CHAPTER 14
926 Words
Ella hurried through the palace corridors as quickly as she could, her mind racing wildly.
The image of the pale stranger and Queen Queen Seraphine staring at each other refused to leave her head.
That was not the look between strangers.
There had been history between them.
Something hidden.
Something important.
Ella’s curiosity burned stronger with every passing second.
She finally reached Charles’ chambers and pushed the doors open without warning.
Charles immediately stood up from where he sat.
“What happened?”
Ella shut the doors behind her quickly before walking toward him.
“There’s a man at the palace.”
Charles frowned slightly.
“What kind of man?”
Ella lowered her voice.
“A strange one. White skin. Silver hair. Covered in markings.”
Charles’ expression changed instantly.
“The guards let him inside?”
“No.”
Ella shook her head quickly.
“But that’s not the important part.”
Charles stared at her carefully now.
Ella stepped closer.
“The queen knows him.”
Silence.
Charles blinked slowly.
“What?”
“I saw them together myself,” Ella continued. “The way they looked at each other…”
Her voice lowered further.
“It was like they already knew each other.”
Charles frowned deeply.
“That makes no sense.”
“That’s exactly what I thought.”
Ella began pacing the room restlessly.
“The queen looked nervous. Almost afraid.”
Charles crossed his arms slowly.
“Did you hear what they were saying?”
“Only parts of it.”
Ella looked thoughtful now.
“But whatever connection they have… it’s serious.”
Charles sighed quietly.
“You should stay away from this.”
Ella immediately stopped pacing.
“Stay away?”
“Yes.”
Charles moved toward her carefully.
“The palace is already unstable enough after what happened to Pearl.”
At the mention of Pearl, Ella’s expression darkened briefly.
But she quickly hid it.
Charles continued speaking.
“If you start digging into the queen’s secrets and get caught, you’ll only bring trouble on yourself.”
Ella folded her arms stubbornly.
“So I’m supposed to pretend I didn’t see anything?”
Charles looked exhausted.
“Yes.”
Ella scoffed loudly.
“You really expect me to ignore something like this?”
Charles lowered his voice.
“Ella, listen to me carefully.”
His eyes hardened slightly.
“You are already involved in something dangerous.”
The warning inside his voice was clear.
But Ella refused to back down.
“No,” she muttered slowly. “There’s something hidden here.”
Charles rubbed his forehead tiredly.
“You always do this.”
“Do what?”
“You chase dangerous things even when you should walk away.”
Ella laughed softly.
“And yet you always follow me anyway.”
Charles looked away immediately.
Because deep down—
He knew she was right.
Ella moved toward the balcony slowly while her thoughts continued racing.
Why would the queen hide a strange man from the king?
Why had she looked so shaken?
And why did that pale man seem connected to Pearl’s poisoning somehow?
None of it made sense.
But Ella intended to find out.
“I’ll dig deeper,” she finally said quietly.
Charles instantly looked at her.
“No.”
Ella turned toward him.
“I need answers.”
“And what happens when the queen discovers you spying on her?”
Ella shrugged carelessly.
“She won’t.”
Charles stared at her in frustration.
“You’re not listening.”
“And you’re afraid.”
His jaw tightened immediately.
“Yes,” he admitted sharply.
That surprised her slightly.
Charles stepped closer.
“For once, Ella, I’m trying to stop you from making another mistake.”
The room became quiet.
Because neither of them could deny it anymore—
Every terrible thing happening inside the palace had started with them.
Charles lowered his voice.
“Please.”
It was the first time in a long while he sounded truly sincere.
“Mind your business before you end up in trouble.”
Ella looked at him silently for a moment.
Then slowly—
She smiled.
But it wasn’t a warm smile.
It was curious.
Dangerously curious.
“That man didn’t come here by accident,” she whispered.
Charles remained silent.
Ella’s eyes darkened slightly.
“And whatever the queen is hiding…”
She paused.
“I think it’s connected to Pearl.”
Meanwhile, elsewhere inside the palace, Queen Seraphine stood alone inside a hidden chamber deep beneath the royal halls.
The pale stranger stood across from her silently.
Neither of them spoke for several moments.
The tension between them felt ancient.
Heavy.
Finally, the queen broke the silence.
“You should have stayed away.”
The stranger’s expression remained unreadable.
“You know I couldn’t.”
Queen Seraphine looked away painfully.
“If Thalor sees you—”
“He still doesn’t know?”
Her silence answered the question instantly.
The pale man gave a faint bitter laugh.
“All these years…”
The queen’s eyes filled briefly with emotion.
“I had no choice.”
The stranger slowly stepped closer toward her.
“But now the sea is reacting again.”
A chill passed through the queen immediately.
“And if it awakens completely…”
He stopped speaking.
Because both of them already understood the terrifying possibility.
Far above them, the palace remained quiet.
Unaware that beneath the beauty of the underwater kingdom—
Old secrets were beginning to rise back to the surface.
- Writer
