Spring in Aetheria was not marked by rain, but by blooms that glowed at dusk and floating pollen that shimmered like dusted gold. And with spring came the Crown Princess's first official duty: visiting the children of the Skyward Orphan's Garden.
Elara had prepared for days—studying names, customs, healing stories, and gifts. She wore a flowing periwinkle gown embroidered with sky-flowers, her dark brown eyes full of hope and sincerity.
"This is what queens do," Auren had whispered to her that morning, brushing her hair with fingers full of love. "They make the little ones feel seen."
And so she tried.
She smiled at every child. She laughed, she knelt beside them to hear their stories, she healed one boy's scraped knee and kissed the forehead of a blind girl who asked if light had a voice.
It was all going beautifully—
Until it wasn't.
---
The gardens of the Skyward Palace were layered with platforms, streams, and waterfalls that fed through enchanted terraces. Elara stepped away briefly to check on a shy child hiding behind a willow near the deep lower pools.
She didn't hear footsteps behind her.
Didn't sense the hand that reached out.
Until it shoved her.
Hard.
Elara stumbled—heart flying to her throat—and tumbled over the marble ledge.
She screamed.
And vanished into the chasm pool, water swallowing her like a hungry mouth.
---
The water was freezing.
She sank fast. The pool was deeper than it looked—an old, enchanted reservoir surrounded by slippery stone walls and tangled vines. Her dress tangled around her legs like chains. She thrashed, panic gripping her.
She couldn't scream.
She couldn't breathe.
The world darkened—
Until a sudden burst of shadow and heat tore through the water.
Kael.
His cloak was already gone, boots discarded. He plunged in like a black arrow of fury, slicing through the water toward her. His strong arms wrapped around her, and with a force that could shatter glass, he propelled them both to the surface.
They burst out, gasping.
He hauled her to the edge, one arm gripping stone, the other pulling her trembling form into him. She coughed, water pouring from her mouth, and her vision blurred.
"Breathe," Kael commanded, voice low and urgent.
She blinked.
He was holding her—so close, so tightly she could feel his heartbeat hammering like war drums against his chest.
"Kael…" she gasped.
He didn't answer. His jaw was clenched so hard it looked like it might crack. His hair dripped into his eyes, soaked through, and his hand gripped her waist like he was anchoring himself.
Then he looked up—eyes blazing with more than fury.
Rage. Terror. Possession.
And something else.
Something broken.
"Who did this?" he snarled.
"I—I don't know," she stammered. "I felt a shove…"
He stood, still holding her arm, scanning the ledge. Servants were rushing toward them now. The Lady-in-Waiting who had been assigned to Elara stood at the edge, pale, eyes too wide.
Kael's eyes locked on her.
The woman paled further and fled.
"I'll deal with her," he growled. "No one touches you."
"But… why?" Elara asked, shivering.
Kael turned to her. His expression was ice.
"Because even if I hate myself for it, I'd rather drown beside you than let you fall alone."
And with that, he vanished into shadow—leaving her soaked, stunned, and shivering in more ways than one.
---
Back in her chamber, Elara sat wrapped in silk blankets. Auren entered minutes later, worry etched into every line of his face.
"You're soaked," he breathed, kneeling beside her. "What happened?"
"I fell," she whispered. "One of the pools. I'm okay."
He touched her face. "You could've died…"
She leaned into him. "Someone saved me."
Auren tensed. "Who?"
She hesitated. "Kael."
His hands tightened. But then he sighed, brushing her hair back and kissing her forehead.
"I don't trust his heart," Auren whispered. "But I trust his blood. He'll never let harm touch you."
She didn't respond.
Because part of her knew…
That wasn't protection out of duty.
It was something else.
Something darker.
Something that would not stay buried much longer.