Chapter 28: Echoes of the Past

The air around them felt heavier with each passing second. The presence of Clarissa, King Knox's ex-fiancée, seemed to draw out unspoken tension, and Amaria could feel it in every fiber of her being. Her gaze flickered between the two of them, the way their eyes locked in an almost silent confrontation. She had never been one for drama, but this... this felt different. She could sense the unresolved history, the scars left by years gone by.

King Knox's posture was tense, but his expression remained composed, a stone mask concealing whatever emotions roiled beneath. Clarissa's cold gaze never wavered from him as she took a step forward.

"We need to talk, Knox," Clarissa repeated, her tone insistent. There was a hard edge to her voice, a sense of unfinished business.

Amaria stayed silent, unwilling to insert herself into whatever this was. She hadn't asked for this—hadn't expected to find herself in the middle of it. But here she was. Clarissa was back. And she had no idea what that meant for her or for her place in King Knox's life.

King Knox, however, was still. Silent. His eyes were locked on Clarissa, but for a moment, it seemed like he wasn't seeing her at all. Instead, his gaze seemed lost in something else, perhaps a distant memory that he would rather not face.

Finally, he broke the silence, his voice low, laced with authority. "We've talked enough already. Whatever it is, it's in the past. You know that."

Clarissa's lips curled into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "You think the past can just be buried?" she asked, a laugh of disbelief escaping her lips. "You think it's that easy, Knox?"

Amaria watched them both carefully, the words hanging heavy in the air. There was a sharpness in Clarissa's tone, a bitterness that seemed to cut through the stillness. And yet, Amaria couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't just about the past—there was something more to this encounter, something unspoken between them.

Clarissa glanced over at Amaria, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took in the sight of the queen standing so calmly, watching the exchange. "I see you've moved on, then," she said, her voice cool, her gaze almost dismissive. "You've found your place in his life."

Amaria held her ground, though she could feel a flutter of uncertainty rising within her. "I'm the queen," she replied simply, her voice steady, but her words cutting through the tension like a knife.

Clarissa's smile faltered. "Yes, I see that," she said, almost as though she hadn't expected Amaria to respond with such confidence. But there was no hiding the edge of mockery in her voice. "But do you really know what that means, Amaria? Do you think you truly know the man you married?"

King Knox's jaw tightened at the question, but he didn't say a word. He just stood there, watching, his eyes flickering between Amaria and Clarissa.

Amaria took a breath, pushing back the unease that had settled in her stomach. "I know enough," she said, her voice unwavering. She met Clarissa's gaze directly, refusing to let the woman's words make her second-guess her place in the king's life. "And I trust my husband. He is more than the man you left behind."

Clarissa's eyes flickered with something that almost resembled surprise, but it was gone in an instant. "We'll see about that," she muttered under her breath, turning away with a stiff movement. Her gaze, however, never left Knox.

Amaria could feel the tension hanging in the air like a thick fog. She didn't understand everything—she didn't know the full extent of what had happened between King Knox and Clarissa—but she knew one thing for sure: this woman was a ghost from the past, and her return had the potential to unsettle everything Amaria had worked so hard to build.

The silence that followed was heavy, oppressive. King Knox didn't speak again, but the quiet between them felt loaded, as though he were holding something back. Amaria stood still, trying to keep her composure, though her heart raced in her chest.

Finally, King Knox turned to her, his expression unreadable. "You should go inside," he said, his voice cool but somehow softer than before. "I'll take care of this."

Amaria didn't argue. She simply nodded, her mind swirling with unanswered questions. As she walked away, she couldn't help but glance back at the king, still standing there, his eyes following Clarissa as she disappeared into the distance.

As Amaria entered the palace, she couldn't shake the feeling that things were changing—shifting in ways that she wasn't ready for. Whatever Clarissa had come to do, it was far from over. And Amaria would have to prepare herself for whatever came next.

The weight of King Knox's silence lingered in the air, long after Amaria had retreated into the palace. It was as though the ground beneath her feet had shifted, and every step she took felt uncertain, as though something—something she couldn't quite grasp—was quietly crumbling.

She walked through the corridors of the palace, her mind racing. She tried to shake the unease that had settled deep within her chest, but the more she thought about it, the more questions began to surface. Clarissa. The way she spoke to King Knox with such familiarity. The coldness in her eyes as she had looked at Amaria. What did it all mean? Was she a threat? Or was it just a shadow from the past?

And then there was the way Knox had responded to her—distant, almost as though he had been holding a part of himself back. Amaria had thought that after their marriage, things would settle into a rhythm. But the encounter had torn through that illusion, exposing something raw beneath.

