Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen


The king didn’t wait anymore.

“Enough,” he snapped, gripping my wrist and dragging me out. His voice was wrapped in authority. “We’re leaving. Now.”

If only he had as much authority as his voice carried.

He tugged me toward the corridor before the unhinged could speak another word although I'm not sure he had anything else to say.

I stumbled after him, I could hear him speaking complaining even but I couldn't make out one word. He was saying because my mind stayed back in that cell, at what the unhinged said.

The king’s steps were fast, too fast and I could not understand what he was scared of.

“Your Majesty,” I tried to speak.

“No,” he said, shutting me up with me speaking a word, not even turning to look at me. “I should never have brought you here. Everything he said was nonsense. You shouldn’t have listened.”

“But”

“No.” His hand tightened protectively around mine, a bit painfully. “His words were meant to confuse you. It can drive you mad. That is what he does. That is why he is caged, he is crazy and unfit to teach you anything.”

Adrian followed behind us, silent for once. But when I glanced back at him, he wasn’t looking at the king.

He was staring at me.

Watching.

Thinking.
Maybe even plotting.

His “famous” smirk played on his lips, only for a moment before he wiped it away.

The king didn’t notice.

But I did.

We finally reached the stairs leading back up to the upper grounds. The king paused, before turning to face me.

His eyes were firm,

“I don’t want you anywhere near him again,” he said. “Do you understand? He is dangerous. His words are poison, nothing good can come from that man”

I swallowed my saliva, knowing I wouldn't follow his orders.

“I understand,” I lied.

Because deep down, I knew the opposite.

The unhinged wasn’t talking nonsense, what he was saying might be strange but there were hidden meaning to it.

He knew a lot about me.

He knew too much. More than I knew, more than I could understand.

Perhaps he knew a lot about everything.

He knew things he shouldn’t know, not in this time, not in this life.

He knew about my death.

He knew about my betrayal.

He knew about my rebirth, he didn't mistake it for a dream, the unhinged knew it was the Truth.

And answers… real answers… were in that cell.

The king touched my cheek gently, bringing my focus back to him.

“Annabelle,” he said . “Whatever he meant… whatever he thinks he knows… I will protect you. I swear it.”

I nodded.

But my mind didn’t ease. Did my coming back in time change how the king felt about me, did he love me now.could he protect me, could he protect us.

Because protection might not be enough.

What I needed was the truth about my destiny.

The king lead me up the stairs one step at a time with Adrian strolling behind, but my thoughts were already far ahead of them, ahead of whatever they thought they knew.

I needed to return.

Not with them.

Not with the king watching me.

Not with Adrian smirking behind me.

Alone, so I could get the answers to all the new questions the unhinged had bought up in my mind

The moment we stepped into the sunlight, the king exhaled .He placed a hand on my shoulder.

“I’ll send for the High Alchemist from the

Silver Provinces,” he said. “Someone sane. Someone who can help you, not frighten you.”

I nodded again, but the lie sat on my tongue.

Because no alchemist in the kingdom knew what the unhinged knew.

The truth waited with him .

In that cell.

In that man who remembered a life that no one else should remember.

And as the king walked me toward the carriage, there was only one thing on my mind.

I had to go back.

Before “they” silenced him.

Before the past caught up again.

Before destiny changed its course once more.

The king gestured toward the carriage.

“Get in,” he said gently. “You’ve had enough for today and it's only just morning.”

But the thought of sitting in a small space , trapped with my thoughts suffocated , trapped with their eyes on me… especially Adrian's I couldn’t.

“I don’t want to ride,” I said quietly. “I want to walk my lord.”

The king was clearly surprised, then nodded, he got over it quickly.

I could tell why he was surprised though, when I first came to the palace I never refused anything, not just because I wanted him to fall in love with me, but because I was to enjoy being a Luna to the fullest.

“Then I’ll walk with you,” he replied without much hesitation.

Adrian stepped forward, hands behind his back acting all fucking noble, God i hated his face.
“And I will follow, Your Majesties.”

Of course he would.

The king placed a careful hand on my back, guiding me toward the stone path leading up toward the palace. The sunlight was warm, but it did nothing to steady the storm in my head.

I couldn't afford to waste my second life just to be killed again.

For a while, none of us spoke.

Then, softly, the king said:

“Thank you… for trying so hard today. Even though the unhinged was completely crazy, it's the thought that matters”

I looked up. His expression was genuine,almost worried.

“The fact that you are eager to help,” he continued, voice low. “More than you should have to. I won’t forget it.”

I didn’t know what to say to that.

I didn’t feel like a savior, I didn't want the hype, I wanted to live, to understand my life and my purpose for living.
I felt like a fraud.
A reborn fraud walking with borrowed time.I thought I had the higher advantage but I find myself struck again in this endless pit of betrayal and pain.

Before I could respond, Adrian stepped closer.

“Your Majesty,” he said, “may I ask something?”

The king nodded, but he was speaking to me.

Adrian turned his gaze to me.

“You seemed to understand him.”

“Understand… who?” I asked.

He shrugged. “The unhinged. The way you reacted… it was like you knew what he was talking about, the way you replied, the look on your face.”

“No,” I said quickly. “I didn’t understand anything he said. I just acted like it, you know playing along”

Adrian studied me for a moment longer than necessary, I guessed he didn't quite believe me, but he had no proof or logical explanation.

Then he smiled, too politely, too perfectly, too fakely.

“I see.”

I looked away.

We reached the palace steps, guards bowing as we entered. A servant hurried forward.

“The kitchen has prepared breakfast for Your Majesties,” she said .

The king nodded. “Good. We all need to”

But another guard rushed in, interrupting with a bow.

“Your Majesty. The Elder Council has arrived unexpectedly. They request an immediate meeting.”

The king exhaled .

“Of course they do,” he muttered under his breath.

He turned to me.

“You should go eat first. I’ll join you after the council”

“No,” I said before he could finish.
“I’ll go with you.”

One of his eyebrows lifted.
Adrian’s lips twitched, curiosity, suspicion, or amusement, I couldn’t tell, but one thing was certain, he didn't understand what I was trying to do and that was a start.

I held my ground.

If the unhinged was right, if danger was coming sooner this time, then I needed to know everything happening in this palace.

Every whisper.
Every decision.
Every threat.
Every meeting

The king nodded.

“Very well,” he said. “Stay close to me.”

And as we turned toward the council hall, I felt it again
that invisible pull toward the truth… my incurable hunger for my purpose