Destined Across Time | LadaEarn

Chapter 13

Flashback 

The prison cell was dark, lit only by the weak, dusky glow from a narrow window near the ceiling. Ratee sat on the cold, damp floor, her back against the wall, a smirk curling at her lips as she heard approaching footsteps. She recognized that soft, hesitant shuffle anywhere—Ying. Her eyes gleamed as she waited, mind racing with the plan she had carefully crafted.

When Ying appeared, holding a tray with the day's meager rations, she hesitated at the bars. Even in her prison garb, Ratee radiated a strange allure, a mixture of charm and danger that Ying couldn't help but find unsettling.

"Ying," Ratee's voice was low, almost a purr, and her gaze met Ying's with an intensity that made her stomach churn. "You're a sight for sore eyes."

"Ratee..." Ying swallowed, trying to keep her voice steady as she slid the tray through the narrow slot. "Eat your food. I... I can't stay long."

Ratee let out a soft, mocking laugh, barely glancing at the food. "Oh, but I have so much to say. You really should hear it." She leaned closer to the bars, her face serious now, almost sympathetic. "I worry about you, Ying. And about Her Highness."

Ying stiffened, her eyes darting up. "What do you mean?"

Ratee sighed, a long, dramatic sound, before her voice softened with a feigned warmth. "Earn," she whispered. "I didn't want to be the one to tell you, but someone must. You're so loyal, so trusting. But that woman? She's dangerous."

Ying's brow furrowed, her heart pounding. "Dangerous? Earn would never hurt anyone."

"Oh, I don't blame you for believing in her." Ratee tilted her head, as if in pity. "Earn's very skilled at hiding her true intentions. That's how she managed to worm her way so close to Princess Fahlada. She's been... exploiting her."

Ying felt a jolt, her mind reeling. "What... what do you mean?"

Ratee's smile was cruel, hidden beneath a layer of pity. "She's using the princess's kindness to her advantage, Ying. Why else would she spend hours alone with her, even late into the night? Surely, you've noticed how possessive she's become? She's making sure no one else can reach Her Highness."

Ying felt an ache in her chest, a trickle of doubt creeping in. "But Earn... she loves the princess. She would never—"

"Loves her?" Ratee laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "Earn's 'love' is nothing but greed. Just a few nights ago, I overheard her. She was insisting that the princess leave the palace with her, in the dead of night, so she could go out and demand money. She's forcing Her Highness to buy her gifts, Ying."

Ying took a shaky breath, trying to process the accusations, but Ratee's voice continued in a quiet, relentless stream, like poison seeping into her veins.

"Her Highness is too kind to say no. But if you stay silent, if you allow Earn to continue manipulating her... who knows how far she'll go?"

Ying's face fell, her heart sinking as the seeds of doubt Ratee had sown began to sprout. She'd seen Earn and the princess spending more time together, seen the fondness in the princess's eyes, but... she had never thought Earn could be capable of anything sinister. Yet, here was Ratee, her words filled with conviction, making it all sound so terribly real.

The next few days were torture for Ying, the accusations replaying in her mind, eroding her trust. She felt like a fool, torn between loyalty to Earn and her growing fear for Princess Fahlada. 

Then, one evening, as Ying moved through the palace corridors carrying supplies, a subtle glint caught her eye from a bundle of fabric beneath Earn's cot. Curious, she stooped down and lifted a corner of the beddings, and her heart stopped. Nestled among the folds were rings, bracelets, and delicate necklaces she recognized—priceless jewelry that had gone missing from the royal treasury.