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~The Author Pov~
Chapter 55.
After the games, Fortuna packed a few of her things and went to the king's chambers. She planned to stay there for a few days, though he hadn't given her permission yet. Tonight, she would ask him. But would he say yes?
Karl was still angry. He hadn't forgiven her for lying about the fire. And he definitely hadn't forgotten what she did to Katrina a week ago. Now, she was tangled in even more lies.
Fortuna sat at the edge of the bed, her heart heavy. How was she going to fix all this?
The king had arranged a marriage between Prince Elvin and her sister. It would have been a perfect match—if Faustino were still alive. But she wasn't. And it was Fortuna's fault.
If only Faustino had kept her mouth shut… maybe she wouldn't have had to die. Maybe Fortuna could have just sent her to the dungeons. Or made her disappear quietly.
She didn't want to feel guilty. She told herself over and over—it had to be done. She had to protect herself… and her family.
If Karl ever found out what she did, he wouldn't show mercy. She'd seen how easily he passed death sentences. One mistake, one betrayal, and he didn't think twice.
Fortuna took a shaky breath and rubbed the back of her neck. The fear was cold, crawling over her skin like ice.
She would do anything—anything—to keep her secrets safe. Even if it meant more lies… or more lives lost.
She needed a plan. Something that would make Karl forgive her. Maybe she could ask the nurse to say she had memory loss. A simple excuse. Maybe that would work.
And maybe, just maybe, it would also stop Karl from marrying her sister off to Elvin. She could claim Faustino had memory problems too—that she wasn't well enough to be a wife to a prince.
A small smile crept across her face. If she had said this sooner, maybe things wouldn't have gotten this bad.
Then came a knock at the door.
She froze.
It couldn't be Karl—he would never knock on his own door.
"Come in," she said, steadying her voice.
The door opened, and one of the maids stepped in, carrying the king's clean clothes.
It was a woman's dress. Bright and soft—something Karl would never wear.
"Wait…" Fortuna got off the bed and walked over to the maid, her eyes fixed on the clothes in her arms.
She reached out and took the yellow dress, holding it up. The fabric was familiar—one of the expensive ones brought in for the queen mother.
"Does this belong to mother?" she asked sharply, her face hardening like it was the maid's fault.
"I don't know, Your Highness," the maid replied quietly, her gaze fixed on the floor. She knew better than to look up. Everyone in the palace knew how easily the queen's anger spilled over onto others.
"I was given the dress this morning. I only washed it."
"It's Katrina's, isn't it?" Fortuna asked, her voice lower, but bitter. She already knew the answer. "Stupid girl."
She let the dress fall to the floor like it meant nothing and turned away, going back to the bed. But her heart was restless.
How could she ever forgive herself for all the foolish choices she'd made?
Sending Katrina to the king last night was a mistake—one she would never make again. No matter what.
Things had to change.
She would take control again. She would make sure Katrina never found her way to the king's bed again. Never.
She would become invisible. Forgotten.
An hour passed. Still no sign of Karl. He was supposed to return quickly from his meeting—it wasn't even with the full council.
He should have been back by now.
Another twenty minutes went by. Restless, Fortuna began flipping through the papers on his table. That's when she found the letters.
One of them had the royal seal of Everia.
Katrina's father.
Fortuna's heart sank. Why would Karl write to him? And why didn't he tell her?
She stared at the letter, torn between fear and curiosity.
"I can't open this," she whispered to herself. After a few seconds, she placed it back exactly how she found it.
Her chest tightened. Something wasn't right. Tired of waiting and filled with suspicion, she finally decided to go look for him.
Just as she reached for the door, it creaked open from the other side.
Rania stood there, calm and graceful.
She stepped into the room slowly, her eyes moving around like she'd never been there before.
"Greetings, Princess Rania," Fortuna said, lowering into a curtsy, masking her worry. "If you're looking for the king… he isn't here."
"I already know that, Fortuna," Rania said, her voice calm. She looked beautiful in her purple dress, her wavy black hair falling over her shoulders.
"That's why I came. The king will be late tonight."
"Did something happen?" Fortuna asked, her eyes wide with worry.
Rania hated lying, but she had to protect her brother's happiness. "Something urgent came up," she said gently. "He had to go to the village square. But he'll be back tonight."
"What could it be?" Fortuna pressed, concern all over her face. It wasn't the first time Karl left at night—but something about tonight made her uneasy.
"I don't know," Rania replied. "Let's just wait for him. I'll head to bed now. You should rest too. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Fortuna said, bowing slightly.
As soon as Rania left, Fortuna sat in silence, wondering why the princess had been so kind. Rania never liked her and was rarely polite. But tonight felt… different. Off.
Something didn't feel right, and the more she thought about it, the heavier her chest became.
Eventually, sleep pulled her in—but it was far from peaceful.
She had a nightmare. A terrible one.
Faustino was chasing her with a machete in the arena. She was screaming, begging for help. And standing there, watching it all begin, was the king—with Katrina beside him, dressed as a queen.
Fortuna woke up with a gasp, her heart pounding hard. Her pillow was soaked in sweat. Fear clung to her like a second skin.
She sat up and looked around. Karl still wasn't back.
That was strange. Very strange.
Without thinking twice, Fortuna got out of bed.
She had to find her husband.
The earlier, the better.