CROWN OF FORBIDDEN HEARTS

The room was silent, except for the guard's words hanging in the air. "Alaric is dead."

Zara's breath caught. Her chest felt tight as her mind scrambled to process what she'd just heard. Alaric, gone? The man who had stirred something new in her—something she didn't fully understand—was gone before she could explore it.

"No," she murmured, her voice barely audible. She stared at the ground, trying to suppress the whirlwind of emotions rising within her. Disappointment. Regret. A strange, aching loss.

Erythian's voice broke through her haze. "We'll return to Calisthea in the morning. The kingdom will be in chaos after this, and we need to prepare".

"No," Zara said sharply, lifting her gaze.

Erythian frowned. "Zara, be reasonable. You're the queen, your safety is paramount. Traveling at night, especially after news like this, is reckless."

"I said no," Zara repeated, her tone firmer now. "I am going back tonight."

Erythian stepped toward her, his voice steady but filled with warning. "Zara, listen to me. The roads aren't safe, especially now. If someone used Alaric's death to destabilize the kingdom, we need to think carefully before acting. I won't let you risk yourself like this."

Zara's expression darkened. Her eyes glimmered unnaturally, turning a deep shade of crimson. It wasn't her voice that came next or at least, it wasn't just hers.

"I am their queen," she hissed, her voice laced with an otherworldly power. "And I will return now. Anyone who tries to stop me will regret it…including you, Erythian."

Erythian's heart sank as he looked into her blood-red eyes. This wasn't just Lysandra speaking, it felt like something fierce and unyielding.

His shoulders sagged slightly as he sighed. "Then I'll go with you.

"No," Zara snapped, her tone cold. "I forbid it."

Erythian's jaw tightened. "Why not?"

"Because I said so."

With that, Zara turned and walked toward the door, shedding the robe she had been wearing. Her silk dress clung to her as she strode out into the cool night, her silver hair glistening in the moonlight. Without a word to anyone else, she went straight to the stables.

She mounted a white horse, gripping the reins tightly. Her resolve was unshakable. The wind caught her hair as she rode off into the night, alone, toward Calisthea.

Erythian stood frozen in place long after she was gone. He didn't know whether to be angry, worried, or heartbroken. Lysandra wasn't herself. Or was she?

doubt and fear creeping into his mind. He paced the halls restlessly, replaying the moment her eyes had turned crimson. She hadn't looked at him like that before.

But his power, the gift that allowed him to sense threats and emotions kept tugging at him. There was danger surrounding her, and he couldn't ignore it. By midnight, his patience snapped.

"I can't leave her out there alone," he muttered.

He summoned two of his trusted guards. They saddled their horses and rode off into the night. Erythian's mind raced as the cold wind bit at his face. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

The ride to Calisthea was grueling, and the forest felt alive with danger. Erythian's senses prickled, but they encountered no one on the road.

That night, as the Queen rode through the forest, on her way to Calithea, an uneasy feeling settled in her chest. The roads felt…wrong. It was too still, too quiet.

"Something's not right," she murmured to herself.

But deep within her, another voice stirred, soft and commanding.

"You're not alone," it whispered.

Zara stopped, her heart pounding. "Lysandra?" she asked aloud, her voice trembling.

The voice didn't answer, but a surge of warmth filled her, giving her the strength to push forward.

She was their queen, and she wouldn't falter.

She kept riding.

By the time Erythian and his guards reached the city gates, dawn was just beginning to break.

Erythian dismounted and stormed into the palace, heading straight for the queen's chambers. He threw the doors open, startling Mirenna, who had been folding the queen's robes.

"Your Majesty!" she exclaimed, bowing down in surprise. "You've returned?"

"Where is the queen?" Erythian demanded, his tone sharp.

Mirenna blinked in confusion. "What do you mean? Did the queen not ride with you to the council?"

Erythian stared at her, his heart sinking. "She did. But after we received news of Alaric's death, she set out for Calithea last night. She was worried about the kingdom and insisted on returning immediately."

Mirenna's face went pale. "What news about Alaric?"

Erythian froze. "His death," he said quietly, his voice laced with disbelief. "Did you hear nothing of Alaric's death?"

Mirenna shook her head slowly, her eyes darting around in confusion. "No, Your Majesty. I heard no such thing."

Erythian staggered back a step, his thoughts racing.

"No," he whispered, the weight of realization crushing him.

Without another word, he spun on his heel and left the room.

Mirenna called after him, "your Majesty! is the queen okay?" but he didn't even turn to look at her, let alone give an answer; he just kept running; he didn't stop.

She tried to run after him but was instantly blocked by one of the guards who was commanded to ensure that Mirenna didn't interfere.

His face was a mask of fury and despair as he marched through the palace, shouting for his royal guard.

When he reached his personal royal guard , his voice cracked with emotion. "It was a trap," he growled. "That guard who brought the news; who was he?

"Im not sure your majesty" the royal guard Jon replied.

as Erythian stood there in the corridor listening to the guard talk and feeling so angry…angry enough to want to rip out Jon's throat., his hands trembling. Zara was out there, somewhere and he wasn't sure if he'd find her in time.

"You're the captain of the royal guards and you don't know which of your men delivered a news this important to me??????? I should have your head RIGHT THIS INSTANT" Erythian says in anger.

The captain stood silently at attention.

"Find him," Erythian commanded, his voice rising with anger as he hits Jon's chest "FIND THAT BASTARD!"

The guards scattered.