Chapter 17

The Calm Before the Storm

The days after the discovery of the prophecy seemed to drag on, each one heavier than the last. The air was thick with tension, and the walls of the palace felt like they were closing in on me. The calm we had so carefully built after Selene's defeat was beginning to feel like an illusion. Everyone was waiting for something—waiting for the next blow to fall.

Liam and I spoke less in the last few days, as if there were nothing left to say. We both knew what was coming, and we could feel the weight of it pressing down on us. We had been through so much together, but this… this was different. The prophecy haunted me, even in my dreams. I couldn't escape it.

The kingdom, too, felt the shift. There were whispers, quiet voices in the halls, rumors of unrest. Some of the nobles began to pull away, unsure of where their loyalties should lie. The tension between them was growing, and it seemed as though Silverwood was on the brink of another war, one that was far more dangerous than anything we had faced before.

I spent more time in the garden these days, walking alone in the peace of the flowers and trees. The quiet made it easier to think, but it also gave me too much time to worry. The questions filled my head like a storm, swirling in and out of focus. Who could we trust? Who was with us, and who was against us?

One morning, as I walked through the garden, lost in thought, I heard footsteps behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. I could feel Liam's presence even before he spoke.

"You're still thinking about it," he said softly, stepping beside me. His voice was gentle, but there was an edge to it, a worry that mirrored my own.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. The weight of it all was too much to put into words. We were both trapped in this world of duty and fate, bound by a prophecy that neither of us fully understood. And yet, we couldn't escape it. The future seemed so uncertain, and I wasn't sure how much longer we could hold everything together.

Liam placed his hand on mine, the touch grounding me in a way I didn't know I needed. His warmth spread through me, giving me a small sense of calm in the midst of the storm.

"We'll face it together," he said, his voice low but firm. "No matter what happens, I won't let you go through this alone. We'll fight whatever comes. You and me."

There was something in his words that made me believe him. Even with everything we were facing, I knew he was right. We would fight it together. We had always fought side by side, and we would keep doing so.

But even as the words settled in my heart, I couldn't ignore the nagging feeling in the back of my mind. The prophecy was clear. Someone would betray us. And though Liam's words gave me strength, the truth was that I didn't know if we could stop it.

We stood there for a while, in the quiet of the garden, our hands intertwined. It was the kind of peaceful moment I had longed for, but it also felt too fleeting. The calm before the storm, I thought. The storm that I could already feel in the distance, threatening to break over us at any moment.

That night, as the moon rose high in the sky, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned in bed, the silence of the palace only making the anxiety worse. I could hear the faint sounds of the wind outside, but my mind was too loud for sleep. Thoughts of the prophecy, the betrayal, and everything that had happened between Liam and me kept me awake.

I slipped out of bed quietly, not wanting to disturb Liam. He had been exhausted from the endless meetings and plans, and I knew he needed his rest. But I couldn't stay still. I had to do something, even if it was just to get some air.

I made my way to the balcony, stepping out into the cool night. The moonlight bathed the courtyard below, casting long shadows on the stone. It felt like I was standing on the edge of the world, looking out at something far beyond my reach.

"Lola?"

I jumped slightly at the sound of Liam's voice. He had followed me, his steps soft but unmistakable. I turned to face him, and his gaze softened when he saw the worry in my eyes. He didn't ask me why I was out there or what I was thinking. He didn't need to. We both knew.

"I can't stop thinking about it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "The prophecy… everything it says. It's like it's pulling us into something we don't understand. And I don't know if we can stop it."

Liam stepped closer, his hand gently brushing against mine as he joined me on the balcony. The night was quiet, save for the distant sounds of the palace and the wind rustling the trees.

"You're not alone in this, Lola," he said, his voice steady. "I don't understand the prophecy either, but I know one thing. Whatever happens, we'll face it together. You and me, we've already come so far. We can't give up now."

I looked at him then, really looked at him, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop. His eyes, dark and full of determination, held mine. In that moment, I could see everything we had been through together—the battles, the struggles, the fear, and the love. We had survived it all, and we would survive whatever came next.

But even as I tried to believe in those words, the fear lingered. The betrayal. The prophecy. What if it was all true? What if everything we had worked for, everything we had built, was going to crumble because of something we couldn't control?

"Promise me, Liam," I said, my voice trembling slightly. "Promise me you won't let anything happen to us."

He pulled me into his arms, holding me close. I felt the steady beat of his heart against my chest, the warmth of his embrace grounding me once again. "I promise," he said, his voice low and certain. "I will protect you, always."

And for a moment, I believed him. I believed in us, in the strength we had together.

But deep down, I knew the storm was coming. And when it hit, I wasn't sure if even Liam's promise would be enough to save us.

The next day, the kingdom seemed quieter than usual. The nobles were more reserved, the servants moved with a sense of urgency. The calm before the storm was settling in, and I could feel it in the air. Something was coming. Something that would change everything.

I found myself in the war room later that afternoon, sitting next to Liam as we went over the final plans. Every decision we made felt like a step closer to the inevitable. There were no easy choices, no clear answers. Everything was uncertain, and the weight of it pressed on us both.

"Do you ever wonder if we're doing the right thing?" I asked quietly, unable to shake the feeling that we were standing at the edge of something we couldn't control.

Liam turned to me, his expression softening. "Every day," he admitted. "But we don't have the luxury of second-guessing ourselves. We have to keep moving forward. We've come too far to stop now."

He was right. We had come so far, and stopping now would be the same as giving up. And I wasn't ready to give up. Not now, not ever.

As we sat there, preparing for what was to come, I felt the weight of the prophecy once more. The storm was coming. And I didn't know if we would survive it.

But with Liam by my side, I knew one thing: I would fight until the very end.