Emperor Of The Abyss

Chapter 2

Someone shouted.

Kane's body reacted on instinct. He twisted hard to the left, his boots skidding on loose gravel. The worker, startled by the commotion, jerked to the side. The ladder swayed dangerously, its top end swinging wide like the arm of a giant.

For a heartbeat, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Kane's momentum carried him forward even as he tried to stop. The ladder teetered. The worker's eyes went wide with fear,not just at the near-collision, but at the realization that he'd almost struck the crown prince.

Kane's hand shot out, catching the ladder's middle rung and steadying it before it could crash to the ground. His other hand gripped the worker's shoulder, keeping them both upright.

"I'm sorry!" 

They both said at the same time.

The worker,a middle-aged man with calloused hands and sawdust in his graying beard,immediately dropped to one knee, his face pale.

 "Your Highness, I didn't see you, I swear I didn't mean to…"

"No, no, it's my fault entirely." 

Kane said quickly, helping the man to his feet and steadying the ladder against a nearby wall.

 "I was being careless. Are you hurt?"

"I,no, Your Highness, I'm fine, I…" 

The man seemed genuinely shocked that Kane was apologizing to him. Around them, other workers had stopped to watch, their faces a mixture of concern and curiosity.

Kane glanced around and spotted Valerie standing a few paces away, her hand pressed to her mouth, eyes wide with alarm. The moment their gazes met, 

relief flooded her features.

"I'm alright."

 Kane assured her, then turned back to the worker. 

"And I'm terribly sorry. Please, continue your work. 

Tomorrow's going to be a big day for all of us."

The worker bobbed his head repeatedly, backing away. 

"Yes, Your Highness. Thank you, Your Highness. Congratulations on your coronation, Your Highness."

As the man hurried back to his duties, casting nervous glances over his shoulder, Valerie approached Kane and swatted his arm.

 "You absolute fool." 

She said, but her voice was shaky.

 "You could have been hurt."

"But I wasn't." 

Kane said, pulling her into his arms. Around them, the workers gradually returned to their tasks, though he could feel their eyes on him. Always watching. Always judging. Wondering if today would be the day the cursed prince finally revealed his true nature.

He kissed Valerie's forehead, breathing in the lavender scent of her hair. 

"I'm fine. We're fine. But I think you win this round."

"I always win." 

She murmured against his chest, but he could feel her heartbeat racing.

They stood there for a moment, wrapped in each other, while the sounds of construction continued around them. Tomorrow, everything will change. Tomorrow, he will be king. And Valerie would be his queen. And maybe, just maybe, the whispers would finally stop.

…………

High above the courtyard, in a window of the eastern tower, Lady Morgana stood with her arms crossed, watching the young couple embrace.

Her chambers were austere compared to most of the palace's rooms,she'd never cared for frivolous decoration. The stone walls were bare except for a single tapestry depicting the founding of Valthorne, and the furniture was functional rather than ornate.

 A large desk dominated one corner, covered in ledgers and correspondence. This was a room for work, for planning, for the careful manipulation of power.

But now, Morgana stood at the window, her dark eyes fixed on the courtyard below.

She watched Kane laugh, watched him tuck a strand of hair behind Valerie's ear with such tenderness it made Morgana's lip curl. The princess gazed up at him with adoring eyes, completely smitten, completely foolish.

"It's just a matter of hours."

 Morgana murmured to herself, her voice barely a whisper in the empty room.

A sharp knock at the door broke her reverie.

Morgana didn't turn from the window. 

"Come in."

The door opened with a soft creak of hinges. Heavy footsteps entered,the measured tread of an armored guard. And lighter footsteps, hesitant and quick, following behind.

"My lady." 

The guard said, his voice professionally neutral.

 "I've brought the maid, as you requested."

"Thank you, Captain." 

Morgana said, finally turning from the window. The guard stood at attention just inside the door, and behind him, partially hidden by his broad frame, was a young woman in a servant's plain gray dress. The maid's face was pale, her hands clasped so tightly together that her knuckles had gone white.

Morgana recognized her, of course. Elara. Twenty years old, unremarkable in every way except for one important detail: she owed the palace money. Her father had been a baker who'd borrowed heavily to expand his business, then died suddenly, leaving his debts to his daughter.

Debts that Morgana now owned.

"You may go, Captain." 

Morgana said, her tone dismissive.

The guard hesitated for just a fraction of a second,long enough for Morgana to notice,before bowing stiffly.

 "My lady."

 He turned on his heel and left, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

The moment they were alone, the maid seemed to shrink into herself, her shoulders hunching forward as if she could make herself disappear. She kept her eyes fixed on the floor, not daring to meet Morgana's gaze.

Morgana moved away from the window, her footsteps soft on the stone floor. She didn't approach the girl directly,not yet. Instead, she walked to her desk, trailing her fingers along its polished surface, letting the silence stretch and grow heavy.

"My lady." 

The maid finally whispered, her voice trembling like a plucked string. 

"You... you sent for me?"

Each word seemed to cost her, fear making her voice thin and reedy.

Morgana picked up a letter opener from her desk, a slender blade of silver with a mother-of-pearl handle. She turned it over in her hands, watching the light play across it

s surface.

 "Yes, Elara. I did."

 She paused, letting the girl's anxiety build. 

"It's about what we discussed earlier."

The maid's breath hitched audibly.

"What do you say?"