Elara's POV:

Alaric Foster steadied me, his grip gentle on my arms. His graying eyebrows were knitted in a deep frown as his gaze fell on my swollen cheek. A flicker of pity crossed his weary eyes.

"Child..." he began, then sighed, shaking his head as if words were useless.

He didn't ask what happened. He simply removed the warm cloak from his own shoulders and draped it over me, covering my torn dress. He gave my shoulder a brief, consoling pat before hurrying on toward Kaelen's chambers.

I pulled the cloak tighter. The lingering scent of medicinal herbs was a small comfort, a brief anchor in the swirling chaos of my mind. I knew Dr. Alaric was one of the few people in this fortress who saw me as more than an object, but his kindness was a small, flickering candle in a hurricane.

I couldn't go back to the servants' quarters. Not yet. I was certain Lady Corinna would be looking for me. I slipped down a side corridor and ducked into a small, dark supply closet.

Peeking through the crack in the door, I saw Kaelen's chamber door open again. Dr. Alaric emerged, followed by Kaelen, who had changed into a formal, dark tunic for his duties at court.

They walked past my hiding spot. I held my breath, pressing myself deeper into the shadows.

They didn't see me. They continued down the hall toward the Grand High Court.

I let out a shaky breath, about to slip out, when I heard the sound of hushed whispers from the other end of the corridor.

I recognized the voices. Rose, Daisy, and Poppy, the maids who feasted on gossip like it was fine wine.

I froze, melting back into the darkness. They were talking about me.

"Did you hear?" Daisy's voice was low and thrilled. "Lady Corinna came storming out of the High Sovereign's chambers, and then that mute, Elara, ran out right after, her dress all torn."

"I bet she was trying to get one last bit of favor before her contract was up," Rose sneered. "Serves her right for getting caught."

"Exactly! A girl from a disgraced house, acting like she's still someone important," Poppy added. "It's all because of her cousin, Lady Eleonora, and what happened with the High Sovereign back then..."

Poppy's voice was cut off by a sharp hiss from Rose. "Hush! Do you want to lose your tongue? You can't speak of that!"

My heart skipped a beat. Eleonora... and the High Sovereign? I had always assumed Kaelen's hatred for my family stemmed from my father's role in the war.

"What's the harm," Poppy whispered, defiant. "Everyone in the Keep knows. Lady Eleonora was supposed to be the High Sovereign's Threaded—his soulmate, the one the blood chooses and does not choose twice. But she married the exiled Prince Lucian instead. The High Sovereign has hated House Kensington ever since. That's why he took Elara as a tribute, to punish them."

The words landed somewhere under my ribs and stayed there. I was... my cousin's scapegoat?

"It's a shame, really," Daisy said, her tone dripping with false sympathy. "I heard Elara wasn't always mute. They say she bumped into Lady Corinna by accident once, and the lady had her silenced with some nasty alchemical poison."

My hand flew to my mouth, stifling the gasp that threatened to escape. If the maids were telling the truth... My silence... Corinna did this to me?

"Keep your voice down! Do you want your own tongue cut out?" Rose warned sharply. Their footsteps hurried away, leaving me in the echoing silence.

I leaned against the cold stone, my body sliding down the wall until I was huddled on the floor. The sheer volume of it all, the weight of these secrets, was crushing me.

Eleonora. Corinna. The hatred I had endured, the suffering I had borne in silence... it was all built on a foundation of lies and betrayals I never knew existed.

I wasn't just a tribute from a defeated nation. I was a substitute for a cousin who had spurned him. I was a victim of a jealous rival who had stolen my voice.

A rage I had never felt before, hot and sharp, surged from the depths of my soul. I couldn't just leave. I couldn't just die here, not without knowing the whole truth.

I would find out everything. For myself. And for my family, who had sent me here in ignorance.

I pushed myself to my feet, wiping the tears from my face with the back of my hand. My eyes were no longer filled with fear. A small, determined flame had been lit in the darkness.

I adjusted Alaric's cloak, hiding the evidence of the attack.

I stepped out of the closet. I was no longer running. My steps were steady as I walked toward the servants' block. I needed to think. I needed a plan.

A figure stepped out of the shadows ahead, blocking my path. It was one of Kaelen's personal guards. His face was a blank mask. "The High Sovereign commands your presence in his study. You are to serve him."