The Hidden Princess

Chapter Eleven

"I can fight back."

Days slipped by with no sign of any further attempts to enter the castle. On the surface, this should have brought Liora some sense of relief. But instead, each quiet day only made her anxiety grow. The silence felt like the calm before the storm, as if something terrible was lurking just beyond the walls, waiting for the right moment to strike. The anticipation gnawed at her, filling every passing hour with a growing sense of dread.

Her father had thrown himself into preparation, constantly surrounded by advisors and tacticians, poring over battle plans for every possible scenario. The sight of him hunched over maps and scrolls, with the weight of the kingdom on his shoulders, only deepened Liora's guilt. She knew he was planning for the worst-case scenario, preparing for an attack, because of her. Every precaution, every whispered strategy, stemmed from the danger her magic had brought upon their home.

Her mother, ever the diligent queen, had taken strict measures to ensure no one left the castle. Not even Liora's younger siblings, who normally spent their days running through the halls or playing in the gardens, were permitted outside. The castle felt like a fortress, sealed tight against an unseen enemy. Only a handful of guards and three trusted maids were allowed in and out, ensuring that every door, every gate, was guarded with an unyielding vigilance. The stuffy air, thick with tension, pressed down on Liora, suffocating her with the weight of confinement.

She longed for the garden, the one place where she had always felt free. But even that sanctuary was now off-limits. Her mother's orders had barred anyone from stepping outside the castle walls, and the gardens, with their open spaces and visible paths, were deemed too dangerous. The knowledge that it was her actions that led to this-her magic that had drawn the assassin's attention-made the situation all the more unbearable. Guilt wrapped around her like a heavy cloak, and the castle walls seemed to close in on her with every passing day.

Today, Liora found herself wandering the castle corridors with Rowen by her side. He had hardly left her since the attack, his presence a constant shadow that followed her through the winding halls. It had taken days of convincing to get him to rest at night, to let someone else stand guard at her door. She had finally persuaded him by promising that if anything went wrong, she would call for him. Reluctantly, he had agreed, allowing a trusted guard named Samuel to take his place during the night hours.

Now, as they walked side by side, Liora could feel the tension in the air between them. It wasn't the same cold silence from before-the one that had left her feeling isolated and alone. But there was still an unspoken weight hanging over them, a heaviness neither of them seemed ready to address.

Rowen's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings, ever vigilant. He was protective, but there was a layer of weariness in his gaze, as if the strain of the past days had finally begun to take its toll on him. Liora stole a glance at him, her heart aching with guilt.

The corridors they walked were quiet, the usual hum of activity in the castle reduced to near silence. Liora found it unsettling. She missed the laughter of her siblings, the chatter of the servants, the bustle of life that had once filled the castle. Now, everything felt still, as if the world had come to a standstill, waiting for something to happen.

"I miss the gardens," Liora admitted quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. It was a rare confession, one she wasn't even sure why she was sharing with Rowen. Maybe it was the silence that had pushed her to speak, or maybe it was the need to say something, anything, to break the tension that hung between them.

Rowen's gaze flicked toward her for a moment, his expression unreadable. "They'll open again when it's safe," he said, his voice steady but devoid of the usual warmth she had once found comfort in. It was a practical answer, one she had heard from everyone over the past days, but it did nothing to soothe the ache in her chest.