Evening draped the palace in deepening shadows, the last rays of sunlight gilding the silver spires. Queen Elysia stood at her chamber window, eyes fixed on the eastern horizon where darkness had already gathered. No sign of returning figures appeared on the road leading to the palace gates.
’They should have returned by now,’ she thought, anxiety coiling tighter with each passing moment. Without allowing herself further deliberation, she strode from her chambers toward the courtyard.
Outside, torches had been lit against the gathering darkness. Elysia immediately spotted Lyra speaking with a palace guard, giving what appeared to be instructions—unusual, as guard deployment was typically Sorrel’s domain. As Elysia approached, the guard bowed deeply before Lyra dismissed them with a gesture.
"Still no sign of them?" Elysia asked without preamble, unable to keep the edge from her voice.
"Not yet," Lyra replied, turning to face her mother. "I’ve sent scouts along the eastern road, but there’s been no word."
"This is precisely why I didn’t want Eren leaving the palace," Elysia said, anger threading through her concern. "Especially not to the eastern territories, so close to where the water was contaminated."
"The eastern lakes are well within our borders," Lyra reminded her. "And with six AMAZON warriors as escort—"
"Even the AMAZON squad can be overwhelmed by sufficient numbers," Elysia cut her off. "If Thornvale suspected Eren’s identity..." She stopped abruptly, as if realizing she’d said too much.
Lyra’s eyes narrowed slightly. "’Eren’s identity’? What do you mean by that, Mother?"
Before Elysia could respond, a servant approached bearing a tray with two steaming cups. Both women turned, the tension in their conversation momentarily broken.
"Your evening revive, Your Highness," the servant said with a bow, offering the tray to Lyra.
"Thank you," Lyra said, taking one of the cups. "I requested refreshments for myself and Captain Doriel, but it seems the captain’s been called elsewhere." She turned to her mother, offering the second cup. "Would you care for it instead? The night air carries a chill."
Elysia hesitated just a moment before accepting. The fragrant steam rising from the cup reminded her how long it had been since she’d last eaten or drunk anything. Council meetings always drained her resources.
"Thank you," she said, taking a sip of the warm, spiced liquid. Its familiar taste was comforting—cinnamon and moon-flower, with hints of something deeper she couldn’t quite identify. "We should send riders to find them. Eren might have convinced the others to detour to the affected villages. I want them back behind palace walls tonight."
As she spoke, a subtle warmth began to spread through her limbs, pleasant at first but quickly becoming a heaviness that seemed to tug at her very thoughts. She blinked, finding it suddenly difficult to focus on Lyra’s face.
"I’ve already arranged for messengers," Lyra was saying, her voice seeming to come from increasingly far away. "They’ll be intercepted and brought back safely."
’Something is wrong,’ Elysia realized, the cup nearly slipping from her suddenly clumsy fingers. She managed to set it down on a nearby stone bench before her knees threatened to buckle.
"I’m feeling... strange," she murmured, reaching out to steady herself against a column. "The drink..."
"The night air and stress must be taking their toll," Lyra said smoothly, taking her mother’s arm with practiced concern. "You’ve been working too hard, Mother. Let me help you back to your chambers."
’The plan is working perfectly,’ Lyra thought as she signaled to two waiting attendants. ’By the time she realizes what’s happened, we’ll be long gone.’
"I want to be informed the moment Eren returns," Elysia insisted, her words beginning to slur slightly as the sleeping draft took hold. "Promise me, Lyra."
"Of course, Mother. You should rest now. Everything will be clearer in the morning."
Lyra watched as the attendants Continue reading more chapters on NovelHub for the best experience. Once they were out of sight, she turned and strode purposefully toward the eastern gate of the palace, where a cloaked figure waited in the shadows.
"The queen?" the figure asked in a low voice.
"Will sleep until dawn, at least," Lyra confirmed. "The concoction was perfectly measured."
"And the queen suspected nothing of my role in watching Eren?"
"Nothing," Lyra assured the servant. "Your position in the kitchens was the perfect cover. No one pays attention to those who serve their food."
The servant nodded, satisfaction evident in their posture. "The AMAZON squad awaits at the meeting point. Naia arrived safely half an hour ago."
"Good. We move within the hour." Lyra gazed back at the palace, its silver spires gleaming against the night sky. "Remember your task—delay the alarm as long as possible. Create confusion about which direction we’ve taken."
"It will be done, Your Highness."
As the servant slipped away to continue their part of the deception, Lyra allowed herself a moment of doubt. The path she’d chosen meant betraying her mother’s trust, possibly even being labeled a traitor to the crown. Yet the fragments of truth she’d discovered—about Eren, about the prophecy, about her mother’s secrets—left her no choice.
’Sometimes loyalty to the truth must outweigh loyalty to the crown,’ she thought grimly, her hand falling to the hilt of her sword. ’Even if that crown sits upon my mother’s head.’
In the distance, she could make out the silhouettes of the AMAZON squad waiting among the trees—six elite warriors ready to follow her into uncertainty. Among them stood Naia, a solitary figure apart from the others, her posture betraying her anxiety even from afar.
Lyra took a deep breath and walked toward them. By nightfall tomorrow, they would be far from the Moonlight Kingdom, following Eren’s trail into territories unknown. Whatever secrets her mother had buried, whatever prophecy bound Eren’s fate—Lyra was determined to uncover the truth, even if it meant challenging everything she’d been taught to believe.
The servant followed at a discreet distance, careful to stay in the shadows as Lyra made her way toward the AMAZON squad. A smile played on the servant’s lips, and a flush rose to her cheeks as she watched the princess’s determined stride.
’I don’t believe this is happening,’ she thought to herself, heart racing with excitement. After days of silent observation and careful planning, their shared quest to find Eren was finally beginning.