The moonlight spilled through the high windows, painting long, silver streaks across the palace floor. Meliora moved quietly through the corridors, each step measured, each breath controlled. Her heart raced not with fear alone, but with the thrill of defiance. Tonight she would take the first step toward freedom, and nothing would stop her.
Selene followed close behind, holding a small lantern that cast flickering shadows along the walls. “Your Highness… are you certain about this?” she asked in a hushed voice.
“I am certain,” Meliora replied, her tone steady. “A life bound to a man who rules with fear is no life at all.” She paused at the entrance to the eastern library, pressing her fingers against the polished wood. “The passage is here.”
The library was cavernous, filled with towering shelves of leather-bound books. Meliora ran her fingers along the spines until she found the one that was slightly uneven. With a soft push, a hidden panel slid open, revealing a narrow staircase winding downward into darkness.
Selene let out a quiet gasp. “I had no idea… it’s been years since anyone knew of this passage.”
“It has been my secret,” Meliora said with a faint smile, “and tonight it will serve me well.” She stepped onto the staircase, Selene following close behind. The air grew cooler as they descended, damp with the scent of stone and old dust.
Suddenly, a soft sound echoed through the passage. Meliora froze, her hand tightening around the small dagger at her belt. Footsteps, deliberate and controlled, approached.
“Do not be afraid,” said a voice, smooth and low, carrying amusement.
Meliora’s pulse quickened. “Who is there?” she demanded, keeping her dagger raised.
From the shadows stepped the man from the balcony, his black hair catching the moonlight and eyes sharp, unyielding, and strangely magnetic. His presence made her chest tighten.
“You are persistent,” he said, his lips curving in a faint, dangerous smile. “Not many would attempt this at night, knowing the guards will be searching every corridor.”
Meliora straightened, hiding her fear behind defiance. “And you are?” she asked. “A guard?”
He shook his head. “No. I am merely… interested in the princess who dares to defy the world. Tell me, where are you heading?”
Meliora hesitated, then remembered her warning to Selene: trust no one. She squared her shoulders. “If I tell you, you must promise to keep it secret.”
The man’s smirk deepened. “Secret? Of course. I am a gentleman.”
“I am escaping,” she said, her voice firm. “From my wedding. From him.”
He raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained. “From him… and yet you do not seem afraid of me. Courageous or foolish?”
“Neither,” she said, holding his gaze. “Determined.”
He chuckled, a low, dangerous sound that sent a shiver down her spine. “Determined,” he repeated. “Very well. I shall watch, then. But remember, paths like these can be perilous. One wrong step, and your little adventure ends before it truly begins.”
Meliora gripped her dagger, but a thrill ran through her that she could not deny. “I will manage,” she said.
He stepped back, allowing them to continue down the passage, his voice a whisper that lingered in her ears, “Interesting, this princess. She may yet surprise me.”
Selene brushed her hand against Meliora’s as they moved onward. “Who is he?” she asked softly, her voice trembling.
“I do not know,” Meliora admitted, though a strange pull toward the mysterious man made her pulse quicken. “But I intend to find out later.”
The passage twisted and turned until it opened onto a hidden door at the edge of the palace gardens. Moonlight danced across the stone paths and hedges beyond, and for the first time that night, Meliora felt a glimmer of freedom.
Somewhere in the shadows, the man watched, his amusement quiet but undeniable, and far more dangerous than she could ever imagine.
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