Princess Of The Skulls - Chapter 4: Chapter 4

The feast hall burned bright, every candle fighting to vanquish the darkness—or so the servants believed. Years of hard lessons had shown me that shadows found shelter in places light could never chase them: the space held between two hurried breaths, the hush at the end of a heartbeat. As I sat at the high table with wine and strained laughter marking my betrothal, I could feel the darkness watching me, old and knowing.
"To Princess Seraphina," Lord Blackwood declared as he lifted his goblet, his toast ringing over the crowd. "May her marriage strengthen alliances and bring prosperity to our kingdom."
Glasses rose in uneven, half-hearted waves. Some nobles looked genuinely thrilled by the kingdom's latest political triumph; others clung to their practiced masks, careful not to reveal what cards they held. I smiled as expected, noting each face I'd need to watch in the days ahead.
"You look radiant tonight," Lady Thornwhistle slurred from my right, smile askew from wine. "Positively glowing with bridal joy."
Her words amused me more than they should. The true reason for my glow was tucked inside my gown: letters from my mother's chamber, sharp with secrets and heat, pressed close to my heart. Knowledge, especially the dangerous kind, could wound its owner as quickly as any enemy.
"Thank you," I replied with measured cordiality. "I trust Prince Aldric and I will get along... splendidly."
The words felt bitter, but the women around me responded with delighted giggles, mistaking calculation for innocence. If only they knew I thought less of love, more of vengeance.
The musicians swept into a tune, inspiring couples to meander toward the floor. I excused myself for air and slipped toward the castle's side galleries, craving distance from it all.
Stepping onto the balcony, the chill wind was a balm against my overheated skin and fraying composure. The scents of roasted meat and spiced wine faded as I gazed out over the courtyard, letting the night wrap around me.
"Enjoying your celebration?"
A whisper on my neck, almost a caress. Survival instincts screamed. Before I could think, my hand was already gripping the hilt at my waist. In an instant, I turned, blade flashing upward.
Metal met metal—a dagger intercepting mine. The figure before me was dressed in black, his face half-shadowed, his posture brimming with ease honed by violence.
"Impressive," he said, his voice brushed by a foreign accent. "Most nobles scream before they draw."
"I'm not most nobles." I twisted and thrust, forcing him a step back. "And you're taking your time with this contract."
He laughed, the sound dangerously genuine. "Who said assassination brought me here?"
"The mask, the blade, sneaking up behind me? Seems straightforward." I circled, observing his movements: every step deliberate, a predator disguised.
He shrugged, drawing back his hood to show high cheekbones, dark hair, and eyes stormy with secrets—a face both haunting and disarmingly handsome. But the scar from temple to jaw was what spoke: a tale of survival.
"Do you make a habit of meeting princesses with steel?" I asked.
"If I wanted you dead, this would be a conversation with yourself," he replied dispassionately. "I was curious if your reputation had any merit."
"And?"
"You surpass it." He sheathed his blade and lingered at the balcony's edge. "Call me Kael. My purpose depends on your wit as much as your skill."
"Enough riddles. Why do you care who I marry?"
He studied me, eyes alight with knowledge I hadn't shared. "I want to know why you'll wed the son of your mother's murderer."
The words nearly staggered me. I kept my expression cool. "You're misinformed."
"No," he said, gaze sharp, "Cassius Thornfield killed Queen Elena. Yet you're promised to his heir. Is this mercy... or something darker?"
I measured him in silence. He shouldn't know these things—shouldn't be here. "Assuming you're right, what is it to you?"
"Let's say I want justice, and you may need help if vengeance is your aim. The Thornfields' reach is wider than you imagine."
"I handle my affairs."
He leaned in, the smell of steel and leather breaking any illusion of safety. "Are you truly prepared for what they want from you? For the binding ritual and all its consequences?"
My blood chilled. He knew.
"How—"
"Why do I know? Because I've been following them for years. I've witnessed the ruin they leave; you're not the only bloodline they've targeted, nor the most vulnerable."
"And I should trust you because...?"
He offered a rolled parchment. "Mutual enemies can become allies. Take this as proof."
Opening it revealed a map, tightly marked with cryptic notes, times, and places—each tied to a Thornfield atrocity in the north.
"What am I seeing?"
"Every ritual, every stolen gift. Your mother was far from their first victim. She won't be the last."
A chill passed through me as I pieced together the scope—family after family, wiped clean for another's gain.
"Why share this?"
"You, Princess, are their ultimate ambition. The power in your blood could remake every kingdom in the realm."
I clenched my jaw. "And you want to help me stop them?"
"I want to see this conspiracy ended. We want the same thing, even if our motives differ. Will you work with someone who's not encumbered by royal etiquette or law?"
Pretending at innocence hadn't protected my mother. I needed results, not appearances.
"Suppose I agree. What assurance do I have that you're not simply using me for your vendetta?"
"The same you have that you won't betray me to the guards tonight. Shared danger, shared benefit."
My hand closed around his calloused palm; it was a pact forged in necessity, a crossing of lines from which neither of us could return. "It's an alliance, Kael. But betray me..."
He smiled. "And you'll kill me. I like clarity."
Backing into shadow, Kael offered, "I'll contact you before the wedding. Trust sparingly—the Thornfields' web is wider than even you know."
"How do I verify any of this?" I demanded.
He paused, ghost-like at the threshold of darkness. "Tomorrow, dawn. Examine the third stone from the east at your mother's tomb. You'll find proof."
Gone as suddenly as he'd arrived, Kael left me staring at the map and the night, heartbeat hammering with equal parts dread and anticipation.
A partnership with an assassin, a plot stretching far deeper than I'd realized, a wedding poised to be salvation or ruin—I pressed the map beside the letters against my heart, feeling the weight of every secret trembling there. By morning, I'd check his proof and finally set my plans in motion.
Tonight, I'd put on my mask and let the courtiers toast my engagement, knowing full well that the real intrigue had just begun.
One last thought froze me as I stepped back inside: Kael knew exactly where and when to find me. The shadows did reach farther than the light ever could.