Elara's pov
Her face went pale. "Elara, no. You can't be serious."
"I am serious," I said. "I need to see it with my own eyes. I need to talk to the farmers. I need to understand what's really happening without Malakor's lies getting in the way."
"But you're the queen!" Lena stood up, her voice rising. "You can't just leave the palace! What about the kingdom? What about your duties? What about—"
"What about the truth?" I interrupted. "Lena, I sat in that council room today and listened to Malakor lie to my face. He called an emergency meeting about trade records that mysteriously disappeared the moment I asked to see them. He wants to send soldiers to arrest hungry farmers. And I'm supposed to just trust him? Just sit here in my comfortable palace and make decisions based on reports that might be completely false?"
"Then send someone you trust," Lena said desperately. "Send Captain Varrus. Send one of the guards. Send anyone but yourself!"
"I can't," I said. "Don't you see? If I send someone official, the farmers won't talk honestly. They'll say what they think the crown wants to hear. But if I go as a normal person, dressed like them, looking like them, they'll tell me the truth."
"This is insane," Lena said. She was pacing now, her hands shaking. "Do you remember the last time you snuck out of the palace? The last time you did something reckless?"
I felt my face heat up. That night at the club. That night with Kaelen.
"That was different," I said quietly.
"Was it?" Lena stopped pacing and looked at me. "Then, you were just a princess. Your life was your own. I know it was my idea but that was it because now? Now your life belongs to the kingdom. Every decision you make affects thousands of people. If something happens to you, if you disappear, if you get hurt or killed, what happens to Dravara?"
"Nothing will happen to me," I said, but my voice wavered.
"You don't know that!" Lena's voice cracked. "Elara, there are bandits in the hinterlands. Desperate people. Criminals. And if anyone recognizes you, if anyone realizes you're the queen traveling without guards, without protection, do you know what they could do? They could kidnap you. Ransom you. Kill you. Use your absence to stage a coup!"
I sat down heavily in my chair. She wasn't wrong. Everything she was saying made sense.
"Your disappearance, even for a few days, would cause chaos," Lena continued. "Malakor would use it. Your enemies would use it. The whole kingdom would panic. Is that what you want?"
"No," I whispered. "But I can't rule from marble halls, Lena. I can't make decisions about people's lives when I've never seen how they actually live. My father did that. He sat in his study and read reports and trusted Malakor's advice. And look what happened. He spent his whole reign regretting it. I found his journal today. I read his words. He knew Malakor was controlling him. He knew he was making mistakes. But he never had the courage to break free. I won't make the same mistake."
Lena's eyes filled with tears. "I understand. I do. But this isn't courage, Elara. This is suicide."
"Then what should I do?" I asked, my own voice breaking now. "Just sit here? Just trust that the investigation will find the truth? Just hope that Malakor isn't manipulating everything?"
"Yes!" Lena said. "That's exactly what you should do! You're the queen! You have power! Use it from here, where you're safe!"
"But I don't have power," I said. "Not really. I sat in that council room today and every single man agreed with Malakor. Every single one. They all think I'm a stupid girl who doesn't understand anything. The only power I have is to ask questions and demand proof. And even that makes me look weak."
"So you'll risk your life to prove you're strong?" Lena shook her head. "That's not strength. That's pride. That's foolishness."
We stared at each other. Both of us breathing hard. Both of us with tears in our eyes.
"I'm going," I said finally. "I've made up my mind."
"Then I can't stop you," Lena said. Her voice was cold now. Distant. "But don't expect me to help you. I won't be part of this madness."
She turned toward the side door.
"Lena, please—"
"No," she cut me off. "You want to throw your life away? Fine. But I won't watch you do it."
She left. The door closed behind her with a sharp click.
I sat there alone, my chest tight, my eyes burning.
Maybe she was right. Maybe this was insane.
But I couldn't shake the feeling that it was also necessary. That ruling from a distance, trusting reports and advisors who might be lying, was exactly what had destroyed my father's reign.
I needed to see the truth for myself.
Even if it was dangerous.
Even if it was foolish.
Even if—
A knock came at my main door. Not gentle. Loud. Angry.
I stood up, wiping my eyes. "Come in."
The door opened.
Kaelen stood there. And he looked furious.
"We need to talk," he said. His voice was tight. Controlled. But I could hear the anger underneath. "Now."
My stomach dropped. "How did you—"
"I was standing right outside," he said. "The walls are thin. I heard everything."
Oh no.
He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "Tell me I misheard. Tell me you're not actually planning to sneak out of the palace and travel to the hinterlands alone."
I lifted my chin. "I'm not going alone. I was going to ask Lena to come with me." I lied.
"I can see through your lies" he said. " And I've got sharp ears. Lena was against it "
"Good for you then you know I'll go alone," I said.
"No," he said flatly. "You won't."
"Excuse me?" My voice rose. "You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do. I'm the queen."