Chapter Four: Ashes and Chains
The palace felt colder after Ariana returned.
Not physically—fires burned in every hearth, braziers glowed along the corridors, and servants moved constantly with hot water and fresh linens—but something deeper had shifted.
The warmth of belonging had been stripped away.
Every corridor she walked now echoed with absence.
Every polished floor reflected a kingdom that was no longer hers.
Ariana moved through the eastern wing in silence, her steps slow, deliberate. Draco guards stood stationed at every archway, their presence a constant reminder that even here—within the heart of Ivanova—she was no longer safe.
Or free.
"Your Highness."
The voice was soft, urgent.
Ariana turned quickly.
Serena stood just behind one of the stone pillars, her expression tight with barely contained worry. She glanced around before stepping closer, lowering her voice.
"You shouldn't be walking alone."
Ariana let out a quiet, humorless breath.
