CHAPTER 14 Aug 13, 2025 The summons came at dawn. No explanation. Just two palace guards at my door, stiff and silent, telling me to follow. I barely had time to dress. My mind raced. Was it because I broke curfew? Because I'd been seen with the Prince? The throne room gleamed like judgment itself-crystal pillars rising to a ceiling I couldn't see, silver light dripping from chandeliers that never flickered. Every step echoed. Every breath felt too loud. It was a room designed to make people like me feel small. And it worked. I stood alone at the base of the dais while Queen Isadora sat high above, still as a statue carved from ice. Midnight velvet draped from her shoulders. "Lady Marianne Alder," she said, voice cold and sharp, echoing like a blade unsheathed. "Kneel." I dropped into a curtsey. My heart slammed against my ribs. I kept my head bowed, but I could feel her stare like a hand at my throat. "You've attracted attention," she said. "And not the kind we want." I glanced up, barely. "I don't understand, Your Majesty." But I did. Or I thought I did. Or-gods-did she know? Did she know what I saw in the east wing? What he was? Was I being punished for knowing the one thing no girl here was meant to see? She stood. The movement was quiet, but it changed everything. "A prince's favor," she said, descending the steps one by one, "can turn a girl into a duchess. Or a corpse. Do you understand that?" I swallowed hard. "Yes, Your Majesty." She circled me slowly, her presence cold and heavy. "You've been seen speaking to him. Walking too close." "He asked to see me," I said before I could stop myself. "I didn't seek him out." "And yet he keeps returning to you," she snapped. "Like a moth to a flame." I didn't answer. There was no safe answer. Her voice lowered, sharp enough to draw blood. "Be careful with your affections, Marianne. What seems like a favor may be a noose. A noose you tie yourself." My throat tightened. "Do you know what's in the East Wing?" That made her still. Her back stiffened. Her shoulders squared like a general before battle. She turned to face me, her eyes colder than the moon. "There are reasons you are a walking rag, Marianne." Silence stretched between us. I felt her measuring me-my fear, my loyalty, my usefulness. "I don't want trouble," I said, barely above a whisper. "I didn't ask for any of this." "And yet here you are," she said, almost pitying. "But if I were you, Lady Adler, I'd pray to get eliminated today." And that was it. Dismissed. Like dirt swept from a dress hem. I walked out of the throne room shaking. The crystal air clung to my skin like frost. I could barely breathe. But the moment I stepped into the garden court, Clarissa was there-like she was summoned by the scent of my weakness. Her arms were folded. Her eyes sparkled. "Rough day at court?" she said sweetly. I didn't answer. She stepped closer. Too close. "You think he's interested in you? That's adorable." "You don't know what he's thinking," I said quietly. Her laugh was cruel. "Oh, I know exactly what he's thinking. And it's not about you. It's about the game. And girls like you are pawns, Marianne. Pretty ones don't even make it halfway across the board." I opened my mouth, but she moved first-her hand flying up and slapping me clean across the face. The sound cracked like thunder in the silence. My head snapped sideways. The sting bloomed across my cheek, bright and hot. I met her eyes. "You should've aimed lower," I said. "Because I don't bow to girls like you anymore." Her nostrils flared. But she didn't slap me again. No-she smiled, which was worse. "Enjoy your spotlight, Marianne. It'll burn you alive." *** That night, the ballroom glittered like it had been dipped in starlight. Silver chandeliers dripped crystal teardrops onto polished floors. Velvet banners in Solmar blue fluttered from the balcony railings. And beneath all that beauty-panic. Elimination loomed like a second shadow over every girl's shoulder. They stood in perfect posture, their smiles stiff and eyes scanning the crowd as though answers might be tucked between the marble tiles. I saw fingers clenched behind backs, heels clicking with nerves, and lips moving in silent prayers behind jeweled goblets of wine. The Choice board waited by the dais, robes dark and expressions darker. Seven members, each appointed to monitor the prince's opinion, the kingdom's needs, and the girls' performance. Tonight, they would make their first cuts. The first of five. I hadn't realized there would be stages until Lady Isolde laid it out in painful detail at our morning briefing. There would be five eliminations total-one after each royal event. Each round, at least four girls would be dismissed. Sometimes more, if anyone fell short in... attitude, conduct, or contribution. Or, as Clarissa whispered later: "If you're boring, clumsy, or invisible-you're gone." My name was probably penciled somewhere near all three. A bell chimed, and the hall silenced. Alexander entered last. He looked like a prince carved from old legend-dark coat, sword strapped across his back, expression unreadable. One by one, names were called. A girl from the Southern Isles cried when hers wasn't. A noble from the East fainted before she reached the stairs. Then-me. Alexander looked directly at me. The room hushed. "Lady Marianne Alder," he said, voice steady. "You are safe." Gasps. Clarissa froze. Her jaw tightened so hard I thought it might crack. I blinked, heart slamming against my ribs. He hadn't needed to say it aloud. But he did it for me. A few girls exchanged glances. One even whispered something behind her fan. I didn't care. Not about them. Not about the Queen. Clarissa turned, her lips pressed into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Her hand curled into a fist against her gown. War had begun.