The Solaris Palace was known across the eighteen kingdoms as a marvel of architecture, a kingdom built from white marble and sunlight. Poets calls it as"Crown of the Day."
But to Seyana… it was becoming a cage.
It was a beautiful cage, certainly. The bars were made of gold and the floor was paved with precious stones.
Every day since her return from the academy, the invisible walls around her grew thicker.
Her father's suspicion grew with it. King Raezon did not hate his daughter. It was control. It was the suffocating, heavy-handed possession of a egoist who viewed his child as a political asset first and a human being second.
One morning, the summons came.
Nobles, ministers, and generals stood in silent rows, their heads bowed.
King Raezon sat upon the Sun Throne made of white sapphire granite.
"Seyana. Step forward."
Seyana smoothed her dress, keeping her chin high. She walked down the long carpet, feeling the weight of a hundred eyes on her back.
"Yes, Father?"
"I have reviewed the reports of your daily activities." Raezon stated, his tone calm. "You will no longer train outside the palace. Your personal combat practice is suspended immediately. The training grounds are off-limits."
Seyana's head shook up. "Father?"
"Your safety is my priority." he continued, ignoring her shock. "Rumors of unrest are spreading in the borderlands. A Princess of Solaris does not run around sweating with a sword like a common mercenary."
Seyana kept her tone steady.
"But Father, I'm progressing well. My magic has grown stronger, and my swordsmanship is—"
"I did not ask for an explanation." Raezon cut in. "I am giving a command. Your duty now is to focus on court life, etiquette, and royal responsibility. You are to prepare for your future role as a wife and a Queen, not wander like a swordswoman."
Only Queen Velayana, sitting silently beside him, looked at Seyana. Her eyes were wide, filled with a quiet, helpless apology.
Seyana looked at her father. She saw the wall. She bowed in submission, forcing her body to obey even as her heart trembled with rage.
"Yes, Father."
Raezon dismissed her with a flick of his hand a casual gesture that told her she was done. But Seyana knew the truth as she backed away. He wasn't protecting her… he was restricting her.
And if he ever suspected she loved someone a commoner, a knight from a rival kingdom he would seal every door she had left and throw away the key.
Her days soon dissolved into rigid, suffocating routines.
Endless discussions about marriage. Endless talk of alliances.
Endless speculation about the purity of bloodlines.
Every moment was planned. Every minute was scheduled. Every breath felt monitored.
Raksha, who was allowed to visit occasionally as a "companion" due to her academy status, noticed the light fading from Seyana's eyes.
"You are here," Raksha whispered, cutting a piece of venison, "but you look so far away, Seyana."
Seyana stared at her goblet of wine, watching the red liquid. "I feel far away." she admitted softly. "I feel like I'm underwater."
One silent night, the pressure became too much.
Seyana sat at her desk. The rest of the palace was asleep, the only sound the wind howling against the stone walls.
Her hands trembled as she dipped her quill into the ink. She just let words out.
"Kairos…
I miss you more than I can bear. I'm surrounded by hundreds of people, yet I have never been more alone. I want your voice. I want your smile. I want the comfort of your silence, which speaks more than all the chatter of this court. I want us again.
I want to live without fear. I want to choose my own breakfast, my own clothes, my own heart. But I'm trapped. The gold is heavy, Kairos. It is so heavy."
A tear dropped onto the paper.
She wiped her eyes quickly and signed it.
"Forever yours,
Seyana"
She stared at the letter. She imagined folding it, sealing it, and bribing a servant to take it to the courier guild. She imagined Kairos reading it in the snows of Zephyros.
Then she paused.
Her father's spies were everywhere. They checked the mail. They checked the trash.
What if a guard found it?
What if her father saw it?
"No." she whispered, her voice shaking.
With trembling fingers, she held the corner of the letter to the candle flame.
"I'm sorry, Kairos… I can't put you in danger."
She dropped the burning paper into a small metal bowl.
The ashes settled quietly. Seyana stood there for a long moment, staring at what remained of her words. Her chest felt hollow, as if she had burned a piece of her own soul rather than just paper.
A soft knock came at the door.
Knock. Knock.
Seyana jumped. She shook her head, wiping her eyes.
"Come in." she called out, trying to steady her voice.
The door opened slowly. Queen Velayana stepped inside.
She was wearing a simple nightgown and a robe, her royal crown removed, her hair loose. She looked less like a Queen and more like a mother.
Her eyes moved gently across the room. She paused briefly on the faint scent of smoke hanging in the air, then moved to her daughter's tense posture.
"You're awake late." Velayana said softly.
Seyana swallowed the lump in her throat. "I couldn't sleep. The wind is loud tonight."
Velayana studied her face, searching for the pain she knew was there.
