Chapter 68
Celestina sat alone in her room, her mind buzzing with unanswered questions. She had lost count of the number of sleepless nights she’d endured, her thoughts a constant jumble of Kael, Dimitri, and the growing danger around her. Kael’s words, always calm and carefully chosen, had begun to sound more like veiled warnings than reassurances.
Unable to shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong, she took matters into her own hands. That morning, she requested access to the palace’s security footage under the pretense of reviewing general operations. The guards, loyal to her, granted her the access she needed.
Alone in the security room, she fast-forwarded through hours of footage, her eyes scanning every frame for something—anything—that might confirm her suspicions about Kael.
Then she found it.
The footage was from two days ago. Kael stood near one of the side entrances to the palace, speaking in hushed tones with a man Celestina instantly recognized: Liora’s father, Governor Gregor.
Celestina leaned closer to the screen, her pulse quickening. Their body language was unmistakably secretive—Gregor gestured animatedly, his face tense, while Kael remained composed, his hands in his pockets. At one point, Kael leaned in, saying something that made Gregor nod stiffly before walking away.
“What are you doing, Kael?” she whispered, her heart pounding.
She replayed the footage several times, memorizing their expressions, their movements, every detail. It wasn’t just a casual conversation. Whatever they were discussing, it was serious.
That evening, Celestina confronted Kael as they sat together in the palace dining room.
“I saw you,” she said, setting her glass down firmly on the table.
Kael glanced up from his plate, his expression neutral. “Saw me?”
“With Governor Gregor,” she clarified, her voice steady but edged with tension. “What were you talking about?”
Kael’s jaw tightened, but only for a moment. Then he leaned back in his chair, his expression calm. “I’ve been working to protect us,” he said. “To protect you.”
“Protect me from what, Kael?” she pressed, her eyes narrowing.
“From threats,” he replied vaguely, his tone maddeningly composed. “Gregor has connections that can help us ensure the palace’s security. That’s all it was—strategic planning.”
Celestina crossed her arms, glaring at him. “You’ve been making a lot of decisions without telling me. First, the locks on my study, now secret meetings? If you’re protecting me, why do I feel like I’m the last person to know what’s going on?”
Kael exhaled slowly, as if summoning patience. “Because the less you know, the safer you are. I need you to trust me, Celestina.”
The words stung, especially since trust was the last thing she felt. But she nodded, unwilling to show her hand just yet.
Later that night, Celestina returned to her study and pulled out the bridal suite letter and Dimitri’s journal. Placing them side by side on the desk, she examined the handwriting closely.
Her heart raced as the truth dawned on her.
The handwriting matched.
The letter—the one that claimed Dimitri was alive—was written in the same hand as the journal she had found in her study. Dimitri had written it.
Celestina stared at the words, her mind swirling with emotions. Dimitri had tried to warn her, even from the shadows. But why hadn’t he revealed himself fully? Why these cryptic messages instead of confronting her face-to-face?
She pressed her hands against her temples, overwhelmed by the pieces of the puzzle she couldn’t quite fit together.
The next morning, a package arrived for her. It was small, neatly wrapped, and addressed to her personally.
Celestina frowned, a knot forming in her stomach as she opened it. Inside was her missing passport and a single red rose.
Her breath hitched, and her hands trembled as she lifted the items from the box. The rose was fresh, its petals soft and vibrant, but its meaning felt ominous.
The note inside the box chilled her to the core: “A queen should never lose track of her identity.”
Her first instinct was to call for Kael, but she stopped herself. What would he do with this information? Would he dismiss it as a harmless prank, or would it somehow feed into whatever plan he seemed to be hiding?
She tucked the passport and rose into a drawer, her mind racing. Someone was watching her, taunting her. And she couldn’t shake the feeling that Kael knew more than he let on.
Determined to find concrete evidence, Celestina waited until Kael left for one of his mysterious meetings before heading to his study.
She slid the painting aside and entered the code for the safe, her heart pounding. The lock clicked open, and she pulled the door wide.
It was empty.
