CHAPTER 5
1088 Words
The palace corridors were silent as Ella made her way back toward her chambers.
But inside her mind—
Everything screamed.
Pearl’s broken voice.
The king’s words.
The ancient law.
Charles cannot marry Ella while Pearl still lives.
Ella’s jaw tightened as anger burned violently inside her chest.
Once again—
Everything came back to Pearl.
Pearl the beloved daughter.
Pearl the future queen.
Pearl the one Father always defended.
Pearl the one everyone loved more.
Even fate itself seemed to choose Pearl over her.
Ella pushed open her chamber doors forcefully.
Charles immediately looked up from where he stood near the balcony window.
The moment he saw her expression, his face darkened slightly.
“What happened?” he asked quietly.
Ella began pacing angrily across the room.
“Pearl told Father everything.”
Charles stiffened instantly.
“What?”
Ella laughed bitterly.
“She told him she wants out of the marriage.”
For a brief second, relief flashed across Charles’ face.
But it disappeared quickly.
“Then maybe this can finally end peacefully.”
Ella stopped moving.
Her expression turned cold.
“It can’t.”
Charles frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Ella crossed her arms tightly.
“Father said the royal bond cannot be broken.”
Silence filled the room.
Charles stared at her carefully.
Ella continued bitterly.
“According to the traditions of Azurith, you can only marry me if Pearl is dead.”
The words hung heavily between them.
Charles slowly looked away.
For the first time that night, real tension appeared on his face.
“This is dangerous,” he murmured.
Ella laughed coldly.
“Dangerous?”
She moved closer toward him slowly.
“My entire life has been dangerous.”
Charles remained silent.
Ella’s eyes burned with years of hidden pain.
“Do you know what it feels like growing up beside Pearl?”
“Ella—”
“No.”
Her voice cracked sharply.
“You don’t.”
Tears filled her eyes, but they were not tears of sadness.
They were tears filled with bitterness.
“Everywhere we went, people loved her more.”
Ella’s breathing became uneven.
“Father always looked at her differently.”
Charles sighed softly.
“That doesn’t mean he loved you less.”
Ella shook her head violently.
“You didn’t see it because you were too busy trying to survive your own feelings.”
Charles froze slightly.
But Ella continued.
“She was the perfect daughter.”
“The perfect princess.”
“The perfect future queen.”
Hatred slowly crept into her voice.
“And somehow… she still managed to take the only thing I truly loved.”
Charles lowered his gaze quietly.
Ella stepped closer toward him.
“You loved me.”
“I still do,” Charles admitted softly.
“Then why did you marry her?”
Pain flashed across Charles’ face immediately.
“You know why.”
Duty.
Tradition.
The kingdom.
Ella laughed bitterly.
“No. Don’t blame fate for your weakness.”
Silence settled heavily inside the room.
Then Charles finally spoke again.
“There are old myths,” he said quietly.
Ella frowned slightly.
“What myths?”
Charles hesitated briefly before continuing.
“When I was younger, the royal scholars used to speak about f*******n ocean laws.”
Ella listened silently.
“They said the sea protects royal blood chosen by the ocean itself.”
A strange chill filled the room.
Charles’ voice lowered carefully.
“There’s an ancient myth that if someone murders a royal blessed by the sea…”
He paused briefly.
“The ocean never forgives them.”
Ella stared at him without emotion.
Charles continued quietly.
“The legends say the sea curses whoever spills sacred royal blood. Storms follow them. Madness hunts them. Sometimes even death.”
Ella rolled her eyes immediately.
“That’s just a story.”
“Maybe.”
But Charles still looked uneasy.
“They say the sea remembers betrayal forever.”
Ella turned away impatiently.
“I don’t care about old myths.”
“Ella—”
“No.”
She faced him sharply.
“I’m tired of living in Pearl’s shadow.”
Charles watched her carefully now.
Something inside Ella had changed tonight.
Something darker.
Something dangerous.
“She stole everything from me,” Ella whispered bitterly.
“Pearl never intentionally hurt you,” Charles said quietly.
Ella laughed harshly.
“She existed.”
Silence filled the room again.
“That alone was enough.”
Ella slowly walked toward the large mirror inside her chamber.
She stared at her reflection coldly.
“She enters every room and people worship her.”
“Father protects her.”
“The kingdom adores her.”
“And even after everything…”
Her eyes slowly darkened with hatred.
“She still gets to keep you.”
Charles remained silent.
Ella touched the mirror softly.
“But not for long.”
The words sounded almost like a promise.
Charles felt uneasiness crawl through his chest.
“What are you planning?”
Ella smiled faintly.
A cold, dangerous smile.
“I’ll find a way.”
For the first time, Charles truly saw how far Ella’s jealousy had grown.
But instead of stopping her—
He stayed silent.
And that silence made him just as guilty.
Meanwhile, inside her chambers, Pearl sat quietly beside the balcony.
Soft ocean currents moved gently through the room while moonlight reflected beautifully across the water.
But none of it comforted her anymore.
The images from earlier still replayed painfully inside her mind.
Charles and Ella together.
Pearl hugged herself tightly.
Part of her wanted to hate them.
But another part still couldn’t understand why this was happening.
What had she done so wrong?
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
Pearl quickly wiped her tears.
“Come in.”
The doors opened slowly.
Queen Seraphine entered quietly.
The moment Pearl saw her mother, fresh tears filled her eyes again.
The queen walked toward her gently and sat beside her.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Queen Seraphine softly touched Pearl’s silver hair.
“You don’t deserve this pain.”
Pearl’s lips trembled instantly.
“I loved them both,” she whispered brokenly.
The queen pulled her daughter into a gentle embrace.
And as Pearl cried softly against her mother’s shoulder—
Neither of them noticed the figure standing silently outside the chamber doors.
Ella.
Watching.
Listening.
Her face emotionless.
But inside her eyes burned something terrifying.
Not jealousy anymore.
Hatred powerful enough to destroy blood itself.
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