It had been a month since the grand ball, a night Charlotte wished she could forget. The fainting spell that followed had left her confined to her chambers for weeks, the whispers of concerned servants and the gentle reprimands of her family becoming a steady background noise. But now, finally recovered, Charlotte had begun to find solace in her quiet routines.
She was enjoying a serene morning by the window, sunlight filtering through lace curtains, when the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway. The door burst open, and there stood Lennon Lara, as vibrant and commanding as ever. Lennon, the only daughter of Count Lara Ayesa, had a natural flair for drama and a knack for pulling Charlotte into the whirlwind of social life she so often tried to avoid.
"Charlotte!" Lennon declared, sweeping into the room. "You won't believe the latest!"
Charlotte set down her book, her curiosity piqued despite herself. "What is it this time, Lennon?"
Lennon took a seat, her eyes sparkling with the thrill of sharing secrets. "The queen. She's disappeared. No one has seen her for weeks. They say she's been… kidnapped!"
Charlotte's breath caught, her mind racing. "Kidnapped? That's impossible. The palace—"
"—is in chaos," Lennon interrupted. "The rumors are spreading like wildfire. No one knows where she is, and the people are growing restless."
Charlotte frowned, the weight of the revelation settling heavily on her. But before she could ask more, Lennon had risen, already moving toward the door. "I'll keep you updated," she said with a mischievous smile.
Three days later, Lennon returned, but the lighthearted gossip was gone. Her expression was grim, her steps purposeful. "Charlotte, it's true," she said without preamble. "The queen has been taken, and it's worse than anyone imagined. The ones responsible—it's them."
Charlotte's heart was unbothered. "Them?" she whispered.
"The most dangerous guild in the kingdom," Lennon replied. "They're ruthless, cunning, and impossible to track. No one knows where they're hiding her. Not even the royal guards have a clue."
The news spread through the kingdom like a dark cloud, casting its shadow over every corner of the land. In the palace, the weight of the queen's absence was unbearable. The king, already frail with age, collapsed under the strain. Bedridden and silent, he left the kingdom adrift in uncertainty.
Amid the turmoil, the palace officials convened. The kingdom could not remain leaderless, and so they turned their attention to the question of succession. By law and tradition, the crown prince would be chosen from the king's sons. It should have been a simple matter—the first prince, the rightful heir, should take the throne.
But there was a problem.
The first prince had not spoken a word in years. A terrible trauma from his youth had left him silent, his voice trapped behind an impenetrable wall. Many doubted his ability to rule, even as tradition demanded his ascension.
The second prince, on the other hand, was everything the first was not—charismatic, ambitious, and eager to seize the opportunity. But his claim to the throne was weaker, and the idea of bypassing the first prince sparked fierce debate among the officials.
As the palace teetered on the brink of division, Charlotte found herself drawn into the storm. The threads of fate, so often tangled in the lives of the powerful, seemed to be pulling her closer. She couldn't yet see how, but deep in her heart, she knew that the disappearance of the queen was the biggest problem ever.