Chapter 154 CHAPTER 154
Isabel woke before the sun fully claimed the sky.
For a moment, she lay still beneath the covers, listening to the quiet hum of the palace as it slowly came alive. The distant footsteps of guards changing shifts, the faint rustle of trees beyond the tall windows, the soft breathing of the girl beside her. Then it hit her all at once.
Red Valley.
She shot upright in bed, eyes wide and bright, excitement buzzing through her veins like she’d swallowed lightning.
They had talked about Red Valley for weeks.
About how green it was compared to Mooncrest, how the air there felt lighter, cleaner. About the wide open fields, the forests that stretched without walls or guards, and the river that cut through the land like it belonged there. Ethan had spoken of the people too - how friendly they were, how different life felt there, slower and warmer, like a place that welcomed you instead of watching you.
He had promised to take them someday.
Someday had never come.
There had always been something else. Kingdom matters that could not wait, council meetings that stretched late into the night, threats that demanded attention. Lisa had been pulled between duty and discovery, while Isabel had been swallowed by school, by learning how to exist in a world that was not built for her. Red Valley had remained a story told over meals and passing moments, a place always planned for later.
Not today.
She turned sharply toward Lisa and shook her shoulder. “Lisa. Wake up. Wake up.”
Lisa groaned softly, burying her face deeper into the pillow. “Isabel… it’s the weekend. The moon herself said we could sleep.”
“No,” Isabel said firmly, shaking her again. “We’re going to Red Valley today. Have you forgotten?”
That did it.
Lisa opened one eye, then the other, the words slowly settling in. Red Valley. The corners of her lips curved upward as she pushed herself up on her elbows. “Oh,” she murmured. “Red Valley.”
Isabel grinned and leapt out of bed, already halfway across the room. “Yes, Red Valley.”
Lisa sat up just in time to watch Isabel rush into the bathroom, nearly tripping over her own feet in her excitement. The door closed behind her with a soft click, and Lisa let out a quiet laugh as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.
“She hasn’t been this happy in a long time,” Celia’s voice murmured gently in her mind.
Lisa glanced toward the mirror, meeting her own reflection. “I was thinking the same thing” she replied. "It’s good to see her like this.”
Before she could linger on the thought, the bedroom door flew open without warning.
Celine strode in like she owned the place, hands on her hips, eyes already sweeping the room. “Why are you still in bed?”
Lisa blinked, startled, then laughed. “Good morning to you too.”
“Aren’t you excited?” Celine demanded.
“I am,” Lisa said calmly, just as Isabel emerged from the bathroom with a towel draped over her shoulders, hair dripping down her back. “But not quite as excited as the two of you.”
Celine followed her gaze and smiled. “I promise you’ll fall in love with it,” she said confidently. “Then you’ll wish you’d gone there sooner.”
Lisa shook her head fondly and rose from the bed. “Let me get ready before you two pack the entire palace.”
She disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Celine and Isabel chatting animatedly about what to wear, what to pack, and whether boots or sneakers were more appropriate for walking through enchanted valleys.
By the time they made it downstairs, dressed simply in jeans and T-shirts, the palace smelled of warm bread and fresh fruit.
Ethan and Liam were already seated at the breakfast table.
Liam looked up first.
His face lit up instantly when he saw Lisa, like the rest of the world had faded into nothing. He stood, leaned down, kissed her softly on the lips, and pulled out the chair beside him.
“Good morning to you too, Liam,” Isabel said dryly as she dropped into her seat.
Liam flushed slightly. “Hey. How was your night?”
“Very good, thank you for asking,” Isabel replied with a grin. “I see seeing your girlfriend makes all of us invisible.”
“She has that effect on me,” Liam admitted, unapologetic. He glanced at Lisa, who was already blushing. “I apologize for my bad manners.”
“I wish I had someone who could look at me like that and forget the rest of the world exists,” Celine said pointedly, her gaze lingering on Ethan.
Ethan didn’t react - or pretended not to.
“Is everything ready for the trip?” he asked instead, shifting the conversation so abruptly that Celine’s smile slipped for just a moment.
The others noticed. No one said anything.
Breakfast passed quickly after that, filled with light chatter and nervous anticipation. Soon enough, they were outside, the motorcade waiting.
“For security, we’ll split up,” Liam said once they reached the motorcade. “Two cars.”
Before Isabel could move, Liam turned to Lisa. There was a softness in his expression, the kind that only appeared when the world narrowed down to just her.
“Ride with me?” he asked quietly. “If you don’t mind.”
Lisa smiled, already stepping toward his car. “Of course.”
She moved ahead of them, the guard opening the door for her. Isabel watched her slip inside, then glanced at the second vehicle just as Celine was already heading toward it. Celine opened the back door without hesitation and slid in, clearly claiming her seat before anyone else could think twice.
Isabel hesitated between the two cars, her gaze flicking from Liam’s to Ethan’s. For a heartbeat, she turned toward Lisa’s door, instinct pulling her closer to the familiar.
Ethan caught it immediately.
He reached out, gentle but firm, resting a hand on Isabel’s shoulder and steering her away from Liam’s car. “You’re with me,” he said easily, as if it had always been decided.
She blinked, surprised, but didn’t resist as he guided her toward the other vehicle.
Celine looked up when Isabel appeared at the door, her smile faltering for just a second before she masked it. The guard opened the door wider, and Isabel slid into the back seat. Ethan followed, settling in beside her, leaving Isabel seated squarely between them.
Celine turned her face toward the window at once, her jaw tight, pretending sudden fascination with the passing grounds.
The door closed. The engine started.
In the other car, Liam reached over and drew the privacy divider closed, the world outside fading into a dull hush as he turned fully toward Lisa.
“I’m glad it’s just us,” he murmured. Before pulling her into his arms and kissing her deeply.