The truth arrived in the form of a summons.
Official.
Stamped with the seal of the Eastern Council.
It demanded my presence at the council chamber by midday.
No explanation.
No agenda.
Only instruction.
I stared at the parchment.
Cold unease crept through me.
The council rarely summoned individuals without purpose.
And after the letter…
This felt intentional.
A trap.
I exhaled slowly.
There was no point avoiding it.
If they wished to speak, I would listen.
And observe.
I dressed in formal attire — simple but dignified — and made my way to the chamber.
The palace corridors were quieter than usual.
Guards nodded respectfully as I passed.
No hostility.
No suspicion.
Yet.
The council chamber doors loomed ahead.
Two guards stood watch.
They stepped aside without question.
I entered.
The hall was vast.
Circular.
Council members seated in a semi-circle upon elevated thrones.
Their expressions ranged from neutral to guarded.
High Elder Maren presided in the center.
His gaze fixed on me.
"Lady Selene," he greeted.
I bowed slightly.
"High Elder."
Polite.
Controlled.
He gestured to an empty seat among the observers.
I took it.
Silence.
The council studied me.
Measured.
Like a specimen.
Finally, Maren spoke.
"The recent events have caused concern."
Understatement.
I remained quiet.
He continued.
"The Seer's claims. The assassination attempt. Public unrest."
Ah.
They were building a narrative.
I waited.
Maren folded his hands.
"The Eastern Council values stability."
Meaning they valued control.
"And?" I asked calmly.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And your presence complicates matters."
There it was.
Direct.
I tilted my head.
"Complicates how?"
A faint murmur moved through the council.
Disapproval.
Maren answered.
"The prophecy."
Of course.
I kept my expression neutral.
"What about it?"
He hesitated.
Just for a second.
Enough.
"The idea of the Moon Queen reborn has unsettled the populace."
Diplomatic wording.
Fear.
Politics.
I studied him.
"And you believe I am responsible for that?"
A pause.
"We believe your continued presence exacerbates speculation."
Interesting.
Not accusation.
Framing.
I leaned forward slightly.
"Speculation is not my doing."
Maren's gaze hardened.
"Perception matters."
Ah.
So this was about optics.
Control of narrative.
I straightened.
"If the council wishes to address speculation, perhaps transparency would help."
The room stiffened.
Dangerous suggestion.
Maren's expression remained calm.
"Transparency is complex."
Translation: they would not provide answers.
I smiled faintly.
"Of course."
He continued.
"The council therefore proposes a solution."
Here it came.
I waited.
"You will depart the Eastern Palace."
Silence.
The words hung in the air.
I blinked.
"Excuse me?"
Maren's tone remained measured.
"For your safety and the stability of the East, we believe it best if you return to your family estate."
Exile.
Polite.
Official.
My pulse quickened.
Family estate.
Remote.
Isolated.
Removed from politics.
From danger.
From answers.
I studied him.
"This is a request."
"No."
A correction.
"It is a recommendation."
Diplomatic language.
Meaning refusal was possible.
With consequences.
I exhaled slowly.
"So if I decline?"
Maren's gaze sharpened.
"Then the council will reconsider its position."
Veiled threat.
I understood.
I looked around the chamber.
Other council members avoided my eyes.
Complicit.
Silent.
This was not a debate.
Decision made.
I straightened.
"On what grounds?"
Maren's expression remained neutral.
"Public stability."
Another excuse.
I frowned.
"That is vague."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Deliberately."
So they would not specify.
Interesting.
I considered my options.
Refusal risked escalation.
Compliance removed me from the palace.
Both served the council.
Neither served me.
I rose.
The movement drew attention.
Maren watched carefully.
I met his gaze.
"I will consider your recommendation."
Diplomatic.
Noncommittal.
His expression softened slightly.
"Wise."
Not approval.
Relief.
The meeting ended.
Council members departed in quiet groups.
Whispers followed them.
I remained seated for a moment.
Thinking.
This was not about safety.
It was about control.
My presence challenged their narrative.
The prophecy.
The Seer.
Public speculation.
They wanted distance.
To reshape perception.
I exhaled.
Not happening.
I stood and left the chamber.
Corridors blurred past.
Guards saluted.
I acknowledged them absently.
The council's message was clear.
Leave.
But I was no political pawn.
Nor a problem to be removed.
If they wanted me gone—
They would need stronger reasons.
Outside, the palace grounds stretched beneath the sky.
Sunlight filtered through clouds.
Peaceful.
Deceptive.
I stopped.
Breathed.
The council's involvement in the earlier letter now seemed obvious.
First persuasion.
Then threat.
Now official pressure.
A coordinated approach.
Politics.
I frowned.
But why?
What truly frightened them?
The prophecy?
The mark?
Or what I might become?
I touched the faint scar beneath my clothing.
Still there.
Still glowing.
The Moon Queen.
Legend.
Power.
Responsibility.
I didn't understand it.
But others believed it mattered.
Enough to act.
I lowered my hand.
If the council wanted me gone—
They underestimated me.
I had survived death.
I would survive politics.
And if they sought to manipulate events—
I would uncover their motives.
Evidence.
Truth.
Then decisions would change.
I turned toward the palace.
The path ahead was uncertain.
Dangerous.
But I was not the girl in white.
I was Selene.
And I would not be erased.