Chapter seven
Raven’s Pov;
The halls of the palace were eerily silent as princess Ellie and I walked towards the throne room. The heavy scent of burning incense filled the air.
She had barely spoken since the king’s summons. She gripped the folds of her dress tightly, her usual arrogance replaced by something close to fear. It unsettled me.
I glanced at her stiff posture. She was afraid. She should be. The only person who had ever truly terrified her was her father.
But I felt nothing. No sympathy. No pity.
She had earned her place in this world, being the Unfavored daughter of a king.
I clenched my fists, feeling the cool metal of the hidden herbs pouch strapped to my forearm. Studying herbal medicine had been my one act of defiance, the only thing that steered me to the future I envisioned. I had spent years preparing. Learning and Waiting.
She exhaled sharply, shaking me from my thoughts. We passed a group of maids, their heads bowed, their expressions unreadable. But I saw it in their eyes. Pity.
Ellie noticed it too. Her steps faltered before she snapped her head to glare at one of the girls. “What are you looking at?”
The girl flinched and hurried away.
When we reached the massive double doors of the throne room, the guards stationed outside exchanged brief glances. One hesitated before speaking. “Your Highness… the king is waiting.”
Ellie lifted her chin and strode forward. I followed, my heart steady, my mind focused.
This wasn’t my battle. Not yet.
The king sat on his throne, draped in dark silks, his heavy golden crown resting on his head.
Something was different.
I had served in this court long enough to recognize his moods. He was unpredictable, but he was never… tender.
Yet as princess Ellie approached, the king’s expression softened. His piercing gaze on her, and then, to my complete shock, he raised a hand and touched her gently.
A light touch against her shoulder.
The princess’ entire body tensed. She looked as if she might recoil but forced herself to remain still. Of course, it was a first for her. She had never known her father to show such kindness.
The king’s lips curled into something that almost resembled a smile. “My daughter.”
Princess Ellie’s fingers twitched at her sides. “Father.”
The king let his hand fall away. “I trust your preparations for receiving our esteemed guests are going well?”
She swallowed hard. “Yes, Your Majesty. Everything will be ready.”
The king hummed in approval. He leaned back in his throne, studying her with an unreadable expression. “Good. That is necessary.”
A pause. Then, in a voice far too calm, he continued, “Because you will not simply be receiving King Liam, you will be marrying him.”
Silence.
For a moment, I thought I had heard wrongly.
The princess blinked, her lips parting. “W-What?”
The king’s gaze sharpened. “You will be married to the King of Grok kingdom. You will be his bride and his Queen. This is my decree.”
She took a step back. “No… No, you can’t!”
The air in the throne room turned suffocatingly heavy.
The king’s expression did not change, but the temperature seemed to drop. “Do not raise your voice at me, Elizabeth!”
She was trembling now. “You…promised me— you said…”
“I promised you nothing,” he interrupted smoothly. “You are my daughter, and you will do as I command.”
Her breath hitched, her hands clenching into fists. “But..”
“Enough,” the king said, his voice final.
Her knees buckled. She staggered, barely catching herself. I moved instinctively, reaching out to steady her, but she slapped my hand away.
The king watched her coldly. “Our peace negotiations have failed. The king of Grok will march on our borders in days.”
Princess Ellie snapped up her head.
The king continued, “The only way to show our willingness for peace is through a marriage alliance.”
He tilted his head slightly. “And you, my dear daughter, will serve that purpose.”
She let out a strangled laugh. “You’re sending me to my death!”
I watched. This was no different from any other day in this palace. Orders were given. Fates were decided and Those without power had no say.
I had no sympathy for the princess.She had lived her life believing she was untouchable. Now, she was learning the truth.
The king’s expression did not waver. “He has agreed to take you as his bride rather than burn our lands.”
“Father, He’s a monster!” She spat.
The king’s gaze darkened. “A powerful monster. One who may save this kingdom. This is an opportunity, Ellie.”
She shook her head furiously. “No. No, I won’t do it.”
“You will,” the king said sharply.
The Queen was by his side and I could see the faint smile on her lips. She had been quiet, observing the interactions between them with barely concealed amusement.
“Congratulations Ellie,” she said in a sarcastic tone.
Princess Ellie was breathing heavily now, her panic evident. “You have another daughter. Why not..”
“The eldest princess is already engaged to the Duke of Redvine,” the king said, dismissing the thought as if it were obvious.
Princess Ellie let out a bitter laugh. “So she gets a duke, and I get a beast?”
I remained silent, rooted in place, watching the scene unfold.
The king’s patience was thinning. “You should be honored, Ellie. Your marriage will secure this kingdom’s future. It is important. Your name will go down in history as the woman who saved this kingdom.”
The princess’ voice broke. “I don’t care about history. What about my own future?”
The king’s expression was ice. “You were never meant for anything more.”
She recoiled as if struck.
I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to remain still. I had no right to speak. No place in this conversation.
But I knew.
I knew that this was more than just a marriage decree.
The king was discarding her.
The second princess had always been an inconvenience, a daughter that wasn’t meant to be born. A mistake.
And now, she was a pawn to be traded away.
She staggered back. Her entire body was shaking. “No. No. I won’t do it. I won’t.”
The king rose from his throne. The movement was slow and deliberate. The power in the room shifted instantly.
When he spoke, his voice was lethal.
“You will do as you are told.”