Page 4 of Beyond the Treaty (The Hollow Crown Saga #1)

I never slept a wink last night. My eyes are heavy, my mind a prison. The treaty meeting was a disaster. Kaelen loves me, but I love Azrael. And now, I’m bound to marry Kaelen. What a mess.

I needed to get up, to look like I hadn’t spent the night tossing and turning.

I wanted to look like I’ve slept on a bed of clouds.

Where is Withers, though? It’s past dawn, and he’s usually knocking on my door by now.

I really need to talk to him. He’s the only one I fully trust in this realm, he was my mother’s right-hand man.

I hate calling him a ‘butler’ because he’s so much more than that.

He’s my friend, a shoulder to cry on, an advisor.

A knock rang in my ears. Finally. “Come in, I’m awake,” I called, still cocooned in my comfy prison of a bed.

“Good morning, M’Lady. How did you sleep after such an eventful evening with the Lord and Prince?” Withers asked, his smile wide, waiting for my response.

“Awful Withers. Just awful,” I mumble, burying myself further into the mass amounts of duvet, trying to shield myself from the conversation I knew was coming. He approached the bedside, where only my face was now visible.

“Come now, Elara. What happened?” his concerned gaze locked with mine, searching for answers.

“It was a disaster, Withers. I revealed my secret… who I really am. And it wasn’t good.

” He remained silent, patiently waiting for me to continue.

“Kaelen found it interesting. I told him I am of royal blood, he then proceeded to tell me that we are bound. And to marry…” I paused, holding back the information I had scoped out and realised myself.

Oh, and the fact that I am in love with Prince Azrael.

“Unfortunately, M’Lady, that is correct.

You are now bound to Kaelen. There is a passage within the treaty that states that if two of the three immortal rulers are to be of the same species and are of royal calibre, they are to marry to keep the balance of the world in check…

The longer you delay completing the bond, the more our world will crumble. Destruction will take over.”

Withers’ words made me tremble, and I couldn’t seem to hold back my frustration.

“I can’t marry him, Withers! I’m not in love with like he is with me! I love someone else!” I shouted, my voice breaking the silence. I had never snapped at him before. He’d never seen me this frustrated, this lost.

“I…I’m sorry. I’m so conflicted. I haven’t slept all night. My mind has been running marathons.” Tears slide down my cheeks. “What do I do, Withers?”

He didn’t speak right away. Instead, he knelt beside me and wiped the tears from my face.

“Now, now, Elara. You are not alone in this. I swore to your mother that I would always be there for you, if you fell, I’d pick you up. I’ll make sure you’re always protected and loved. I know I’m just your butler…”

“Friend,” I corrected him, a bitter taste forms in my mouth. I hate the word ‘butler’.

“Your friend, Elara,” he continues, his voice soft but firm. “I know I’m your friend, but I’ll never abandon you.”

“Thank you, Withers. You’re my favourite,” I say, trying to lighten the mood, forcing a small chuckle. His smile is enough to calm the storm in my chest.

Withers stood and walked towards the door, hand resting on the golden, swirling handle. He turned back.

“Would you like me to announce the news to the High Council?”

I looked at him, worry hiding behind my eyes. “Yes, please, I don’t think I can stand before them today.”

“Do not worry, M’Lady. Don’t worry.” He reassures me before turning back to leave.

“Oh, Withers? I have a question,” I asked quickly. He turns to look at me fully, a curious expression on his face.

“Yes, M’Lady?”

“How is that I can still walk in daylight?” I ask the question heavy on my tongue, for I still don’t understand it myself.

Withers pauses for a moment, then proceeded, his voice steady. “M’Lady, your grandmother on your mother’s side, was Fae, and she married a vampire, not of any royal lineage, just a simple, common vampire. And she did so against the High Council’s orders.”

My breath catches in my throat. “And my father? What was he?” I can’t help but feel my heart race, as if hearing these words is slowly unlocking the mystery that is my life.

Withers’ gaze softens, his hands folding his handkerchief with care. “Your father was also a vampire. He was your mother’s best friend. I’ll admit, I didn’t particularly care for him, but he made your mother happy, and that’s all that mattered to me.”

“Did my mother defy the High Council’s orders as well?”

“With pleasure, Elara, she did.” Withers replies, a hint of a chuckle in his voice, as if he’s recalling old memories.

“She has a fire in her. But to be quite frank, the darkness was very dormant back then. There was no feeling of an imbalance on the horizon like there is now. Which is why, unfortunately, you must marry Lord Kaelen.”

