DAUGHTER OF ASH AND NIGHT

Aliana's body ached with every step as she made her way back to her chamber. Her muscles, unused to such relentless training, throbbed in protest, and her breath still felt uneven. She had fought with everything she had, but Kaelith had barely broken a sweat. His strikes were precise, controlled—he had been testing her, pushing her, and she had no doubt that he found her lacking.

She collapsed onto the edge of the bed, wincing as she touched a sore spot on her arm. The frustration burned in her chest. He hadn't even given her a word of acknowledgment, just left her there as if she were nothing more than a task completed.

But she wasn't nothing.

Aliana clenched her fists. She had fought back. Maybe not well, maybe not enough, but she had tried. And she would keep trying. Because whether Kaelith liked it or not, she wasn't going to break.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

The knock at the door pulled Aliana from her thoughts. She hesitated for a moment before forcing herself to stand, her body aching with every movement.

"Come in," she called, keeping her voice steady.

The door creaked open, revealing the same maid from earlier. She stepped inside, bowing her head slightly before speaking. "My lady, you are being summoned."

Aliana stiffened. "Summoned? By who?"

"The Queen."

A chill ran through her. Queen Elira. She had barely spoken during the trial, but her presence alone had been suffocating. And now she wanted to see Aliana?

"For what?" Aliana asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.

The maid shook her head. "I do not know. But I was ordered to bring you at once."

Aliana's mind raced. Had she done something wrong? Was this about the blood-binding, or something else entirely?

"Give me a moment," she said, stepping toward the washbasin. She splashed cool water on her face, trying to push aside her exhaustion. She couldn't afford to look weak—not in front of the Queen.

She turned back to the maid. "Take me to her."Aliana followed the maid through the endless halls of the palace, her legs still aching from training. The flickering torchlight cast long shadows on the stone walls, the silence between them thick and oppressive. She should have asked why the Queen wanted to see her, but something in the maid's expression told her she wouldn't get an answer.

They stopped in front of a set of towering doors, inlaid with delicate silver filigree. The sight alone sent a ripple of unease through her.

The maid bowed her head. "You may enter."

Aliana wasn't sure if she was ready for this. But she squared her shoulders, took a steadying breath, and stepped forward.

The doors creaked open, revealing a room bathed in golden candlelight. It was vast, lined with towering bookshelves filled with ancient tomes, their spines worn with age. The air smelled of burning wood and something faintly floral. Heavy drapes framed the tall windows, but it was the fire crackling in the hearth that drew her attention—because in front of it, seated with perfect poise, was her.

Queen Elira.

Aliana had only seen her during the trial, sitting beside the King, silent and watchful. Now, in the intimacy of her chamber, the Queen felt even more dangerous.

She was beautiful—ageless, untouchable. Dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, her features sculpted with an almost unnatural perfection. But it was her eyes that unsettled Aliana the most. They were piercing, calculating. As if they could strip away every layer she had built around herself.

Aliana forced herself to bow, her voice steady as she spoke. "You summoned me, Your Majesty."

Elira didn't respond immediately. She simply studied Aliana, as if trying to determine what to do with her. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, she leaned forward, resting her chin against her knuckles.

"Come closer."

Aliana hesitated before obeying, stepping forward until she was only a few feet away.

The Queen tilted her head, dark eyes sweeping over her with quiet scrutiny. "You are smaller than I expected."

Aliana didn't react.

"And yet," Elira continued, "you survived the trial. You survived my son."

Her tone was unreadable, and Aliana wasn't sure if it was a statement or a test.

"I had no choice," she said carefully. "I had to survive."

A slow, knowing smile tugged at the Queen's lips. "No choice." She echoed the words softly, as if amused. "That is what they always think in the beginning."

Aliana frowned. "The beginning of what?"

The Queen ignored the question. She stood gracefully, the silk of her gown whispering against the floor as she approached. Aliana resisted the instinct to step back.

"Tell me," Elira said, stopping just in front of her. "Do you truly understand the choice that was made for you?"

Aliana met her gaze. "I understand that I was bound to the Prince and taken from my home."

Elira let out a soft laugh. "Taken?" she mused. "Is that what you believe?"

Aliana's stomach tightened. "Am I wrong?"

The Queen studied her, the flickering firelight casting sharp shadows across her face. "You are not a prisoner," she said finally. "You are something far more complicated."

Aliana didn't like the way she said that.

Elira stepped closer, her voice lowering just enough to make Aliana feel like this was no longer just a conversation—but a warning. "You intrigue him."

A chill ran down Aliana's spine. "I doubt that."

