Solenara sat at the long dining table opposite her father, the morning light spilling through the arched windows. The soft clinking of cutlery and the murmurs of attending servants filled the otherwise awkward silence. Though they often dined in relative quiet, today's quiet felt different. A chasm had grown between them, one she wasn't sure how to bridge.
"Father," she ventured at last, setting her fork down. Her voice was steady, yet cautious.
"Yes?" King Ardryn responded without looking up from his plate, his tone neutral.
"I know you've spoken with the council about Halvryn's proposal," she continued, choosing her words carefully. "And about me."
Ardryn's knife paused mid-slice, though he didn't raise his gaze. "If you have something to say, daughter, say it plainly."
She drew a deep breath. "Do you truly believe aligning with him is our only option?"
His head lifted at that, his piercing gray eyes locking onto hers. "I believe," he said, his voice heavy with authority, "that ensuring this kingdom's survival is my duty, above all else. Prince Halvryn's influence cannot be ignored, nor can his resources."
Solenara bristled. "Nor his ambition. You can see how much he stands to gain if this alliance is made."
"And you stand to gain stability and protection," he shot back, his gaze sharpening. "You forget that this isn't only about you, Solenara. It's about our people. Our future."
Her fingers curled into fists beneath the table. "So I'm to be a pawn on your board?"
The words hung between them like a drawn blade. Ardryn's expression softened, just a fraction, and for a brief moment, she saw the father beneath the crown. "No," he said quietly. "But sometimes, even a queen must sacrifice."
She blinked at the implication but said nothing more.
The day's council meeting was no less tense. Halvryn was noticeably absent, but his proposal still loomed large in every conversation. To Solenara's dismay, it was the elder Lord Draemond who suggested a course of action that caused her stomach to twist.
"It would only be prudent," Draemond declared, "for the princess to visit Halvryn's lands herself. She can see firsthand what his kingdom has to offer and how this alliance may benefit us."
The other council members nodded, murmuring their agreement.
"Traveling to Halvryn's kingdom," she said, forcing an air of calm despite the churn of unease inside her, "would be a significant undertaking. And a dangerous one."
Lord Draemond's tone carried an edge of dismissal. "With the kingdom's finest guard at your side, you would be safe. Besides, it would show good faith."
Her father, seated at the head of the table, turned his contemplative gaze toward her. "He is right. It may help foster a better understanding between our two nations."
Understanding, or coercion? She swallowed the question and inclined her head instead. "If this is your will, Father, I will obey."
But she added, more resolutely, "Kaelen will accompany me as my personal guard."
The council exchanged glances, but her father nodded. "Very well."
Preparations for the journey were swift, leaving Solenara with little time to dwell on the unease creeping through her. Kaelen appeared at her quarters as dusk fell, his expression both stern and questioning.
"I assume you didn't choose this willingly," he said, not bothering with pleasantries.
"You assume correctly," she replied, tying her traveling cloak with deft fingers.
"And yet you're going."
She turned to face him, her brow furrowing. "What choice do I have, Kaelen? If I fight them on every decision, they'll see me as more of an obstacle than I already am."
"They already see you as a threat," he countered, his tone softer now. "And I worry about what Halvryn sees you as."
A pawn? A prize? The thought brought an acrid taste to her mouth. "That's why you'll be there," she said, her voice steadying. "You'll make sure I come back."
"Always," he promised.
Halvryn himself greeted them upon their arrival at his grand estate. His lands, verdant and sprawling, reflected his kingdom's prosperity. It unsettled Solenara how easily charm slid into his every movement, how his genteel demeanor masked something calculating just beneath the surface.
"Welcome, Princess," he said with a deep bow, his sharp green eyes gleaming. "And Captain Kaelen. A pleasure, as always."
Kaelen's jaw tightened but he dipped his head in acknowledgment, his stance carefully neutral.
Halvryn extended his hand to Solenara, who hesitated before taking it, his touch sending a flicker of unease down her spine.
"You must be tired from your journey," Halvryn said smoothly, leading her toward the castle's entrance. "I've arranged for your quarters to be among the finest. I trust you'll find them to your liking."
The implication in his words wasn't lost on her.
That evening, a banquet was held in her honor. The hall was aglow with candlelight, the laughter of courtiers mingling with the soft strains of music. Though the setting was sumptuous, Solenara felt trapped under the weight of Halvryn's scrutiny.
"Do you find my kingdom pleasing, Princess?" Halvryn asked as they sat at the high table.
"It is beautiful," she admitted, keeping her tone guarded.
"I'm glad you think so," he said, leaning closer. His voice dipped, just enough that only she could hear. "I hope you'll come to see the potential of a partnership between us."
His proximity made her skin crawl, yet she forced herself to smile politely. "I suppose time will tell."
Meanwhile, Kaelen watched from the edge of the room, his gaze a steady anchor. She could feel his presence even amidst the crowd, a lifeline she clung to more than she cared to admit.
As the evening wore on, Solenara excused herself and wandered into the quieter halls of the castle, her mind spinning. The weight of expectation pressed hard against her chest, but beneath it, a murmur of something deeper stirred.
She barely noticed Halvryn approach until he was mere paces away, his expression uncharacteristically serious.
"Do you trust me, Solenara?" he asked without preamble.
Her head snapped up, her eyes narrowing. "You've given me little reason to."
"I'd like to change that," he said, stepping closer. His voice was low, intimate. "I can offer you something no one else can. A future of power, of purpose. Don't let your stubborn loyalty to a realm that doesn't value you blind you to what you could become."
His words were like a velvet chain, wrapping tighter with every syllable. A voice deep inside her urged her to pull away, to resist, but another whisper—a colder, unfamiliar one—began to weave its own doubts into her mind.
Was he lying?
Her gaze flickered, unsure. And that hesitation did not go unnoticed.
Kaelen was waiting in her chambers when she returned. His face darkened as he took in her shaken expression.
"What happened?"
"Nothing," she said too quickly.
He stepped closer, his eyes searching hers. "Solenara—"
"It's fine," she insisted, her tone sharper than intended. "I'm fine."
But as she turned away, her thoughts were anything but. The shadows in Halvryn's halls seemed darker than they should have been, and her reflection in the gilded mirrors no longer felt entirely her own.