Chapter 34
Liana’s POV
The water was warm against my skin, a rare comfort in a world that had been anything but kind. My muscles ached from training, my body still adjusting to the bruises that came with it. I let my head rest against the edge of the tub, closing my eyes for just a moment.
Just a moment.
But then some these came to mind.
It wasn’t Olivia’s death. Or the harsh whips I received on my back from that sick fuck.
No. I was seeing something entirely different.
Blood soaked the floor. The scent of iron thick in the air. A silver–haired woman stood in the middle of the wreckage, her violet eyes burning with something more than anger–something ancient.
A blade pierced her chest.
A laugh, low and cruel.
And then-
Screaming.
Flames roared around me, licking at the sky, consuming everything in sight. The scent of burning flesh made my stomach twist. Shadows moved through the smoke–figures, torn apart, their bodies lifeless.
A man stood at the center of it all.
Tall. Dark. Monstrous.
His ice–blue eyes flickered beneath the flames.
Then-
He turned.
And looked right at me.
I gasped, jerking upright so fast the water sloshed over the edge of the tub, splashing onto the stone floor. My chest rose and fell in sharp, frantic breaths as I gripped the wooden rim, my fingers digging into it.
A dream.
No.
It had been more than that.
I could still feel the fire on my skin. Still hear the crackling of bones, the whispered curse before the woman fell.
It wasn’t mine.
I wasn’t in that place.
But someone was.
And the worst part?
I recognized those ice–blue eyes.
The same ones that had been watching me for weeks.
The same ones that belonged to him.
A loud knock snapped me out of my thoughts.
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“Lady Liana?” Cecelia’s voice filtered through the heavy wooden door. “Are you done? You’ve been in there long enough.”
I swallowed, forcing my breathing to even out. The dream–or vision, whatever it was–left a sick feeling twisting in my stomach. I rubbed at my arms, shaking the cold off before answering.
“Yes, I’m almost done.”
Cecelia sighed dramatically. “Good, because you’re late. Again. I swear, my lady, if you were any other noblewoman, you would have been tossed to the wolves for your lack of discipline.”
I sighed, dragging myself out of the bath.
Cecilia was a woman with a sharp tongue but a warm heart. She was older, maybe in her forties, with short brown curls always tucked beneath a lace cap. She had the patience of a saint–which was necessary since I was the furthest thing from a proper Luna–in–training.
I dried myself off quickly and pulled on the soft linen undergarments before wrapping a thick robe around my shoulders. When I opened the door, Cecelia was standing there with her arms crossed, one foot tapping impatiently against the wooden floor.
Her brown eyes narrowed. “Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”
I hesitated.
What could I even say?
That I had seen a massacre through the eyes of a man who may or may not be my husband?
The beast king as they called him. That I had felt the way his claws tore through flesh like it was nothing?
When did that even happen though? Was it really true that he murdered his entire family and that’s why?
Ugh, I need to stop thinking about it.
Cecelia rolled her eyes. “Never mind. I don’t have time for your dramatics. Come, you need to dress.”
I let her pull me down the hall, my mind still spinning.
The room she led me to was large, with stone walls covered in tapestries depicting old battles and royal ceremonies. A wooden table sat near the center, and upon it, a silk gown had been laid out–deep wine–red, the color of power.
Cecelia clapped her hands. “Come now. We must be quick. Today, you will properly learn how to present yourself as Luna. No more slouching. No more speaking without permission. And no more-” she waved a hand vaguely, “—scowling.”
I scowled.
She sighed. “Exactly that.”
I ignored her and let her help me into the dress. The corset was tight, pressing against my ribs, the fabric too fine, too foreign against my skin.
Never in my life did I even think that one day I would dress like this.
Like the way I should always be if Maxwell had not rejected me.
“You were a servant before this, yes?” Cecelia asked as she tightened the laces.
I nodded.
She clicked her tongue. “Then you should be used to discomfort.”
I bit back a remark. “What’s with you today?”
“Let’s just say I woke up in the wrong side of the bed.”
She stepped back, inspecting me with a critical eye.
“You look the part.”
