3 : : Back In The Castle

-- Back to the Castle*

The night had fallen soft and quiet, the forest blanketed in moonlight. Mina—still in Elara's body—dozed beneath the stars, her breath slow, her mind restless.

In her dream, cold water curled around her ankles. A deep blue egg pulsed beneath her palms, glowing faintly in the dark. A whisper echoed through the cave:

*"Wake me."*

She jolted awake to warm hands on her shoulders and a familiar voice.

"Elara," her father whispered. "You can't sleep out here, my child."

She blinked, slowly focusing on the man kneeling beside her—tall, refined, with soft grey hair that curled just slightly at the ends and eyes like crushed sapphire. His face was aged but gentle, lined with a quiet strength and grief he never spoke of.

"I... fell asleep?" she murmured, still dazed.

"You've been gone all day," he said, voice tight with worry. "The queen is expecting all her daughters tomorrow for the Spring Blessing. You mustn't make her wait. Please, just... try to please her this time."

Mina nodded silently, her chest heavy. She didn't know this queen. But Elara's fear of her was rooted deep in the body Mina now inhabited.The journey back to the castle was quiet. No guards, no ceremony. They entered through the side—like servants.

Because Elara may have been royal by blood, but she had no place among the queen's daughters.

Not yet.

***

The palace was carved from stone and obsidian, towering high into the sky like a crown of black glass. Fire lanterns lit the hallways, casting long shadows along the velvet-draped corridors.

When Mina reached her room, she was greeted not by silence—but by laughter.

Two of her stepsisters stood in the doorway, giggling like spoiled courtiers.

"Oh look," said the third-born daughter, her golden eyes gleaming, "the invisible one has returned."

She was tall and wild, with hair like feathers and a smirk that made Mina's spine bristle. This was the shapeshifter—the one who could speak with beasts and vanish into shadows.

"I heard she fell asleep in the woods," said the second daughter, flicking her fingers, and a small flame danced between them. "What did you dream of, Elara? Dignity?"

They laughed again and walked away.

Only one girl stayed behind.

The youngest—Auri.

With dark curls and a gentle smile, Auri stepped inside and offered her a warm cloth. "Ignore them. They were born with their mother's pride and none of her wisdom."Her hands glowed faintly as she touched Mina's bruised wrist. Warmth spread instantly.

"Healing?" Mina asked softly.

Auri nodded. "It's small for now. But it's something."

Mina smiled faintly. "Thank you."

Auri stepped back, then glanced at her with quiet curiosity. "You feel... different today. Are you all right?"

Mina hesitated. "I think I'm starting to wake up."

***

The next morning, the castle buzzed with tension. Today, the five royal daughters would show their strength before the queen. It was a tradition—and a test.

The eldest daughter raised a forest from dust with a single breath. The second summoned fire with a flick of her hand. The third morphed into a silver hawk midair. The fourth turned an entire marble statue into sand.

And Elara?

Elara had never awakened.

As Mina stepped forward, the queen's sharp eyes bore into her. "And what gift will you pretend to show me this year?"

Elara's father from where he was sitting in the court with other of his fellow husbands, looks at her with a worried face as he saw his daughter making her way to the front of the queen.

Mina stood tall, her heart racing. She had no plan, no magic—only the icy flickers she'd felt in her fingers, and a whisper from a dream she couldn't explain.

*Wake me.*

Before Elara could answer, a gust of cold air swept through the hall.

Gasps echoed as a tall, cloaked woman stepped forward, her presence silencing the crowd. Her long braid shimmered silver under the torchlight, and her eyes glowed faintly violet. It was the same woman Mina had seen at the fountain.

The queen straightened, expression unreadable. "Seer Nyra."

The woman bowed slightly. "Your Majesty. Forgive the interruption, but tradition demands remembrance. The Spring Blessing is not yet complete."

The court held its breath.

Nyra raised her head, voice echoing with eerie clarity. "As is custom, before the daughters of the crown display their full strength, they must undergo the *Awakening Rite*—to release the last of their sealed power. And following it, they are to choose their bondmates—men who will walk with them in magic and status."

A ripple of whispers passed through the nobles.

The queen's gaze darkened. "It is not yet time."

Nyra's smile was faint, almost mocking. "Time waits for no queen. Especially not one with daughters ready to burn kingdoms and shape beasts."

Her eyes flicked to Mina."You may not see it yet... but the sixth has awakened."

Mina froze. Her stepsisters scoffed quietly. But the queen's eyes narrowed, studying her with a new intensity.

"Then let the ceremony proceed," the queen said coldly. "Let the truth reveal itself."

And as Nyra turned to walk away, she whispered so only Elara—no, Mina—could hear:

*"The egg calls to you. Don't let the fire blind your ice."*

The queen stood slowly, her expression cool and unreadable.

"That is enough for today," she said. "You will all prepare for the *Awakening Ritual* at dawn. Each of you will step into your true power—and choose the man who will serve beside you in strength and legacy."

Her voice echoed across the silent hall.

"Do not disappoint me."

She turned and walked away, her guards falling in step behind her. The daughters bowed, one by one, and the court began to dissolve into murmurs and motion.

Mina—Elara—stood frozen for a moment, then quietly slipped away.

***

Her chambers were small, tucked in the west wing where no light reached past noon. But as she shut the door behind her, a strange sense of calm settled in her chest.

The queen hadn't insulted her. Not today. Not directly.

Maybe… maybe she still had time to figure this out.

A soft knock broke her thoughts.

"It's me," Auri's voice came gently from the other side.

Elara opened the door, and her stepsister stepped in with a tired smile and two cups of warm honey tea. She handed one over and curled up near the window, watching the stars.

"Big day tomorrow," Auri said quietly.

Elara nodded. "I don't know how I'll face it.""You will," Auri said firmly. "You always do."

They sat in silence for a moment, the quiet hum of night wrapping around them.

"I've never been afraid of the queen's trials," Auri continued. "But choosing someone to share your power with… that's a different kind of test."

Elara looked down into her tea. "What if I don't awaken anything?"

"Then you'll still be Elara," Auri said, reaching for her hand. "And that's enough. But… I don't believe you're powerless."

Elara managed a small smile. For the first time since waking up in this world, she didn't feel completely alone.

Tomorrow, everything could change.

But for tonight… she wasn't the forgotten girl.

She was just a sister.

---