I won't fall for the queen who burned my world-Chapter 200: The archives are open

Elysia wasn’t sure when it had happened, but at some point in the last twenty minutes, the royal dining room had transformed into a chaotic swirl of food, laughter, scandalous stories, and Malvoria’s increasingly dramatic attempts to disappear into the floor.

And at the center of it all?

Grand Empress Saelira.

If Malvoria was the storm, and Veylira was the wind, then Saelira was the thunder that enjoyed being loud. She had barely finished her third helping of spice-roasted pheasant when she clapped her hands and declared:

"I knew I’d like you, Elysia. And now I love you. So you deserve to see the good stuff."

Malvoria, across the table, immediately sat up straighter. "Grandmother. No."

"Oh yes," Saelira said, reaching into her coat as if she were summoning a holy artifact. "The archives are open."

Elysia raised an eyebrow. "The what?"

Out came a crystal.

Not just any crystal—no, this was shaped like a flat disc, glowing faintly with stored light. Saelira tapped it once, and a small beam of illusion magic shimmered in the air above the table.

A young child appeared. Messy red hair. Grey eyes far too large for her face. A scowl that could curdle milk.

"Meet tiny Malvoria," Saelira said proudly.

Malvoria groaned so loudly, two servants peeked in from the hall.

"I will burn this entire castle to the ground," she said without looking up.

Saelira ignored her.

Elysia, of course, was enthralled.

"Oh my gods," she whispered, covering her mouth. "She’s adorable."

"She’s furious," Saelira corrected, zooming the image with a quick flick of her fingers. "This was her second birthday. We gave her a baby dragon plush. She threw it at Lucindra and demanded a real one."

Malvoria buried her face in her hands. "I did get it but it bit me."

"Because you bit it first!"

"I was testing dominance!"

Elysia wheezed.

Saelira flipped to the next image.

Malvoria, maybe four years old, standing in full battle armor that clearly didn’t fit, with a sword three times her size and the most stubborn little glare in the world.

"She insisted on training with the guards," Saelira said. "We tried to stop her. She challenged the head instructor to a duel."

"Did she win?" Elysia asked, eyes wide.

"No," Saelira sighed. "She tripped over the sword and bit through her lip. Then she got up, spit blood on the floor, and still yelled war declarations."

Elysia nearly fell out of her chair laughing.

"Okay," she managed through her giggles, "that actually explains so much."

"Doesn’t it?" Saelira agreed brightly.

Veylira, sipping wine nearby, added helpfully, "She also once burned a hole through the nursery wall trying to boil water with magic."

"It worked," Malvoria muttered darkly. "Eventually."

The next image showed a slightly older Malvoria, sitting in a library surrounded by half-melted candles, her hair sticking up in every direction, books piled around her like barricades.

"She spent an entire year refusing to go to bed unless she got to read one more spell theory manual," Saelira said fondly.

"She lit her blanket on fire twice," Veylira added.

"Three times," Malvoria corrected miserably. "The last time I tried to hide the evidence and ended up summoning smoke wolves."

Elysia snorted so hard she choked on a strawberry.

Through it all, Malvoria sat with her chin propped on one hand, eyes narrowed, looking like she was calculating the magical radius necessary to detonate the crystal without harming Elysia in the process.

Elysia wiped tears from her eyes. "Why didn’t you ever tell me any of this?"

Malvoria gave her a flat stare. "Because I knew this would happen."

"Oh come on, it’s precious."

"It’s embarrassing."

"It’s endearing."

"It’s blackmail material."

Elysia smiled sweetly. "And what would you even do if I blackmailed you?"

Malvoria leaned in, voice low. "Get revenge. Slowly. Strategically. Sexily."

Elysia turned very red.

Saelira pretended not to notice. "I have so many more," she said, lifting the crystal higher. "The tantrum she threw when her horns came in late—oh, that was a week of theatrical agony."

Malvoria stood up. "And on that note—"

"Oh no, sit back down, I haven’t shown her your first duel win photo!"

"Let’s go to bed," Malvoria said firmly, turning to Elysia with the clear and desperate gaze of someone trying to flee a wildfire.

"But there’s dessert—"

"We have dessert in our chambers."

"There’s cheesecake—"

"There’s you in our chambers."

Elysia blinked.

Then stood up without another word.

Saelira cackled.

Malvoria looked triumphant. "Good night," she said quickly, tugging Elysia toward the doors.

"You’re no fun," Saelira called after them. "Your child better get my mischief!"

"She’s getting my discipline," Malvoria called back.

"She’ll need both," Veylira said, already reaching for another piece of cake. "And therapy."

Elysia’s laughter followed them all the way out of the room.

And Malvoria, trailing warmth and dignity and exactly zero control over her family, could only shake her head and say it again:

"Let’s go to bed."

---

The moment the door to their chambers closed behind them, Elysia let out a soft breath and leaned against it.

The castle, the chaos, the crystal of tiny Malvoria riding a goat while screaming about justice—it all melted away.

Here, in the quiet dim light of their private room, there was only warmth. Safety. Home.

Malvoria was already pulling off her vest, fingers deft and practiced, but her eyes never strayed far from Elysia.

There was a new kind of softness in her expression now. Not one forged through battle or politics, but through something infinitely more terrifying—love.

Real love.

Elysia crossed the room slowly, bare feet brushing against the cool floor until she stood in front of her. "You survived your grandmother’s ambush."

Malvoria groaned and took Elysia’s hand, tugging her gently toward the bed. "Barely. If she shows you that illusion of me crying over a broken dagger, I will actually defect to another kingdom." freёnovelkiss.com

"She said you wept for hours."

"I was five. And it was ceremonial steel!"

They both laughed as they tumbled into the bed, limbs tangling effortlessly.

The mattress dipped beneath them, but the warmth between their bodies was steady, familiar.

Malvoria curled behind her, one arm wrapped around Elysia’s middle, the other threading beneath her pillow.

"You’re warmer than usual," Elysia murmured, half-drowsy.

"I’m always warm."

"You’re glowing."

"Because I’m in love."

Elysia smiled at the words. So simple. So gently spoken. As if they were the most obvious truth in the world.

"I keep thinking about the future," she admitted softly, fingers brushing over Malvoria’s.

"Not the war. Not the rebels. Just... the small moments. You and me. A child between us. Laughter. Little things."

Malvoria’s voice came quiet. "I think about it too. And I want that."

They lay like that for a while, wrapped in silence and one another.

Elysia shifted slightly, turning to face her. "Do you think they’ll have your eyes?"

"I hope they have your smile," Malvoria murmured, brushing a kiss against her forehead. "And your stubbornness. And your idiotic bravery."

"I think they’ll have your sarcasm and your refusal to listen to anyone."

"Perfect," Malvoria whispered. "They’ll rule the world by age seven."

Elysia chuckled, but her voice softened. "We’ll deal with the rebels soon. But not tonight. Tonight... I just want this."

Malvoria pulled her closer, lips brushing the corner of her mouth.

"Our story is just beginning."