Chapter 59: Chapter 59

KAMORA

The day of the ball arrived. Kamora left Jarosh with Petal and prepared to leave with her husband.

She had donned a simple, maroon-colored gown that accentuated her form, and let her hair fall straight down over her shoulders. Her husband had put on a simple formal coat with trousers, and though the outfit was simple, it looked very classy on him.

“Are you ready?” he asked softly from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist as she finished applying the last touches of her makeup.

She caught his gaze in the mirror and nodded. “Let’s go.”

Hand in hand, they descended to the manor’s entrance where Claudia, Petal, and Jarosh were waiting.

Jarosh broke into a run and flung his arms around Kamora. “You look very pretty,” he whispered with a conspiratorial grin.

Her heart warmed. She bent to kiss his forehead.

“Thank you, darling. This won’t take long.”

Petal and Claudia bowed respectfully as Kamora and Lord Maroke made their way to the carriage waiting outside. He helped her up before stepping in after her.

A moment later, the horses stirred, and the carriage rolled forward toward the castle.

Inside, the ride was quiet for a beat, the sound of wheels and hooves filling the space. Then Maroke spoke.

“Shall we go over our plan?” he asked.

“Sure,” Kamora said.

“When we arrive, we make sure we’re announced together,” he began. “We stay close—no wandering off tonight. I’ll keep my eyes on the crowd, especially near the princess. I want to see if any suspicious Fae are hanging around her.”

“Aside from my sister,” she added dryly. “Though I doubt the princess would invite her to something this public.”

“True,” Lord Maroke agreed. “But nothing surprises me where the princess is concerned.”

Kamora leaned back slightly, a faint frown creasing her brow. “There’s something I keep thinking about. When we expose her…what if the king and queen don’t side with us? Couldn’t they retaliate?”

Maroke’s expression was calm but firm. “I’m a lord. Moving against me would be a direct slight to the entire noble class. And besides, most of them already know what she’s like. Evil doesn’t hide well behind a crown.”

“Really?” Kamora arched a brow. “I thought she had a good image outside the castle walls.”

“To the common folk, perhaps,” he said with a shrug. “But among nobles—those who actually see how power moves—she’s notorious. They know the truth, even if they pretend not to.”

He fell silent for a moment. His eyes grew distant.

“What is it?” Kamora asked, sensing the shift in him.

“I came across something strange,” he said at last. “The king has another daughter.”

Kamora’s eyes widened. “What? Are you serious? Where is she? What happened to her? Why hasn’t anyone heard of this?”

“I don’t know yet,” he said. “I only discovered the hint by chance while tracking the princess’s movements. Something slipped—something she didn’t mean to let out. I’m hoping tonight, I’ll find more.”

“Do you think anyone else knows?”

“Maybe a few,” he said thoughtfully. “But if they do, I’d wager the number doesn’t exceed the fingers on one hand.”

***

The looming view of the palace held an intimidating aura as they drew closer. Kamora was nervous, though she did her best not to show it.

When she was starting to believe that the journey there had become unnaturally slow, the carriage finally stopped.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

Kamora nodded.

He then stepped out first before helping Kamora out of the carriage. She dusted imaginary crumbs from her dress, then looked up.

A lot of people had gathered at the entrance, the majority of them young Fae males. She could even spot some ambitious humans in the mix.

The rest of the crowd were young mothers and their daughters who were probably seeking their future son-in-law and husbands from those the princess would end up discarding. Some old elite Fae and humans, with their partners, must have been invited for formalities.

“I can’t help but wonder what the princess has planned for you. She might use this to make a huge show of how she selected you to be her husband.”

“Well, good thing I have you with me to spoil the plans before she can even begin,” he said, holding her hand and gently tapping it. He then placed it into the crook of his arm.

“Let’s go in.”

They followed the crowd and slowly walked into the entrance of the palace. Some palace servants led them straight to the hall where the ball was being held.

The palace was huge, the floor tiled with marble that shone almost like a mirror. Murals lined the ceiling, and huge chandeliers with what looked like diamonds hung from them.

Strange paintings hung on the walls, and as they walked, they reached an extremely large portrait of the king, and next to it, one of him and his family.

Finally, they arrived at the hall where the ball was taking place. The entrance inside was huge, so much so that they could clearly see where the king and queen sat.

The princess sat on a lower level next to them, looking prim, proper, and innocent. Kamora scoffed.

“What is it?” Lord Maroke asked.

“Look at her,” she said, nodding at the princess. “One would never believe that she’d have the mind to poison a child.”

Lord Maroke squeezed her hands tightly. “Tonight, we end it all.”

They walked with the crowd, Kamora’s heart banging in her ears, anger dulling her nerves as they drew closer to the announcer.

Finally, they reached the entrance of the ball. Lord Maroke handed the invitation letter to the announcer, waiting as the man glanced through it.

The man gave a single nod, took a deep breath, and then shouted, “Lord Maroke, and his wife, Lady Kamora Maroke.”

Kamora’s eyes were locked on the royals, her attention fixed on the princess. At the mention of Lord Maroke’s name, the princess offered a graceful smile.

But the moment Kamora’s name was spoken, that mask cracked. A flicker of confusion crossed her face, quickly giving way to shock, then fear, and finally—rage.

Kamora didn’t look away. She saw the princess’s sharp glance cut toward a shadowed corner of the ballroom, eyes narrowed with fury.

Instinctively, Kamora followed her line of sight—and her gaze landed on Gwen. Who was staring directly at her.