Aloud, her voice cut through the room. "Now, soone tells this is true. How all of you are just liars."
"Yes," King Benkin answered solemnly. "She is your cousin, and unfortunately, Araben’s sister."
Ren’s breath hitched. "Does she know?"
"She does," the king said gently. "But she doesn’t want it announced. She loves her foster family."
He paused, visibly weighing his next words. Though he had revealed the truth, his final judgnt was still pending. First, he needed to verify whether Alekin D’Orient truly did not know about his daughter’s survival.
Azrael, however, insisted otherwise, that the Lord of Zillgaira knew exactly what had beco of her.
"What are we going to do now?" Ren demanded, her voice low now. "How could you send her to retrieve that Spike instead of Daniella?"
The question struck the room like a whip. That spy girl had volunteered -volunteered- to risk her life. So why had they gambled with Gloria’s instead?
"Because we don’t trust her," Kaisun answered grimly. "She’s the last known descendant of King Alvone."
Ren’s brow furrowed. That girl might already be planning to kill Victor Keleemont or maybe even Lutherieth. The thought twisted in her gut. And then, what would she do?
"She could have her own motives," Kai added. "And we couldn’t risk her getting her hands on sothing like that."
Ren crossed her arms tightly. "And how exactly do you know all this?"
Kaisun inclined his head toward his brother. "Care to clean up your ss, Azrael?"
Azrael rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. He launched into the explanation, repeating what he’d told the others earlier, piecing together the deadly truths they’d uncovered.
"So even I can’t touch the Spike?" Ren asked, her voice turning cold.
Azrael shook his head. "No, Princess. You can’t."
A beat passed before he added, with a faint smirk, "Now, we test your little prisoner at the feast. I want to see who she tries to kill first." The arrogant tone in his voice sohow told that he was enjoying this ga.
~*~
Two days later~
Gloria’s eyes fluttered open.
The pain was gone.
Instead, a rush of energy surged through her veins, exactly like what she’d felt the mont she touched the Spike.
A warm hand clutched hers, steady and grounding as if trying to keep her tethered to this world after a long, uncertain sleep.
"Gloria!" Rail’s voice cracked, thick with emotion. The ache in it pierced her heart.
"I’m fine..." she murmured, her voice hoarse. "Why am I in the Queen’s bedroom?"
"She gave you this chamber," Rail said softly. "Arkilla and I have been with you. You’ve been unconscious for two days."
Her brows pinched together. The last thing she rembered was stealing the Spike, her body mangled and failing.
She glanced down and realized how tightly she was clutching sothing in her left hand. Her fingers twitched and finally released the object.
The wooden spike dropped onto the silk sheets.
"Oh, this thing..." she whispered, blinking at it. "It was glowing. Why is it dull now?"
"It’s in you," ca a voice from the doorway.
Gloria turned her head. Soone had entered with a strange, knowing smile tugging at her lips.
"Your Highness, you healed !"
Ren shook her head. "It wasn’t . Not entirely." Her gaze drifted to the wooden Spike. "The protection shield surrounding it rged with my power... It healed your broken spine the exact mont I thought I’d lost you."
She stepped closer and wrapped Gloria in a tight embrace. "I’m so glad you’re alive. That you’re my cousin. That you ca into my life to brighten it... to be my joy."
Ren ant every word. Despite the danger now shadowing Gloria’s life, she couldn’t hide how deeply grateful she was. This-finding her-was miraculous. Of course, Gloria didn’t deserve to be anywhere near soone like Araben, mad with ambition and blood, fucking jealous.
"My Queen," Gloria whispered, her voice thick with unshed tears, "now I understand why my parents didn’t want to co here."
Her eyes, shimring, found Rail’s. Accepting who she truly was ant letting go of the man she loved.
A knock shattered the fragile beauty of that mont.
"Your Highness, Lord Alekin and his family have arrived," ca Beta Coran’s voice from beyond the door.
Ren had told him to alert her the second they crossed the gates.
She gently pulled back from the embrace.
Gloria’s expression shifted, panic tightening her features. Her skin turned pale. "What should we do? Will King Benkin keep his word?"
Ren couldn’t lie. King Benkin was no man of promises. He was a man of gain. Always calculating, always taking the path that brought him an advantage. She wouldn’t trust him, not now.
"Look," Ren said softly, trying to calm her, "even if he does keep his word, and you don’t want to be a part of this vicious court... just say it. Reject them. Co back to Thegara with ."
"Are you coming with to greet them under the maiden disguise?" Ren wanted her to et them first. In this maiden disguise, she could get to know her bully sister.
"My Queen, she has just woken up!" Rail protested and Arkila shushed him when she stood behind Ren.
"I’m fine. I don’t know how. But I don’t feel sick."
Gloria took a sip of water and left the bed, "Arkilla, where are my belongings? I’ll go with my Queen. I need to see what is happening around , not behind ."
Ren nodded eagerly, agreeing to her words.
"But that Spike! What are we going to do with it?" Gloria pointed out.
"You are the only one who can touch it. So I suggest you place it in that sealed magical box so we can keep it here on your desk. I prefer to have it next to you instead of the wrong hands."
Gloria obeyed, picked up the Spike and opened the box with the runes carved on it. Placing it inside, she smiled, "I’m happy that I could help. Now, that demon cannot harm anybody with this."
...
Gloria wore simple maiden clothes and attended the greeting next to her Luna Queen. The sky was quiet and partly cloudy. The sumr in Alvonia was more like the Spring in Thegara, cool.
In the courtyard, the vassals and guards were marching around in haste. Half of the noble families arrived simultaneously today from across the seven Kingdoms.
Ren clasped Gloria’s trembling hand, "Don’t worry, His Highness is here. He promised if they caused a commotion, he’d make a portal to take you back to Thegara."
Kai was standing next to Reneira and confird with a nod. It was the least he could do to repay what Gloria had done.
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