, quickening my pace until Amelia and I were practically jogging. We finally reached my chambers, and as the door clicked shut behind us, the tension in my shoulders eased. My room was a sanctuary. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, illuminating a million dancing dust motes in the still air.

“I’ll draw you a bath,” Amelia said, her voice gentle as she disappeared into the adjoining bathroom.

I didn’t dare sit on any of my own furniture. Not yet.

Amelia peeked her head out from the steam-filled doorway. “It’s ready for you, Princess. I will wait out here.”

I gave her a grateful smile and shut the heavy oak door, the click of the latch sealing me in. The bath was a massive basin of white stone, and I sank into the steaming, rose-scented water with a sigh. Closing my eyes, I could almost feel the days of grime and despair dissolving from my skin. The penetrating warmth was a forgotten luxury after the ceaseless, bone-deep cold of the dungeon. I can’t linger, I reminded myself, we have too much to discuss.

Reluctantly, I scrubbed myself clean from head to toe, then forced myself from the water’s embrace. After drying off and dressing, I walked back into my bedroom. Amelia was already seated in the chair across from my desk, patient and poised as always. I slid into my own familiar chair, the worn fabric a small but welcome comfort.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk. “Amelia, I know there’s a lot to cover, but there’s something I need you to do first, before I forget.” I took a breath. “I need you to find someone. Her name is Lyra. She has blue eyes and black hair with streaks of silver, and she can’t be much older than twenty.”

A knowing, gentle smile spread across Amelia’s face. I started to ask, “What?” but the look in her eyes stopped me. I understood.

“Fate,” she said simply, her smile widening. “It is merely falling into place. I will begin looking for her and anyone connected to her immediately.”

I nodded, a weight lifting from my chest. “Thank you. Now, tell me everything. Who poisoned Dolion?”

Amelia’s face was grim. “It was Kael Forester. He claims it was revenge for something Dolion did to him when they were at the academy together.”

I leaned back in my chair, processing the name. “All of this for a schoolboy grudge? It seems extreme.”

“It’s deeper than that,” she countered, her voice low. “That’s just the official story he’s spinning. The truth is, Dolion grievously harmed Kael’s twin sister. I don’t have the full details yet. On top of that, think of the board, Thalia. The Foresters have always coveted the Southern duchies. Poisoning Dolion at a meal you were unexpectedly attending… had you been implicated, your positionas crown princess would crumble, and the Foresters would be perfectly positioned to step into more power. It was a calculated move to get his revenge and shatter your future in the same stroke.”

My mind raced, trying to fit this into the life I remembered. None of this ever happened before. There was no poisoning attempt. I was never imprisoned. A cold realization washed over me. “How did they know I would be there? I never attend those meals. It’s the only reason the plan could have worked.” My eyes met hers. “There’s a spy.”

Amelia gave a slow, solemn nod. “The palace is crawling with them. We can’t trust anyone. We must question everything and everyone.”

“I agree,” I said, my voice hardening. “And Kael?” I asked, my voice flat. “What becomes of him?”

Amelia’s eyes flickered away for a second before returning to me, her expression unreadable. “He will be publicly beheaded in three days’ time. His family has been stripped of the marquess title and their lands seized by the crown.”

“A fitting punishment for treason,” I mused, “and yet it changes nothing for me. The people still believes I was involved.”

Her professional mask seemed to crack then, her gaze softening with genuine concern. “Something happened to you in that cell, didn’t it? You’ve changed.”

I thought of the cold stone, the darkness, and the quiet, observant presence. “I met someone,” I said. “An elf.” Amelia’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly. “He’s still down there. I have to get him out, Amelia. I just don’t know how yet. I… I need him.”

The word hung in the air between us. “You need him?” she repeated, her tone cautious.

“Yes,” I insisted, my voice gaining a strange certainty that came from the darkness of that cell. “He… he sees the world differently, Amelia. He sees the cracks in it. The parts that are broken. I can’t explain it, but I know he’s the only one who can help me navigate the darkness descending upon us. He’s been forgotten in that dungeon for far too long.”

Amelia seemed to accept this, at least for now. “If that is your wish, Princess,” she said, her lips forming a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Perhaps your next audience with the king will provide an opportunity.” There it was again—a flicker of sadness in her gaze that she tried to conceal. What isn’t she telling me?

I hesitated for a moment. “There’s another reason, Amelia. Beyond just a feeling.” I took a breath. “He was teaching me how to use my mana.”

Her mask dropped away completely, replaced by a slow, knowing smirk that was entirely Amelia. “So you finally awakened. I was wondering when it would happen.”

I couldn’t help but smile, shaking my head. “Of course, you knew. It’s impossible for a girl to keep a secret from someone who can see the future.”

“It does make it easier,” she admitted, her voice softening as she leaned forward conspiratorially. “Just as I’ve always known you’re half-elf.”

The words, a secret I had carried for two lifetimes, were just hanging there in the air between us. Even when you know someone sees all the cards, it’s still breathtaking to see them laid on the table. I stared at her, completely speechless.