Chapter 22 The Betrayal Unmasked
She could hear her heart beating in her ears and felt the weight of the moment on her chest. It felt like every breath was a fight, like the air had gotten too thick to breathe. The voice of the figure echoed again, quiet yet scary: "I serve the First Queen." "You can wear her crown, but you don't have her power yet." Sienna's heart skipped a beat. Power? "Your mother was a queen like no other," the apparition said, his voice almost reverent.
"She reigned with power, intelligence, and darkness. It runs in her family, and it will run in yours too. But be careful, Sienna, since blood costs something. The room was entirely quiet. Sienna could feel every pair of eyes on her. She could feel the air change as the mystery of this stranger became clearer.
"You talk like you know her," Sienna remarked, her voice steady, but inside her, the fire was starting to burn hotter. She had learned to hide her feelings and seem like the queen her people needed, but within, she was shaking. What was this guy up to? And why now? After all the things she had done? "Of course I recognized her," the figure said, his voice getting darker as he remembered things that had happened in the past.
"I was her shadow, her friend, and the one who kept her secrets. And now I am here to keep yours. Sienna felt a cold chill go through her, even though she was trying to stay calm. "And what are those secrets?" The cloaked person spoke in a strange way, "Secrets of your birthright." "Secrets of the power you have now." The power your mother had and the one you will have to take over, even if you don't want to. The nobility in the hall moved around uncomfortably. Murmurs spread through the room like a wave, and voices got louder with stress, but Sienna was not afraid. Her head was spinning as she thought about what the stranger had said. The mysteries of her mother.
Her own right of birth. Was this what her mother had gotten her ready for? Was this why her life had been full of secrets and buried away in the palace's recesses, away from the public eye? She took a big breath and squared her shoulders. People were waiting. The lords, ladies, and nobles all had their own ideas about what kind of woman she would grow up to be. But none of them knew what was really going on. None of them knew how hard it was to wear this crown. "Enough games," Sienna said, and her voice slashed through the tension like a knife.
"Who are you actually, and why are you here?" The person in the mask didn't move. Instead, he took a hesitant step forward, and his presence felt like a thunder cloud poised to burst. "I'm a message, a reminder of what was and what is to come," he remarked in a quiet, almost secretive voice. "And you, Sienna, have to choose." Sienna's heart raced. A decision. What option? She had already made this choice. She had already become queen. Wasn't that the important choice? "Don't get me wrong," the figure said, his eyes narrowing a little. "I don't come to give you power or take it away from you. I am here to warn you. There are people who will do anything to make sure you fail.
Do you think the court is against you? Not at all. The real adversary is far away from here. In the dark, where the sins of your family have followed you. The words hit her like a punch to the chest. Sienna could feel the weight of his words on her, and for the first time in her life, she understood how hard it was to be born into this family. "Tell me what you mean," Sienna said, leaning forward and unable to hold back her rage. "Who is threatening me? Who is threatening this kingdom? The apparition added with a chilly smile, "Your mother knew."
"She understood what it would cost her to have authority, and she paid it." She protected the kingdom, but at what cost? For the throne, she gave up everything, everything. Now it's your turn, Sienna. The person twisted a little, and his cloak swirled around him as he walked to the other side of the room. A long, dark shadow stretched over the floor, making it look like it was too long. "I'm not afraid of you," Sienna answered, but her voice was shaky and thin. The man's words sounded like a bell in her ears, and with each passing second, the truth of what she had received became clearer. The figure halted in his tracks and turned back to her with a smile that made her tremble.
"You will be, my queen." You will be. With that, he turned and walked out of the hall without saying anything else. Sienna stood there in shock as the nobles' whispers became louder around her. The dinner went on as if nothing had happened, but Sienna could feel the tension in the room. Her thoughts were racing, with each one going faster than the last. Who was the person in the mask? Why had he shown up right when she was seeking to strengthen her position? Was this a test? Or something far more dangerous? Harvey stood next to her, watching her with a blank expression. He hadn't said anything since the man left, but now his eyes were sharp and cutting across the crowd like he was looking for trouble. "That was a risky game you just played," he added in a hushed voice that only she could hear.
"I didn't start it," Sienna said, her voice full of anger. "But I have to finish it." Harvey didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked around, as if to see whether there were any more dangers hiding in the dark. "What did he mean? The bloodline, the power? "Are you sure you're ready for this, Sienna?" She turned to look at him, and her eyes narrowed a little. "I don't know if I'm ready."
But now there's no going back. The night went on, and the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses faded into the background in Sienna's head. She persuaded herself that he had to be lying. No one could have known... not like that. Not how he talked. Not the way he made me feel like everything I've done has been wrong.
But deep down, she thought he might have been correct. If she really was going to have to pay for the authority she had gotten. A light, almost imperceptible tap on her shoulder shattered the silence before she could finish her thoughts. She quickly turned around, her heart racing. A woman in a dark coat stood in front of her, her face in shadow. When she spoke, Sienna's world turned upside down. "He's right," the woman said in a low voice. "You are not safe.