The Alpha King's Queen

Chapter Three: Chains Of The Throne

Back in Normak, Queen Haru endured her gilded prison. Rocj had forced the crown upon his brow, declaring himself king by right of conquest. His marriage to her had been swift, brutal, and without ceremony—an act of domination rather than union.

He ruled through fear. Villages that resisted were razed. Children of Princess Hylia’s age were slaughtered, their small bodies left as warnings. Rocj believed he had erased every trace of the rightful heir. Queen Haru’s heart screamed with each innocent life lost, but she could do nothing. To resist openly would mean certain death, and if Princess Hylia still lived—as Queen Haru prayed with every breath—then survival depended on patience.

Each night, Rocj came to her chambers, drunk on power and wine. She endured him in silence, her body a shell while her spirit clung to memories of Charlon. She pictured his arms around their daughter, his strength carrying her to safety. Sometimes, when Rocj slept, Queen Haru pressed her lips to the ring Charlon had once given her—a simple band of iron she wore hidden beneath her sleeve. It was her tether, her secret defiance.

At court, she played the part of a queen subdued. She smiled when required, bowed her head when ordered, all while planting seeds of quiet resistance. Not everyone in Normak had abandoned her. Some still remembered the gentle queen who had walked among them, who had listened to their troubles. They whispered of her courage, of her hidden fire.

But Queen Haru knew time was against her. Each day Rocj grew bolder, hungrier for conquest beyond Normak. He would not stop until the realm was his to devour. Only Princess Hylia’s return could ignite hope again. And so Queen Haru waited, enduring chains for the chance that one day, her daughter would rise.