Clarissa

I stared at the reflection in the gold-plated mirror. The delicate blonde curls, the deep brown eyes, the pink-stained lips and kohl liner.

The dark circles hiding an anxious mind.

The pale cheeks, the down-turned mouth.

The white dress.

It was a beautiful dress. Handmade by Katrine, of course.

I had to admit it was something I would’ve picked for myself, had it ever been my choice.

It had a delicate lace bodice and a deep V-neckline, with floral embroidery in the lace and along the sheer, lightweight sleeves that extended to my wrists.

It cinched at the waist before cascading into a long train that billowed around my feet as I sat at the vanity in my suite back at Palace Grimaldi.

I couldn’t care less about having it all—the dress, the flowers, the false grandeur. But Galen said we had to keep up appearances for the kingdom. The rest of them didn’t know the only reason we were doing this was to break the curse that had taken an entire island captive in a single day.

Nox stayed behind to make sure we had gotten everybody off the island, while the rest of us organized travel routes and passage.

It was about a full day’s trip to the nearest ports in each of the three territories on the mainland, so we split the ships up so as not to overwhelm them.

We docked on the eastern side of the North Territory in the middle of the night and spent the next ten hours waiting for the others, unloading and finding refuge for the displaced islanders.

It was an absolute mess. I hadn’t slept since…I didn’t know how long anymore.

We wouldn’t have an accurate count of survivors until the other territories were settled and got an idea of numbers, but I was hopeful we’d done all we could to get as many of them to safety as possible.

It was evening now, and I’d barely had a minute to myself since we made port.

Despite everything that had gone wrong, every obstacle in the road, every nightmare that had come to life…it all still came down to this moment.

I was about to marry Galen Grimaldi.

And I was in love with his best friend.

Tap tap came a small knock on my door. “Come in,” I called out.

My mother, Rose, and Leo entered the suite. Mother held up a hand to her lips when she saw me, letting out a soft, “You look beautiful, my dear.”

I gave her a half-smile as I stood. “Thank you, Mother.”

Rose enveloped me in a hug. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” I swallowed. “Just ready to get it over with.”

Leo pulled me into his side, and I leaned against him, thankful for the quiet, steady reprieve with my family.

Another knock on the door had all four of us turning. A middle-aged woman in a wheelchair being pushed by a servant appeared in the doorway.

The servant cleared his throat. “Isabella Grimaldi, the Dowager Queen Mother, would like to see you, Your Majesty.”

My eyebrows flew up. Galen’s mother .

I hadn’t met her yet, since she hadn’t been feeling well when we were last here. I took in her golden-brown skin, her graying hair flowing in brittle waves down her shoulders, her thin, sunken cheeks. Her hazel eyes were so hooded, she could barely meet my gaze when I stood before her.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace,” I said, bowing low.

She opened her mouth to speak, but a hacking cough came out instead. With shaking arms, she raised a yellow, bloodied rag to her lips, her shoulders bobbing with each cough. She waved her other hand in the air while clearing her throat, and the servant rushed forward with a small silver box.

“For you,” Isabella Grimaldi rasped. It looked like it took all her energy just to get those two words out. The servant opened the box to reveal a strand of pearls and matching earrings, with a single diamond on each.

“Your Grace, they’re beautiful,” I murmured, fingering the pearls.

Another coughing fit overtook her. My heart sank as I thought about how it must feel for Galen to have watched his father and now his mother succumb to such a terrible disease.

When she looked back up at me, I saw a haze covering her tired eyes.

She swallowed thickly and pointed to her throat, then the jewels, then to me. She wanted me to wear them.

I nodded. “It would be an honor. Thank you, Your Grace.”

Her thin lips split into a faint smile, and she reached out to take my hand. “Thank you,” she choked out. “For…for saving him.”

I bit down on my bottom lip and nodded before taking the box from the servant. Isabella slumped back in her wheelchair, and he pushed her out of the room.

Rose stared at their retreating figures with a puzzled expression on her face. “What kind of illness did Galen say she had?”

“He didn’t specify,” I said with a shrug. “Just that the same one eventually took his father’s life. Some lung disease, maybe.”

Her brow furrowed, and Leo grazed her arm with his finger. “What are you thinking, little wolf?”

