82!

BRIANNA

There were a lot of people we had to welcome into the palace. Everyone wants to have the future King to themselves, but everyone knows that's clearly my job.

“Hey, you got this,” Liam said, noticing how uncomfortable I was.

“Yeah, I know. Everything is just becoming a bit fuzzy,” I lied. He looked at me like he knew I was lying.

I sighed and faced the person in front of me. I still can't tell him what I saw. I want to but I can't.

“Your grace,” I heard the voice of the man I had come to despise.

I felt Liam's hand on my waist as he moved closer. “Lord Glover,” I called his name. “Welcome to the palace.”

“It's an honor to be here, your grace,” he couldn't even hide the sarcasm in his voice.

“I hope you can behave yourself, Lord Glover,” Liam said to him.

“Always, my future King. I present my wife, Lady Glover and my children, the future of the Glover house,” he said with pride.

I rolled my eyes secretly. Did he have to say that?

Lady Glover curtsied gracefully, her eyes darting between Liam and me. She wore a polite smile, but her grip on her children’s shoulders betrayed a hint of tension. The young Glovers stood stiffly, trying their best to appear dignified while sneaking glances at the grandeur of the palace hall.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Glover. And welcome, children,” I said, forcing warmth into my voice. The last thing I needed was another scene. The room was already brimming with lords and ladies. Trying to outshine one another with extravagant greetings and flattery.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Lady Glover replied softly, her voice far more sincere than her husband’s. For a moment, I almost felt sorry for her, married to such a conniving man.

“I'll be honored to be picked among your future ladies, your grace,” Lord Glover's daughter walked forward and bowed.

I looked at her confused and then at Liam who nudged me to respond.

“Aren't you young to be in that position?” I asked.

“Aging is different over here, your grace,” her mother, Lady Glover, responded, shutting her up.

I felt my face stiffen. Does were the same reference are husband used against me, disrupting the Delegate meeting.

Before I could say more, Lord Glover stepped forward, leaning in just enough to make my skin crawl. “Your Grace, I do hope to have a word later. Matters of... importance,” he said, his eyes glinting with something I couldn’t quite place.

Liam’s grip on my waist tightened protectively. “I’m sure we’re all eager to celebrate tonight, Lord Glover. Let’s leave serious matters for another time,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Lord Glover's smile faltered, but he quickly masked it with a bow. “Of course, my future King. We’re at your service.” With that, he guided his family further into the hall, already mingling with other guests.

I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Liam leaned closer and whispered, “What did he mean by that? What’s going on, Brianna?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat. The vision I had seen, the one that made my blood run cold, flashed in my mind once more.

A shadow behind the throne, a dagger glinting in the dark.

“Not here,” I managed to say, forcing a smile for the benefit of the curious eyes around us. “Later.”

Liam’s expression darkened, but he nodded. “Alright. But we’re talking tonight.”

As we turned to greet the next guests, the air seemed thicker, the noise of the hall muffled by the sound of my racing heartbeat. Lord Glover had always been a snake, but now I knew for certain: there was more venom in the palace than ever before.

We were about to step deeper into the room when Duke Mikeal walked right towards us.

“Future King, my apologies for our lateness,” I smiled as Duchess Mikeal walked towards me.

“Your grace,” I said as I hugged her.

“Your grace,” she greeted me with a slight bow and I almost missed her baby bump.

“Ha,” I said with excitement. “Congratulations,” I said to her. “And to you, Duke Mikeal.”

“Thank you, your Grace. Hopefully it's a boy. An Heir,” he said, firmly. I could see the fear on Duchess Mikeal's face.

“Or not,” Lady Margaret, Duke Mikeal's daughter and Liam's former betrothed, walked forward. The fear in Duchess Mikeal's face increased.

“I was looking forward to having you as my lady,” I said to her and she smiled.

“Me too, your grace, but the goddess always has a plan of her own,” she said as she rubbed her baby bump.

“Of course,” I said, softly.

“But I'm at your service, your grace for the period I am here,” I nodded as she walked past me with her husband.

Lady Margaret walked past me, bowed to Liam with a flirtatious smile. She was about to enter the ballroom when the guards stopped her.

“What are you doing? Do you know who I am?” She asked, looking pissed.

“They know who you are, Margaret. They just don't care,” Liam said. I looked at him confused on what was going on.

“And they won't until you have bowed with respect to your future Queen and Luna,” he said, and my heart leaped for Joy.

Finally, the whole palace is seeing her being disgraced. This will teach anyone not to mess with me.

“I already did,” she said, proudly.

“Mind who you are speaking to,” Beta Desmond walked towards us with his hands behind his back.

Margaret's face flushed, and she clenched her fists, struggling to keep her composure. The tension in the room was palpable, and the murmurs of the onlookers grew louder. I could see Lady Margaret fighting to hold back the indignation boiling beneath her practiced exterior. She took a deep breath, forcing a smile as she bowed again—lower this time, but her eyes remained defiant.

“Your Grace,” she said, her voice a mix of bitterness and forced courtesy. This time, the guards stepped aside, allowing her entry. Margaret walked past us with her chin high, but the stiffness in her posture revealed the humiliation she felt.

Beta Desmond’s presence was a solid wall of authority as he nodded curtly. “With respect, Your Grace, such displays are necessary to remind others of the order in the realm.”

I met his eyes and gave a slight nod. He was one of the few I could trust, but even he didn’t know the full story of what I had seen. Liam’s jaw tightened beside me, his eyes scanning the room, ever vigilant.

The ballroom swirled with chatter and laughter once more as other lords and ladies continued to arrive. It was only a matter of time before the night’s pleasantries would thin, and the true schemes behind these smiles would come to light.

“Just one more and we are in,” Liam said to me and I nodded.

The couple walked forward, bowing to Layla and the others. There weren't the last guests waiting to be greeted by us but that will be all for now.

“Lord Cyrus, I see you have got a new wife,” Liam said to the old man.

“Anything to keep me young, my future King. I am introducing the new Lady Cyrus. Lady Sienna.”

The woman bowed and rose, her eyes staring into mine. Something about her feels familiar.

Why does she look familiar? Then it dawned on me and I gasped.

It's her, the woman in the shadows. The one who claims to be my sister.