the timid bride

**Chapter 36 – A Warning in the Dark**

Zara stared at the scroll long after the page had gone.

*You may not speak at all.*

The words pulsed in her mind like a bruise. Cold. Personal. Dangerous.

This wasn't court games anymore.

This was a threat.

She walked to the fire, her steps slow, her fingers trembling only slightly. Then she tossed the scroll into the flames.

It curled, blackened, and turned to ash.

But the message had already sunk deep.

Someone in this palace wanted her silent. Someone who didn't fear Kael—or perhaps thought he wouldn't protect her.

And if they were bold enough to send a threat… they might be bold enough to act on it.

---

That night, Zara didn't sleep.

She sat in bed with the covers drawn to her chest, the moonlight slipping through the window, bathing the room in silver.

She thought about Lady Mirelle. About the Queen Mother. About the strange looks the nobles gave her. About the handmaids who whispered when they thought she couldn't hear.

She wasn't paranoid.

She was awake.

She had to survive here. Not just emotionally… but physically.

A soft knock echoed against her door. Her breath caught.

"Who is it?" she called.

No answer.

She rose carefully, wrapping a shawl around her shoulders. Her bare feet padded across the cold floor. She pressed her ear to the door.

Nothing.

Still, a prickle crawled up her spine.

She stepped back—just as the door creaked inward.

And Kael stood there.

Zara let out a sharp breath. "You scared me."

Kael stepped inside without a word, shutting the door behind him.

His eyes swept over her — noting her drawn shawl, her wide eyes, the tension in her shoulders.

"You're still awake," he said.

"I couldn't sleep."

"I know."

She frowned. "How?"

Kael didn't answer right away. He crossed to the fire, where the ashes of the scroll still smoldered faintly.

"You burned it," he said.

Her heart twisted. "You knew?"

"I know everything that enters this room. Every servant. Every message."

Zara swallowed. "Then why let it through?"

Kael turned, his face unreadable.

"Because I needed to see how you'd handle it."

Zara's hands clenched. "It was a threat. And you let them send it?"

His gaze didn't waver. "A queen must be tested."

"I'm not queen yet."

"You're already wearing the crown in their minds."

She turned away, shaking her head. "That's cruel."

Kael's voice lowered. "That's the palace."

Silence fell between them again, thick and full of things left unsaid.

Then, softer: "Do you know who sent it?"

"No," she whispered. "But I can guess."

Kael moved toward her. Slowly. Purposefully.

"You don't need to guess," he said. "You need to be protected."

Zara looked up at him. "Then protect me."

He stopped an arm's length away. "I already am."

"From outside threats, yes. But what about inside?"

Kael tilted his head slightly. "Are you asking me to start a war in your name?"

"I'm asking you to stand beside me in more than just court."

A breath passed.

Then, to her surprise, Kael's expression shifted—softened.

"You have no idea how dangerous that request is," he said.

"Then teach me," Zara said. "Don't test me. Don't throw me to the wolves. Teach me."

He stepped closer, finally closing the distance between them. His hand reached out, brushing a finger under her chin.

"I could turn you into something they'd all fear," he murmured.

"I don't want to be feared," she replied. "Just respected."

His eyes darkened. "Sometimes, they're the same thing."

Then he let his hand drop.

"You'll stay in my quarters tomorrow," he said. "Until I root this out."

Zara blinked. "Your quarters?"

"They'll be watched. Guarded. No one will touch you there."

She hesitated.

Kael raised a brow. "Unless you plan to argue again."

Zara exhaled. "No. I just… I didn't expect that from you."

"What? Protection?"

"No. Compassion."

He looked at her for a long time. "Don't mistake strategy for softness."

And then he left.

But this time, the door didn't close fully behind him. He left it slightly ajar.

As if to say: *You're not alone.*

---

The next morning, Zara found herself standing in front of Kael's private wing, flanked by two guards.

It was quiet. Secluded. A part of the palace untouched by gossip and noise.

The doors opened, and a tall servant bowed.

"Lady Zara," he said. "His Highness is in council. He left orders that you are to be brought to the west chamber and given full comfort."

She nodded silently and stepped inside.

The room she entered was larger than her own, but colder — not in warmth, but in atmosphere. Like it belonged to someone who didn't need beauty, only function.

Weapons hung on the walls. Shelves stacked with old scrolls. A massive table with maps and battle plans. A single armchair by the fire.

She sat slowly, her eyes scanning the room.

This was Kael's world. Controlled. Precise. Guarded.

And now she was inside it.

---

Hours passed. Servants came and went. Food was brought. Zara picked at it, her mind restless.

When night fell, Kael returned.

She rose as he entered.

His coat was dusted with ash, his gloves stained with ink.

"I found the source," he said without preamble.

Zara stepped closer. "Who?"

"Not Lady Mirelle. Not directly."

"But?"

He pulled something from his coat pocket. A small silver coin with a serpent etched on the surface.

"This was found in the servant hall. It's a symbol used by a lesser house. House Velar. They've opposed my rule quietly for years."

Zara frowned. "Why threaten me?"

"To provoke me," Kael said. "Or to see if they could scare you into silence. You spoke in court. That made you a target."

She felt a chill crawl up her spine.

"What happens now?" she asked.

Kael looked at her. "Now… you become untouchable."

She blinked. "How?"

He stepped closer, slowly. Deliberately.

"Tomorrow, I'll announce our wedding date."

Zara's heart stopped.

"What?"

Kael's eyes didn't waver. "They need to see you as permanent. Not a guest. Not a trial. The moment they believe you're mine, fully… the threats will stop."

"But… the wedding? So soon?"

"I said I'd wait. But circumstances changed."

Zara swallowed hard. "You're using me."

"Yes," he said. "But I'm also protecting you."

She looked at him — this prince who ruled through fire, who pushed her to the edge and then caught her right before the fall.

And she nodded.

"Fine," she said quietly. "Announce it."

Kael's gaze softened just slightly.

"You're braver than you think, Zara."

"No," she said. "I'm just tired of being afraid."

---

That night, she didn't sleep in her usual room.

She stayed in Kael's wing, under guard, under silence, and under no illusions about the danger still circling her.

But she slept.

And for the first time… she dreamed not of escape,

But of **power**.