I didn’t even get a chance to breathe before someone grabbed my arm.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQlKzdzdaT
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHI65alk3O
“His Majesty requests your presence,” a guard said, like I’d just been invited for cake instead of after confessing to murder.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzL7eao626K
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Oh, sure. Totally normal post-manslaughter hangout.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3854U6NdF
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ076TY3hrx1
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kOhyBEPep
The palace hallways blur past as they escort me. Gold ceilings. Velvet curtains. Way too much perfume in the air. Everything smells too clean for what just happened.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctQb4IbFYF
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhzvd8dj8q
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By the time we reach the King’s chambers, my stomach’s doing gymnastics.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXM3X9bKtfU
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVp6oa1rMFX
The doors swing open with a heavy creak, and there he is — the King.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6efZXpSaS
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yOjYVcIFe
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3gHiySZWb
He’s older than I remembered. Tired eyes, gray at the edges of his beard, but when he looks up and sees me… it’s like watching the sun break through smoke.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45FK3TrX5a
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZha8I6qIqy
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> “Ariana!”177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7luzdnJRY6
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRIub1JkU7
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDA7CyivsI
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS96OObhCdI
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLWEKsgi35
He rushes forward and before I can dodge, he hugs me. Full royal embrace. Armor and all.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSx5lBSNoFa
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzgPi3yWFS
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfuV1XNkxn
I freeze like someone hit pause on me.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqE1JRwCMq
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpjk4a9gUO
My brain short-circuits.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5aK7qaFcK
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaOFIW5V23
Right. Hugs. With the guy who rules the kingdom. After a public murder. Totally fine.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIddhQrzp0O
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkfEJKFwdr
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7uXswZ9iJq
> “My dear, you’re safe,” he says, his voice soft but trembling. “When I heard what happened, I feared the worst. Thank the heavens you’re unharmed.”177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSezAW45BE
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNGrabGGUh
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He pulls back to look at me — and for a second, I see it. Real worry. Real love.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yjaAsao49
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And that’s almost worse.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavkzrdFvYN
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGgD50m6kr
Because I didn’t do anything to earn it.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHOblQcmgx
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXap287zKa7
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyib7E2RkQG
The courtiers behind him stay silent.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0uO57KXm6
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They bow. Whisper. Pretend not to see the mess.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgF1Y4vuNxU
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcn3Ac7h2io
No one mentions Clara’s name. Not once.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2yKeR48JBl
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Like she never existed.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5G3ECD14qi
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQugK0hoKw
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> “You must rest,” the King says gently. “The court will handle the details. You’ve suffered enough.”177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7q1f5XsVZH
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgn57hsVhfC
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I nod because what else can I do?177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepqJDJsOKv
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgzz9UhZEC
If I open my mouth, sarcasm will leak out and ruin my life.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsv4bcxFo55
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrFL3DuGhf
So I just say,177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡay5dZrmK6O
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfwWqCBGeD
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvezZ0kfxf
> “Yes, Father.”177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19rZWxEffM
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKgKsO7mJu
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXLfvsj1h1
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2GY0oqVvk
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ80vTYySxx
He smiles — relieved, maybe even proud — and calls for the maids to take me to my chambers.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPyhR2mUBS
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LkPnSJHoa
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---177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYImcEW3fdU
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZGag3QYDW
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZ4jEe1LXn
The walk back feels longer. Quieter.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rDDwRxue5
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlPXy6jba5
When they finally leave me alone, I collapse onto the bed.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWxXGm2vW2
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHCWPZ2CMO
The silk sheets swallow me whole, and for the first time in hours, I let myself breathe.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJclcOSX49t
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRM5fXs68TH
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPAdloV8Hy
> “So,” I whisper to the empty room,177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbI0dPzOT5
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0I8nzAHkKd
“confessed to murder, adopted by the King, promoted to favorite daughter. 10/10 quest rewards.”177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyV8DzMbye
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHeR0WYne1e
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtl5iqBiJfe
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFc47esyUJ
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTtDbPjHeW
I laugh a little — that weird kind of laugh that sounds dangerously close to crying.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErX3mXbZrj
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr69kekIpZn
Then I pull the covers up to my chin and stare at the ceiling.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPv2uFiOPVH
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzxztu4WUj
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ725tsTxmei
> “I’m so screwed.”177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3McBkghXPr
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88aUP4N7oF
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LYFowxocr
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDJkV8EoIE
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The gold chandeliers flicker overhead.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pxoSCOXmE
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgq0I5DbuCg
Somewhere outside, the bells toll faintly, like the world’s trying to remind me what time it is.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qscZNW6vW
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBQTElrBHw
But I already know.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduDsPJv2bc
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177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSncUhrKPz0
It’s the hour when fate stops pretending to be fair.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrwRnBmyJz
1234 copyright protection173ＰＥＮＡＮＡjunkdCGT0N 尼I close my eyes, but his face won’t leave me alone.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Xbui8c7OV
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOjHqKJr7O
Those blue eyes — calm even with a sword over his neck.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMa5HQDwiit
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66yDViRCSv
Like he wasn’t scared of dying.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ916WsCMIp
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Like he’d already done it before.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKmTmJoEQc
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb17Koyd6oT
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLV20AIGQOM
And that smile… no, not even a smile — more like quiet acceptance.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcaNJPpISi
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvZnD7MZGV
The kind that says, “I told you this would happen.”177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYGThqX22N
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I don’t even know his name.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ8kKma2M3
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzq3hZLXdV
But when I think about him, my chest tightens, like I’m remembering someone I already lost.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSth3Y1Whd
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCz4txMCUWm
Which makes no sense, because I’m supposed to be me. Lily. The girl who fell into a cursed fantasy soap opera.177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLsfEnxsu3
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCXb0xwaFJ
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So why does it hurt like it’s not the first time?177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ek1x3VYtJ
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wfVRwWkjI
177Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYxohw93dI

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