?Plans for her coronation were underway. Lily had never felt so conflicted.

  ?

  ?There was no time to sort through her thoughts—to separate her feelings for Knox from the knowledge that her brother was in love with the same man. And now, in just two days, she would be crowned queen. It all felt so surreal. So fast. So messy.

  ?

  ?The world kept shifting around her, and she remained idle in its chaos.

  ?

  ?She missed Axel’s jokes—his ridiculous quips that always brought a smile. But he'd locked himself in his room all weekend, refusing to come out. She yearned for her mother, who had grown strangely distant. Her father was consumed with stabilizing the kingdom. Not just her life, but her entire family felt like it had been shattered and scrambled beyond recognition.

  ?

  ?And for what?

  ?

  ?The protests against Axel had stopped, now that he was no longer going to be king. But was it worth it? Was it worth his mental health? Was it worth her state of mind? Did it bring the people joy to know their once beloved prince was being punished without evidence?

  ?

  ?“Miss Lily… are you nearly ready? The Queen is waiting for you.”

  ?

  ?Mariah’s voice through the door startled her from her thoughts. Wiping the tears from her face, Lily tried to keep her voice steady.

  ?

  ?“J-just a moment…”

  ?

  ?She dabbed at her cheeks with a napkin, fixing her makeup with trembling fingers. Deep breath. Another. She opened the door, smiling softly at Mariah, who bowed deeply.

  ?

  ?Lily kept the smile in place, her expression back to its carefully curated facade—just as a queen should be.

  ?

  ?“Any idea why Mother asked me to dress up properly?” she asked lightly. “I wasn’t under the impression we were going hunting so soon.”

  ?

  ?“N-no, Your Majesty... I haven’t been informed of the reason. B-but…” Mariah hesitated, glancing behind her as if someone might overhear.

  ?

  ?Lily hated how afraid the servants always were. She paused, lowering her voice.

  ?

  ?“Mariah… look at me, darling.”

  ?

  ?Shock flickered across the girl’s face, but she obeyed.

  ?

  ?“You don’t need to be afraid, you know?” Lily said gently. “You’re only human… just like me. Just like my parents. Just like Axel. Don’t let anyone’s words tell you otherwise.”

  ?

  ?“Y-yes, Your Majesty,” Mariah replied, bowing again. Grateful, but still clearly uncomfortable, her gaze flickering over her shoulders again and again as though she was afraid of being seen.

  ?

  ?Lily sighed, but said nothing more, walking beside her down the long corridor. she'd always hated how her parents treated the servants, but once more she was powerless to change anything, she hated it.

  ?

  ?Eventually, they arrived at the ornate double doors of the dining hall. The scent of roasted meat and fresh bread wafted through the air, but it didn’t make Lily hungry. It made her stomach turn.

  ?

  ?Mariah opened the doors and bowed as Lily stepped inside.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  ?

  ?Her eyes immediately found her mother—smiling, but not with her eyes. Her father grinned too, but not at her.

  ?

  ?And Axel…

  ?

  ?Axel looked broken.

  ?

  ?He didn’t even lift his head, his gaze stuck on his plate as he idly pushed his food around. His once-vibrant pink hair had faded, messy and streaked with jet black. He hadn’t bothered to dye it. His trademark smirk—gone. His shoulders slouched as though the crown he never wore had still crushed him.

  ?

  ?“Ah… sweetie, we’ve been waiting for you. Took a while to get dressed, hmm?” her mother said softly.

  ?

  ?Her father’s booming voice followed. “There’s my beautiful princess! Come, dear, have a seat.”

  ?

  ?Something felt off. Too warm. Too staged.

  ?

  ?She made her way to the table, catching Axel’s hollow expression as she passed him. Her voice wavered. “W-what’s the big occasion?”

  ?

  ?Queen Naomi looked away. Her father’s smile only widened.

  ?

  ?“What do you mean? You’re becoming queen! I’m passing my legacy to my sweet angel. Isn’t that reason enough to celebrate?”

  ?

  ?A lump formed in her throat. She didn’t want this. She never had. She’d dreamed of laughing and getting into trouble with Micheal and Angelica—not ruling a kingdom. But she could never say no to her father. She never had.

  ?

  ?So she smiled and nodded. “I-I’ll make sure to carry on your legacy, Dad. I… I won’t disappoint you.”

  ?

  ?“That’s my girl,” he said proudly. “I knew I raised this one right.”

  ?

  ?The jab hit her like a slap. Her eyes flicked to Axel.

  ?

  ?His fingers tightened around his fork, knuckles pale. Blood pooled where the tines pressed into his skin.

  ?

  ?She wanted to scream. To argue. To tell them that Axel was not a failure. That he deserved more than this cruelty.

  ?

  ?But what right did she have? She had helped break him too.

  ?

  ?“L-Lily… you know what you’re getting into, right—” her mother began gently.

  ?

  ?“Of course she does, Naomi!” her father cut in, voice sharp. “She’s not a child. She knows her duty lies with the kingdom! Are you off your meds?!”

  ?

  ?The way he silenced her… it wasn’t new, but it still stung.

  ?

  ?Lily’s fists clenched in her lap.

  ?

  ?Axel’s hand shook around his fork. His jaw was locked tight, eyes still downcast. He’d always been the one to speak up. Maybe that’s why he was being punished now.

  ?

  ?“So… Lily.” Her father’s tone lightened, but the weight of his words was suffocating. “Have you found your king yet?”

  ?

  ?The question knocked the air from her lungs.

  ?

  ?Marriage?

  ?

  ?How could she even think about that when her heart belonged to someone who didn’t know?

  ?

  ?“D-Dad, I—” Her voice caught, hesitation flickering across her face.

  ?

  ?Her father saw it immediately. Hawk-like. Unforgiving.

  ?

  ?“Do you want to disappoint me, Lily?”

  ?

  ?His voice was calm. Cold. That hint of steel made her shoulders slump.

  ?

  ?“No… of course not,” she said quietly.

  ?

  ?

  ?