Chapter 2

Daisy, worried some sleazy guy would take me for a ride, insisted on coming along.

The road back to Sterling was brutal, with ambushes at every turn.

Emerson explained he was the heir to a powerful family in Sterling, but his own relatives had set him up, which was how he'd ended up half-dead by the river.

I tried to play it cool. "Don't worry. I've got cash, and I can handle myself."

Truth was, I was nearly broke, and the gash on my back from taking a hit for him still throbbed with every move.

Somehow, we made it to Sterling in one piece, battered, but alive.

The capital's streets thronged with courtiers in velvet and silk, all here to welcome us. That was when Daisy and I realized that Emerson wasn't just from some wealthy family. He was the King of Sterling.

Emerson flashed that easy grin and pulled me up onto his horse. "I didn't mean to keep it from you. There were still enemies watching, so I had to stay under the radar."

I just stared at his confident, sunlit face as he wrapped an arm around me, guiding the horse toward the palace with the whole city watching.

Every bounce of the horse made the wound on my side scream like it was splitting open again.

I pressed a hand discreetly against it, thinking, 'Hold it together, not now! This is your grand entrance.'

When we reached the palace gates, a woman stood waiting, dressed in elegant royal finery.

Emerson's smile stiffened. "Bella, head inside first. I'll find you soon."

Confused, I slid off the horse and followed attendants toward a side entrance, catching fragments of conversation behind me.

I heard Emerson call her his queen.

The day we entered the palace, Daisy and I overheard the staff whispering.

"The King and Queen were just married. He left for the battlefront that same night. And now he brings some woman back with him? What's Her Majesty supposed to do?"

"Why worry? She's just a diversion. There's no way she could ever replace the Queen."

"Exactly. The Queen is a Chambers. No ordinary girl could ever compare."

"But... did you notice? That woman looks a bit like the Queen, doesn't she?"

The staff didn't even bother lowering their voices around me. When they saw me listening, they just smirked and wandered off, only to resume gossiping somewhere else.

I tried to catch more, but it was all digs at me and praise for the Queen. No one ever explained what made the Chambers family so special.

Daisy was livid. "Bella, I told you. Men are trouble. Let's just leave."

I shook my head. "My dad always said never walk away from an investment. I've put money and blood into this, and Emerson still hasn't held up his end."

I waited up all night, but Emerson never came.

Before Emerson appeared, Luna summoned me early the next morning.

I stared at her, stunned. She looked almost identical to the portrait my father had kept in his study for years.

"How dare you look directly at Her Majesty! Bow and show respect," her attendant barked.

At her command, several maids moved to force me down.

With a slight shift of my arm, I sent them stumbling back in disarray.

Queen Luna frowned. "You really are common-born. So crude."

Honestly, I hadn't expected them to be so unsteady. "Sorry, I didn't realize you'd be so lightweight."'

Furious, Luna stepped down and swung a slap at my face.

Instinctively, I wanted to block it, but then I remembered the promise I'd made to Emerson before entering the palace: no violence here.

That split-second hesitation cost me. Her palm struck my cheek squarely.

Compared to blades or fists, it didn't hurt much, but it still made my eyes sting.

Honestly, even when I dug up and burned the portrait my father had cherished for years, he'd never once raised a hand against me.

"Ugh, you've dirtied my hand," Luna sneered, wiping her palm with a look of disgust.

Keeping my head lowered, I shoved her back hard. "What gives you the right to hit me out of nowhere?"

The push sent her staggering until her maids caught her. Her face twisted with rage. "Guards! Drag her out and flog her."

Guards closed in instantly. That was when Emerson rushed into the room.

He didn't even glance at me, turning straight to Luna instead. "I apologize. I clearly failed to teach her restraint. Please, don't take it to heart."

I stared at him, stunned. "Emerson, she hit me first!"

Mary cut in sharply, "Lies! Her Majesty was about to grant you a title out of generosity, and you responded with disrespect.

"You spoke out of turn, refused to bow, and laid hands on Her Majesty.

"Your Majesty, her shoulder must be bruised from the assault."

I'd barely used any force, and there was no way Luna would actually show her shoulder as proof. Mary was clearly playing it up.

I shot Emerson a frustrated look, but all I saw was annoyance on his face.

I blinked at him, bewildered. "You actually believe her?"

"Enough!" Emerson snapped, his glare sharp. "Bella, didn't I tell you not to use force in the palace? No one here can withstand a blow from you."