"Do you?" The Queen arched a delicate brow. "Then tell me, why do you think he chose to bind himself to you?"

Aliana hesitated. "He said it was to save me from execution."

Elira's smile didn't waver. "And you believed him?"

Aliana didn't know what to say.

The Queen hummed, as if pleased by her silence. "You are not the first girl to enter this palace thinking herself different. And you will not be the last."

Something in the way she said it made Aliana's chest tighten.

"I don't think myself anything," she said quietly.

Elira's expression sharpened. "Good. Because you are nothing here."

The weight of those words settled deep in Aliana's bones. She understood the message behind them: she was disposable. Replaceable.

Elira turned away slightly, glancing toward the window. "Do you know why this kingdom still stands?"

Aliana frowned, caught off guard by the shift in conversation. "Because of the King?"

A soft chuckle. "No." The Queen's gaze flicked back to hers, sharp and unwavering. "It stands because we do not allow weakness to fester."

She stepped past Aliana then, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "Do not let yourself become one."

Aliana swallowed hard

Aliana swallowed hard. "I won't."

Elira studied her for a long moment, then, with a flick of her wrist, turned back toward the fireplace. "You may go."

It was a dismissal. But something about the way she said it made Aliana hesitate. The Queen had summoned her just to tell her she was nothing? Just to issue a warning?

No.

There was more to this.

Aliana straightened her spine. She had already stepped into the fire—she might as well see how much it burned.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty," she said, her voice measured, "if I am nothing, why do you care what I become?"

The Queen stilled.

For a moment, the only sound was the crackling of the fire. Then Elira turned, her lips curving in something between amusement and annoyance.

"You are bold."

"I'm only asking a question."

Elira's gaze lingered on her, as if debating whether or not to indulge her. Then, with a slow, graceful motion, she moved toward a nearby table, pouring herself a glass of dark wine from a crystal decanter.

"Tell me, girl," she said, swirling the liquid in her cup, "what do you think you are to my son?"

Aliana frowned. "His mate."

Elira let out a soft chuckle. "A bond does not make you his mate. It only makes you tied to him." She took a sip of her wine. "And Kaelith has never been kind to the things that tie him down."

Aliana clenched her fists. "Then why did he bind himself to me at all?"

"That is the question, isn't it?" Elira mused, setting down her cup. "One that has many wondering."

Aliana's pulse quickened. Many wondering?

"You think I did something to make him do it?" she asked, wary.

Elira smiled. "You think too small. I am not the one you should fear."

A slow dread crept over Aliana's skin.

"Then who?" she asked.

Elira leaned against the table, her gaze gleaming with something unreadable. "The court."

Aliana felt a cold weight settle in her stomach.

"They already despise you," the Queen continued. "A human. Tied to the Crown Prince. Do you have any idea what that means?"

Aliana met her gaze, refusing to show how unsettled she was. "That's not my fault."

"Oh, it is," Elira said lightly. "Even if you never meant it to be."

Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words. The fire crackled behind them, its glow casting eerie shadows across the Queen's face.

Then, suddenly, Elira's expression softened—not with kindness, but with something that almost resembled curiosity.

"Have you ever played chess, girl?"

Aliana blinked at the strange question. "…No."

"A pity." The Queen sighed, stepping closer. "Because that is what this palace is. A game of power. And you?" She reached out, gently touching a strand of Aliana's hair before letting it fall. "You are a piece on the board. A small, fragile one."

Aliana tensed at the touch but didn't move away.

"You can let yourself be played," Elira continued, her voice smooth as silk, "or you can learn to play."

Aliana's throat tightened.

The Queen was testing her. She had spent the entire conversation pressing, waiting, watching how she responded.

If she cowered now, she would be exactly what Elira thought she was—nothing.

Aliana lifted her chin. "And if I choose to play?"

Elira's lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. "Then I suggest you start learning quickly."

Aliana held her gaze.

The Queen had just told her, in no uncertain terms, that she was a target. That she was expendable.

But she had also told her something else.

Aliana wasn't powerless. Not yet.

Elira stepped back, dismissing her with a flick of her fingers. "Go. Before I change my mind about allowing you to live."

Aliana turned without another word, walking toward the door with measured steps. She could feel the Queen's gaze on her back, heavy as a blade pressed to her spine.

She didn't let herself breathe until she was outside the chamber, the doors closing behind her with a soft click.

The hallway felt colder than before.

She didn't understand everything about the court's power games, but she understood one thing now.

She was part of it. Whether she wanted to be or not.

And if she didn't learn the rules soon, she wouldn't survive long enough to play.