Kaelos stood alone on the palace terrace, the cold wind pulling at the loose folds of his tunic as he looked out over the kingdom. The towers of Aldovia rose like sentinels in the dying light, their spires sharp against the blood-orange sky. From this height, the world seemed both distant and too close—its silence an indictment.
She could be anywhere.
His hands gripped the stone railing, knuckles paling as guilt gnawed at him. He had retraced every path, questioned every guard, overturned every possibility, yet the hollow ache in his chest whispered the truth: She left because of you.
Footsteps echoed behind him, soft and deliberate.
Queen Alaina's voice broke the silence.
"You've been out here for hours."
Kaelos didn't turn to face her. "I couldn't sleep."
She came to stand beside him, her eyes following his gaze across the rooftops and distant hills.
"What weighs your mind, Kaelos?" she asked.
"I am worried for Elara," Kaelos said flatly. "As with the rest of the kingdom."
His mother didn't respond immediately. She studied him, quiet in a way only queens could be—still, but piercing.
"Say what's truly on your mind," she said at last.
Kaelos hesitated. Then he exhaled, the truth burning its way through his throat.
"We fought."
Queen Alaina's brow lifted. "Fought?"
"She confronted Athena. In the gardens." His voice tightened. "They exchanged words. It turned ugly. Elara was upset… and I went to Athena that night. I didn't come back."
Alaina's eyes sharpened with growing disapproval.
"I thought I'd have time to fix things. That she'd cool off." He paused, voice hollow. "But now she's gone. And I can't shake the feeling that she ran because of me."
There was a long silence.
Then Queen Alaina stepped forward, the steel in her spine returning with each word.
"Shame on you."
Kaelos looked at her, startled.
"You are not a child anymore, Kaelos. You are a prince. A husband. And you disgraced both titles in one night."
Her voice didn't rise—it didn't need to. Every syllable landed with the weight of a blow.
"You left your wife. You humiliated her. And now, because of your selfishness, she may be out there alone, hurt—or worse."
Kaelos lowered his gaze, but the guilt refused to leave him.
"I pray by Hera herself that she is safe," the Queen said, eyes toward the heavens. "Because if she is not, you will not only have failed her—you will have failed this kingdom."
She stepped back, the wind lifting strands of her silver-threaded hair.
"We resume the search at dawn," she said. "And you will lead it."
With that, she turned and walked away, her footsteps fading into the corridors behind him.
Kaelos remained rooted on the terrace, the last light of day casting long shadows across his face.
He looked again over the kingdom and whispered the name that haunted his every breath.
"Elara."
_______
Morning light streamed through the small cottage windows, golden beams across the wooden floor.
Elara sat propped against a cushion, the fever finally behind her. Her eyes were clearer now, sharper—though shadows still clung beneath them.
Cedric stood by the fireplace, stirring a pot of tea with steady hands.
"The village is growing restless," he said without turning. "They've seen the soldiers. They know something—or—something is being hunted."
Elara stiffened. "Are they close?"
"They say Prince Kaelos himself is leading a search party. And from what I've gathered, they're sweeping this side of the wood next."
Hallel, who had just returned from gathering herbs, dropped her basket by the door with a thud. "Fear filled her eyes again.
"You have to go back, Elara. Before they find you here."
"No," Elara said quickly. "I am not going back. Not yet."
"Elara, please." Hallel crossed to her side, kneeling. "You do not understand. If they find you here—if they think Father hid you…"
Elara shook her head, clutching the blanket around her. "I will not face them yet. I'm not ready."
A sudden pound at the door shattered the quiet.
Cedric froze. Hallel's eyes went wide.
"Open up!" a voice barked from outside. "By order of the Crown!"
Cedric moved fast. He rushed to the rug in the centre of the room, yanked it aside, and lifted a trapdoor. "Inside. Now."
Elara hesitated. "I won't let them—"
"No time," Cedric snapped. "Move."
Hallel helped Elara into the hidden root cellar beneath the floor. Darkness wrapped around them as Cedric shut the hatch and dragged the rug back over it just as the door burst open.
Kaelos stood in the doorway, flanked by two guards. His eyes swept the room with sharp intent.
"I assume you've heard of the search for the Crown Princess?" he said.
Cedric bowed stiffly. "We've heard the bells, yes."
Kaelos stepped inside, his gaze darting toward the hearth, the hallway, the door to the back room.
"She disappeared from the palace. Last seen just before dawn two nights ago."
Cedric folded his arms calmly. "And you believe she'd be in my home?"
Kaelos met his gaze. "We do not know, she could be anywhere." He bowed his head slightly. "Is she?" He asked.
"She is not," Cedric said evenly.
Kaelos's eyes wandered again, slow and searching. "It would be a shame," he said quietly, almost offhand, "if anyone were caught harbouring the Crown Princess. Treason, they call it. The punishment… is not forgiving."
Cedric's jaw tensed. "I would never stand in the way of the Crown."
Kaelos narrowed his eyes. "Wait, I know you," Kaelos said. "You are the father of my wife's maid. Hallel, is that her name?"
Cedric nodded slowly.
Below the floor, Elara sat frozen. Her fingers dug into the worn wood as Kaelos' words echoed in her head. Treason. Punishment. All for trying to protect her.
She looked at Hallel, whose eyes shimmered with worry, then at the hatch above where Cedric stood.
I can't stay, she thought to herself. If I do, they'll hang for it.
Back up, the guards moved through the cottage, opening cupboards, checking behind curtains. Kaelos paced, looking at the floor. His eyes lingered on the rug for a beat too long, then moved on.
Beneath the floor, Elara held her breath, every sound above magnified. Hallel pressed a hand over her mouth, eyes wide in the dark.
