Chapter 3: Thorns Beneath the Throne
The sound of chains echoed through the narrow stone corridors of the lower palace as Wiliam Riveras was dragged through them, blood dried at the edge of his mouth. Two royal guards flanked him, faces expressionless, armor glinting faintly in the torchlight.
The door to the Throne Council chamber creaked open.
Inside, nobles, generals, and ministers lined the half-circle room. On the elevated dais, Queen Alveria sat like carved marble—cold, perfect, unyielding. Elise stood just behind her, flanked by priestesses. Her face betrayed nothing.
But her eyes…
Her eyes screamed.
Wiliam was thrown to his knees.
"Wiliam Riveras," the Queen's voice rang sharp as steel. "You are charged with treason, sedition, and violating the sacred bloodline of the royal house. How do you plead?"
He lifted his head slowly.
"I did not betray the kingdom," he said, voice raw. "Only its silence."
Gasps rose among the court.
Queen Alveria narrowed her eyes. "So you confess your feelings for the princess?"
"I do," Wiliam replied. "I would rather be executed for truth than live for a lie."
A deep stillness fell across the room. Even the fire seemed to freeze.
Behind the veil of composure, Elise's hands trembled
After the trial
Wiliam was returned to his cell. No sentence had yet been declared—but he knew what was coming. Royal blood could not mix with that of a knight's son. Not in Evarra.
That night, he dreamed not of war… but of roses.
Red petals.
White thorns.
And Elise's fingers slipping from his.
Elsewhere — In the Queen's Private Chamber
"Do you love him?"
The Queen's voice was soft, dangerous.
Elise didn't answer.
"You are my daughter, and your life belongs to this kingdom," Queen Alveria continued. "Marrying Prince Raynard will secure our borders. End the rebellions. Cement a legacy. That is your duty."
"And what of my heart?" Elise asked, her voice calm but trembling.
The Queen turned, placing a jeweled crown on the table between them.
"Your heart," she said, "was never part of the bargain."
Elise looked down at the crown. Its gems gleamed. Its edges were sharp.
And somewhere deep inside her… a seed of rebellion began to bloom.
The Final Scene
That night, in the abandoned rose garden, Elise returned alone. The moon hung low, and rain whispered through the leaves.
She knelt at the base of the stone fountain—where she and Wiliam once first kissed.
And placed a single white rose on the marble edge.
"I won't let you fall alone," she whispered.
"I just need time… and courage."
Behind her, a shadow moved.
Lady Seraphine stepped into the moonlight.
"If you want him to live," she said quietly, "then we must start now."
The Queen paused, her gaze unreadable. "Careful, daughter. You are a rose… but even roses can be crcrushedcru