the timid bride

# Chapter 64 – The Queen's Resolve

The dawn broke red and restless.

Zara stood on the palace's upper terrace, her hands resting against the marble railing as the early morning wind whipped her cloak behind her. Below, the courtyard buzzed with preparation—scouts saddling their horses, guards polishing weapons, and advisors whispering in tight circles. But none dared interrupt her. Not now.

She had slept little.

After the attempt on her life, her mind had churned with images: the masked man lunging, the poisoned blade, Damon's body colliding with the assassin's midair, and the strange calm she had felt as she faced death. She had not flinched. That alone told her she had changed.

The girl who had arrived in this kingdom under a veil would have screamed.

This version of Zara had stared death down and offered it a throne.

Behind her, the door opened quietly. Damon's footsteps were unmistakable—steady, purposeful, laced with concern he tried to hide. He stopped beside her and rested his hand lightly against her lower back.

"You should be resting," he murmured.

"So should you."

He didn't argue. "The council awaits."

"I'm not ready to listen to a room full of men arguing about how best to protect me while doing nothing."

Damon arched an eyebrow. "That's new."

"I'm done waiting for someone else to fix the danger. I want to face it."

Her voice was quiet but firm, and Damon didn't try to dissuade her. Instead, he simply asked, "Where do we begin?"

Zara turned to face him fully. "House Brannic. They've grown silent since the banquet. Too silent. Their steward fled, their alliances are murky, and I received word they've doubled their private guards without explanation."

"You think they hired the assassins?"

"I think they know who did."

Damon nodded slowly. "I'll prepare the men—"

"No. I'm going."

He looked at her sharply. "Zara."

"I have to show them I'm not hiding. If I send others, they'll see a queen who rules from the shadows. I want them to see that I am the storm they fear."

A tense silence stretched between them.

Then, with a resigned sigh, Damon said, "Then we ride together."

—

The journey to House Brannic's estate took a day and a half. Zara traveled with a small retinue—Damon, Varek, Amara, and ten elite guards sworn by blood to protect her. It was risky, traveling light, but it made them less noticeable and allowed for speed.

The path was winding, the forests thick. Zara spent much of the ride in silence, her thoughts with the people. She remembered Mina and Anya, the girls in the tower. If she failed, their future would vanish with her.

They arrived at the estate at dusk. Brannic Hall loomed ahead, all grey stone and iron windows, surrounded by high hedges and guarded by twice the normal patrol. As they dismounted, the guards at the gate looked visibly startled.

"Announce the Queen," Damon ordered.

"I don't need to be announced," Zara said, walking forward.

The guards scrambled to open the gate.

Inside, Lord Brannic met them in the hall, his face tight with a forced smile.

"Your Majesty, what an... unexpected honor."

"Is it?" Zara asked, sweeping into the room. "Your silence after the assassination attempt spoke volumes."

Brannic bowed deeply, but not low enough. "We were... ensuring our house was secure."

"With a sudden influx of mercenaries?" Damon asked coldly.

Zara looked around the hall. "Where is your steward?"

"Resigned. Illness."

"How unfortunate that illness struck him the same night I was nearly murdered."

Brannic's jaw clenched.

Zara stepped closer. "We're not here for tea, Lord Brannic. I know you've been in contact with the Shadow Hand."

"I—"

"Don't deny it," Damon warned, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Brannic's composure cracked. "Even if I were... you think storming in here will solve anything? The court may fear you, but there are those beyond these walls who would see your reign burn."

Zara leaned in, voice icy. "Then let them try. Because when they do, I'll show them exactly why the stars marked me queen."

There was a long silence.

Then Brannic chuckled bitterly. "You don't understand what you're facing, girl. The Shadow Hand isn't just assassins. It's a network—nobles, merchants, even priests. You cut off one head, and two more grow."

"I'm not here to cut," Zara said. "I'm here to burn the whole forest down."

She turned to Varek. "Arrest him."

—

Brannic's arrest sent shockwaves through the court. Some praised Zara's courage. Others whispered that she was reckless. But Zara knew the whispers were born from fear—and that was good.

She returned to the palace with new fire. Every letter she wrote, every decree she signed, bore the weight of her wrath.

That night, as Damon rubbed her tired shoulders by the fire, Zara asked quietly, "Do you think they'll come again?"

Damon was silent for a while. "Yes. But next time... they won't find a queen unprepared."

Zara smiled faintly. "Good. Because next time, I won't be offering mercy."

(Word Count: 1,567)