“I don’t know,” Rose responded slowly, toying with the pouch of herbs she always kept strapped to her. “But I want to go see about something. I’ll meet you at the wedding, okay?” She kissed Leo and gave me another hug before starting off after Isabella.

“Rissa, there’s something I want to give you too,” my mother said as she crossed to the door and shut it softly.

She held a book in her hands—the same book she’d had in the Mid Territory the night of the Harvest Festival, with a letter sticking out the top.

I gave her a quizzical look when she pulled it out and ran her fingers over the worn edges.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“It’s a letter. From your father,” she added, and my eyes widened.

She took my hands and placed the envelope in them, giving me a squeeze as her eyes lined with silver.

My mother so rarely cried—a product of everything she’d been through, everything she was “supposed” to be as a former empress.

But there was a slight tremble of her hands, a shake in her voice.

“He wrote this for you when you were born. I had always thought he would be the one to give it to you when he felt the time was right, but the Fates had other plans.”

The paper was wrinkled and faded by time, with the edges curling in on themselves. I slowly opened the flap to pull out the yellowed pages inside.

“Bad timing. You should’ve given this to me before my makeup was on, Mother,” I joked through the lump forming in my throat.

She cupped my cheek and gave me a small smile. “We’ll give you some time alone. I love you, sweet girl. Your father would be so proud of you.”

“I’m just glad you’re here,” I whispered when she pulled me in for a hug.

As she backed away, Leo took her place. His tail flicked out from beneath its hiding spot under his thick cloak and curled anxiously around his ankle.

“I know this probably isn’t how you imagined this day would go,” he started. “But I was wondering if you’d let me walk you down the aisle?”

Tears stung at the backs of my eyes. “Emperor’s tits, both of you could have done this earlier,” I said, hurriedly swiping at my cheeks. I scrunched my nose to hold back the wave of tears and sniffed, then tugged at my brother’s neck to bring him down to me.

“I’d love that, little brother,” I murmured.

He cleared his throat and released me, nodding as he met my mother at the door to my suite. “We’ll see you down there,” he said.

Once they had both gone, I tossed myself into the vanity chair. I took a deep breath and fingered the folded letter, feeling each crease in the thin parchment. When I opened it, my eyes scanned the words and instantly recognized my father’s cramped scrawl.

My dear Clarissa,

Tonight, we welcomed you into this world. I have yet to stop thinking about the moment I laid eyes on you—nestled in your mother’s arms, your little fingers and toes peeking out, eyes as deep and endless as our love for you. I knew in that second our lives would be forever changed.

I’m in disbelief that this perfect creature is mine.

That I get to watch you grow up, to live your life, and one day take my place and lead our people.

This is my vow to you, Clarissa, that I will always do right by you.

I will take care of this family and this empire so that when it is left in your hands, you have the strength and foundation to rule them well.

I cannot guarantee the path forward will be easy, as much as I wish I could protect you from all that will come your way.

My hope is that you will be infinitely better than I have been.

Just remember that people are not led only by force, but by wisdom, courage, and most importantly, compassion.

You may bend, but I know you will not break.

Never forget, my dearest daughter, that even the strongest of steel was once softened by fire.

And you will be the strongest of them all.

With all my love ,

Your father

A tear dripped and landed on the bottom of the page, leaving a dark splotch that spread along the edge.

I closed my eyes. Memories of those childhood years before he died came flooding back—every time he took me in his arms and swung me in the air, every time he held Mother in the kitchen as she tried to cook, every time he let me watch as he and Leo practiced Alchemy.

The nights our family spent under the stars, the stories read by a dying fire, the pride in his eyes when I shifted for the first time.

Even the strongest of steel was once softened by fire. I wondered if he knew back then how difficult it would be to allow myself to feel any hint of weakness. If perhaps he was the same—always needing to meet expectations, to present himself as the perfect emperor, full of strength and power.

The thought soothed me as I folded the letter back into its envelope and tucked it into my vanity.

I took one last look in the mirror and reached for the delicate lace veil atop a pillow to my left.

I stared at the large diamond in the centerpiece, the light refracting my own image in its reflection.

I pinned the veil to the top of my head.

It was time to save this kingdom, once and for all.