We moved swiftly through the narrow corridors, Dorian pulling me along with a sense of urgency that sent my pulse racing. The sounds of the palace seemed to fade away, replaced by the quick thudding of my heartbeat in my ears. The truth he'd just revealed—my father's death, the betrayal, the people hunting me—was like a weight pressing down on me.
Every step felt heavier.
I couldn't quite grasp it all. One moment, I was a lowly servant, blending into the background of the court's games. Next, I was caught in the middle of a dangerous web of lies and power struggles, where every move I made could be my last.
"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice a mixture of fear and confusion. "You said we're in danger. But danger from who?"
Dorian glanced at me over his shoulder, his jaw tight with resolve. "The people who control this court, the ones who have their hands in every corner of the kingdom—they want you gone. And the only way to protect you now is to act before they make their move."
I stumbled slightly as we turned another corner, but Dorian's grip on my arm was steady. "Why me?" I asked, feeling the confusion settle deeper in my chest. "Why would they want to kill me? What's so special about me?"
"There's more to you than you realize," he said, his voice low, almost as if he was speaking to himself. "More than your father ever let on. They were afraid of you before your father died, but after... it became a matter of keeping the bloodline buried."
"Bloodline?" I repeated, my mind racing to make sense of it all. "But I don't even know what that means. My father—he was just a king, wasn't he? Just a ruler."
Dorian stopped in front of a thick wooden door and turned to face me. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes betrayed something—something deeper than what he had shared. "He wasn't just any king. He had something they wanted. And now, so do you."
The words hung in the air like smoke, thick and suffocating. I didn't understand. How could I have been so blind? My entire life, I'd believed the lies about my family, about my father's death. But Dorian's words stirred something inside me. There was a truth, hidden beneath years of deceit, and it was all beginning to surface.
"I need you to trust me," Dorian said, his voice breaking through my thoughts. "This isn't just about survival anymore. It's about taking control."
I nodded, my mind racing. Taking control. It sounded impossible. I had no power here. No influence. I was just a girl, lost in a sea of court politics and royal ambition. But I was beginning to see that Dorian wasn't just talking about survival. He was talking about a future—a future I didn't know if I was ready to face.
Dorian opened the door, ushering me into a small, dimly lit room. Inside, a single candle flickered, casting long shadows on the stone walls. The room was sparsely furnished, with only a few wooden chairs and a table in the centre, but it felt like a refuge—safe, quiet, away from the chaos of the palace.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the racing thoughts in my head. Dorian followed me inside and shut the door behind us.
"We need to make a plan," he said, his tone still steady but with an edge of urgency. "They won't stop until they have you."
I turned to face him, my heart pounding. "And what do you suggest we do? Fight back? How?"
Dorian's lips pressed into a thin line. "We don't have to fight them alone. There are allies, people who still believe in your father's vision. People who will help."
"But I don't know them," I said, frustration creeping into my voice. "How can I trust anyone when I don't even know who I can trust?"
"You'll have to trust me," he said simply, his gaze never wavering. "And in turn, I'll help you find the ones who will stand with you."
The weight of his words sank into my chest, and I suddenly felt the weight of the world pressing down on me. Could I really trust him? Could I trust anyone in this court, in this kingdom, when everyone seemed to have their own agenda?
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I had no choice. Dorian Blackwood was the only person who seemed to have answers. And for better or worse, my survival depended on him.
"We'll start by getting you out of here," Dorian continued, his tone calm. "We'll leave the palace before they realize you're gone. After that, we'll figure out who to trust. But right now, we need to move."
The urgency in his voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I nodded, barely able to process everything that had been said. My entire life had been a lie, and now the truth was staring me in the face.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that running away wasn't the answer. I wasn't just a servant anymore. I wasn't just a girl hiding in the shadows.
I was a threat. A piece in the game. And I wasn't about to let anyone control my fate.
Dorian led me through another set of hallways, this time more familiar—closer to the outer perimeter of the palace. The stone walls seemed colder now, as though they too knew what was happening. I glanced back at him, trying to keep pace.
"Dorian," I said, my voice shaking despite my best effort to sound calm. "How do you know all of this? How do you know about my father?"
Dorian didn't turn to look at me, but his jaw clenched. "Your father was a man of vision, and that vision is what's threatening the current power structure here. They tried to erase him, and they'll try to erase you too, but you're still here. You're still a symbol of what they fear."
I was silent for a moment, absorbing his words. My father's death had never felt like the tragedy it should have been. It had always been shrouded in mystery, with no real answers. And now, Dorian was telling me that his death wasn't an accident. It was part of something bigger—a power struggle I hadn't even begun to understand.
"What should I do?" I asked quietly.
Dorian's voice softened, though his eyes remained hard. "We need to make sure you're safe. After that, we'll go on the offensive. But for now, we move."
I nodded, but my mind was swirling with too many questions. How could I even begin to process everything that had just been revealed? And more importantly, could I truly survive what was coming?