A Throne of Lies

Darian lay still, his blood pooling in a crimson lake beneath him. His silver eyes, once filled with fire and promises, stared into nothingness. A choked sound clawed up my throat, but no air came. No words. 

Trix. She had done this. She wiped her blade clean against her sleeve, the motion cold, and efficient. No remorse. No hesitation. 

"You—" My voice broke, barely a whisper. "You killed him." 

Trix tilted her head, amusement flickering in her emerald eyes. "He was already dead the moment he stepped into the Shadow King's domain." 

I lurched forward, heart hammering against my ribs. Darian had been nobility. A lord of Velmoria. A man I was supposed to marry before fate had twisted my path. 

And now he was gone. 

I spun to Kaizer, fury boiling over. "You let this happen." 

His expression didn't change. If anything, the amusement deepened. "You mistake me for someone who cares." 

I struck him. My palm cracked against his cheek, and the hall fell silent. 

The Shadow Veil Court gasped. No one had ever dared to lay hands on their king. 

Kaizer turned his head slowly, exhaling like I had mildly inconvenienced him. His eyes burned like molten gold as he turned back to me, but instead of rage, I saw something different: Amusement. Fascination. Possession. 

I felt really nervous. He caught my wrist before I could pull away, his grip bruising. 

"Bold," he murmured, dragging my hand to his lips. He kissed my knuckles, the warmth of his breath sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. "But misplaced," he concluded. 

I yanked away, my pulse racing. Why wasn't he angry? Why did he look at me like I had just sealed my fate? 

"Have you finished mourning?" he asked, stepping over Darian's corpse like he was nothing more than discarded parchment. 

I clenched my fists. 

Trix leaned against the throne, twirling her dagger between her fingers. "We should move. The rebels won't wait forever." 

Kaizer nodded. "The enemy presses closer. We cannot waste time on the dead." 

I snapped. 

"He was a lord of Velmoria," I hissed. "A noble. A man who was—" Meant to be my husband, I said in my mind. 

Kaizer's expression darkened as if he knew what I was trying to say. "Yes. And yet you stand beside me now." 

His words slithered beneath my skin, latching onto something I wasn't ready to face. 

I had once dreamed of a life with Darian. A safe, predictable life. Now, that dream lay shattered at my feet, swallowed by the shadows of a man who had ruined me. 

And the worst part? I didn't know if I wanted to be saved anymore. 

--- 

A Kingdom on the Brink 

Far from the Shadow Veil Court, and deep within the stone halls of Velmoria's palace, King Aldric sat at the war table, his fingers pressed against his temples. Candles flickered around him, their flames casting uneasy shadows against the walls. 

The air smelled of ink, sweat, and frustration. 

The doors swung open, and Queen Valentina strode in, her emerald gown trailing behind her like a phantom's whisper. 

"They have taken Blackridge," she said, her voice tight with barely restrained panic. 

Aldric's eyes snapped up. "What?" 

"The rebels." Valentina's usually composed face was pale, her fingers clutching the edges of her silk sleeves. "Blackridge fell last night. The nobles have begun whispering—they doubt your strength." 

Aldric pushed away from the table, pacing the length of the chamber. His long cape dragged behind him, the weight of his station pressing heavier than ever. 

"Damn them," he muttered. "Damn them all." 

His daughter was gone. Redgold. His only child. Stolen away in his kingdom and into the grasp of the Shadow King, that wretched tyrant who lurked beyond the borders of their kingdom. 

And now the rebels were tearing his empire apart. 

"The council demands action," Valentina continued, her voice softer now. "They are calling for war. They believe the Shadow King is behind the rebellion, that he is weakening us before he strikes himself." 

Aldric stopped. His jaw tightened. "Because it's true." 

Valentina was speechless. 

She had always known her husband to be a strong man, unshaken by fear or threat. But now, she saw something she had never seen before. 

Doubt. 

Velmoria was collapsing. Their daughter was lost to them. And if they did not act soon… 

They would have no kingdom left to save. 

--- 

Trix led the way through the hidden corridors of the fortress, her steps soundless. The Shadow Veil Court moved with them, the elite warriors of Kaizer's kingdom—loyal, merciless, unbreakable. 

I walked between them, my mind warring against itself. Kaizer's presence loomed beside me, a shadow I could never outrun. He had said nothing more since Darian's death, but I felt his gaze, sharp as a blade, assessing every movement. 

We reached a vast, open chamber, a war room. Maps sprawled across a black marble table, marked with battle plans, and enemy movements. Velmoria's borders were under siege. 

My heart clenched. My people. My home. 

"Your father won't last the month," Trix said, tracing a gloved finger over the map. "The rebels grow stronger. They will take the capital soon." 

My nails bit into my palms. "And you expect me to stand by and do nothing?" 

Kaizer chuckled, low and dark. "Oh, you'll do something." 

I turned to him. His golden eyes glowed with something unreadable. 

"You have a choice to make, Redgold." His voice was smooth like silk. "You can fight against me. Or you can stand with me." 

My breath hitched. 

He took a step closer, and the air between us shifted. 

"Pledge yourself to me," he said. "Not as my captive. Not as my enemy. But as my queen." 

The words slammed into me with the force of a storm. 

Queen. 

The room fell away. The war. The blood. The betrayal. There was only him. 

Kaizer watched me, waiting.

If I said yes, I would be turning my back on everything I had ever known. On Velmoria. On my past. But if I said no… 

I wouldn't survive him. 

I thought hard. The weight of my decision pressed against my chest, suffocating. 

The choice was mine. 

And no matter what I chose—there would be no turning back.