Chapter 5
1337 Words
-SELENE-
I blinked, trying to shake off the fog of sleep as my eyes wandered around the room. They stung from exhaustion, but my brain was slowly kicking back into gear.
Lohe was watching me with that same distant look he’d had since we crossed the portal—cool, unreadable. Next to him, the knights who’d found us on the plains stood like statues, a wall of steel and silence, ready for whatever came next.
We were inside some old, elegant building. Limestone walls stretched up around us, and rounded columns covered in fancy carvings held up the arched ceiling. The whole place felt like it couldn’t decide if it was Gothic or Renaissance, timeless and intimidating.
Rasmus pushed open the tall double doors behind us, and Lohe stepped forward, giving me a gentle nudge with his hand.
He was a walking contradiction. His mind refused to accept me as his mate, but his body kept betraying him. It was like he was in a war with himself.
And it was driving me crazy. Still, I clung to the hope that the chalice’s magic had messed with his thoughts, and any second now, the fog would clear. He’d remember. He’d come back to me.
Hopefully, before General Rasmus decided to separate my head from my shoulders with that shiny sword of his.
The study was painted a soft yellow, and the floor was covered in an intricate wooden pattern. A big desk stood between two tall windows that looked out over the city. Outside, the sky was starting to blush with the first hint of sunrise.
Then the side door creaked open, and a tall man walked in. He wore a dark grey tunic with silver embroidery, his features sharp, light brown eyes narrowed like he was sizing us up. The half of his long hair was tied back, and something about him screamed familiar. He was a less hot version of Lohe.
"Brother!" Lohe’s voice boomed, full of warmth. He crossed the room in a few quick strides, and the two of them hugged like they hadn’t seen each other in ages.
When they pulled apart, the man’s face broke into a grin. "I knew it had to be you when my scouts said a portal crossed the Tulekorb plains. It had to be." His smile faded, brow creasing. "But my dragon can’t reach yours."
Lohe tilted his head. "Rasmus used his silver baton before I could even say hello. You know him—attack first, ask questions later. Honestly, it was about time you made him a general, Mart."
Mart’s face darkened, a shadow flickering across it. "Things have changed, Lohe. The king of Zarvia keeps claiming the mines are his. Tensions are high. Fights are breaking out all over."
Lohe’s jaw tightened, his voice dropping. "I’ve heard some of it. We need to talk. I want to know exactly how Father died."
"There’ll be time for that. And for your stories. How long were you gone in Earth years? Five centuries?"
"About that," Lohe said, dipping his chin. "How’s Mother?"
And just like that, as if she’d been waiting for her cue, the woman herself walked in through a different door than Mart had used. The timing was almost too perfect.
She wore a dark blue velvet gown, two maids trailing behind her. Her golden hair was coiled neatly on top of her head, and her light brown eyes—just like Mart’s—swept across the room with quiet authority. Even if I ignored the way she carried herself, the delicate diamond crown woven into her hair made it impossible to forget who she was.
The Queen Mother.
"Verelohe." Her voice was as cold as her stare.
She stepped into the room, stopping a few feet from Lohe. Chin lifted, hands clasped neatly in front of her; she didn’t move to embrace her long-lost son. Not even a flicker of warmth.
So much for a motherly connection...
"Mother," Lohe said, his voice stripped of the affection he’d shown Mart just moments before. "I’m sorry for your loss."
She cleared her throat, barely a reaction, the only hint that the brutal death of her husband might’ve been a horrifying thing. "Thank you. It was... unexpected."
Her eyes swept over Lohe for a few moments before landing on me. “And who is this?” Her tone remained cold, now tinged with unmistakable distaste. “Why did you bring a witch into this house, Verelohe?”
Oh, hell no. If one more person calls me a witch, I swear I’ll snap.
"I’m Selene Stark, Your Majesty," I said, mimicking the bow I’d seen the guards give Mart earlier. "And I’m not a witch."
Her lips thinned, but her body remained an icy statue. "You certainly look like one, young lady."
I glanced around the room. Every head bore shades of gold or chestnut, their skin kissed by sunlight in varying degrees. Even their eyes shimmered in warm tones—amber, honey, bronze.
My black hair, pale skin, and storm-grey eyes were clearly a disruption they weren’t ready to accept.
With the portals disappeared for so long, they probably forgot how people in my world can look like.
"Just because something is different doesn’t mean it’s dangerous, Your Majesty. And the opposite is also true. Appearance can be deceiving," I said, locking eyes with her and refusing to flinch. "I’m a healer and a medical student. There’s not a drop of witch’s blood in me, I assure you."
I swear I saw her throat move—just a flicker—but it vanished as quickly as it came. She kept staring at me with that strange, piercing glare. Behind her, the ladies-in-waiting exchanged uneasy glances.
Not exactly the warmest way to meet your future mother-in-law. But I wasn’t about to let some icy queen steamroll me.
I turned to Mart and gave him a bow, "Nice to meet you, Your Majesty."
When I looked up, his expression was cautious, head tilted slightly. "Hello, Selene. What brings you to our kingdom?"
I took a deep breath, my shoulders sagging. This was going to be rough. "Prince Verelohe is my fated mate. We fell in love in my world and decided to cross the portal together. But the chalice’s magic had been tampered with for so long, it messed up the crossing. He forgot everything about me... and I lost my scent."
Mart crossed his arms in front of him, a gesture so much like Lohe’s it almost made me laugh.
"Is this true, brother?"
"Yes," Lohe said, his voice flat. "I have no memory of her. And even my dragon didn’t scent her."
A tiny muscle twitched in the queen’s cheek.
Yeah. She definitely hated me.
"The law is clear, Verelohe," she said, her voice sharp. "Trespassers and witches are to be executed on the spot. And this young lady has no proof of who she claims to be." She turned her head stiffly, her long neck rigid. "General Rasmus, care to correct your mistake?"
Rasmus’s hand moved to the hilt of his sword, but his eyes flicked to the king, waiting for the order.
And once again, Lohe’s arm swept me behind him, his muscular frame shielding me from them all. "Not so fast, Mother. I want to know all the facts before sentencing a young woman to death. I want proof first."
"Are you questioning your king’s orders, Verelohe?" Her voice rose a pitch, both mother and monarch.
Unease crept between my ribs as I stared at his back. Was he about to cave?
"A fair trial. She deserves that," he said, tone dry and unapologetic. "Besides, now that I’m back, the crown is mine, Mother."
The queen gasped. And I won’t lie—it made me want to gloat.
Mart chuckled. "Brother, it’s really good to have you back."
Something warm bloomed in my chest. Maybe Lohe would remember me sooner than I’d hoped.
But then, in an instant, everything changed.
Lohe collapsed.
- Writer
