Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 299: The King’s Warning

Third-person POV

Jella’s hands were shaking as she clutched the edge of her dressing table, her perfectly polished nails biting into the wood.

Her breath came sharp through her nose, the fury inside her boiling too hot to contain. She had spent days, not days, years, waiting the perfect opportunity. Electra’s sudden collapse had been a gift from the gods, a rare moment of vulnerability she hadn’t even needed to engineer herself, and yet, it had all crumbled.

Those meddling little girls that call themselves Electra’s friends had ruined everything. Electra had been inches from death, so close to slipping away that all it would’ve taken was one whisper to Vale. One firm nudge, along with a continuous warning of what would happen if word got out that the crown princess, the supposed heir to Elmeria, was an abomination—a half-human Phoenix.

But Electra had survived, and worst of all, Vale had looked at her with a softness Jella hadn’t seen in years. A softness that she had known was meant for Solara, the woman he had loved—the woman he had killed.

Jella wanted to scream. She turned from the mirror with a sharp twist of her body, her deep purple gown swishing angrily around her ankles.

"Your Majesty?" a gentle voice came from the entrance.

Jella’s head snapped toward the door, and she didn’t bother hiding her irritation. "What is it now?"

The maidservant, a quiet, mousy girl named Thyra, bowed low. "The king has summoned you. He requests your presence in the throne room at once."

Jella’s jaw clenched at the mention of Vale requesting her presence.

What now? Another announcement? A declaration that Electra would take on even more royal responsibilities now that she was fine again? Maybe he planned to introduce her as the rightful heir in front of the entire court, without even giving Hunter a chance to slip in. The thought made her skin crawl.

"I’ll be there when I’m ready," she said coldly.

Thyra hesitated. "He said... it was urgent, Your Majesty."

Jella narrowed her eyes but waved the girl away with a flick of her fingers. "Then I won’t keep him waiting."

The maid disappeared without another word, and Jella stood still for a moment, her breathing shallow.

***

By the time Jella arrived at the throne room, her anger was just on the verge of explosion. She pushed open the doors and stepped inside without waiting for the guards.

Vale was already seated on the throne, looking pale and tired, like he hadn’t slept in days. His crown was off, resting beside him, and his hands were folded in front of him like he’d been deep in thought for a while.

Jella didn’t bother to hide her irritation.

"Well?" she asked, arms crossed. "What could possibly be so urgent that you had to drag me all the way down here?"

Vale looked up slowly, and for a second, he just stared at her. Then he stood up from where he was seated and walked up to her.

Jella’s brows lifted. That was unexpected.

"I know what you’ve been trying to do, Jella," he said quietly. "And I know you’ve not changed your mind."

Jella let out a short, sarcastic laugh. "You’ll have to be more specific. I try to do a lot of things."

He didn’t smile. "I know you still want Electra dead."

Her smile dropped.

"I called you here to tell you, face to face, that if anything happens to her, anything at all, I will hold you responsible, and I won’t ask twice."

Jella scoffed. "Are you threatening me, Vale? Over her? Over that thing?"

Vale took a slow step forward. His tone stayed calm, but there was an edge in his voice that made the air feel heavier.

"She’s my daughter."

"She’s not just your daughter," Jella snapped. "She’s a half-blood and a stain on the crown. If the council finds out—"

"They won’t if you shut up," he cut in sharply. "The truth coming out won’t benefit you either, Jella."

"You think you can protect her forever?" Jella asked, her voice rising. "You think keeping that secret won’t come back to destroy all of us? This is bigger than you. If you really want to protect her, then Electra should not be queen. Marry her off quietly, and choose a different heir."

Vale didn’t flinch, nor did he bother to acknowledge her ridiculous suggestion. "If she gets hurt, I’ll assume it was you, and if that happens, I’ll kill you myself."

Jella stared at him, her mouth slightly open in disbelief. "You’re serious."

"I’ve never been more serious, my dear queen," he responded.

