"Who goes there? Reveal yourselves!" The command rang out the moment their carriage came within range of the palace gates.

The carriage slowed, the white horses stamping lightly against the stone path as if aware of the tension in the air.

"Let me handle this," Alaric said, already moving before Violet could respond. He stepped down from the carriage with ease, his presence commanding.

"Alpha Alaric—you’re back," one of the guards was startled, before relief crept into his tone.

The second guard’s gaze drifted toward the carriage, his voice trailing off. "Is that the...?"

Violet didn’t wait for the rest. She stepped out of the carriage gracefully, her presence alone enough to answer their unspoken question. Her golden eyes swept over the guards, calm and observant.

"Princess Violet!"

Both guards dropped to their knees instantly, heads bowed in respect.

"You don’t really need to do that," Violet said, a little uncomfortable with the display.

Behind her, Asher had already stepped out, his gaze sharp and alert as he scanned the surroundings, missing nothing.

The guards rose quickly to their feet. One of them lifted a hand to the strange device fastened around his neck and spoke into it.

"The princess is back," he announced.

Violet’s attention snapped to the object, her brows drawing together. "What is that?"

Alaric leaned in explaining to her, "Think of it as a walkie-talkie but made with Fae magic. Inspired by human design, it’s one of the many changes around the palace."

Violet stared at him, speechless. She had been gone for only three days, and already the palace had magic tools modeled after human technology.

An uneasy feeling settled in Violet’s belly, and she didn’t know whether to feel impressed or wary.

"Come, come," the guard said excitedly, gesturing for them to move on.

The second guard was more hesitant when his gaze fell on Asher, but that was until his eyes landed on the mating rune at the top of his hand. His gaze quickly snapped to Violet’s, his eyes widening in shock.

"T-they’re mated!" he shouted. "They’re finally mated!"

The first guard, upon hearing this, exclaimed, "They are?!" His eyes immediately searched Asher and Violet for the rune, and he nearly choked on air when he saw it.

"They’re mated indeed!" he shouted in celebration.

Violet’s face flushed red. She hadn’t realized they had been rooting for her.

"I think I like him," Asher said to her through the matebond.

"Of course you do," Violet snorted. "He practically announced your sex life for you."

"This is a three-way bond. Try to have some decency," Alaric cut in mentally.

Asher scoffed. "Then fuck off, pervert. Slam the door on your way out."

"Asshole," Alaric shot back.

Together, they were escorted into the palace, and that was when Violet began to notice the changes. The palace was tense, filled to the brim with security. Not just that, the statues had increased. More watchers.

Aside from that, the palace was eerily quiet, like a graveyard. In the past, there had always been chatter with Fae servants moving about their duties, and the groaning of brownies hidden in the walls or beneath the floors. Now, there was nothing.

"What’s going on?" Violet asked, unable to hide the unease in her voice.

"Some of the Fae affected by Baron’s little revolt are back home burying their loved ones or trying to heal the injured ones. The ones here are staying out of the way. Like I said, Queen Seraphira is a bit brittle right now."

"Where is the queen right now?" Violet asked as they moved deeper into the palace.

The guard leading them stiffened a bit before answering, "Her Majesty is holding court. She has been doing so these past few days."

Violet commanded. "Take me to her."

The guard slowed, glancing back at her with clear discomfort. "Are you sure you want that, Princess? Perhaps you’d rather rest with your mates and wait until the queen is done. She would surely come to you—"

"Take me to the queen," Violet repeated, firmer this time.

There was no room for negotiation in her voice. If Seraphira was truly on a killing spree, then Violet needed to see the raw, unfiltered version of her mother, not the one that would be presented to her after everything had already been done.

The guard swallowed and nodded. "As you wish."

They moved quickly after that, the air heavy with tension. Even the servants they passed kept their heads low, moving aside quickly, afraid to be noticed.

When they finally reached the grand hall, the guards stationed at the doors straightened in surprise.

"Princess—" the herald began, already preparing to announce her

Violet lifted a finger to her lips, silencing him.

The rest of them froze, then nodded in understanding, stepping aside and pushing the heavy doors open without another word.

Violet stepped inside, followed closely by her mates, Asher and Alaric. Then she halted suddenly, speechless at the sight before her.

It wasn’t the Fae nobles lining the sides of the hall, their faces pale with fear, and bodies rigid with tension.

Nor was it the bodies sprawled across the marble floor, blood staining the ground.

It wasn’t even the trembling fae kneeling before the throne, begging desperately for mercy, their voices breaking as they pleaded for their lives.

No, what caught Violet’s attention was Baron. Or rather, what had become of him.

He was on all fours like an animal with iron chains wrapped around his neck, the metal burning into his skin with a sizzle. The other end was held by Queen Seraphira.

Above all, Baron’s eyes were gone. He was

blind. His clothes hung off him in torn strips, barely covering a body that was already marked with deep, cruel scars. There was already fresh wounds layered over the old ones, as if the punishment had not come in a single moment, but repeatedly.

Her mother stood above him, regal, her posture flawless as ever, but there was a certain cold and ruthlessnes to her. This was not the woman she had left behind.

Through the bond, Asher’s voice slipped in, low and edged with dark amusement.

"Damn. Who knew the queen had this in her?"

For once, Violet said nothing because there was nothing to say.

Queen Seraphira noticed the interruption almost immediately. Her lips had already begun to curve in irritation at being disturbed, her grip tightening slightly on the chain in her hand only for her eyes to connect with Violet’s.

Just like that, everything changed. The irritation vanished as if it had never been there, replaced first by surprise and then joy.

"Violet, my daughter!"

The chain slipped from her hand without a second thought, clattering against the bloodstained floor as she rushed forward.

Before Violet could even react, she was engulfed in a hug, the force nearly knocking her off balance.

Oops. The woman was quite strong.

Seraphira let out small, relieved sounds, clutching her for a moment longer before finally pulling back. Her hands came up to cup Violet’s face, studying her as if committing every detail to memory, before she leaned down and pressed a firm kiss to her forehead.

"How glad I am to see you alive," she said, her voice full of warmth, almost breathless. "Although I expected nothing less from you. You are my daughter, after all."

Violet didn’t respond immediately, thrown. Her gaze lingered on the woman in front of her. Even though she knew it was her mother, this was still Celeste’s body. Or at least, it had been.

The features had shifted, molded, reshaped into Seraphira’s. Those familiar, unmistakable purple eyes stared back at her.

Seraphira noticed and chuckle. "You must be startled by my appearance."

Violet only nodded, words failing her.

Seraphira gently took Violet’s hand and began to guide her forward, back toward the center of the hall.

"As you have the ability to shift forms," Seraphira explained, "my magic appears to have done something similar. It adapted this body to suit me."

They came to a stop before the bodies, both living and dead. The living Fae now seeing Violet had hope in their eyes that she would save them.

"Mother..." Violet’s voice came out quieter than she intended. "What is all this?"

Seraphira shrugged, as if the scene before them was of little consequence.

"Just a few subjects who thought I wasn’t worthy enough, and decided to stab me in the back. With the help of my dear husband." There was a dark gleam in her eyes at the end of her words.

The kneeling fae flinched. A few whimpered under their breath, as though they could already see the end waiting for them.

Violet’s gaze moved to Baron. "And him?"

Seraphira’s expression changed instantly, all warmth draining away as her eyes fell on him.

"Him?" she repeated, her tone laced with disdain, as though she were looking at a dirt beneath her feet.

"He is my demonstration so that the court remembers what happens to those who think betrayal is an option."

Her gaze swept over the kneeling Fae, cold and unforgiving. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"The next time they try, they will already know how their story ends."