Finally, Kaelos turned back to Cedric. "If she is seen, I am certain you will inform the court?"
Cedric nodded. "Of course, Your Grace."
Kaelos stared at him for a long, heavy moment, then gave a short nod. "Good."
He turned and left, his guards trailing behind.
The door shut loudly.
And there was a long silence.
The hatch opened again, and Cedric helped the girls out. Elara's hands trembled slightly, but her voice was steady.
"I can not let this go on," she said. "If they catch me here, they will punish you. I will not let that happen."
"You are not strong enough," Cedric said quietly. "You can barely stand."
"I will do what I must," she replied. "But I am going back."
"Princess—" Cedric started. But Elara halted him.
"You have given me two days of peace, which is more than I can say from what I feel in the palace. I know that I may never be able to thank you enough for your hospitality—"
She winced as she tried to stand up straight, but she firmed herself.
"But let me…let me repay you by giving you protection. Please."
Cedric studied her, then sighed. "Alright. We will take you to the palace tonight."
"No!" She exclaimed. "You will take me as far as you can, and I will find my way, I will not put you in any danger."
"But my Princess!" Cedric sighed.
"That is a command," Elara said, her eyes brewing with tears. "I am commanding you."
She said, trying to be strong.
Cedric saw the scared look in her eyes.
He pulled her close into a hug.
"It is alright." He said. "All is alright."
Elara nodded, determination in her eyes.
_______
"What in the hell is going on?" Kaelos roared, tearing off his chestplate and throwing it across the chamber. It crashed against the wall with a metallic clang.
"Please, Your Highness," Leopold said carefully, standing near the doorway. "You're under a great deal of stress."
"It has been two days, Leo—two days! And there's still no sign of Elara!" Kaelos ran a hand through his hair, pacing. "She could be hurt. Or worse. And all I can do is tear apart cottages and search shadows."
Leopold remained silent, watching his prince wear a trench into the stone floor.
Kaelos stopped. "What is it?" he snapped, looking at Leo. "Say it."
Leopold hesitated, then spoke. "Did you really go to Athena… the night the princess disappeared?"
Silence fell thick between them. Kaelos looked away.
"Yes," he said finally. His voice was low. "Yes, I went to Athena."
Leopold's jaw tightened. He didn't speak.
"Don't," Kaelos said, turning sharply. "Don't look at me like that. Don't make me feel worse than I already do."
"I am not trying to," Leopold said. "But you should know what it looks like—from the outside."
Kaelos's breath caught in his chest.
"I know what it looks like," he said. "And I would give anything to undo it."
"For your sake or Elara's?" Leopold asked, voice quiet but firm.
Kaelos blinked. "I do not understand what you are asking."
"I am asking," Leopold said slowly, "are you searching for the princess because you care for her, or because losing her threatens your comfort?"
Kaelos groaned, rubbing his face. "That is an utterly ridiculous question, Leo."
"Is it?" Leopold pressed. "You've done nothing but complain about your marriage since the day it was announced. And yet now, you act as if your life hangs on her return."
"Because it does," Kaelos snapped, turning to face him. "There are a hundred and one things that could go wrong if Elara isn't found—and every single one of them ends with a sword driven in my heart.
Leopold stepped closer. His eyes were steady and sharp.
"Then I hope," he said, voice low, "that when she is found, you hold your life a little more dearly next time."
Kaelos said nothing.
Silence settled between them, heavy as the weight in his chest.
_______
The woods were darker than Elara remembered.
Even with the moon above, its silver light weaving through the bare branches, shadows clung to the underbrush like old regrets.
Cedric walked beside her, one hand gripping the reins of an old horse, the other tucked deep in his cloak. Hallel followed behind, eyes darting through the trees.
"Are you sure about this?" Cedric asked for the third time.
"Yes," Elara whispered, though her voice cracked from the cold. "This is something I have to do."
They didn't argue again. The silence between them was reverent, filled with things none of them dared to say. Birds stirred in the trees. A wolf howled faintly in the distance.
When they reached the edge of the palace woods, Cedric halted.
"This is as far as we go."
Elara nodded and slowly dismounted, her legs unsteady beneath her. Hallel stepped forward and adjusted her cloak.
"You don't have to do this alone," she said softly.
"I do," Elara replied, steady now. "If I let you come with me, they'll have reason to punish you. I won't give them that."
She looked between them—these two who had risked everything for her—and her throat tightened.
"I'll never forget this."
Cedric reached into his coat and pressed something into her hand. A silver pendant on a leather cord.
"For luck," he said. "And for strength. You'll need both."
Elara smiled. "Thank you." She whispered.
Cedric nodded, and Hallel nodded too, and then she turned to hide behind a tree.
Elara's boots sank into the soft earth as she stepped out of the woods and into the clearing. The palace stood in the distance, its towering spires illuminated by the faint torchlight of the outer guards.
Each step was heavier than the last. Her breath came in shallow bursts. The fever had broken, but her body was far from whole. Every ache screamed for rest, but her resolve kept her upright.
She stumbled toward the outer gates, her cloak dragging in the mud. A guard on patrol turned, squinting into the dim light.
"Halt—who goes there?" he called.
Elara raised a trembling hand. "It is I, Princess Elara," she croaked, barely audible.
The guard's eyes widened. "Gods," he breathed. "It is her, it is the princess!"
She took another step, then faltered. Her knees buckled, the world spun—and darkness crept at the edges of her vision.
She collapsed just as the second guard arrived.
"Sound the bells!" the first one shouted, already kneeling beside her. "Sound the bells! The princess has returned!"
Across the quiet palace grounds, a bell began to toll—deep, urgent, echoing through the stone corridors, waking up the whole of Aldovia.