The cursed throne

Chapter Two: The shadowed prince

The air inside the castle was colder than anything I’d ever felt. It was as though the walls themselves were made of ice, suffocating the warmth from my bones. Every step I took echoed through the long corridors, the sound of my boots on the stone floor harsh in the silence. The only warmth here was the flicker of torches lining the walls, casting eerie shadows that danced like specters, mocking the light they failed to give.

I wasn’t sure what I expected from Isolde, but it certainly wasn’t this. Valtoria was a land of sunshine, its people vibrant with life, its halls adorned with tapestries of gold and blue. Isolde, on the other hand, was dark, foreboding, its cold beauty more oppressive than elegant.

A servant led me down yet another hall, this one narrower than the rest, with walls so close I could feel the pulse of the stone beneath my fingertips. The air grew even colder, and I found myself clutching the edge of my cloak, trying to ward off the chill creeping into my skin.

We passed by courtiers—silent, ghostly figures who barely glanced in my direction, their expressions veiled with wariness. Their eyes flickered with a mixture of fear and something else—resentment, perhaps? Kael’s curse was legendary, and it seemed to hang over every soul in this castle like a thick fog. None of them wanted to be caught in its web.

Finally, we arrived at a set of massive doors, their iron hinges groaning as they opened. Inside was a room fit for a prince, though it was the same cold, harsh beauty I had seen in every other corner of the castle. Dark tapestries adorned the walls, embroidered with silver thread that seemed to shimmer in the dim light. The room smelled faintly of incense and old books, and I realized this was not just Kael’s private chambers—it was his domain.

Prince Kael was standing by the window, looking out over the darkened lands of Isolde, his back to me. The moment he heard the door creak open, he turned, and for a moment, I saw nothing but the cold, calculating gaze that had haunted every rumor I’d ever heard.

“Princess Evanna,” he said, his voice low, smooth like velvet, but there was an edge to it that made my skin crawl. “I trust you’ll find your accommodations satisfactory.”

I stood my ground, meeting his gaze with as much defiance as I could muster. “It’s cold. But I’m sure I’ll get used to it.”

His lips twitched in the faintest of smiles, but it was more mocking than amused. “Isolde tends to leave a mark on its visitors,” he said. “Some are broken by it. Some… adapt.”

The tension in the air was thick, suffocating. He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, like a storm pressing in on all sides.

“Tell me, Princess,” Kael said, his voice lowering, “do you believe in curses?”

I met his gaze without hesitation, my chin tilting upward. “I believe in power. And you have enough of it to ruin me if you so choose.”

Kael didn’t blink. He stepped even closer, and I could feel the heat from his body despite the chill in the room. “You’re smarter than I expected.”

“I don’t plan to be anyone’s pawn,” I shot back. “Not yours, not anyone else’s.”

For a long moment, we stood in silence, the weight of his gaze pressing into me like a thousand invisible hands. There was no mercy in his eyes. No softness. Only the cold, distant stare of a man who had been broken long ago, perhaps by his own curse.

“I’m sure you’ll find your place here soon enough,” Kael said, stepping back and breaking the silence. He gestured toward the far wall, where a large wooden table lay covered in maps and scrolls. “You’ll want to familiarize yourself with the kingdom. You are, after all, my bride.”

I felt my stomach twist at the word, but I kept my face impassive. “I don’t care about your kingdom. I care about surviving this marriage.”

Kael’s eyes glinted. “Surviving isn’t enough, Princess. You’ll need to thrive if you’re going to be of any use to me.”

The words left a bitter taste in my mouth. I had no intention of being useful to him—or anyone.

As Kael moved to the table, I noticed something strange: a thick, leather-bound book lying open. The pages were filled with cryptic symbols, ancient runes I couldn’t recognize. It looked like a book of magic, dark magic.

“Take it,” Kael said, his voice laced with something darker. “It will help you understand your new home. My gift to you.”

I hesitated but reached for the book, the weight of it strange in my hands. There was something about it that unsettled me, as if the pages themselves were alive, breathing with the power of Isolde’s blood.

“You’ll need to learn quickly,” Kael continued, his back turned to me once more as he gazed out the window. “Isolde isn’t kind to those who refuse to obey the rules.”

I couldn’t bring myself to respond. Instead, I turned my attention to the book in my hands, knowing that what lay between its pages could hold secrets I wasn’t ready to uncover.

As I sat down at the table to study, I caught a glimpse of Kael through the corner of my eye. He was watching me, his dark gaze never leaving me, as though he were waiting for me to unravel the mystery of him.

But I wasn’t ready.

Not yet.

As the night deepened, a sudden chill swept through the room. It wasn’t the cold of the castle—it was something else, something older, something that sent a shiver down my spine.

I turned, expecting to see Kael, but he was gone. In his place, the shadows seemed to shift, taking on a form—a figure in the corner of the room, watching me from the darkness.

I froze. My breath caught in my throat. Was it Kael?

No.

The figure was taller, more imposing, and though I couldn’t see its face, I felt its gaze pierce into me, as though it were a warning.

Then, as quickly as it appeared, the figure vanished, leaving nothing but the echo of my heartbeat in the silence.

I gripped the book tighter, my pulse racing.

Was Kael the only danger in Isolde? Or was there something darker lurking in the shadows?