Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 300: Back on Her Feet

Electra’s POV

I felt good. Strong, even, like I hadn’t spent the last several days on the edge of death.

When I opened my eyes this morning and saw Seraphina sleeping peacefully beside me, something shifted, like a light had switched on inside me.

The heaviness in my limbs, the dull ache in my chest, and the fog in my head were all gone like they never even existed.

I stood in front of the mirror now, tugging at the hem of my shirt and turning slightly from side to side, checking myself out. My skin had color again, and my eyes didn’t look sunken or tired.

I looked like me, actually, no, I looked better than me. I looked sharper and healthier, like someone had scrubbed all the weakness from my body and left behind only what I needed.

E was quiet in my head this morning. Content, maybe, or resting. Either way, I welcomed the silence because it gave me space to think.

"You look too proud of yourself," Seraphina’s voice came from the bed, half-sleepy, half-amused.

I turned to face her, a grin already tugging at my lips. "Wouldn’t you be proud too if you looked this good after being unconscious for days?"

She gave me a sleepy eye-roll and reached out toward me lazily. "Come back to bed."

Tempting. Very tempting. But—

I let out a sigh. "I can’t. My father has summoned me to the palace."

That woke her up a bit more. "Already? You just recovered."

"Tell that to his aide. He called at dawn, all formal and urgent." I sat beside her, pulling on my boots. "I almost told him to screw off, but then I remembered that I’m still Princess Electra Vale, like it or not."

Seraphina sat up, pulling the sheets around her. "Are you sure you’re up for this?"

I looked down at my hands, flexing my fingers. "I’ve never felt better."

And it was true. Whatever had caused my weakness after I woke up, the near-death state, the soul separation, all of that, it had disappeared the moment Seraphina came back. Maybe that was the bond, or maybe it was just timing. I didn’t really care. I just knew I was done feeling helpless.

I kissed her forehead softly. "I’ll be back soon. Don’t do anything too interesting without me."

She gave me a playful glare. "You’re the interesting one. I’ll probably just go back to sleep."

I laughed and walked out.

Walking through the palace gates never got easier. They were still as grand, and tall, and unnecessarily dramatic as I remembered, like most things in Elmeria.

Guards bowed as I passed, but I didn’t return the gesture, and it wasn’t just because I was being my usual rude self but because I was in no mood to pretend I was thrilled to be here.

Inside, the halls were as clean and perfect as always, and I watched as a maid scurried past, barely meeting my eyes. The entire palace was like that, stiff, silent, and always watching.

Vale’s aide, a short man with narrow eyes and a permanent frown, was already waiting for me at the base of the throne room stairs.

"Princess Electra," he said, giving a short bow. "The king awaits you inside."

"I figured," I muttered, brushing past him without a second glance.

The throne room doors opened with a low groan, and I stepped in.

Vale was already seated, leaning slightly on the armrest, looking like he hadn’t slept in a week. His hair was messier than usual, and his robes hung a bit looser on his frame. He looked older and tired.

I should’ve cared, but I didn’t. Okay, maybe I did, but I’d never admit that out loud. Never.

"You look terrible," I said bluntly.

His eyes lifted slowly to mine. "And you look alive and well again, child."

I crossed my arms. "Disappointed?"

"No. I’m just surprised. Your condition wasn’t very good, and I had thought the worst," he responded, and I just couldn’t help but scoff.

"Yeah. It’s funny how you didn’t seem all that sad about it when it was happening. You were even willing to let me get killed to protect yourself," I retorted.

His jaw tightened, but he said nothing for a moment. Then, he stood.

"I called you here because things are changing, Electra, and it’s changing faster than I expected," he said, changing the subject.

I raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. Is mother Jella cooking up something again? Is she going to try to kill me again?"

"Well, you know she always has something up her sleeves," he muttered. "But this time, she’s made a move I can’t ignore."

He walked down the steps slowly until he was standing directly in front of me. I hated how tall he was and how similar we were looking at the moment. It was making me feel slightly sick.

"She’s proposed a challenge," he said. "At the Revernyn tournament."

My frown deepened. "That’s between the schools in the kingdom and schools from other kingdoms. It’s not a space for our family drama."

"Well, she suggested that since we’re still hosting the tournament this year, then we include an internal trial between you and Hunter."

I laughed loudly. "Oh, is it like a ’friendly’ battle for the crown?"

"She said it would entertain the visiting kingdoms and would be a chance for you to really prove if you’d be better than a man," he explained.

"Oh, I bet she did." I turned away, pacing slowly across the floor. "And you’re considering this?"

"I didn’t agree, but I didn’t say no either," he responded.

I stopped. "Why? Why didn’t you say no to her? Would you also like to know if I’m a better choice than Hunter?" I asked.

He sighed. "I didn’t refuse because if we don’t play the game, she’ll ruin things for you completely, and I don’t want that to happen. You know how crazy she can get when she wants things to go her way." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

I turned back to him, narrowing my eyes. "And if I lose?"

He sighed, and I had a feeling I could already guess what he was about to say next. "She’ll have the court behind her, and you... you’ll lose your place."

There it was. Plain and brutal.

I took a deep breath. "So what do you want from me? Do you want my agreement? Is that it?"

"I want you to win," he said simply.

I blinked, unsure I’d heard him right. "You want me to win?"

"You’re my daughter. The only one who can take this kingdom into the future, but you have to prove it, not just to me, but to them. I don’t want you to lose, Electra," he said.

I really hated him. I hated how calmly he said things like that, like I wasn’t the one who almost died a few days ago and like I owed him my loyalty for his half-hearted support, but I also knew he was right.

If I didn’t fight, I’d lose everything to Jella, to Hunter, and to the twisted politics of this place.

"Fine," I said finally. "I’ll do it."

His shoulders eased slightly. "Good."

"But don’t expect me to play fair. If Hunter wants to compete, he better be ready for more than just swordplay."

Vale nodded once. "Whatever it takes, I’ll support you."

I turned on my heel, heading back toward the door, but stopped halfway.

"One more thing," I said without looking back. "Next time you have a message for me, I’d appreciate it if you just sent me a text or you told me whatever it is you have to say over the phone. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive you for agreeing to kill me, so I’d like to avoid seeing you face-to-face for as long as possible."

With that, I turned away and made my way out of his throne room, not bothering to wait for his response, because I didn’t want one, and if Jella wanted a war, she was going to get one.