Ryophlira POV

By the time Ms. Norwood finally snapped her lace fan shut and dismissed me, the sun had dipped below the horizon. The moment the heavy doors of the east wing snapped shut behind me, the carefully practiced royal smile died on my face. I stumbled against the stone wall, gripping the molding for support as I bent down and ripped those agonizing, suffocatingly small leather shoes off my feet.

My heels and toes were a raw, weeping mess of angry blisters knitting the flesh back together, smoothing over the raw blisters until my feet were entirely unblemished once more. The physical pain vanished in seconds.

The exhaustion, however, remained. My body was still entirely spent from the morning’s brutal clash with Aiyolistra, and my mind was numb from three hours of Ms. Norwood’s relentless lace fan. I had deliberately skipped the formal family dinner, unable to face my father’s calculating gaze or my mother’s sharp, remarks. I just wanted to sleep.

Barefoot and bone-weary, I dragged myself down the dim corridors toward my chambers, my long pink gown whispering softly against the cold stone floor.

When I finally pushed open my bedroom doors, the warm, comforting scent of lavender, roasted meats, and sweet pastries washed over me. Ari was already inside, bustling around a steaming brass tub she had prepared to soothe my aching muscles. On the small gilded table by the hearth sat a covered tray a late-night snack she had smuggled from the kitchens knowing I’d be starving.

But my gaze didn’t linger on the bath or the food.

My heart did a heavy, violent roll against my ribs as I looked toward my bed.

There, curled up comfortably against my pillows, was my sister. Aiyolistra didn’t even look up when I walked in. She simply turned the page of the thick leather-bound book in her lap, the pale light of the fireplace casting long, flickering shadows across her face.

The silence between us stretched, heavy and suffocating, before she finally spoke.

"I never thought I would see the day that you, of all people, actually did an etiquette class," she said, her voice dripping with quiet sarcasm.

I let out a dry, exhausted sigh, resting my hand against the bedpost. "Haha, very funny. What do you want? You keep popping up unannounced in my room, and that is so unlike you."

Aiyolistra closed her book with a soft, deliberate thud, her gaze shifting up to meet mine. "I want to talk about the Prince of the North."

"I don’t want to talk about that insane man until I have to walk down the aisle," I snapped, the sheer exhaustion making my temper flare. I rubbed my temples, where a headache was beginning to form. "I need some peace of mind."

"I heard he has a lover," she countered smoothly, leaning back against the pillows. She watched my face closely, looking for any crack in my armor. "Are you sure you will be okay with marrying him and going to the North all by yourself... with his lover there?"

I let out a bitter, humorless laugh. "Frankly, I don’t care if he has a lover. This marriage isn’t about love, and you know it. Why are we talking about this right now?"

"Because I heard Mother and Father talking to the guards," Aiyolistra said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "The guards think that it was his lover who was spying on us this morning, too."

The image of the dark shadow in the cherry blossom tree flashed behind my eyes. His lover? A cold knot twisted in my stomach, but I forced my expression to remain completely blank. "As long as it’s not the other kingdoms, I don’t care. So please leave so I can sleep. Father plans to torture me with all these trainings to get me ready for the North, and Ms. Rosa, I think, is trying to kill me with that damn fan."

Aiyolistra didn’t answer right away. She swung her legs over the edge of the mattress, slowly getting up off the bed. She walked toward the grand archway of my chambers, passing a vase of vibrant, fresh flowers sitting on the vanity.

She paused. Her fingers reached out, lightly brushing against the soft petals.

Suddenly, her eyes flared, glowing with a dangerous bright purple. The moment her skin touched the blossoms, the vibrant colors withered.

"Remember, sis," Aiyolistra whispered, her voice sending a sudden chill through the room. She turned her head just enough to flash me a chillingly cold look. "You can’t claim what was never yours. Fate has a funny way of getting back at those who try to break it." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Without another word, she swept out of my chambers, the heavy oak doors clicking shut behind her.

I stood frozen in the center of the room, staring at the dead, blackened flower on my vanity. I couldn’t tell if my sister had just given me a sisterly warning about the dangers waiting for me in the North... or if she had just threatened my life.