The private solar had not felt this warm in weeks. Golden afternoon light poured through the tall arched windows, illuminating the dust motes dancing lazily in the air. The scent of bitter perfumes was entirely gone, replaced by the comforting aroma of fresh chamomile tea and polished cedar wood.

Calista leaned back against the plush velvet cushions of the settee, a quiet sigh of contentment escaping her lips as she watched Odesse carefully pour steaming tea into two porcelain cups. For seven straight days, the palace had known nothing but absolute, uninterrupted normalcy—a peaceful stillness that felt almost foreign after the chaos of the past month.

Odesse sat back on her cushion, handing a cup over with a warm smile. "I am really grateful that you have paid me a visit, Lady Calista."

Calista accepted the cup, her smile bright. "I am really happy I did, Lady Odesse, because I was so worried about you."

Odesse looked down at her lap as Calista continued.

"I had paid you a visit some weeks back, but I met another woman here," Calista explained, her face clouding over. "I was shocked, but His Highness insisted that she was his wife. I had to leave because I was so disappointed in his behavior." Calista leaned forward, her eyes searching Odesse’s face. "Is everything truly okay now?"

Odesse looked up, her expression steady. "All is well, Lady Calista. That woman was Azure. She... well, she isn’t to be trusted. But His Highness is doing fine now."

Calista reached out gently. "I know we are not exceptionally close, but you can always confide in me if you ever need a shoulder to lean on."

"I truly appreciate you, Calista. I truly do," Odesse replied genuinely. She tilted her head slightly, her gaze turning firm. "But some things are simply not meant to leave the walls of my palace."

Calista smiled, letting out a soft laugh. "That is entirely understandable. I can see His Highness is rubbing off on you, because that is exactly what he would say."

Odesse laughed softly, raising the porcelain cup to her lips. She took a slow sip, then lowered it. "Is that a good thing?"

"Yes, it is, Lady Odesse. That is the exact mindset a queen should have," Calista replied playfully. "But please, do not become quite as stoic as His Highness."

Odesse chuckled, her eyes sparkling. "Well, I cannot make any promises, Lady Calista."

The two shared a quiet laugh before Calista’s gaze drifted downward toward Odesse’s belly. Her smile faded into a worried expression.

Noticing the look, Odesse spoke in a flat, calm voice. "I lost it."

Calista’s mouth parted slightly in shock. "Dear heavens, Your Highness..." She stood up slowly, crossing the small space to sit directly beside Odesse on the settee. "I am so incredibly sorry for your loss."

Odesse offered a forced, distant smile. "It is alright. It has been a month—almost two months now. Honestly, I would not want it to come into this cruel world anyway, so it is better this way."

Her lower lip quavered slightly despite her words, and she tucked it in, fighting down the underlying sadness.

"Even so, Your Highness," Calista said compassionately, "the loss is still so unfortunate. I truly apologize."

Odesse let out another soft, hollow laugh. "There is no need to apologize, Lady Calista. It was unfortunate, yes, but to me, it was a good thing. This world doesn’t deserve a new life while it is still in its current, miserable state." She patted Calista’s hand lightly. "So there is no need to feel sad about it. You should sit back down and have your tea before it gets cold."

Calista slowly stood up, looking at her with deep concern. "I just hope you are doing well, Lady Odesse."

"Yes, I am, Lady Calista," Odesse replied as her guest walked back to the opposite cushion.

Calista sat down slowly, taking her cup. "Where is this Azure woman now?"

Odesse hesitated, her mouth parting to answer, but before she could speak, the solar doors flew open.

Cara burst into the room in a state of absolute panic. Odesse and Calista stood up instantly as Cara struggled to catch her breath, her chest heaving as she tried to force the words out.

"What is wrong, Cara?" Odesse demanded.

"Your... Your Highness..." Cara gasped, her eyes wide with terror. "Azure. She is here."

Odesse’s eyes widened, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "So she finally returns."

"But she is not alone," Cara added, her voice shaking.

Odesse looked at Calista, then back at Cara, her mind racing. "What has she planned this time?"

...

Down in the grand entrance hall, Azure stood in the center of the stone floor. She looked entirely confident, a sharp, manic smirk tugging at her lips. Her body was adorned in rich gold ornaments and striking, ancient designs. Her hair was perfectly styled, her face smooth, elegant, and entirely pristine.

Behind her stood the two towering Hisponian soldiers.

Azure’s eyes darted straight to the palace staircase. "Finally," she whispered to herself. "I see you again, Odesse."

Odesse descended the grand staircase slowly, Calista flanking her side and Cara following closely behind. Reaching the base of the steps, Odesse walked forward, stopping at a safe distance from the woman who had stolen her life.