I frowned, frustration building. “But how does all of this explain how I can walk in daylight? I need to understand. I need to know why I’ve kept this secret all my life.”

Withers’ expression turns more serious. “Your grandmother’s and grandfather’s powers skipped a generation. When you were born, you inherited them. That’s why Lunairis is able to pass you off as a Fae Queen.” He explains, his tone softening. “Now, M’Lady, I must make haste and return to my duties.”

He bows respectfully, then turns to leave, closing the door behind him.

I step towards the window, gazing at the mountain tops in Ebonshade Keep.

I need to talk to Kaelen to apologise for my behaviour last night.

But he is likely asleep, and there is no point in sneaking out now.

I’ll have to wait until everyone, including Withers, is in their sleeping quarters and the palace is silent.

I decided to get dressed for the day, brushed my hair and prepared for whatever duties Withers had tasked me.

I look at the piece of parchment paper. Oh, there isn’t anything to do, considering Withers is speaking to the High Council on my behalf.

I don’t actually have to leave my chambers.

I just need to wait. Maybe if I sleep, that would help.

I turn away from the door, glancing at my bed, its invitation too tempting to resist. Slowly, I shuffle back towards it, sinking into the comfort I need.

I awoke after several hours, I didn’t dream during that slumber. I think I was too exhausted to imagine anything. Maybe one thing could have crossed my mind, but I was glad it didn’t. I need to keep a clear mind for what lies ahead.

I quietly stepped towards my wardrobe, trying to decide what to wear. Something too revealing may give the wrong impression, but something too formal might make him think I was visiting on royal business. Ugh, think Elara, think.

I chose a gown, simple, but not too revealing.

Not too formal either. My nightgown. I didn’t care what Kaelen thought.

Just want to apologise for my rudeness and get it over with.

My stomach growls, reminding me that I haven’t eaten a thing all day.

But it was too risky to run to the kitchen now, I would definitely make too much noise and probably alert Withers.

As much as I loved him, I can’t tell him everything, especially about sneaking out to see my so-called ‘husband-to-be’. Maybe Kaelen could make me something.

I turn towards my huge, door-like window, gripping the latch to open it. I brace myself, adjusting my wings, stretching them wide.

I hesitated for a moment, then took the leap. Letting the wind greet my wings, diving towards the ground, waiting for the perfect moment to spread my wings and soar to Ebonshade Keep.

The realm beneath me was beautiful. At night, everything was vibrant, a world bathed in moonlight.

Flowers pulsed with fluorescent light, casting an ethereal glow across the landscape.

What would happen when Kaelen and I married?

Would I live in Ebonshade, or would he come to Lunairis? Only the High Council had the answers.

As I neared the border between our realms, I marvelled at the sigh of Mythrendel in the moonlight.

Ebonshade Keep, though shrouded in fog, was just as stunning.

Its forest was different from mine, bare trees with no leaves, a sense of death in the air.

The howling of unseen beasts sent shivers down my spine.

I couldn’t imagine facing one of them. Banshees, I’d heard, roamed these woods, wailing through the night, feasting on small creatures.

I arrived at Kaelen’s castle, an imposing monument to the power of darkness.

The structure seemed to breathe with ancient magic and forbidden desires, its grandeur veiled by mist. It was a world unto itself, a place where the past and present collided.

A place where the fate of the realm was written in the shadows.

As I approached the enormous door, I couldn’t help but think, maybe he was compensating for something. I raised my fist to knock, but before I could touch the wood, the door creaked open.

I hesitantly step inside. “Wow,” I whisper.

The interior was a tapestry of darkness and glittering jewels.

Crystal chandeliers cast eerie, shifting shadows across the marble floors.

The faint sound of dripping water echoed from a fountain, its surface reflecting the faces of Kaelen’s ancestors, ancient eyes filled with longing.

I wandered deeper into the castle until I reached an even grander set of doors. It had to have been where Kaelen was.

I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what was to come.

I pushed the heavy doors open, and there he was.

Kaelen sat upon his throne, in the heart of the room, a space bathed in the pale glow of moonstone.

The throne was crafted from obsidian, inlaid with silver.

Behind it, a mural depicted the rise and fall of Kaelen’s people, a reminder of their power.

“Elara?” Kaelen gasped, his eyes wide with surprise. “What are you doing here?” he looks at me, surprised, but in a way that made my heart flutter. Hmm.

“I’m here to apologise, Kaelen,” I say, standing tall. Trying to make this encounter about business, not pleasure.