Sirene stood before the tall mirror in her chambers while Maya adjusted the folds of the yellow dress. The fabric shimmered softly in the evening light, the delicate embroidery catching every beam that slipped through the window.
It was beautiful. Yet Sirene couldn't shake the unease that had settled in her chest since earlier that day. Palace life already felt like walking through a garden filled with hidden blades. And now her sister's warning grew louder each passing second.
Maya had just finished fastening the final clasp of the gown when the door suddenly opened.
Lady Gema entered without announcement. Her presence was sharp and commanding, like a sudden cold wind sweeping into the room. She took in the scene with quick, calculating eyes. Without speaking, she snapped her fingers twice. Maya immediately bowed and hurried out of the chamber.
Sirene instinctively pulled a light shawl around her shoulders, covering herself as she turned to face the older woman.
"I heard you summoned your sister," Lady Gema said. Her voice was calm, but there was an edge beneath it. "Did she come?"
Sirene nodded slowly, "She did."
"And did you speak to her?"
"I did."
Lady Gema folded her arms. "And?"
Sirene hesitated before answering."My sister says she did nothing wrong. The king was the one who asked for the hug. She couldn't refuse."
She swallowed, trying to choose her words carefully.
"This might sound like I'm defending her, but it's the truth. She has someone in her heart. No matter how far away he may be, she intends to stay loyal to him."
Lady Gema let out a sharp, humorless chuckle. "Are you kidding me, Consort?"
Sirene stiffened.
"What criminal confesses to their crimes so easily?" Lady Gema continued. "I expected this. I knew she would get inside your head the way she always does—and you would swing right along with her."
Sirene lowered her gaze. "I understand how Khari's actions seem—"
"I don't know, Consort Sirene," Lady Gema interrupted sharply, "but you sound very eager to leave this palace with nothing."
Sirene looked up in alarm.
Lady Gema stepped closer."Your sister is a walking catastrophe," she said coldly. "She will bring destruction wherever she goes if she isn't chained. You were supposed to warn her. Instead, you had a sisterly conversation. With tea and giggles."
Sirene said nothing.
"Your love for your sister blinds you," Lady Gema continued. "You cannot see how she is slowly ruining your life." She paused deliberately, "You have what she wants."
Sirene's heart skipped. The same statement spoken by her mother earlier that morning.
"You are living the life she dreamed of," Lady Gema said quietly. "She hates that."
The words struck something inside Sirene. A sudden thought flickered across her face.
Lady Gema noticed immediately. "What?"
Sirene shook her head quickly. "It's nothing."
Lady Gema's gaze sharpened, "Child, your face tells me there is definitely something." She took another step closer. "Speak."
"It's not important, Lady Gema."
"Let me decide that."
Sirene's fingers tightened in the folds of her shawl. "I… I can't."
Lady Gema's patience snapped. "There are two girls from noble families far more deserving of the position you hold," she said harshly. "If you ask me, they deserve this place more than you do."
Sirene's chest tightened.
"You are here only because my son is a soft-hearted fool."
Each word struck like a blow.
"You do not deserve this status in the slightest. It is the king's favor that keeps you standing here."
She leaned closer, her voice dropping into a dangerous whisper.
"It would be wise not to hide things from me."
Sirene's breathing grew shallow.
"So tell me, Consort," Lady Gema said. "What is it you are so afraid to say?"
"Lady Gema—"
"Either you speak," Lady Gema interrupted coldly, "or I command the guards to drag you and your entire family out of this palace."
Sirene's blood ran cold.
"And for wasting our time," Lady Gema added calmly, "you will be punished severely before you even reach the front gate."
Sirene's hands trembled.
"Tell me."
Sirene swallowed hard. "My… my sister told me something earlier today."
"And what was that?"
"She said our family is already in a hole."
Lady Gema remained silent.
"She said we are trapped," Sirene continued quietly. "My whole family."
"And what did she mean by that?" Lady Gema asked.
Sirene hesitated. "She said… I'm here to be sacrificed."
Lady Gema's face did not change. But something behind her eyes shifted.
"She said this is something the royal family does," Sirene continued nervously. "To the first wives."
The silence in the room grew heavy.
"She said everything looks like a blessing," Sirene whispered, "but underneath it all… there is death."
Lady Gema stared at her strangely. Sirene hurried to correct herself.
"I don't believe her," she said quickly. "You were right. She only said that to scare me. To make me leave all of this."
Her voice trembled.
"She wasn't thinking clearly."
Before Lady Gema could respond—There was a loud knock at the door.
"Lady Gema, Consort Sirene," a voice called from outside.
Sirene turned toward the door.
"With a heavy heart," the messenger announced, "I bring news of the passing of Head Priest Tarula."
Sirene's breath caught.
"The King expects everyone in the great hall immediately."
The room fell silent. Lady Gema said nothing. Without another word, she turned and walked out of the chamber. Sirene remained standing where she was. Her heart pounded. Head Priest Tarula was dead. And for some reason, the warning her sister had whispered earlier suddenly felt far less like madness—and far more like the beginning of something terrible.
***