"So you finally return, Azure," Odesse said coldly, folding her arms over her chest. "After a week of running away."

Azure’s smile widened. "Odesse. Yes, I have finally returned. I do hope you thoroughly enjoyed your seven days of peace, because it is about to end very soon."

Calista nudged Cara, whispering out of the corner of her mouth, "What is going on here?"

"Trouble," Cara whispered back, her eyes locked on the entrance. "That is exactly what is going on."

Odesse kept her focus entirely on Azure. "And what exactly do you mean by that, Azure?" Her silver eyes then drifted past the woman’s shoulder, landing on the two foreign guards. Her brow furrowed. "Why are they with you? Did they catch you trying to do something? Tell me, what were you trying to do?"

Azure burst into a hysterical laugh, clutching her belly as the sound echoed off the high ceilings. The three women watched her in silent disgust.

Stopping her laughter, Azure glared back at Odesse. "What you should be asking me, Odesse, is what have I already done."

Odesse’s arms uncoiled from her chest, her confidence fracturing as an immediate wave of worry took over. "What do you mean?"

"Perfect, Odesse," Azure cheered, moving her head forward with a vicious grin. "That exact expression on your face is what I wanted. Notice how easily I wiped that confident smirk right off your face? And I haven’t even told you what I did yet."

Odesse took a stern step forward. "What have you done, Azure?"

Azure merely touched her lips, giggling in an unsettling, high-pitched tone. Suddenly, she began to move, dancing and walking toward Odesse. She twirled around Odesse’s rigid frame like a completely mad woman, her giggles filling the heavy silence.

"Stop this, Azure!" Odesse commanded, turning as the woman spun around her. "Azure, stop this madness!"

Azure ignored her, continuing her erratic, mocking dance.

The massive palace doors slammed open. Valex marched into the hall, his large frame projecting pure fury, with Kael following closely at his heel.

"Azure, stop!" Valex’s voice boomed like thunder, instantly echoing through the long corridors.

Azure froze in her tracks.

Odesse let out a breath, whispering, "My king..."

Valex walks towards her, while Kael follows. Kael looks at the Hisponian soldiers standing not too far from the palace threshold and thinks, "Why are they here?"

Azure raised her head slowly, a disturbing, wide smile creeping onto her face as she looked at Valex. Without a second thought, she sprinted toward him, throwing her weight against his chest in an aggressive hug. "My king!"

Valex didn’t hesitate. He grabbed her arms and violently pulled her off him, throwing her down onto the hard stone floor. He looked down at her, absolute disgust written across every line of his face. Turning his back on her completely, Valex walked straight to Odesse, checking her over. "Are you okay, my love?"

Odesse nodded slowly, leaning into his touch. "Yes, my king."

From the floor, Azure stared up at them, her smile turning completely manic. She stood up slowly, brushing off her golden attire. "Oh, I see how it is."

Suddenly, she slapped her palm hard against her forehead, shaking her head violently until her perfectly styled hair came loose, falling rough and tangled around her shoulders. She stepped back, pacing in front of them while maintaining her distance.

"I should have known," Azure muttered, her voice cracking. "Oh no... I did know this would happen. I knew it."

Odesse stared at her unhinged behavior. "Knew what, Azure?"

"Oh, do not be a fool, Odesse!" Azure snapped, her eyes wide. "The very night he came into your quarters, I knew you had stolen him away from me!"

"He was never yours to begin with, Azure," Odesse countered with deep disgust.

Azure raised an eyebrow, gesturing wildly to the King. "Yes, he was! You have always been mine, my king. Right?"

Valex glared at her, his voice freezing. "I was never yours, and I will never be yours, Azure."

Azure tilted her head slowly to the side, then snapped it back straight. She raised both hands, waving her fingers in a mocking gesture toward the entrance. "Come forward."

The two Hisponian soldiers marched into the hall, their heavy boots thudding against the stone as they took their places directly behind her. Valex’s eyes narrowed as he looked at them, his hand shifting toward his side, while Odesse’s breath caught in her throat.

"I am very sure you remember them, Odesse," Azure smirked.

Odesse stepped forward, her heart hammering against her ribs. "Why do you have Hisponian soldiers with you, Azure? Why would they protect you? What have you done?"

Azure’s smirk stretched into a jagged, triumphant grin. "What else does one need soldiers for, if not to protect them and follow orders?"

"Why would they protect you? What have you done?" Odesse asked.

She leaned in, her voice dripping with pure malice. "I went to the Hispo region, Odesse."

Odesse’s eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated horror as the world seemed to stop around her. "What...?"

Azure smiled widely, her eyes dancing with wicked delight. "They are all dead."