Morning light poured across the marble halls of Eldoria's palace, turning the long corridors gold. Yet despite the beauty of the dawn, the atmosphere inside the palace felt unusually heavy.
In the training courtyard, Prince Kaelen moved swiftly across the stone floor, his blade clashing against Captain Rowan's. Steel rang sharply through the air as the two sparred.
Kaelen pushed forward with a series of strikes, faster than usual, almost reckless. Rowan blocked the last swing and stepped back.
"Your mind is elsewhere, Your Highness," he said calmly.
Kaelen lowered his sword, breathing hard. "It isn't."
Rowan raised an eyebrow.
Kaelen sheathed the blade. "Fine. Maybe it is."
Rowan chuckled quietly. "did something happen during the attack the other night?"
Kaelen didn't answer immediately. His thoughts drifted again to the marketplace… the chaos… and the moment when that strange light flickered from Elara's wrist.
"I saw something I can't explain," Kaelen finally admitted.
Before Rowan could ask more, a palace guard approached and bowed.
"Your Highness. The King requests your presence."
Kaelen sighed. "Again?"
Rowan smirked. "Good luck."
The Throne Room
King Aldric stood beside the tall windows overlooking the city when Kaelen entered.
The king did not turn immediately.
"Do you know how many reports I've received about the attack?" king Aldric asked.
Kaelen stepped forward. "Several, I assume."
"Too many," the king replied sharply.
Finally, he turned, his expression firm but tired.
"And every one of them mentions my son being seen in the city instead of leading soldiers from the palace."
"I was helping the people," Kaelen said.
"You were disappearing without informing anyone," Aldric corrected.
Kaelen clenched his jaw but stayed quiet.
The king studied him carefully.
"You've been distracted since the attack. Why?"
For a moment Kaelen considered telling him everything — the creatures fleeing, the strange presence of the Varyndor, the flicker of light on Elara's wrist.
But something stopped him.
"I'm simply trying to understand what we're facing," Kaelen said. Aldric watched him for a long moment.
"Be careful, Kaelen. Curiosity can lead a prince into dangerous paths."
Kaelen bowed slightly. "Yes, Father."
But as he turned to leave, Aldric added quietly:
"And next time you vanish into the city… take guards with you."
Meanwhile — In the City of Eldoria
The marketplace had slowly returned to life.
Merchants reopened their stalls, though many still whispered nervously about the creatures that had attacked days before.
Near the healer's tents, Elara knelt beside a wounded soldier while carefully wrapping fresh bandages around his arm.
"Try not to move it too much," she said gently.
The soldier smiled. "You've said that three times already."
"And I'll say it again if you ignore me."
Alaric chuckled from the table beside her, sorting herbs.
"You see why she's better at this than I am."
Elara rolled her eyes.
Just then, a familiar voice spoke behind them.
"I think you're both underestimating her authority."
Elara turned.
Prince Kaelen stood there.
Her heart skipped before she could stop it.
"You again?" she said, trying to sound unimpressed.
Kaelen grinned. "You say that like I'm a problem."
"You usually are." she responded.
Alaric watched them with quiet amusement.
"Well," he said, standing, "since the prince insists on helping, I'll take these herbs to the other tent."
Elara shot him a suspicious look.
"You're leaving me with him?"
Alaric only smiled and walked off.
The soldier she was treating also smiled and left off. "Remember not to move it to much." she said to the retreating limping soldier. "I won't forget." the soldier said almost tripping.
That made Elara and kealen laughed at his retreating figure.
"Your father clearly trusts me."
"That makes one of us."
Kaelen pulled up a small stool and began sorting dried herbs beside her.
For a moment, they worked in silence.
Then Kaelen spoke again.
"I've been thinking about what happened during the attack."
Elara already knew what he meant.
"The light?" she asked quietly.
Kaelen nodded.
"You told me you didn't know what it was."
"I told you I don't," Elara said quickly. "I've never seen anything like that before."
Kaelen studied her face for a moment, then nodded.
"I believe you."
That answer caught her off guard.
"But," he continued, "there may be a way to find answers." Elara raised an eyebrow. "How?"
"The palace library."
She paused. "Elaborate."
It holds the oldest records in the kingdom," Kaelen explained. "Stories about creatures, ancient magic, forgotten legends. If anything like what we saw exists, it might be written there."
Elara thought for a moment.
She had visited the palace before — mostly following her father while he treated injured guards or soldiers — but she had never been allowed anywhere near the royal archives.
"And you think they'll just let us walk in?" she asked.
Kaelen shrugged casually.
"I am the crown prince."
"That doesn't make the librarians any less terrifying."
Kaelen laughed.
"I'll handle them."
She hesitated, glancing briefly at her wrist.
The memory of the flicker of light still unsettled her.
"Fine," she said at last. "But if we find nothing, you owe me an entire afternoon without bothering me."
Kaelen grinned. "Deal."
Just then both of them reached for the same bundle of herbs.
Their hands brushed. Both froze for a moment.
The contact was brief, but the sudden tension between them was impossible to ignore.
Elara quickly pulled her hand back and focused on the table.
"We should finish this," she muttered.
Kaelen nodded, though the faint smile on his face lingered.
Elsewhere in the City
From the shadow of a nearby alley, two figures watched the healer's tent.
One of them was a palace guard loyal not to the crown—
—but to General Lysender.
The second figure spoke quietly.
"So that's the girl."
The guard nodded. "The healer's daughter."
The man studied Elara carefully as she worked beside the prince.
"Interesting," he murmured.
Then he turned away. "Report back to the General."
Far away in the upper district of the city, inside the grand home of General Lysender, the general listened as the messenger delivered the news.
"The prince is with her again," the man finished.
Lysender's expression darkened.
"And the girl?"
"Just a healer, sir."
Lysender leaned back slowly.
"No," he said.
"There is nothing just about that girl."
He stared out the window toward the city below.
"That light during the battle… creatures retreating… and now the prince spending time with her."
His voice hardened.
"Find out everything about Elara."
Across the room, Lyra stood silently, hearing every word.
And the jealousy in her eyes burned brighter than ever.