Beneath the Surface

Chapter Thirteen – Beneath the Surface

Elyra barely slept. Draven's words replayed in her mind, laced with an unspoken warning. There are worse things in this palace than me. But what did that mean? Who—or what—was he referring to?

By morning, exhaustion weighed on her, but she forced herself out of bed. The palace was a nest of secrets, and if she wanted to survive, she had to uncover them.

Dressed in a modest but elegant gown, she made her way to the grand hall. The corridors were quieter than usual, but a handful of servants whispered among themselves as she passed. Their eyes flicked to her before darting away.

Something was wrong.

When she entered the hall, she found Draven seated at the long dining table, a goblet in hand. His dark gaze flickered up as she stepped forward, assessing her in a way that made her spine stiffen.

"You're up early," he remarked, setting the goblet down with a soft clink.

Elyra hesitated before pulling out a chair across from him. "I couldn't sleep."

Draven leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable. "I imagine Selene's visit didn't help."

Elyra stiffened. Of course, he knew. "You knew she came to me?"

His lips curved, but there was no humor in it. "I know everything that happens in this palace."

She searched his face for something amusement, indifference, warning but found only cold certainty. "Then you must know what she told me."

Draven exhaled slowly, picking up the goblet again but not drinking from it. "I know Selene enjoys playing with fire. The question is are you willing to burn?"

His words sent a chill through her. Before she could respond, he shifted slightly, his tone darkening. "There was an incident last night."

Elyra's heart stuttered. "What kind of incident?"

Draven leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly against the table. "One of the servants was found dead near the eastern wing. A chambermaid."

A chill crawled down Elyra's spine. "How?"

His gaze darkened. "Her throat was slit."

She swallowed hard. "And you think—"

"I know," he interrupted coldly. "This was no accident. Nor was it random."

Elyra's hands curled into fists in her lap. "You said I wasn't safe here. Is this what you meant?"

Draven didn't answer immediately, but his silence spoke volumes. Finally, he said, "You're beginning to understand."

A sick feeling settled in her stomach. The palace wasn't just dangerous it was a battlefield, one where she didn't yet know the rules.

Draven leaned forward slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. "You need to decide, Elyra. Will you keep pretending you are merely a wife brought here for duty? Or will you open your eyes to the game that's being played?"

Elyra's breath was unsteady, but she forced herself to hold his gaze. "And if I choose the latter?"

Draven smirked, but there was no amusement in it. "Then you'd best be ready for war."

Elyra exhaled shakily, her fingers tightening around the edge of the table. "And if I refuse to play?"

Draven's expression remained unreadable, but a flicker of something passed through his eyes amusement? Disbelief? "Then you'll be crushed beneath the weight of it, like the others before you."

The others before me. Elyra's stomach twisted at the implication. Just how many had suffered under the same game she now found herself ensnared in?

She straightened, lifting her chin. "I am not like the others."

Draven studied her, then let out a slow, quiet chuckle. "No," he admitted, tilting his head slightly. "You are not."

The room felt smaller, as though the walls were pressing in, forcing her to acknowledge the reality she had been trying to ignore. She was caught in something far bigger than an arranged marriage. This was not just a union of kingdoms it was a chessboard, and she had yet to see all the players.

"Then tell me, Draven," she said, her voice quieter now but no less firm. "Who am I supposed to trust?"

Draven leaned forward, his face mere inches from hers. "Trust?" he echoed, as if the word itself was foreign to him. His lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "In this palace? No one."