I didn’t feel like it.
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Chapter 34
But that didn’t matter.
Not in this world.
Cecelia gestured toward the full–length mirror. “A Luna does not simply exist–she commands. Her presence alone should make others
fall in line. You must be poised. Elegant. And most of all-”
She turned, meeting my gaze through the reflection.
“You must never let them see your weakness.”
A shiver ran down my spine.
Weakness.
A word I had been drowning in since birth.
I lifted my chin.
“Good,” Cecelia murmured approvingly. “Now, let us begin.”
Three Hours Later
My feet ached.
Every muscle in my body screamed for rest, but Cecelia was relentless.
“Again.”
I resisted the urge to groan as I straightened my back, lifted my chin, and glided across the polished wooden floor. Mg back hurt with the way I had to stand straight, my cheeks felt as if it was burning from the smile.
The room had been cleared for my lessons, leaving only the long banquet table at the center.
“Posture, Lady Liana.” Cecelia’s voice was sharp. “You are not a common peasant anymore. A Luna does not rush. She does not drag her feet.”
I clenched my jaw and adjusted.
This was pointless.
I had fought for my life. Had taken beatings. Had been whipped until my skin tore open-
And yet here I was, learning how to curtsy.
“Again.”
I moved through the steps, my mind drifting back to the dream–the vision.
It had felt so real.
I could still see the silver–haired woman, the way she had begged, the moment the blade had pierced her chest.
I could still hear the laughter.
That ice–blue gaze.
A monster’s eyes.
A curse.
“Liana!”
Cecelia’s sharp tone snapped me back. I stumbled, my foot catching on the hem of my dress.
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “You are distracted.”
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Chapter 34
I swallowed. “I—”
She sighed, rubbing her temple. “I don’t know what plagues your mind, but you must set it aside. You do not have the luxury of uncertainty.”
I stared at her.
Uncertainty.
It wasn’t uncertainty that plagued me.
It was fear.
I had spent my entire life surviving.
But now?
Now, I was playing a role in a world that didn’t care if I lived or died.
I was meant to die. Like the others before me.
And after seeing what I saw while in that bath. It felt as if death would soon be knocking on my door.
I took a slow breath, pushing the thoughts away.
Cecelia studied me for a moment before nodding. “Good. Let’s move on.”
The door swung open, and Knox leaned against the frame, his silver eyes gleaming with amusement.
“Training you to be a proper lady, I see?”
I shot him a glare. “Do you need something?”
Knox grinned. “Yes, actually. The King requests your presence.”
My heart lurched.
Alaric.
I hadn’t seen him since last night.
Since I-
I clenched my fists, nodding. “Fine.”
Cecelia sniffed. “At least try to act like a lady on your way there.”
Knox smirked. “No promises.”
I rolled my eyes and followed him out.
The dream still lingered in the back of my mind.
And for the first time since coming here-
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know the truth.
Knox led me down the long, dimly lit corridors of the castle, his usual playful stride more subdued. He didn’t speak, and I didn’t ask questions. The weight in my chest was enough to keep me silent.
The closer we got to him, the heavier it became.
The guards at the entrance barely spared me a glance before opening the heavy doors, revealing the King’s chamber.
I hesitated.
I wasn’t scared.
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Chapter 34
But I wasn’t ready either.
Knox nudged me forward. “Don’t keep him waiting.”
I shot him a glare before stepping inside.
The doors shut behind me with a thud.
The room was dim, the fire burning low. Heavy curtains were drawn over the windows, making the space feel smaller, suffocating.
And there he was.
Alaric.
Standing near the hearth, arms crossed, his face set in an expression so unreadable it made my skin prickle. His ice–blue eyes locked onto me, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
The flames cast sharp shadows across his face, highlighting the scar over his left brow, the sharpness of his jaw, the tension in his shoulders.
He didn’t speak.
Neither did I.
But the silence between us was thick. I shuffled from one ceet to another as he clenched and unclenched his fist.
Was he going to hit me? He wouldn’t…right?
I was about to say something but he beat me to it first.
“Are you a fool?”
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