AT THE EDGE

By the time I returned to my chambers, I wasn't sure if my legs were still moving by habit or pure determination. The gown weighed heavier with every step I took, and even though I had tried my best not to let it show at the breakfast table, my insides were knotted with confusion. Caspian's absence had cut deeper than I expected.

The door shut behind me.

I didn't speak.

Alina walked in quietly with an unreadable expression. She helped me change into a softer gown, pale lavender, free of corset hooks and structured panels. I barely noticed the fabric. I simply felt like a ghost drifting away in silk.

She untied my hair and combed it loosely over my shoulders.

"Rest, if you can," she murmured.

But how could I rest, with my thoughts clawing at me and the silence filling my head too loudly?

I sat for a while without moving.

Then a knock came. Swift and clipped.

Alina answered it and returned with her usual calm expression she always had.

"You've been summoned to the Ladies' Hall."

I turned slowly. "Summoned?"

"A tradition," she said.

My head spun. "How many traditions do I have to go through in one day?"

Alina shook her head and continued. "After the bride is presented, the women of the court call her forward. It's... not optional."

Of course not. Nothing here was.

I nodded and stood. "Fine, let's get it over with."

---

The Ladies' Hall was beautiful in a quiet and careful way. Tall windows were covered with soft ivory curtains. Crystal vases held silver flowers I didn't recognise, and small soft pillows were placed on velvet rugs. Soft music played from somewhere I couldn't see.

It would've been beautiful, if not for the women who were in it.

They sat in a loose circle, each one dressed like a statue made of power and grace. There were five of them. I didn't know any of them personally, but I had met one. Selene Vael. I recognised the woman in the centre, though I wasn't sure if it was because of her crown... or the way she carried herself.

Queen Vireya. Princess Tayla's mother.

She had sculpted cheekbones, golden hair that was twisted into perfect braids, and an impossible stillness. Her daughter, Tayla sat to her right, back straight and rigid, I was sure she was barely breathing. She looked as though she had been carved from obedience itself.

To the Queen's left was a colder presence I knew, Selene Vael. Her eyes stuck on me from the moment I walked in. She gave me a slow and cunning smile.

Another woman sat poised and sharp-eyed, dressed in dusk-grey silks. She looked like a mixture of Daron and Marcus. I was sure this was their mother, Consort Ilyana.

The last was older, hawk-eyed, her fingers wrapped around a goblet of deep red wine. I didn't know her name, but I knew her role: an observer. A witness.

"Princess Lyra," Queen Vireya said, her tone as smooth as polished glass. "We were just speaking of you."

I bowed slightly. "Your Majesties. My Ladies."

"Come," she gestured, "sit with us."

There was space beside Tayla, so I moved quietly and sat beside her.

"You must be tired," the Queen said, arranging her sleeve. "First feasts tend to be exhausting."

"It was... enlightening," I murmured.

Selene Vael chuckled softly. "She speaks with care."

"Care," Ilyana repeated, swirling her wine. "Or calculation?"

"I imagine," the Queen said, cutting gently between them, "that she speaks as one who understands silence."

I realised they were circling me and it was neither in a kind nor a cruel way. Every word they said had a hidden meaning. Every glance felt like a test, they were assessing. And Tayla just sat motionless without saying a word or blinking. She didn't even look at me.

For some reason, my throat felt tight.

"Tell us," Selene said after a while with an unreadable gaze. "what can a human bride offer my Prince?"

My Prince? Again?

This woman knew how to get under my skin.

My throat tightened, but I still met her eyes.

"Peace,"

I said it softly, but it felt like stone dropped into still water.

Because she stilled... and the room went quiet.

Queen Vireya's lips curved. "A bold answer."

"And a necessary one," I added.

There was silence again. Then Ilyana smirked faintly, as if amused by a brave child.

"Peace is a fragile thing," Selene murmured. "Easily offered. Rarely kept. Don't promise what you can't keep."

The Queen reached over and adjusted Tayla's sleeve with a deliberate, maternal grace. Tayla didn't flinch this time, but I could see her jaw tighten. I felt like I was watching a play no one had invited me to, or maybe I was invited.

"It takes time to adjust," Queen Vireya said, eyes still on Tayla. But her voice had turned distant, as if she remembered something colder. "Some bend with grace while some break."

"Some," Selene said, sipping from her goblet, "learn to wield the rules as well as any blade."

I smiled faintly. "I'm learning."

That, finally earned me a look from Tayla. Just a glance. A brief one. But her eyes weren't curious, they were measuring.

I stood.

"If the court allows," I said, careful and low, "I would like some air."

Queen Vireya didn't stop me. She tilted her head elegantly. "The garden balconies are yours, Princess. Take as long as you need."

---

The hallway ahead was quiet. I kept walking until the strong smell of perfume faded, and the soft voices behind closed doors disappeared into the wind. Then I saw a carved doorway that led to one of the outer balconies, and I stepped outside.

Fresh air. Finally.

The sky stretched wide above the forest, painted with soft evening colours. A cool breeze moved through my hair, and I leaned on the stone railing, hoping the calm would reach me.

I was extremely tired. Tired of sitting up straight, of trying to understand every smile and every silence. Tired of being watched, judged, and categorised

But I didn't cry. I just took a deep breath.

Then... my heel slipped on uneven stone, and I immediately lost my balance. My hand slid off the railing.

My heart sank. Then... strong arms caught me by the waist and held me close and steady.

What hit me first was his scent.

Rose, earth and cold wind. A combination I didn't quite understand.

Caspian.

I froze, my heart hammering. He held me a moment too long, his hands gripping my waist with desperation wrapped in silence.

Then, suddenly, he stepped back. As if I'd burned him.

"You shouldn't be out here alone," he said, voice low.

"Neither should you," I whispered. "But here we are."

His jaw tightened. "You could have fallen."

I looked at him, hard. "And would you have let me?"

"No," he said.

A pause. The wind blew across the stone floor, lifting the edge of my gown.

"Why did you leave the breakfast?" I asked.

He looked away.

"Because I felt something I shouldn't," he said after a long moment.

My chest twisted. "Was it me?"

His gaze snapped back to mine. There was no hesitation.

"Yes."

The word hit hard, cutting the space between us.

"Stay away from balconies," he said breaking the silence between us.

"Stay away from me, then."

He flinched. Barely.

Then he turned and vanished into the shadows of the tower.

And I stood alone again, wind blew through my hair, and my heart beat louder than the sea below.

But I wasn't falling anymore.

I had already landed.