I didn’t even get a chance to breathe before someone grabbed my arm.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUO6MGMl15k
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhz73wo5sq
“His Majesty requests your presence,” a guard said, like I’d just been invited for cake instead of after confessing to murder.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCRHSqK3dV
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXpm157drR
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKn6v7YACuI
Oh, sure. Totally normal post-manslaughter hangout.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeV0jwm5G1c
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtYVlXMiMB
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8JlJqZO9o
The palace hallways blur past as they escort me. Gold ceilings. Velvet curtains. Way too much perfume in the air. Everything smells too clean for what just happened.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmLdfCitQD
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdsYlVzlMb
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAcrQ5ofCV
By the time we reach the King’s chambers, my stomach’s doing gymnastics.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEw2UyBcSdZ
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUrZQc2GLd
The doors swing open with a heavy creak, and there he is — the King.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhmNKzte0r
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJSye48SzN
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxyKcbhSWD
He’s older than I remembered. Tired eyes, gray at the edges of his beard, but when he looks up and sees me… it’s like watching the sun break through smoke.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyjqFU35ms
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPk7BZx7Hly
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EygD4r6dz
> “Ariana!”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSeIuL25Un
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygjgOBIEhO
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hDV4lTIsk
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrLIrt1cdU
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyS0U3h90t4
He rushes forward and before I can dodge, he hugs me. Full royal embrace. Armor and all.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNO3gdOYmV
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQraRtFpCS
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkXiuiU6Ng
I freeze like someone hit pause on me.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXaNSavy7YF
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Cl8WZZ9MV
My brain short-circuits.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOgHVTlcL9
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAibnd66zkW
Right. Hugs. With the guy who rules the kingdom. After a public murder. Totally fine.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7uRSrv83R
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjMvt01gfT
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudHjfzrRc0
> “My dear, you’re safe,” he says, his voice soft but trembling. “When I heard what happened, I feared the worst. Thank the heavens you’re unharmed.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjdTwJLXDC
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eA8K38PIT
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoYj7A90kV
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzg4mnfJgC
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3ZqFgbDov
He pulls back to look at me — and for a second, I see it. Real worry. Real love.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6ZeryqsIW
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUaNZfXXTc
And that’s almost worse.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdpIqnn4Jh
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVBquXSSDV
Because I didn’t do anything to earn it.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XMF6hM9N2
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrLoWwgCnW
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOPoNud2Sb
The courtiers behind him stay silent.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7lMyCMGEd
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1py7J5keTv
They bow. Whisper. Pretend not to see the mess.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOzZOyVl7q
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsrnh5UnRx
No one mentions Clara’s name. Not once.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYK3jO9ICKF
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gbl5aFTEr
Like she never existed.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAHsj5kUk2
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhS12IhhoOn
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHB0gWkuo7
> “You must rest,” the King says gently. “The court will handle the details. You’ve suffered enough.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTm5TsJHzTz
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRF198k5lXW
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQypLJ26i5m
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuwm33ixeL
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezizH9HEcD
I nod because what else can I do?42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqt1oauRdSC
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRmYW8tx7O
If I open my mouth, sarcasm will leak out and ruin my life.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFIquFHU4O
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AXXNV0aBs
So I just say,42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnIyG3qCff
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAJC1tWQ2I
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRv9gNriPcu
> “Yes, Father.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOnaP3z4YA
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwvxnOkhpB
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡya6bOTukog
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM71ZXf6KxA
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAUS4MbJni
He smiles — relieved, maybe even proud — and calls for the maids to take me to my chambers.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4V09pdZ8hc
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPFT7gmDc0
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVdBMAOpm8
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5LqrgyX3g
---42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9OcFjQRhh
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwQyagbgTQ
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIrPifgk1j
The walk back feels longer. Quieter.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtcsGLzs0H
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrLwIn5WFK
When they finally leave me alone, I collapse onto the bed.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjYK2mw5fxG
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0afkA3ytq6
The silk sheets swallow me whole, and for the first time in hours, I let myself breathe.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WOb7Z3llD
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tdmjlBrO9
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aee1QzZQF
> “So,” I whisper to the empty room,42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvuZrIhpMw
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggd0YoVdOg
“confessed to murder, adopted by the King, promoted to favorite daughter. 10/10 quest rewards.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAN1r5uZm9
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4O6PSwscH
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNLvFgecoB
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlV8BOarVkC
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjGj2Foj45
I laugh a little — that weird kind of laugh that sounds dangerously close to crying.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfVDIy0OuD
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DR76e5RYl
Then I pull the covers up to my chin and stare at the ceiling.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOymUdzABQ
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9Jhb12lqd
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iNn2O63DS
> “I’m so screwed.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxwljVOD1d
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm43hRdZEhA
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYBq2uJNqF
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nUztNbmIX
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MFAW77FIv
The gold chandeliers flicker overhead.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD49oh4htpo
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcOfKG2P0F
Somewhere outside, the bells toll faintly, like the world’s trying to remind me what time it is.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcZ7bVyk7Y
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiG648r1nuO
But I already know.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHjt7PbfCo
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxel9vPzyrs
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthMWYs4FQQ
It’s the hour when fate stops pretending to be fair.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpcdj692wo
1234 copyright protection38ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aXoStPXaZ 尼I close my eyes, but his face won’t leave me alone.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7U5EByEMV
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDQAfqTLoh
Those blue eyes — calm even with a sword over his neck.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUTX6rXal1
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYAvQQGFDd
Like he wasn’t scared of dying.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQSk057AsX
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsW7wVj1lKF
Like he’d already done it before.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8etpXi0CY
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueyaWfdlTV
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASUpb19Ifz
And that smile… no, not even a smile — more like quiet acceptance.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0TzVdGp0s
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdvrjzmNZ3
The kind that says, “I told you this would happen.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLY2GgQZgDX
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuxFFUuHth
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcCmXQKWCC
I don’t even know his name.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJx28Vpl1Pl
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3wAqt0oLB
But when I think about him, my chest tightens, like I’m remembering someone I already lost.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIRyTKDNtA
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AiNaIMLXq
Which makes no sense, because I’m supposed to be me. Lily. The girl who fell into a cursed fantasy soap opera.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwbpj71hU9
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHO0pset09
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkk67cHyo0
So why does it hurt like it’s not the first time?42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLGvX0noDl
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcbwCbxRS9
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqxrXsERUG

216.73.216.33