I didn’t even get a chance to breathe before someone grabbed my arm.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpxRKOFVqA
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsH5IeN34sh
“His Majesty requests your presence,” a guard said, like I’d just been invited for cake instead of after confessing to murder.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiIySmuIno
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9hjq7fhch
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Oh, sure. Totally normal post-manslaughter hangout.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXU1zio542X
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJA2voFmE2D
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRBlTngl39
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbS5QDmyil
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiJh7kgr0G
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By the time we reach the King’s chambers, my stomach’s doing gymnastics.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sv89QFzEQ
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWoxvXLxKD
The doors swing open with a heavy creak, and there he is — the King.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjHBn9wBmX
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuTCzpwW9e
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhItk2ioQo
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphEELuNwBP
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuVfl2EWf5
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjyd7vJuIG
> “Ariana!”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmIT5HhKGM
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLJ2A6fIk6
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfonLoppzh
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhY0u2irswK
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XjcMkZrGv
He rushes forward and before I can dodge, he hugs me. Full royal embrace. Armor and all.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeCpnecU1Z
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOngohSl1bs
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEeNbCYDvB
I freeze like someone hit pause on me.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQhXXSbuQR
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SV3tKidCO
My brain short-circuits.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCXpA4Y1Go
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wWXt3VNZd
Right. Hugs. With the guy who rules the kingdom. After a public murder. Totally fine.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqVYi1LoVF
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkxTqsNmJ0
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQCidkGZxB
> “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.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOt8O3NriJF
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwF7vNLovW
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162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuwo5Gb5sh
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzjqiOw6At
He pulls back to look at me — and for a second, I see it. Real worry. Real love.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4GOZlwDO2
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnG1Ya4pyB
And that’s almost worse.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qyfJqJRIy
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9bgPcufNd
Because I didn’t do anything to earn it.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE144qSccqS
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTb73j2OqvO
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBC2GxFROrO
The courtiers behind him stay silent.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuOT0TLQer
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwXi1rRlno
They bow. Whisper. Pretend not to see the mess.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OOMs3AJWM
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXycDS4mWE
No one mentions Clara’s name. Not once.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2I1tuQDYBa
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8w7kXvEBiZ
Like she never existed.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqyslS28NS
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWZLW8CXA7
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91STSyDYXC
> “You must rest,” the King says gently. “The court will handle the details. You’ve suffered enough.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTg0ZJaAOi
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYh9HBkXwHS
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxq1Emh3dy
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7c3b55tc2m
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhsWn71QqY
I nod because what else can I do?162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSZNrNH2gK
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXpCG4Ra19
If I open my mouth, sarcasm will leak out and ruin my life.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubTNhSCycB
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOaze5xaVq
So I just say,162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpC36MWdFko
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5mqQdSl0X
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mYfn20oA9
> “Yes, Father.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFheQNwOBhj
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZ6BdEU6iy
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXwuhETpH9
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImlaZYGl7U
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffsMTYsOgT
He smiles — relieved, maybe even proud — and calls for the maids to take me to my chambers.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2D5RAutTd
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZL2utdGcd
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjbTdRVReP
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---162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpTKdQJwvk
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vd0gqtL4z
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRvtIQs8vw
The walk back feels longer. Quieter.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83cIQ5cWpv
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqacIpN1El
When they finally leave me alone, I collapse onto the bed.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSkR32T7BC
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ689PKjZlDv
The silk sheets swallow me whole, and for the first time in hours, I let myself breathe.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpqai2gaFj
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlF1YoyDvIk
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOJE6Pq8SP
> “So,” I whisper to the empty room,162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbPjUeYr79
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBpaOscAaF
“confessed to murder, adopted by the King, promoted to favorite daughter. 10/10 quest rewards.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPkBFIxgnv
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlO916YJE5
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5O5UKnHZJ
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvapK8OKTZX
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4WAyUAat0
I laugh a little — that weird kind of laugh that sounds dangerously close to crying.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Z9vL6k8Ju
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSCkQA6oG2
Then I pull the covers up to my chin and stare at the ceiling.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMy0grVfjtO
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjbkerVemA
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZchvynwZI
> “I’m so screwed.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxotp65l5V
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IR9VwM6Us
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09uzYhit7Y
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jkXw7F53A
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHZ5JFeere
The gold chandeliers flicker overhead.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzvkQs9L5d
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJftfhg87H9
Somewhere outside, the bells toll faintly, like the world’s trying to remind me what time it is.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGQ8AVdO9r
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eW6w2wf5B
But I already know.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFFhxHBkDP
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzhWIKddxT
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPb3y6o4b4Y
It’s the hour when fate stops pretending to be fair.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCW9nlgqFK4
1234 copyright protection158ＰＥＮＡＮＡxD8jHT6Nr8 尼I close my eyes, but his face won’t leave me alone.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zCBRFLFL4
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPeJZrR1tZ
Those blue eyes — calm even with a sword over his neck.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ij3g5mfR6
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Like he wasn’t scared of dying.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJAkfAGHKy
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Like he’d already done it before.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXYTE6Q3UQ
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjwoK36n7i
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGv7lIGm2Qt
And that smile… no, not even a smile — more like quiet acceptance.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzzLeIgHWG
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzWjMBj0bh
The kind that says, “I told you this would happen.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiGCFl7l1r
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7BQHZWV6T
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I don’t even know his name.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwQcSCw3Gr
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3l30l5xAeI
But when I think about him, my chest tightens, like I’m remembering someone I already lost.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOP6fqyKex
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2mhAlbMXH
Which makes no sense, because I’m supposed to be me. Lily. The girl who fell into a cursed fantasy soap opera.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PDLBJOfGG
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4rLFXkDqm
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BWclhFdIF
So why does it hurt like it’s not the first time?162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkBW5fgsKk
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8damQdkbik
162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvRAkF7mBM

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