"When I was your age…" Velayana said quietly, staring at the dark window, "I used to sit by the window at night too. Looking at the moon. Thinking about things I wasn't allowed to say."
Seyana's fingers curled slowly into the fabric of her dress.
"Did you ever feel… trapped?" she asked. It was a dangerous question.
Velayana hesitated. Then, she nodded slowly.
"More times than I can count."
Seyana turned in her chair, surprised. "But you're the Queen. You rule beside Father."
Velayana gave a small, sad smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "That doesn't mean I was always free, Seyana. A crown is just a hat made of metal. It doesn't give you wings."
She reached out and gently brushed Seyana's hair back from her forehead.
"There are choices we make for survival." Velayana said. "And choices we make for love. Sometimes… they don't align. Sometimes, we sacrifice one to keep the other."
Seyana's eyes burned with fresh tears. "What if love makes everything harder? What if it ruins the survival?"
Velayana's hand paused on Seyana's cheek.
"Then it is real." she answered simply. "Because easy things rarely matter. The things worth fighting for are always the things that terrify us the most."
"You don't have to tell me…" she said softly, cutting off the confession before it became dangerous. "Not now. Maybe not ever. Words can be weapons in this palace."
She leaned forward and rested her forehead against Seyana's for a brief, tender moment.
"But whatever weighs on your heart… do not believe you are alone. Even in a cage, you are not alone."
Seyana closed her eyes, leaning into the warmth.
"I'm scared, Mother."
Velayana pulled her into a hug, holding her tight.
"I know..." she whispered into Seyana's hair. "I know. And I wish love didn't hurt so much. But pain is proof that you are still alive."
Velayana pulled back, smoothing Seyana's shoulders. "Try to rest. Tomorrow will demand strength from you. The court is a shark tank, and you cannot bleed in the water."
At the door, she paused, her hand on the latch.
"And Seyana…"
Seyana looked up.
"Whatever path your heart chooses…" Velayana said, her voice kind but firm, "make sure it is one you can stand on without shame. Do not live a life you will regret."
She left quietly, closing the door behind her.
Seyana remained still for a long time.
Miles away, in the freezing Zephyros barracks.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
The sound of metal on stone rang out in the empty training yard.
Kairos sharpened his sword until sparks sprayed like fireflies in the dark. He had been training for six hours straight.
Velanor, sitting on a crate nearby, kicked Kairos's leg lightly. "Rest. Before you collapse. You're shaking."
"I'm fine!!" Kairos muttered, gritting his teeth.
Luna grabbed his wrist firmly, stopping the sharpening stone. "No, you're not. If you enter battle like this, exhausted and trembling, you'll fall. And that's the last thing she would want."
Kairos stopped.
"Every moment she's trapped in that palace alone…" Kairos whispered, his voice cracking, "I feel like I'm failing her. I feel like I am standing still while she drowns."
Velanor sat beside him on the cold ground. "Then save your strength for the moment you will stand in front of her father. You cannot save her if you are dead from exhaustion."
Kairos's eyes sharpened. The desperation hardened into resolve.
"That day is coming.." he vowed. "And when it does, I will not blink."
The next morning, the sun rose over Solaris, bringing no warmth to Seyana.
Her door burst open. Lady-in-waiting Amelia rushed in.
"Princess! Wonderful news!" Amelia chirped, oblivious to the atmosphere. "Prince Brandon Sylphyros and his family are visiting next week!"
Seyana froze in front of her mirror. The hairbrush slipped from her hand and clattered onto the table.
"Your father has arranged a royal dinner to discuss your engagement terms." Amelia continued, bubbling with gossip. "The celebrations are already being prepared! The cooks are making a cake as tall as a man!"
Engagement. Discussion. Celebration.
The words cut through her like a serrated blade.
Amelia clasped her hands happily. "I'm sure you must be thrilled. He is so handsome, and the alliance will be historic!"
Seyana forced a tiny smile.
"Yes… thrilled."
The moment Amelia left to select a dress, Seyana fell to her knees. Her hands trembled violently. Her breath shook in her chest.
"No… no, no, no…" she gasped. "This can't happen… not now…"
Late that night, she walked onto the royal balcony.
She held the sapphire pendant Kairos had given her.
She stared at the moon, fat and yellow in the sky.
"Kairos…" she whispered to the wind. "I'm scared. I'm losing time. I'm losing my freedom."
Her voice broke, turning into a sob.
"But I'm not losing you. I won't let them take you from my heart. I will not marry Brandon."
She pressed the pendant against her chest.
"I will wait. Even if it means fighting my own destiny. Even if it means fighting my father."
She didn't know that inside her, deep in her blood, her divine power trembled and beneath the palace walls… in the dark shadows of the garden… hidden eyes watched her. A spy scribbled a note.
The world was preparing to break.