She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice the quiet footsteps approaching from behind.

"Your Majesty," a familiar voice broke through her reverie.

Amaria turned to see her trusted maid, Lila, standing at the end of the hallway. The young woman's face was filled with concern. "Are you alright?"

Amaria smiled faintly, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yes, Lila. Just... thinking."

Lila hesitated, glancing towards the doors that led out to the royal gardens. "About the visitor, I presume?"

Amaria nodded, biting her lip. "Clarissa. King Knox's ex-fiancée."

Lila lowered her voice. "I don't mean to pry, Your Majesty, but there's always been whispers about her. People in the palace talk—how could they not? She was once the woman to be queen, before you." She paused, her expression softening. "But it's clear that the King values you. He married you, after all, and Prince Alexander adores you."

Amaria sighed deeply. "I don't know what to think anymore, Lila. There's so much I don't understand. She came back, and it felt like... it felt like I wasn't supposed to be here. Like she was supposed to be the one standing by his side."

Lila shook her head firmly. "Your Majesty, no one could replace you. You are the Queen now, and that is something that no past, no ghost, can change. You've proven your place in the palace, and in Prince Alexander's heart."

The comfort in Lila's words didn't quite ease the knot in Amaria's stomach, but it gave her something to hold onto. "Thank you, Lila. I needed to hear that."

Just as Lila was about to say something else, the sound of approaching footsteps made them both pause. King Knox walked down the hallway, his footsteps deliberate and his expression as unreadable as always. He stopped when he saw Amaria, his gaze flickering over her for a moment before he spoke.

"Amaria," he said, his voice steady. "May I speak with you?"

Lila glanced between them and then bowed her head. "I'll leave you two alone, Your Majesties."

Amaria watched as Lila departed, leaving her standing alone with the King. Her pulse quickened, but she tried to maintain her composure, to keep her voice even.

"Of course, Your Majesty," she said, her words polite but cautious.

King Knox didn't waste any time. His eyes met hers directly, his gaze intense, but there was a vulnerability beneath it that she hadn't noticed before.

"I assume you're still thinking about what happened earlier," he began, his voice laced with a quiet tension.

Amaria nodded slowly. "Yes, Your Majesty. I... I don't know what to make of it. She came back, and everything changed."

King Knox exhaled, his hands resting at his sides. "Clarissa is... a part of my past that I don't wish to revisit, but I cannot erase. She has her own reasons for returning, but I want you to know that she has no place in my life anymore."

Amaria swallowed, trying to steady her breathing. "But she was once your fiancée. You were going to marry her."

A flash of something darker crossed King Knox's features, but he quickly masked it. "I was a different man back then," he said, his tone low. "She was a part of the life I thought I wanted, but that life is no longer mine. It hasn't been for years."

Amaria's heart raced as she listened, the weight of his words sinking in. "Then why did she come back?"

King Knox didn't immediately answer. Instead, he seemed to wrestle with his thoughts for a moment before responding. "She's trying to stir up old wounds, to make me doubt what I have now. But I won't let her. Not anymore."

Amaria took a deep breath. "What do you want from me, Knox?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

For a long moment, the King said nothing. He simply watched her, his eyes flickering with something raw, something that made her pulse quicken again. Finally, he stepped closer, the distance between them closing.

"I want you to trust me," he said softly. "Trust that what we have is real. Trust that you are the one I chose, not because of duty or expectation, but because of what you mean to me."

Amaria felt a tremor run through her. She wasn't sure if she was more relieved or more uncertain, but she nodded.

"I do trust you, Knox. But I also need you to trust me. We're in this together. And whatever happens, we face it as a family."

He nodded, his features softening slightly. "You're right. We face it together. And I will not let anyone, not even my past, come between us."

Just then, they were interrupted by a small voice.

"Papa! Mama!" came Prince Alexander's excited cry as he bounded down the hallway, his small hands reaching for Amaria.

Amaria crouched down, wrapping her arms around the boy. He pressed his cheek against hers, and she couldn't help but smile despite the lingering tension. It was moments like this that reminded her of what truly mattered.

King Knox watched them, his expression unreadable. But there was something in his eyes, something that softened the usual coldness, as he gazed at his family—at the life they had built, one step at a time.

"Shall we go inside, my King?" Amaria asked gently, offering him a smile.

He met her gaze, his lips curling just slightly. "Yes," he replied. "Let's go inside."

As they walked into the warmth of the palace, Amaria couldn't help but feel that the storm wasn't over yet. But for now, they had each other—and that, she realized, was all that truly mattered.