The Hidden Princess

Chapter Sixteen

"Energy was powerful-unpredictable-"

Two weeks passed, and though there was still no sign of any imminent threat to the castle, the lockdown remained in place. The air around the palace was tense, a simmering undercurrent of unease that never quite went away. Each day felt like waiting for something to happen, yet nothing did. Liora, however, had found her own way to cope with the uncertainty. While everyone else believed she went to bed early, retreating to her chambers like a dutiful princess, the truth was far from it. Every night, she snuck away to the old training grounds with Rowen and sometime Gareth by her side. It had become a routine, one that helped her sharpen her powers without the watchful eyes of the court.

Rowen accompanied her as part of his duty, though Liora suspected he came out of genuine concern as well. Gareth joined them as often as he could, but more and more, he was being pulled into the war room with their father. Gareth was thrilled to be included in the kingdom's battle planning-finally given a taste of the responsibility he'd long craved-but he hadn't forgotten his promise to Liora. He still made time for her when he could, sneaking away from his duties to help her practice. But tonight was different. Liora had overheard her father telling Gareth that he needed him in the war room, and she couldn't help the sting of jealousy that followed.

As she and Rowen made their way to the training grounds under the cover of night, Liora's mood was dark. She didn't say much, her thoughts clouded by frustration. Rowen noticed immediately, his gaze sharp as he observed the subtle change in her demeanor. When they reached the familiar clearing, he finally spoke up.

"Liora, is it really smart to work on your magic when you're upset?" Rowen's tone was cautious but firm, his concern evident in his eyes. He knew that her powers were linked to her emotions, and he wasn't sure it was safe to push herself when she was clearly agitated.

Liora sighed heavily, a wave of her hand dissolving the progress they'd made the day before. Rocks that she'd painstakingly moved to create small mountains crumbled back into the earth. Normally, she took pride in the precision of her control, but tonight was different. Tonight, she had something else in mind-something far more dangerous. She wanted to test if she could control energy itself, an element she hadn't fully explored yet.

"I'm fine, Rowen," she replied, brushing off his concern as she moved to the center of the training grounds. Her stance was strong, ready to summon the magic she needed, but Rowen wasn't convinced.

Before she could raise her hands, he stepped forward and grabbed her arm, his grip firm but not harsh. "Rowen, let me go," she said, irritation flickering in her voice.

"I won't," he stated, his expression hardening into one of determination. It was the same stern look she remembered from Owen. That memory made her heart twist.

Rowen's gaze didn't waver. "You're not fine," he said simply, his voice steady but unyielding. He could see through her façade, straight to the disappointment and anger bubbling beneath the surface.

Liora's shoulders sagged slightly, the fight in her dimming as she let out another sigh. She looked down, her voice quieter now. "It's just not fair, Rowen. I want to help, I want to do something, but no one will let me. I have these powers, and I know I could make a difference, but they won't even give me a chance."

Rowen's expression softened as he listened. When Liora finally lifted her gaze to meet his, her green eyes shimmered with frustration and sadness.

"I understand," Rowen said gently, loosening his grip on her arm. "But pushing yourself too hard when you're angry isn't going to help. You'll make mistakes."

"I have to keep trying," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly. "If I don't, what's the point of all this power? I can't just sit on the sidelines while Gareth and Father plan for war."

Rowen sighed, letting his hand fall away. "You're not on the sidelines, Liora. You're preparing. But you have to do it the right way. You can't let your emotions take over. That's what they're afraid of-that you'll lose control."

"I won't lose control," she insisted, her jaw tightening. But there was doubt in her voice now, a flicker of uncertainty that she couldn't quite shake.

Rowen gave her a long, steady look before nodding. "I know. But you have to prove that to them-and to yourself. Not like this, not when you're upset."

Liora's frustration lingered, but Rowen's words settled into her mind, grounding her. He was right. If she wanted to show her father and Gareth that she could handle herself, she needed to control her emotions, not let them control her. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a slow, deep breath to center herself.

"Alright, I'll take a moment to breathe," Liora said, her voice steadier this time. Rowen let go of her arm and took a step back, watching as she closed her eyes and focused on calming herself. Her breathing slowed, her heart rate evened out, and when she opened her eyes again, she looked at him, silently asking for reassurance. Rowen nodded, giving her a small, encouraging smile, and gestured toward the training grounds.

He stepped aside, though the concern still gnawed at him. Liora had been determined to test her limits with energy manipulation, but Rowen couldn't shake the worry that lingered. Energy was powerful-unpredictable-and while he didn't want to discourage her, he wasn't entirely confident that she could control it just yet. Still, he would never say that out loud. His job was to support her, even if he feared she might get hurt.

Liora squared her shoulders, taking a moment to steady her hands. She focused on the ground in front of her, creating a small mound of rock-a simple enough target. It wasn't anything massive, just large enough to aim at for practice. Another deep breath. Then, she raised her hand toward the mound, her brow furrowing in concentration as she imagined a ball of energy forming between her palms.

She visualized the force of energy moving forward, aimed at the rocks, and with a sharp motion, she shoved her hands forward. But nothing happened. The air remained still, and the rocks didn't so much as tremble. Frustration flickered across her face as she dropped her hands, frowning.

Rowen, noticing the tension creeping back into her posture, stepped closer. "Don't be too hard on yourself," he said softly. "You've never tried this before. It might take time."

Liora sighed, her shoulders sagging. "I thought it would work. It felt... right." She glanced at Rowen, the frustration clear in her eyes.

Rowen nodded in understanding. "You're trying something new, Liora. It's not going to be perfect the first time. Maybe... try focusing less on the result and more on the feeling? Sometimes it's about the energy itself, not just where it's going."

She blinked, thinking over his words. Rowen always had a way of seeing things from a different perspective, and maybe that was what she needed right now. Instead of focusing on forcing the energy to hit the rocks, maybe she needed to connect with the energy first.

Liora took another breath, lifting her hands again, but this time, she focused inward. She let herself feel the energy coursing through her, the way it buzzed beneath her skin, waiting to be released. Slowly, she raised one hand toward the mound of rocks and visualized the energy as part of her, not something she had to force out.

The faintest flicker of light shimmered at her fingertips.