the timid bride

Chapter 22: A Kingdom Built on Lies

The morning air was cold, but Arin didn't feel it. She stood by the tall window of her chambers, her eyes fixed on the courtyard below. Servants moved in silent patterns like chess pieces—cleaning, carrying, bowing. The castle functioned like a perfect machine.

But she now knew the truth.

It was all built on a lie.

The curse wasn't just a tale. It was real. And worse, she was at the center of it.

The mirror still sat on the mantle, covered once more in its black cloth. She hadn't dared touch it again. Not after seeing Elara's face. Not after hearing her warning.

A knock came.

She turned slowly. "Come in."

It was the Queen.

Arin stiffened.

Queen Seraphina entered, wearing a gown of deep emerald and silver embroidery, her crown glinting in the morning sun. Her face was calm—but her eyes were calculating.

"I trust you received the mirror," the Queen said softly.

Arin swallowed. "I did."

The Queen walked past her, stopping at the mantle. She pulled back the cloth and stared into the glass. "Did it speak to you?"

Arin didn't answer.

The Queen smiled faintly. "It always does. It never lies. That's why we keep it hidden."

"Why show it to me now?" Arin asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Because," the Queen said, turning to face her, "you've reached the point where pretending would only weaken you."

Arin stepped forward, her fists clenched. "You knew about the curse. You knew what I was walking into."

"I did."

"Then why did you let me marry him?"

The Queen tilted her head slightly. "Because it was never about marriage. It was about survival. Yours. Ours. The kingdom's."

"You used me," Arin spat. "Just like everyone else."

"No," the Queen said sharply. "I *protected* you. You think love is enough to break this curse? It's not. What you need is power. Control. And knowledge."

Arin's chest heaved. "You sound just like him."

The Queen's expression flickered. "He's my son. But that doesn't mean I trust him."

Those words hit harder than any slap.

"You don't trust Rael?"

"No," the Queen said, stepping closer. "Because he has begun to change. He's doing things outside the pattern. Bringing you to the hidden chamber? That wasn't part of the ritual."

Arin's thoughts raced. "So… what does that mean?"

"It means the curse is shifting. Becoming unstable." The Queen's voice grew tight. "And if it breaks the wrong way, the kingdom will fall—and you with it."

Arin felt like she was drowning. "Then what do I do?"

The Queen placed a small object in her palm. A silver ring with a dark stone.

"Wear this. It will protect you from his influence. And tonight, you will come with me. There is something else you must see."

—

That night, Arin wore the ring.

It felt cold at first, then warm, then cold again—like it was alive. When Rael came to her chambers, she hid her hand beneath her robe.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Arin raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For overwhelming you. For the mirror. For everything." His voice was quieter than she'd ever heard it.

She didn't reply.

He stepped closer. "Arin, I never meant for you to carry this alone."

"You didn't give me a choice," she said sharply. "You dragged me into this."

His jaw tensed. "You think I had a choice? You think I wanted this?"

Her eyes flashed. "You could've warned me."

"If I had," he said bitterly, "you would've run. And the curse would've destroyed you."

She stared at him, heart pounding. "Maybe I *should've* run."

His expression twisted with something like pain. But before he could reply, a knock interrupted.

The Queen entered without waiting.

"I'm taking her," she said, her voice like steel.

Rael's eyes narrowed. "To where?"

"To the truth," the Queen said. "The part you've kept hidden even from yourself."

Rael stepped forward. "She's not ready."

"She's ready for more than you were at her age."

The two stared at each other, the room crackling with tension. Arin could feel it—there was history here. Secrets neither wanted to say aloud.

"I'm going," she said, surprising even herself.

Rael's eyes met hers. He looked wounded. "If you walk with her, you may never trust me again."

Arin didn't blink. "Then earn my trust back."

She left with the Queen.

—

They moved through the palace at night, cloaked in shadow. The Queen led her down a hall Arin had never seen before—lined with statues of faceless women, all veiled in stone.

They stopped at a door with no handle.

The Queen reached into her sleeve and drew a thin dagger. Without hesitation, she pricked her finger and let three drops of blood fall onto the door.

It opened with a hiss.

Inside was a small circular room. In the center stood a single book upon a pedestal.

"The real Chronicle," the Queen said. "The one your prince didn't show you."

Arin stepped closer. The book's cover was made of blackened leather, almost burnt-looking. She opened it carefully.

Inside were names—brides, hundreds of them, all written in neat handwriting. And beside each name, a fate:

- Elara – Consumed by the Mirror

- Teyana – Lost to the Flames

- Dalia – Devoured by Shadows

- Selene – Reborn as Fire

Arin flipped until she found her own name—blank.

No fate written yet.

But something was scribbled in the margins beside it. A note, in a different ink.

> "She is the First to resist."

Arin's hands trembled. "What does this mean?"

The Queen spoke softly. "It means you're not like the others. And that terrifies the curse."

Arin looked up. "Why me?"

"Because you love *and* question. That's dangerous. The curse feeds on obedience."

Arin's heart pounded. "So if I keep resisting…"

"You might be the one who breaks it," the Queen whispered.

—

When they returned to her chambers, Rael was waiting.

His eyes locked on the ring on her hand.

"You went too far," he said to his mother.

"She had the right to know," the Queen replied coldly.

Rael turned to Arin. "Did she tell you everything?"

"No," Arin said. "But enough."

His jaw clenched. "Then you understand why I couldn't."

She stared at him, hard. "Do you even know what love is?"

He didn't answer.

Instead, he reached into his coat and drew something out—a letter, sealed with red wax.

"This was from Elara," he said. "She wrote it before she disappeared."

He handed it to her, and for the first time, his hand trembled.

Arin broke the seal.

> *"To the next bride—if you're reading this, you're already in danger. He will say he loves you. He may even mean it. But the curse doesn't care about feelings. Only sacrifice can break it. And not everyone survives sacrifice. Choose wisely."*

Arin looked up.

Rael's eyes were shining with something like tears.

"I don't want to lose you," he whispered.

"Then stop hiding things," she said.

He nodded, slowly. "Tomorrow, I'll take you to the Mirror Hall. The final truth lies there."

And with that, he left.

Arin sat down, the letter in one hand, the ring burning on the other.

She didn't know who was lying anymore.

But tomorrow, she would find out.

One way or another.