Crowned in Crimson Cinders

Chapter 31: Shadows in the Throne Room

I was dragged through the palace by my arms, a deeply uncomfortable experience. Hallway after hallway, door after door, we passed. I was surprised my hood remained draped over my head. Why hadn't they revealed my face yet?

After a while, the familiar architecture clicked. I recognized our destination, understood who they were bringing me to. The very people I'd spent weeks avoiding. My parents.

I didn't try to escape. Even if I somehow slipped their grasp, where would I go? A cold dread settled in my stomach at the thought of explaining myself. There was no avoiding it now. My mother's wrath was inevitable.

The throne room was eerily silent when we arrived, devoid of life. My parents were likely asleep in their private chambers. The thought of their fury at being roused for me stung. The guards unceremoniously threw me to the floor, treating me like any other common criminal or thief I'd seen in this room.

"Stay down," one of them growled.

For a split second, a dangerous thought flashed through my mind, to scorch him where he stood. They didn't know about my powers and it would catch them by surprise. But I obeyed their commands, unwiulling to take life quite yet.

After what felt like an eternity, the grand doors swung open. I heard the thunder of furious footsteps approaching, and I knew instantly it was my father. In that moment, I realized I'd never felt such profound fear in my life. Is this what the assassin and maid felt like as they were being questioned those days?

"This better be worth my time," my mother's voice, sharp and demanding, cut through the air from behind him. I sighed internally. I'd rather rot in the dungeons than kneel before her with my hands bound. But this is what I decided. It was either this, or risk getting Darian caught too. I wondered if he was still unconscious down in the dungeons.

"We caught this one sneaking around in the dungeons. The two guards on watch were found knocked out cold by the door connecting to the underground tunneling system. We're assuming this one came in through there," the guard reported, his words laced with thinly veiled contempt. Why did he even care about me? To him, I was just another nameless criminal threatening the throne's security.

For a fleeting moment, I wondered what my parents would think when they ripped away my hood and mask. What would the guards think? Would they even recognize me? According to that woman in the dungeons, even my own people didn't know who I was, what makes these men any different.

"Let us see who it is under that mask," my father commanded, his voice a low growl.

A guard tore away my hood, then snatched my mask. My face was exposed. Shock rippled across every face in the room, especially my mother's and father's. And for some inexplicable reason, a devilish smile stretched across my lips, mirroring their stunned expressions.

I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing my fear. Instead, I schooled my features into a mask of neutrality, of utter calm, pretending I held control over a situation that was rapidly spiraling. I met my mother's gaze directly. I would not be afraid of her or of anyone here. Even kneeling, I knew I would rise taller when all this was done.

"Leave us," my mother ordered, her voice flat. When the guards hesitated, looking to my father for confirmation, her face contorted with pure rage. "Leave us right now," she repeated, her voice vibrating with suppressed fury. My father nodded, and they released my arms, backing away and exiting the room.

As soon as the heavy doors clanged shut, I braced myself for the storm.

"Aleah! Are you insane?!" My mother's shout reverberated through the hall, thick with anger. "What were you doing down there?"