FATE REBORN

Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Chains of Silk

…with that determination, I wiped my tears and stood up to take my bath. The water was cold, much like the future I was walking into, but I welcomed it—it woke something fierce in me. I wasn’t going to be the weak, fragile girl they all expected. If they wanted to use me, they’d regret ever thinking I would break easily.

By noon, I was dressed in royal blue—the color of loyalty, though I felt none. The entire palace was busy preparing for the envoy from Gretel. I sat by the window, watching the horses and guards line up, wondering which of them might be the one dragging me to a future I didn't choose.

“Are you ready?” Hazel asked quietly.

I looked at her. Her eyes were red, but she was trying to smile.

“I don’t think anyone can ever be ready for this,” I replied.

The moment came faster than I expected. The king’s carriage from Gretel arrived, dark and grand like a shadow creeping into daylight. I held Hazel’s hand one last time, and she whispered, “You are stronger than you know. Don’t forget who you are.”

And then I walked down the stairs, head high, heart shaking.

At the grand gates, my father stood in full armor, not to fight—but to trade. His eyes didn't even meet mine as he handed me off like an item sealed with royal blood. The representative from Gretel bowed stiffly, said nothing, and motioned toward the carriage.

It was happening. I was leaving.

The journey to Gretel was long and cold, and though the sun still hung in the sky, everything around me felt grey. Trees passed like ghosts. I didn’t speak. I didn’t cry. I just watched. Waiting. Planning.

When we reached the gates of Gretel’s palace, I felt a strange sensation deep in my stomach—not fear. Something darker. A silent warning.

As we entered the palace, I noticed the walls—they were laced with carvings of battles and victories, but there was something haunting in them. Like they held secrets.

Then I saw him.

Tall. Imposing. With eyes like storms and a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Welcome,” he said. “I’ve been expecting you.”

He was calm, charming even. But I could feel the danger in every step he took closer. This was not a fairy tale.

Still, I smiled back, a small, knowing smile.

“Then I hope you’re ready for me.”

He raised an eyebrow, amused. “Oh, I’m ready.”

And that was the beginning.

The war between our kingdoms might have ended with a signature.

But the war between us?

It was only just beginning.