Page 71 of Façade

My mind whirled as I stared after it. I ached to snatch it back and watch the vision again, even as my mind frantically tried to piece together everything the tapestry of fates had revealed—a glimpse of my past just before the moment that had changed my life forever.

Only Estorian royals possess magic.

Dawn graced my previous confusion, finally illuminating the darkness shrouding my thoughts for so long until everything became clear. Though many questions remained, one disbelieving truth was certain: I wasn’t a decoy at all, but the true crown princess of Estoria…and I had made the grave mistake of marrying one of my kingdom’s greatest enemies, putting both myself and my entire kingdom in danger.

CHAPTER23

The vision left me utterly still within the sea of stars. I subconsciously searched for the North Star in a futile effort to anchor myself, anything to guide me through the shock and uncertainty brought by my discovery…but I was left entirely directionless, with nothing but the truth washing over me in overwhelming waves.

I am the true crown princess of Estoria. The words filled my mind like a prayer, and yet I still couldn’t make sense of them—they floated around me with the stars and their visions, remaining just out of reach.

“What did you see?” the oracle asked.

“Something…impossible,” I murmured. “Was it all true?”

The oracle reached for a star as it floated lazily by and began to bounce it playfully within her palm. “Visions of the future are often unreliable, considering each choice creates its own possibilities, resulting in many potential paths. However, the past is set in stone, making it impossible for you to mistake what you saw.”

I yearned to embrace her words and all they meant—that I belonged somewhere, had a family and a home, and most importantly was loved. Yet even the truth couldn’t completely heal the wound the lies had created; even if it one day managed to fade, the trauma would undoubtedly result in a scar on my heart, leaving me forever changed.

But that was a small price to pay, considering however painful these events, they’d at least led me to Ryland.

I lifted my hands to examine them. “This magic is the power my royal blood has given me.”

It still felt surreal. It’d almost been easier to believe the lie my parents had spun than to question it, to doubt both myself and their love despite the lifetime of cherished memories we shared. Though I now realized their choices had been made in love, the pain lingered and would require a long journey to fully overcome.

I met the oracle’s all-seeing gaze. “Which kingdom is responsible for the threats against my life?”

By her knowing expression, she knew the answer. She hesitated a moment before shaking her head. “I’m afraid I cannot tell you. The threads comprising that chapter of your story are woven in a rather complicated pattern, diverging in several possible ways. The threat is not only a part of your future but is closely tied to the decoy who has taken your place. I fear the consequences should you face such a volatile future with too much knowledge that would likely hinder you more than help you. For now, you must remain content that the Hall of Prophecies provided the answer to your soul’s most burning question.”

A door suddenly appeared beside us far from where I’d entered, the room’s cue for me to leave now that I had what I’d come for. After a final glance at the starry night and a last heartfelt wish for a glimpse of the visions each glistening pattern contained, I left.

The door opened not into the corridor it had before but instead to an abandoned courtyard containing a small garden that grew around several ancient columns covered in flowering ivy, the perfect tranquil setting to ease the cravings of my soul, as if the monastery knew I needed time alone with my thoughts.

Yet peace was the last thing I found. I’d no sooner entered the courtyard than a shadow drew my attention to one of the pillars…and the man hiding behind it—the assassin, clad in the familiar black I’d glimpsed earlier within the trees, confirming him as the man who’d stalked me throughout my journey.

Horror seized my breath. I stumbled back and turned towards the door, but it’d already vanished, leaving nothing but stone that sent a chill up my spine. I instinctively summoned my powers; though my magic remained unfamiliar, the enchantment filling the monastery stoked my budding powers into a flame just large enough for me to access. My magic came reluctantly at my command, a ball of light cradled in my palm prepared to fight, never mind I didn’t know how any protective spells.

My fingers groped for my more reliable knife, but before I could unsheathe it or even summon a scream, the man fully emerged to kneel before me with a bowed head. “Don’t be afraid, Your Highness; I’m not going to hurt you.”

Such a well-rehearsed claim was undoubtedly given to everyone who fell victim to an assassin…yet there was something familiar about him that compelled me to douse my ready flame, recognition beyond all the glimpses of his silhouette lurking within the shadows. “Who are you?”

Though he remained kneeling, he obediently lifted his head so I could more closely examine his face. I gasped the moment I recognized him—Silas, Estoria’s Captain of the Guard.

“Guard Silas?” I asked tentatively.

“At your service, Your Highness.” He bowed again.

I felt as if I’d seen a ghost. For a moment I could only stare in disbelief at the guard who’d faithfully protected my parents for years, a glimpse of the world that until moments ago I’d thought lost to me forever. There was so much I wanted to ask him, but my shock had robbed me of words.

Sensing these silent questions, he spoke. “I am the guard Their Majesties assigned to protect you. Several others have accompanied me and remain in the background to protect our princess.”

Now that I knew the truth about my identity, it made sense my parents hadn’t sent me away without any protection, especially with all the threats supposedly against me. The revelation dispelled some of the fog that had shrouded several unexplained past events. “That day I encountered the assailant in the alley…you’re the one who—” My throat closed off before I could continue.

He nodded solemnly. “That man will no longer threaten you…but unfortunately, he wasn’t the last; there have been many more, and undoubtedly more to come. The enemy is certainly persistent.”

Many more?An ominous chill curled up my spine. “How many, exactly? More even beyond that man who tried to smother me?” The guard’s heavy silence confirmed thatyes, there had been more, attempts on my life that remained in the background outside my awareness. My heart pounded frantically at the thought.

Overwhelmed, I collapsed onto a stone bench beside an arrangement of shrubs surrounding a koi pond; unfortunately, even the tranquil sight and the soothing sound of water had little effect on my frazzled nerves.

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