Camilla's smile faltered for the briefest moment before she masked it with grace.
"Very well," she said coolly, gesturing with two fingers. "Bring a taster."
A young woman stepped forward, bowing deeply. Her hands trembled so badly the silver spoon rattled against the bowl.
"My… my cousin died last week," she whispered, voice barely steady. "If fate wills it… today may be mine."
The words barely left her mouth before she lifted the spoon, tasting a small portion from each dish.
Aurelia released a quiet breath, tension loosening just a fraction.
"It is saf—"
The words never finished.
The spoon slipped from the woman's fingers and struck the marble floor with a sharp clang.
Her body stiffened, a violent shudder passing through her as she staggered back, eyes wide with sudden terror.
Then she collapsed instantly, white foam blooming at her lips.
Aurelia was on her feet at once, chair scraping loudly behind her. Her violet eyes widened, her breath caught, terror seizing her chest.
Sorana stood frozen. She had truly believed the food was safe.
The guards rushed in at once, lifting the girl's limp body and dragging her away as if she were nothing more than a failed dish. The doors closed behind them, swallowing her fate whole.
Aurelia was already on her feet.
"I want to leave," she said, her voice thin, breath coming too fast.
"Sit."
Camilla's command cracked through the chamber like a whip.
Aurelia froze near the doorway, her chest rising and falling sharply. Sorana stood close behind her, rigid, protective, her eyes never leaving Camilla.
"Guards," Camilla said calmly.
Two men stepped forward. One seized Aurelia's shoulder, forcing her back. The chair scraped harshly against the floor as she was pressed down, her strength useless against them.
"Sit," Camilla repeated, slower this time, savoring the word.
What was wrong with her? She had just ended a life—and yet, no fear, no hesitation.
Now Aurelia understood why Camilla and Tenebrarum were to be married. Birds of a feather, indeed are said to fly together.
Aurelia fingers curled tightly around the edge of the table, knuckles white.
Her heart thundered in her ears as Camilla continued eating, each bite deliberate, unbothered by the chaos she had caused. The taster was gone, but the calmness of Camilla's appetite was worse than any poison.
Aurelia's hand gripped the edge of the table, trembling. She had a plan to escape today, and nothing would stop her. She could not let herself falter—not now, not when Tenebrarum's name lingered in her mind.
"Who do you think you are?" Camilla's voice cut through the room, smooth yet sharp. "You dare come here and claim what is not yours?"
Aurelia's chest rose and fell rapidly, tears threatening to spill. She could not hide the truth—she cared for Tenebrarum—but she would not allow herself to be trapped here any longer.
"I don't care about Tenebrarum!" she spat, her voice cracking, a flare of defiance in her violet eyes.
Camilla paused mid-bite, blue eyes cold and piercing. "And you even dared to call the crown prince by his name. I hold him accountable for your audacity, for being involved with someone beneath him."
Aurelia's fingers tightened, knuckles cracking. She would leave the palace today—no matter the consequences.
"You're a monster!" Aurelia slammed her hand onto the table so hard that Camilla's forked pancake wobbled dangerously. "Don't you feel any guilt? You just took a life!"
Camilla didn't flinch, her fork pausing mid-air as a faint, unreadable smile tugged at her lips. She chewed slowly, deliberately, as if savoring not the food—but the fear and outrage she had stirred.
"You should listen to me!" Aurelia screamed, rising to her feet, her voice sharp as steel.
"Listen?!" Camilla's own voice cracked, fury blazing. "I don't care who you are to Tenebrarum. He is mine! You're nothing but a harlot paid for, a hundred bags of bronze!"
A hundred bags of bronze.
The words echoed in Aurelia's mind, pulling her back to the first time she had seen Tenebrarum, He had paid that price for her.
Her chest heaved, the weight of realization settling over her. She was… actually loving Tenebrarum. And now she knew the full depth of her feelings.
Her head fell onto the table, tears streaming down her face. Sorana stepped closer, a hand trembling as it rested on her shoulder, trying to offer comfort.
"Let her be!" Camilla's voice cut through, commanding and cold. "I heard your name is Flavia. Hear me well. You are nothing. Tenebrarum would use you…and then leave you."
"I have tried my entire life to earn Tenebrarum's attention," Camilla continued, her eyes glittering with malice, "and you think you can destroy that? But remember this—you are nothing. Nothing compared to me."
She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "I heard about your little night together. He even arranged a ball for you. Guess what? After you left… we had the best time of our lives. You're nothing compared to what I can do."
Aurelia's hands curled into fists beneath the table, nails digging into her palms. Her heart thundered as each word from Camilla's mouth sank like a blade.
Tears betraying the strong figure she wanted to maintain.
Nothing. Nothing compared to her.
She could feel the truth in Camilla's cruelty, the reality of her place in Tenebrarum's world.
She not right?he cares for me...do he?
Thoughts flew into her skull, faster than she expected.
"You think your words can break me?" Aurelia whispered, almost to herself. "You think I will stay here and be nothing?"
"If I'm nothing," Aurelia's voice rang sharp, cutting through the heavy air, "then why are you so afraid? Why are you scared?" Her words carried a daring arrogance that made the room tremble.
Something shifted in Camilla. Her pale fingers flexed, nails suddenly lengthening into sharp crescents that glinted under the morning light. A subtle hiss escaped her lips, low and dangerous.
Aurelia's violet eyes widened.
Her throat locked shut.
What… what had she done? The air thickened, charged with a sudden, almost palpable threat.
Sorana stiffened behind her, sensing the change instantly. Aurelia's heartbeat pounded, a mixture of fear and fascination.
For the first time, she realized that challenging Camilla was no longer just a game of words—it could very well be a battle of survival.
She can't beat Camilla, Can she?
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To be continued...