It had been three days since my royal office concert incident.
Three days of humiliation.
Three days of torture.
Three days of His Majesty finding new ways to remind me that I had, in fact, been caught dancing and singing in his office.
The absolute worst part?
He was enjoying this far too much.
It started subtly.
I walked into the royal study, balancing a tray of fresh tea, when His Majesty glanced up from his desk.
"Thalia."
I straightened immediately.
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
He took a slow sip of tea, golden eyes gleaming with thinly veiled amusement.
"...Are you still feeling twenty-two?"
I choked on air.
My soul left my body.
The teapot nearly slipped from my grasp.
"...What?" I croaked.
His lips twitched.
"I simply assumed you must be in good spirits," he said lightly. "Given your... recent performances."
I internally screamed.
I tried to ignore him.
Tried to pretend this conversation wasn't happening.
But, unfortunately, the King had decided that teasing me was his new favorite pastime.
During lunch, I caught him humming the song under his breath. During a council meeting, a minister referenced "handling a situation like a problem." The King immediately looked at me. I overheard a knight saying that His Majesty had been in a strangely good mood lately.
I was never escaping this.
The final straw came when I was pouring tea.
The King tilted his head slightly.
"Perhaps I should assign you to the palace musicians," he mused.
I froze.
"...You wouldn't."
His golden eyes gleamed.
"Should I request an official performance?"
I dropped the teapot.
It shattered on the floor.
We both stared at it.
Then, without missing a beatâ
I curtsied sharply and fled the room.
His low chuckle followed me all the way down the hallway.
~~~
I had barely recovered from my public humiliation when another problem arrived.
And by 'problem,' I meantâ
Cassian.
It started with yelling.
Loud, obnoxious yelling.
Thenâ
The sound of something crashing.
I whipped my head around just in time to see:
-Â A royal attendant running for their life.
-Â A knight doubled over in laughter.
-Â Cassian, standing in the middle of the hallway, looking like he had just returned from war.
He grinned.
"THALIA!"
I braced for impact.
Before I could reactâ
Cassian scooped me up and spun me around.
CASSIAN, PUT ME DOWN!" I shrieked.
He ignored me.
"IT'S BEEN AGES!" he declared.
"It's been three weeks," I wheezed.
"FAR TOO LONG."
A royal attendant coughed loudly.
Cassian finally set me down, grinning.
Then, with zero hesitationâ
He took one look at my uniform and said:
"...Why do you look even more like a prisoner?"
I smacked his arm.
Cassian's mischievous grin widened.
"So," he said, crossing his arms. "What did I miss?"
I groaned.
"Too much," I muttered. "The King keeps tormenting me, I accidentally became his document assistant, andâ"
Cassian's eyes widened.
"You're working with the King?!"
I blinked.
"...Why do you sound so horrified?"
Cassian grabbed my shoulders.
"Thalia."
"...Yes?"
"Did he trick you?"
"...I mean, maybe?"
Cassian sighed deeply.
Then, patting my head like I was a tragic figure, he muttered:
"Rest in peace, my friend."
As chaotic as Cassian's return was, my problems weren't over.
Because later that night, I received another letter.
And this timeâ
It wasn't just a jealous noblewoman trying to scare me.
This was different.
The letter was delivered secretly, slipped under my door.
There was no name.
No seal.
Just a single line of elegant, but chilling handwriting.
"The palace is not as safe as you believe."
"You are being watched."
"Be careful, little maid."
I stared at it.
A cold feeling crept up my spine.
This...
This was not from some spoiled noble trying to remove me from the palace.
This was something else entirely.
I read the words again and again.
"You are being watched."
I swallowed hard.
This was no longer petty palace politics.
This was a warning.
And for the first time...
I felt genuinely afraid.