Chapter 11
The king approached, holding a cup of poisoned wine..
As an emperor, if captured, his fate would be far worse.
The poison was expected–but I never imagined he wouldn’t take his own life inside the throne room. Instead, he came to me.
He raised the cup and drank it all in front of me, his gaze filled with desperate affection. “Selene, don’t hate me.‘
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. “I’ll be waiting for you on the other side. When your time comes don’t turn away from me, alright?”
He took a few struggling steps, reaching out to touch me–but halfway there, he lost his breath and collapsed face–first into the snow.
I beard a maid scream outside, followed by the sounds of horses approaching
I glanced at the body on the ground, annoyance prickling inside me, then stepped forward and opened the door.
Outside stood William Stanton, with Evelyne by his side, surrounded by their forces blocking the way.
Evelyne’s face lit up with endless hatred when she saw me. “William, it’s her! It’s this woman!”
“Two years ago, I almost got exiled to the frontier because of a single word from her. If not for your binding curse, which fooled that damned emperor and the High Priestess, I’d be nothing but dust by now!”
“Kill her for me!*
William drew his blade and advanced step by step.
The next moment, he plunged his sword into me.
A scream came from behind him.
William suddenly turned around. Evelyne’s chest was bleeding, as if stabbed, staining her dress red.
“Evelyne!” William panicked, pulling his sword and rushing to her side. She collapsed in his arms, eyes wide with hatred, refusing to close them even in death.
“It’s you!” William broke down.
He never expected that in the end, it was he who killed Evelyne.
He looked at me with bitter hatred. “It was you! You witch, using that binding curse! You doomed Evelyne! You bitch-
H
I curled my lips. A few days ago, I’d used her natal chart to bind our faces with agransference spell. Any pain destined for me would be hers to bear. William kept screaming, but my strength gave out, and 1 collapsed into the snow.
Blood soaked the white ground.
His screams faded and blurred in my ears as I stared at the endless snow, one hand pressed against my chest. It hurt so much.
In a daze, I seemed to be back twenty years ago
Outside the courtyard, I clung to my master’s robe, stepping in the snow, pleading for Lyra
“Master, she didn’t mean it. I was curious, she only stole your compass for me. It was all my idea ”
Hallway through, my master stopped.
I bumped my head against her and rubbed my aching nose.
She took my hand and pointed to the far side of the courtyard
“Selene, look–there’s the Prince Alaric Valemont. When you’re appointed High Priestess, you’ll protect him just like I do.”
looked and saw a boy no older than eight, but his eyes were sharp. When he saw me, he seemed momentarily stunned.
Our eyes met, memories flashing through my mind, and tears suddenly spilled.
“Master, I don’t want to be High Priestess!”
I cried like a child
Chapter 11
“That position is my Lyra’s lifelong dream, not mine. My heart’s not here–I want to see the wider world. When I’m fourteen, I’ll leave. Please understand!
My master sighed and comforted me. “Very well. I’ll grant your wish. I don’t have much time left anyway, so what does it matter if I shield you from fate?”
She looked at me with solemn eyes. “Selene, once you leave, don’t look back ”
At fourteen, I saddled my horse beneath the morning frost,
Behind me, Lyra stood silent in her High Priestess robes. “You’re r
really going?” she asked softly.
I didn’t turn back.
I clicked my tongue, and the horse t
e took off down the snow–covered path,
From that day on, I rode through autumn’s chill with nothing but a blade and a purpose.
I chased justice where the courts had failed. I stood up for the lost, and cut down those who preyed on the weak.
Once, in a dusty tavern, I overheard whispers: the emperor had never taken a wife. No heir sat the throne.
I left my coins on the table and walked out into the wind
There was no longer a High Priestess named Selene Marlowe–only a lone rider with a forgotten past
