CHAPTER I

Her body ached as if it had been stitched back together by time itself. Her lashes fluttered open, and for the first time in what felt like eternity, she saw again, dim light tracing the edges of a dark, quiet room.

The ceiling above her was carved from stone, smooth and pale, veiled by shadows. The scent of vanilla lingered faintly in the air. Beneath her was a bed… soft, silken, impossibly large. The kind only nobles could afford.

Selena blinked slowly. Her heartbeat was faint, unsteady. How long has she been staying here?

Before she could gather her thoughts, a soft gasp broke the silence.

“Y-you’re awake!”

A girl, no older than Selena herself stood at the foot of the bed, her eyes wide with shock and joy. Her chestnut curls bounced as she hurried forward, nearly tripping over her own shoes.

She wore a simple servant’s dress, a little too big for her frame, and her hands trembled with excitement.

“Oh, thank the stars! I—I thought you’d never wake up!” she said, her words tumbling over each other in a rush. “You’ve been asleep for so long! Two whole years!”

Selena’s lips parted, but no sound came out. Her throat felt dry, her voice lost somewhere between memory and silence.

Two years. The words echoed inside her head like a dream that didn’t belong to her.

The girl’s eyes softened. “Do you… remember me?”

Selena only blinked.

“It’s me, Melody,” the girl said gently, kneeling beside her. “Your maid. Well—not really yours, but I’ve been taking care of you since you arrived here. The doctors said you might never open your eyes, but I knew you would. I knew it!”

She smiled so brightly that for a moment, the dark room seemed less heavy. But Selena couldn’t return it.

Her gaze drifted to the far wall, where a faint line of moonlight slipped through the curtains.  Everything felt distant. Empty.

“What do you want, miss?” Melody asked softly, her cheer dimming into concern. “Are you hungry? Thirsty? I can bring food, or water, or—”

Selena just stared at her, eyes hollow, her face pale against the silk pillow. “Miss…?”

Selena said nothing and stared at Melody, as she examined her her eyes drifted back toward the ceiling, where faint moonlight spilled across the stone.

Melody broke the silence. “You must be wondering… how you got here.”

Selena’s eyes lifted slowly, their green depths faintly reflecting the candlelight. She didn’t nod, but Melody went on, her voice small yet sincere.

“It happened two years ago… on the night of the fire. You were found by the river just outside the city walls. His Highness himself brought you back.”

Selena blinked, confusion soft as fog. “His… Highness?”

“The prince,” Melody said, lowering her tone as though the title itself carried weight. “Prince Cedric.”

The name stirred something faint inside her. A voice, distant. A pair of eyes that was cold, sharp, like frost on steel.

“He found you on the bridge,” Melody continued. “The guards said you fell into the river after you collided with him. He jumped in after you, even though the current was strong and freezing that night.”

Selena’s breath stilled.

“When they pulled you out,” Melody’s voice softened, “you weren’t breathing. The doctors said you’d hit your head on a rock beneath the water. There was bleeding… a clot forming under your skull.”

Selena’s fingers tightened around the sheets. Melody looked down, wringing her hands.

“The royal physicians performed a risky surgery to save you. The prince ordered it himself. He didn’t say why, just… that you were not to be abandoned.”

The words hung in the air like fragile glass.

Selena’s mind tried to reach back to the river, the bridge, the sound of his voice but everything blurred together in a haze of cold water and fading light.

“You were asleep for a long time after that,” Melody said softly. “The prince made sure you were cared for. When it became clear you might wake, he ordered that a personal servant be assigned to you. Someone who could match your nature, someone gentle.”

Melody smiled faintly, shy and proud.

“There were others who wanted the post, but… I passed the test.”

Selena looked at her, and for the first time since she’d opened her eyes, there was a flicker of something human in her gaze… curiosity, faint and trembling.

“Why?” she asked quietly. “Why would he save me?”

Melody’s smile faltered. “I don’t know, miss. The prince doesn’t explain his actions to anyone. He’s… not the kind who needs a reason.”

Silence settled between them. The rain continued its soft rhythm, and somewhere deep in the palace halls, a clock struck midnight.

Selena turned her face toward the window, watching the moon through the sheer curtain.

“He shouldn’t have saved me,” she whispered.

Melody froze, her expression falling. “Miss Selena—”

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