Chapter 189 The Statue
Elara’s POV
The statue collapsed the moment they tried to erect it. Stone crumbling. Metal twisting.
“What happened?” the sculptor gasped. “It was perfect!”
Aurora ran to the rubble. Touched it. Her face went pale. “Void corruption. Someone sabotaged it.”
“Who would?" Then I understood. “The Iron Kingdom. They knew we’d build a statue. They corrupted it to send a message.”
“What message?” Drakon demanded.
Aurora read the void magic like words. “Unity is fragile. Breaks easily. Like this statue. Like Aurora. In three days.”
They knew. The Iron Kingdom knew everything. About the meeting. About the trap. About Aurora dying.
And they’d destroyed our statue to prove they could destroy us.
“Build it again,” I ordered. “Stronger. Better. With protection spells.”
“We only have three days,” the sculptor protested.
“Then work fast.”
They rebuilt frantically. Stone and metal reinforced with magic. Every mage in the kingdom helping.
Aurora watched. “Make Aunt Lily bigger, please. She’s important.”
“Aurora, we’re just trying to finish...”
“Aunt Lily saved me. Fought beside you. Loved me when nobody else understood.” Her eyes flashed silver. “She’s part of our story. Make her equal size to Mama and Papa. Or I don’t go to the Iron Kingdom.”
The sculptor looked at me. I nodded. “Aurora’s right. Lily deserves equal recognition.”
They adjusted the design. Me. Drakon. Lily. All the same height. All equally important.
“Perfect,” Aurora smiled.
But Lily cried when she saw it. “I don’t deserve this. I’m not special. Not like you.”
“You’re MORE special,” Aurora hugged her. “Because you chose to be here. Mama had to marry Papa. Papa had to marry Mama. But you? You chose us. Chose to fight. Chose to stay. That’s true love.”
Lily hugged her back. “I love you, firefly.”
“I love you too, Aunt Lily.”
Watching them, I realized something. Lily had given up everything for us. Her childhood. Her youth. Her chance at her own life.
“Lily,” I said quietly. “When’s the last time you did something for yourself? Not for us. For YOU?”
“I… don’t know. Why?”
“Because you’re twenty-three. You should be living your own story. Not just supporting ours.”
Lily looked away. “I am living my story. This IS my story.”
But something in her voice felt sad. Lonely.
The statue finished with hours to spare. Beautiful. Powerful. Protected.
Me, Drakon, and Lily. Standing together. United.
“It’s perfect,” Aurora declared.
The unveiling happened that evening. Thousands attended. Cheering. Celebrating.
“To unity!” someone shouted.
“To love!” another added.
“To the future!” everyone chorused.
But I noticed Lily standing alone. Watching couples dance. Looking wistful.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Fine. Just tired.” But her eyes tracked a particular dragon warrior. Young. Handsome. Strong.
He noticed her watching. Smiled. Walked over.
“Lady Lily? Would you dance?”
Lily blushed. “I… sure. Yes. Dancing. Good.”
She was terrible at dancing. Kept stepping on his feet. Laughing. Apologizing.
But he didn’t seem to mind. He kept smiling. Kept dancing. Kept looking at her like she was the only person there.
“Who is that?” I asked Thorne.
“Kael. Dragon warrior. Recently transferred from the Eastern Coalition. Good soldier. Better person.”
“And he likes Lily.”
“Everyone likes Lily. But Kael? He LIKES likes her.”
I watched them dance. Watched Lily smile. Really smile. For the first time in years.
“Good,” I said. “She deserves happiness.”
But that night, Kael requested a private meeting.
“Your Majesty, I need to confess something.” He looked nervous. “I’m not just a dragon warrior. I’m also an undercover agent. For the Iron Kingdom.”
My blood froze. “What?”
“They sent me three months ago. To spy. To learn your weaknesses. To report back.” He took a breath. “But then I met Lily. And everything changed.”
“You’re working for the people who want to kill my daughter?”
“I WAS working for them. Not anymore. Because Lily made me see…” He struggled for words. “That unity isn’t weakness. It’s strength. And I don’t want to betray that. Betray her.”
“Then why tell me?”
“Because the Iron Kingdom’s trap is worse than you think. They don’t just want to kill Aurora. They want to frame Lily for it. Make it look like she betrayed you. Destroyed from within. Break your family. Break unity. Forever.”
Horror filled me. “Lily would never..."
“I know! But they have evidence. Fake evidence. Letters. Magical traces. All pointing to Lily as a traitor. The moment Aurora dies, they’ll ‘discover’ it. Turn everyone against her. Against you. Against everything.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I love her.” His voice broke. “I know we just met. I know it’s crazy. But I love Lily. And I won’t let them destroy her. Even if it means betraying my kingdom. Even if it means dying myself.”
“If you’re lying...”
“I’m not. Check my memories. Read my mind. Use any truth spell. You’ll see.” He knelt. “I’m defecting. Right now. Officially. Because Lily deserves better than a kingdom that would frame her. And I want to be part of the world she believes in.”
I studied him. His sincerity. His desperation. His love.
He was telling the truth.
“Get up,” I said. “If you’re serious about this, about Lily, you’ll help us. Stop the Iron Kingdom. Save Aurora. Protect your new kingdom.”
“Anything. Tell me what to do.”
“First, you court Lily properly. She deserves romance. Not just politics.”
He smiled. “Already planning it.”
“Second, you tell us everything about the Iron Kingdom’s plan. Every detail. Every trap. Every frame job.”
“Done.”
“Third…” I paused. “You never hurt her. Ever. Or I don’t care which kingdom you’re from—I’ll destroy you myself.”
“Understood completely.”
He left to begin his confession to our intelligence team.
And I realized: the statue wasn’t just of me, Drakon, and Lily.
It was about to include Kael too.
Another union. Another bridge. Another proof that love could change everything.
But first, we had to survive three days.
Stop the Iron Kingdom.
Save Aurora.
Protect Lily.
And somehow build a happy ending from impossible odds.
Just like we’d always done.
Starting tomorrow.
When we changed Kael’s defection into our greatest weapon.
And turned the Iron Kingdom’s trap against them.
I hoped.