She didn't sleep properly.
She lay on the bed for a long time, staring up at the ceiling that felt too high and too distant, like it didn't belong to the same room she was in. Every small sound seemed louder in the silence, making it impossible for her to fully relax.
At some point, she must have drifted off, because the next thing she noticed was a knock at the door.
Her eyes opened immediately, her body tensing before her mind fully caught up with what was happening. Another knock followed, just as controlled as the first.
She pushed herself up slowly and turned toward the door.
"Come in," she said, though her voice came out quieter than she intended.
This time, the door opened normally.
A girl stepped inside.
She looked… normal.
That was the first thing that stood out to her. Unlike the others she had seen so far, this one didn't feel sharp or unsettling or unnaturally perfect. She simply looked like a girl, a little older than her, neat and composed, dressed in soft, fitted clothing that still carried the same strange elegance everything in this place seemed to have.
Their eyes met briefly, and there was something careful in her gaze, like she was measuring her words even before she spoke.
"Good morning," she said.
The greeting was simple, but there was nothing casual about her tone.
She swung her legs off the bed and let her feet touch the cool floor.
"Is it?" she asked, glancing toward the window, unsure if time even moved normally here.
The girl didn't respond to that. Instead, she stepped further into the room.
"I've been assigned to you," she said.
The word assigned sat strangely in her mind.
"Assigned how?" she asked.
"To assist you."
That didn't make things any clearer.
She studied her for a moment before asking, "You have a name?"
There was a slight pause before the answer came.
"Lila."
She nodded slowly. "Right."
At least that was something.
Lila moved toward a table near the window and placed something down carefully. It took her a second to realize it was clothing, different from what she was currently wearing. The fabric looked finer, more deliberate, like it had been chosen for a purpose.
"You'll need to change," Lila said.
Her brows drew together slightly. "Why?"
There was another pause, like she was choosing how much to say.
"You've been summoned."
Her chest tightened at the word.
Summoned didn't sound optional.
"By who?" she asked, even though she already had a feeling.
Lila didn't see her eyes immediately.
"You already know."
Her stomach dropped slightly.
Of course she did.
She stood slowly and reached out to touch the fabric laid out for her. It was soft, smoother than anything she was used to, and it felt unfamiliar in a way that made her hesitate.
"Turn around," she said.
Lila didn't question it and simply turned her back.
That made something in her chest ease just a little.
She changed quickly, pulling the new clothes on. They fit perfectly, settling against her skin in a way that felt almost intentional, like they had been made specifically for her.
When she was done, she looked down at herself.
It didn't feel like her.
Or maybe it didn't feel like who she used to be.
"You're ready," Lila said.
She turned back toward her.
Lila was already looking at her again, her gaze moving over her briefly before settling. There was no compliment, no reaction beyond quiet approval.
"Let's go."
The walk felt shorter this time, though she couldn't tell if that was real or if she was just too aware of where they were going to notice anything else.
Her steps stayed steady, even as something tightened in her chest with every turn they took, every corridor they passed through.
"Does he do this often?" she asked suddenly.
Lila glanced at her. "Summon people?"
"Yes."
There was a short pause before she answered.
"No."
That didn't make her feel any better.
They stopped in front of a set of doors larger than the others, darker in a way that made them feel more final.
Her steps slowed slightly.
Lila noticed.
"You shouldn't keep him waiting," she said.
There was no pressure in her tone, but it still felt like something that couldn't be ignored.
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides before she stepped forward.
The doors opened.
The space beyond was the same hall she had seen before, but this time it wasn't empty.
It was filled.
Not crowded, but occupied.
Fae sat along both sides of the long tables, their presence quiet but heavy, and their attention shifted the moment she stepped inside.
Every gaze turned toward her.
Every movement seemed to pause.
Every bit of attention settled on her.
Her steps faltered for a brief moment, but she forced herself to keep walking.
She didn't look at them.
Didn't let her eyes linger.
She kept her focus straight ahead.
Toward the raised platform.
Toward him.
He was already watching her.
Her breath caught slightly as their eyes met, though she tried not to show it.
He didn't move.
Didn't speak.
He simply watched.
One arm rested against the throne as he sat in a way that looked relaxed but felt entirely controlled.
His gaze didn't leave her as she walked, steady and unhurried, like he already knew she would reach him.
The closer she got, the harder it became to breathe normally.
It wasn't exactly fear.
It was something heavier.
Something that pressed against her chest the nearer she got to him.
Her instincts told her to stop.
To turn back.
But she didn't.
She reached the center of the room and stopped.
The silence stretched between them, filled with something that felt like expectation.
"Come closer," he said.
His voice wasn't raised, but it carried easily.
Her throat tightened, but her feet moved anyway.
She stepped forward, closing the distance until she stood just below the platform, looking up at him.
He studied her in a way that felt deliberate.
Not curious.
Not judging.
Certain.
"You arrived without issue," he said.
It didn't sound like a question.
She swallowed. "Yes."
Her voice felt smaller than she liked.
"You understand where you are?" he asked.
Her brows pulled together slightly.
"No."
The answer came before she could stop it.
Something shifted in his gaze, though she couldn't tell what.
"Good," he said.
That response caught her off guard.
Her chest tightened slightly.
He leaned back just a little.
"You'll learn."
The words didn't sound like reassurance.
They sounded like facts.
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides.
"Why am I here?" she asked, more steadily this time.
The room seemed to be still again.
He didn't answer immediately.
His gaze remained on her.
Then someone else spoke from the side.
"She was given to me as payment."
The words hit too clearly.
Too familiar.
Her chest tightened.
The king's gaze flicked briefly in that direction, and the air in the room shifted in a way that made it clear the interruption hadn't been welcome.
When his attention returned to her, it was complete.
"That is not your concern," he said.
His tone left no room for argument.
Her jaw tightened slightly.
It was her concern.
But something in the way he said it told her pushing further wouldn't go well.
There was a brief pause before he spoke again.
"Sit."
Her brows drew together.
"What?"
He didn't repeat himself.
He didn't need to.
His gaze shifted slightly toward the seat beside him.
Her breath caught as she followed it.
That couldn't be right.
The entire room felt like it was waiting.
Her feet didn't move at first.
For a moment, something sharper flickered in his expression.
"You were brought here under my authority," he said quietly. "Do not make me repeat myself."
Her pulse picked up, not entirely from fear, but from something that resisted being told what to do.
Even so, her body moved.
One step.
Then another.
She walked up the platform, aware of every gaze in the room following her.
When she reached the seat beside him, she hesitated for just a second before lowering herself into it.
The shift in the room was immediate, subtle but unmistakable, like something had just been decided without being spoken aloud.
She didn't know what it was.
But she understood one thing.
Sitting beside him, under the weight of every watching eye, she realized it too late.
This wasn't protection.
It was a position.