Chapter 3: The Truth Behind the Empress

  Lysara sat in her chamber, staring at her trembling hands.

  She had done it again. She had outmaneuvered the most dangerous man in the world. She had made Valerius Dracul retreat. But now, alone in her sanctuary, the reality of the encounter settled in.

  Her body shook uncontrolbly. Her heart pounded against her ribs, not from excitement, but from fear.

  She had been terrified.

  The moment she had stood before him, seeing his crimson gaze pierce through her as if stripping her soul bare, she had nearly colpsed. He was a monster—not just in title, but in power. He moved with the swiftness of the wind, his mere presence suffocating. And yet, against all logic, in the midst of her terror, another thought had crept into her mind.

  He’s beautiful.

  It was an odd thing to think when faced with death, but it had hit her all the same. Valerius was unlike any man she had ever seen. His perfection was almost unnatural—his chiseled features, his regal yet untamed aura, the way his eyes burned like molten rubies. It was no wonder he was feared. It was no wonder people believed him to be the devil himself.

  Lysara took a shaky breath, clutching at her chest. Pain fred through her body—a sharp, consuming ache that had pgued her for years. She gritted her teeth, willing herself to endure it.

  She had to.

  She had no choice.

  A knock echoed through her chamber doors. Before she could answer, the doors opened, revealing a woman draped in soft silks, her eyes filled with worry.

  “Liri,” the woman whispered, her voice motherly yet firm. “You’re shaking again.”

  “Aris…” Lysara exhaled, attempting a smile as her trusted handmaiden approached. “I’m fine.”

  “You’re not fine.” Aris kneeled before her, grasping her hands gently. “You faced him again, didn’t you? And now your body is failing you.”

  Lysara lowered her gaze. “It was necessary.”

  “Necessary?” Aris frowned. “You push yourself beyond your limits, Liri. You always have.”

  Lysara knew she wasn’t wrong. Her body was weak. It had been for years. No matter how much she trained, no matter how much she prepared, the sickness always returned. And with it, the unbearable agony.

  But she couldn’t stop. She wouldn’t stop.

  She had something to protect.

  “There’s still hope,” Lysara murmured. “The Lunaris Bloom… It still exists, doesn’t it?”

  Aris’s face darkened. “That flower is nothing but legend now. It hasn’t been seen in centuries.”

  “But it’s real,” Lysara insisted, gripping her handmaid’s fingers. “If I can find it, I can—”

  “Liri.” Aris cupped her face, her touch warm and soothing. “You are already strong. Even with this sickness, you have built an empire, protected thousands. You don’t need to chase after miracles.”

  Lysara leaned into her touch, her exhaustion creeping in. She knew Aris was trying to comfort her, but deep down, she also knew the truth.

  If she didn’t find the Lunaris Bloom, her time would run out.

  Still, she smiled. “I just want to live freely, Aris. Not bound by logic, nor fate. Just by what my heart tells me.”

  Aris sighed, brushing a strand of Lysara’s blue hair behind her ear. “Then rest, my Empress. At least for tonight.”

  Lysara closed her eyes, her body sinking into the warmth of her bnkets.

  Her otherworldly beauty was undeniable, but it was her eyes that made her truly mesmerizing. They were like shifting gems, changing with her emotions—deep sapphire when she was calm, fiery gold when she was determined, and a stormy silver when she was afraid. The people adored her, not just for her wisdom, but for the way her very presence felt enchanting, almost ethereal.

  She would find a way to survive.

  She always did.

  and then…

  Aris’ eyes turned bck.

  A few weeks ter.

  Lysara sat on the stone steps of Lirielle’s grand garden, the golden glow of the setting sun casting a soft warmth over the kingdom’s inner courtyard. Around her, children pyed with wooden swords, pretending to be the warriors who protected their home. Their ughter rang through the air, a stark contrast to the reality beyond Lirielle’s walls—where war loomed ever closer.

  “Lady Lysara, look! I’ll be a knight when I grow up!” a small boy decred, swinging his wooden bde through the air.

  She smiled, adjusting the child’s stance with gentle hands. “Then you must train properly. A knight does not swing wildly—he moves with purpose, protecting those who cannot protect themselves.”

  The boy grinned, standing a little taller. “Like you, Your Majesty?”

  Lysara paused, her smile faltering for just a moment before she nodded. “Perhaps. But true strength isn’t just about fighting—it’s about knowing when not to.”

  A little girl with braids tugged at her sleeve. “Is it true that you see the future, Your Majesty?”

  Lysara blinked, then ughed softly. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because Mama said you always know what’s going to happen,” the girl said. “That’s why Lirielle is safe!”

  The children gathered closer, wide-eyed. Lysara hesitated, then crouched down to their level. “Would you believe me if I told you… it’s because I listen carefully? That’s the secret to knowing what comes next.”

  They gasped, nodding eagerly.

  Another child, an older boy, frowned in thought. “Then… do you know if the war will come here?”

  Silence. The question hung heavy in the air, making even the youngest children shift uncomfortably. Lysara’s gaze softened as she reached out, gently brushing the boy’s hair back.

  “I know that as long as we stand together, we will not fall,” she answered carefully.

  The children seemed satisfied—comforted, even—by her words. They returned to their games, their innocent ughter filling the air once more. But Lysara’s golden eyes lingered on the horizon, where the sky darkened into night.

  Yet, standing amidst the children who still believed in heroes and kingdoms that never fell, she chose not to say it.

  She sighed, straightening up as her handmaiden, Aris, approached.

  “Liri, you shouldn’t be out in the cold,” Aris murmured, offering a cloak.

  Lysara smiled but didn’t take it. “It’s warm enough.”

  Aris frowned but didn’t argue. “The council is waiting for you inside. They’re still discussing our defenses.”

  “They will always be discussing defenses,” Lysara said, exhaling softly. “But the real strength of a kingdom is not in its walls. It is in its people.”

  Aris hesitated before nodding. “Even so, you should rest.”

  Lysara turned back to the children one st time. Then, with a small sigh, she allowed Aris to lead her away.

  She did not know that the next time she would see those children, something is coming that will change the rythm of her world.