Her hands curled into fists at her sides. "You’d throw away everything you’ve built for her? The daughter of a woman who betrayed you?"

Vale’s face didn’t change. "Solara never betrayed me. I betrayed her, and I’ve been paying for it ever since. I’m not going to make the same mistake twice, Jella."

Jella’s jaw clenched. "You’re a fool."

"Maybe," he said. "But I’m a fool who loves his daughter, and I won’t let you take her from me."

Jella shook her head slowly. "You used to think like a king."

Vale turned away, walking back to his throne. "I still am a king, and I’m telling you this once: if anything happens to Electra, it’ll be the last thing you ever do."

Jella scoffed loudly, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she watched him settle back into his throne, like he hadn’t just threatened to end her life if something ever happened to Electra.

The way he sat there, calm, composed, and almost bored, only fueled her irritation further.

"You really think sitting on that throne makes your warning any less ridiculous?" she muttered under her breath, but loud enough for him to hear.

Vale didn’t respond. His silence, as always, was laced with finality, but Jella had never been one to back down so easily.

She let out a slow, frustrated sigh and stepped forward. "Fine. Maybe I won’t kill your precious daughter," she said bitterly. "But don’t expect me to sit quietly while you make her queen. That will never happen, Vale. I will never allow it."

Vale’s eyes flicked toward her, his expression unreadable. "You don’t get to allow or disallow anything," he said, voice low. "The decision of succession belongs to me, and as long as Electra lives and breathes, and as long as she carries my last name, she is the only one with a rightful claim to the crown."

Jella laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You keep telling yourself that," she said. "But you and I both know it’s not that simple. You think the elders will kneel to a girl they still believe is a wild card?"

She stepped closer, her gaze stern, and her voice lowered to a warning. "You push this, Vale, and your entire court will turn on you. The same people who’ve held you up for the past twenty years will tear you down."

Vale’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t speak.

Jella smiled.

"I can already see it happening," she continued. "And you know I’m not wrong, but since you’re so desperate to prove her worth, why don’t we settle it publicly?"

Vale’s frown deepened. "What are you suggesting?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Let Electra and Hunter compete at the Revernyn tournament. She made us push the tournament forward, so she might as well put her title on the line now."

Vale stared at her for a long moment. "That’s an event that brings together students from all kingdoms," he said slowly. "It’s meant to build peace between the kingdoms and be fun for our own people as well. It’s not for internal family disputes."

Jella shrugged, her tone casual. "We’re the hosts, Your Majesty, so why not give the guests a show? Everyone already talks behind closed doors, why not make it official? Let them see your daughter in action. Let them see if she truly has what it takes to rule Elmeria and if she truly would be better than a man."

He narrowed his eyes. "And what if she wins?"

Jella didn’t blink. "Then she earns her crown in front of the world, with no more doubts, but if she fails..." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Vale leaned back slightly, his fingers drumming against the arm of his throne. "This isn’t a game, Jella."

"No," she agreed softly. "It’s war."

Vale flinched slightly at the sound of it, but Jella wasn’t finished. "You have two choices, Vale. Either you agree to this and make it look like a friendly and noble competition, or I expose her."

Vale’s eyes darkened.

"I’ll stand in the council chamber and tell them everything," she said, voice flat. "About her mother, her bloodline, and her powers. You think they’ll support you after that?"

"You’d risk exposing the truth to other kingdoms as well," Vale said, his voice cold now. "You’d endanger the entire kingdom and your position just to hurt her?"

"I’d rather burn this kingdom down than watch you hand it to her," Jella snapped.

Silence fell between them, and for a long moment, neither spoke.

Finally, Vale looked up. "I’ll consider it."

Jella smiled, slow and smug. "Good."

"But understand this," he added, standing up once again. "If you so much as try to manipulate the tournament... If I even suspect you’ve rigged it against her, I will not hesitate."

She lifted her chin. "You’ve made your threat already, Vale."

"And I meant every word."