Chapter 2 The King's Cage
The palace was too quiet.
Not the kind of quiet that brought peace, but the kind that set her nerves on edge. It was a silence that swallowed sound, that made every footstep feel deafening, every breath feel like a betrayal.
Aria stood at the grand entrance, frozen beneath the weight of the towering gates. The journey had been long, yet she had felt no relief upon arriving. If anything, the stone walls surrounding her felt more suffocating than the ones she had left behind.
A new prison. A new master.
"Move."
The single word shattered the silence like a blade against glass.
King Kieran stood before her, his golden eyes sharp beneath the flickering torchlight. He had been watching her since she stepped out of the carriage, his expression unreadable.
Aria hesitated only for a fraction of a second before stepping forward, her hands tightening around the cloak wrapped around her shoulders. The thick fur did little to ward off the chill that curled around her bones.
She followed him through the palace doors, her footsteps light against the polished marble floors. The grandeur of the space was overwhelming—high vaulted ceilings, towering pillars carved with intricate symbols she did not recognize, golden chandeliers casting a soft glow across the vast hall.
She did not belong here.
She had spent her life in the shadows, in the dirt. This was a world she had never been meant to touch.
And yet, here she was.
Taken. Claimed.
Aria’s throat tightened as she walked past the guards lining the hall. Their eyes followed her every movement, their expressions void of emotion. She wondered if they, too, were questioning why a mere servant had been brought into the king’s palace.
She did not have the answer.
Kieran walked ahead of her, his posture straight, movements fluid—like a predator completely at ease in his own domain. His presence was suffocating, his power an unspoken force that filled the room.
He did not speak as they moved through the halls, did not glance in her direction.
But she felt it.
The awareness.
The weight of his gaze even when he was not looking.
After what felt like an eternity, he stopped before a massive set of doors.
Without a word, he pushed them open.
Aria’s breath caught.
The room beyond was… breathtaking.
It was larger than any chamber she had ever seen before, the high ceilings adorned with silver filigree, the walls lined with bookshelves that stretched nearly to the top. A massive fireplace crackled with warmth, casting golden light across the plush rugs that covered the stone floor.
And at the center of it all—a bed.
Large. Opulent.
A cage disguised in silk and velvet.
Aria took a slow step back.
Kieran turned to face her. "You will stay here."
The words should have been a relief. A room of her own. A bed that was not made of straw and stone. Warmth that did not come from huddling beneath threadbare blankets.
But she knew better.
This was not a kindness.
This was a command.
Her pulse pounded against her ribs. "Your Majesty, I—"
"Rest." His voice was sharp, final. "We will speak in the morning."
And just like that, he was gone.
The doors shut behind him, the sound echoing through the chamber like the closing of a cell.
Aria stared at the empty space where he had stood.
She had been given fine clothes, a luxurious chamber, warmth she had never known before.
But she was still a prisoner.
—
Sleep did not come easily.
She had spent hours lying in the massive bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to the crackling of the fire.
Her mind raced with questions.
Why had the king taken her?
Why had he claimed her so suddenly, so possessively?
There had been something in his gaze when he looked at her. Something dangerous.
Something knowing.
As if he had recognized her.
But that was impossible.
She was no one.
Just a servant. Just a—
The door creaked open.
Aria bolted upright, her heart slamming against her ribs.
A shadowed figure stepped inside, moving with deliberate silence.
Not the king.
Not a guard.
A woman.
Tall, with sleek blonde hair and sharp eyes that gleamed like polished steel. She was dressed in fine silks, her posture poised, regal.
Noble.
But the air around her was thick with something darker.
Possession.
Danger.
Aria swallowed hard as the woman came to a stop at the foot of the bed.
"So," she murmured, her voice smooth as silk, sharp as a blade. "You’re the one who has caught our king’s eye."
Aria gripped the sheets beneath her, her pulse quickening.
She had no idea who this woman was.
But she knew one thing for certain.
She was not here to offer kindness.
"Who are you?" Aria asked, forcing her voice to remain steady.
The woman’s lips curved into a slow, cold smile.
"You may call me Lady Selene," she said. "And I suggest you listen carefully, little human. Because I do not repeat myself."
Aria’s breath caught.
She knew that name.
Everyone did.
Lady Selene.
The king’s betrothed.
—
The silence stretched between them like a blade.
Aria’s mind raced, struggling to process what was happening.
Kieran Vale had a betrothed. Of course, he did. He was a king, a ruler. It made sense that he would be bound to a noblewoman of high status.
Then why had he claimed her?
Why had he looked at her with such possession, such certainty?
Selene’s sharp gaze flickered with amusement, as if she could see the turmoil racing through Aria’s mind.
"You must be very special indeed," she mused, her voice laced with venom. "For the king to break every law of our kind for you."
Aria’s breath hitched. "I don’t know what you mean."
Selene tilted her head, studying her. "No?"
She took a slow step forward.
"Then let me make something clear, little human," she whispered, her voice dripping with something dark, something cruel. "Whatever game you think you are playing, whatever spell you have cast upon him—it will not last."
Aria stiffened.
"I have been promised to Kieran since the moment I was born," Selene continued, her eyes glinting with something sharp. "I am his. And he is mine."
A slow, deliberate pause.
"You? You are nothing."
The words should not have hurt.
But they did.
Because they were true.
Selene stepped back, her smirk returning. "Enjoy your new home while it lasts. Because when I am queen, I will make certain you are nothing more than a forgotten stain on these floors."
And with that, she turned and swept out of the chamber, her silk gown trailing behind her.
The door clicked shut, sealing the room in silence once more.
Aria sat frozen, her breath shallow, her chest tight.
Selene’s words rang in her ears.
You are nothing.
She gritted her teeth, her fingers curling into fists.
No.
She had spent her entire life being told she was nothing.
But Kieran Vale had looked at her as if she were everything.
And that terrified her more than anything else.
The silence stretched long after Lady Selene had left.
Aria sat frozen in the massive bed, her hands curled into the sheets, her breath shallow.
The weight of Selene’s words pressed down on her chest, suffocating, inescapable.
"You are nothing."
"When I am queen, I will make certain you are nothing more than a forgotten stain on these floors."
Aria squeezed her eyes shut.
She should have expected this. She did expect it.
She knew she was nothing but a pawn in whatever dangerous game was being played here. The king had taken her, claimed her, but for what purpose? He did not know her. She was not special. She had nothing to offer him.
And yet, he had chosen her.
And Selene had hated it.
A bitter laugh curled in Aria’s throat, but she swallowed it down. If the king’s own betrothed was threatened by her presence, then what did that mean for her?
She could not afford to be blind to the dangers surrounding her.
She had already been thrown into a world she did not belong in. If she did not learn how to survive in it, she would be swallowed whole.
Aria exhaled slowly, forcing her hands to relax. No good would come from sitting here, drowning in fear. She had spent her entire life enduring, suffering through worse. This would be no different.
And yet…
Something inside her whispered that it was different.
That the moment Kieran Vale had laid his claim on her, everything had changed.
That she was no longer just a servant.
That she was something far more dangerous.
—
The following morning, she was woken before dawn.
The same maid who had dressed her the night before entered the chamber without a word, carrying a tray of fresh bread, fruit, and warm tea.
Aria blinked at the sight of the food. She had never been served a meal like this in her life. She had always been the one to serve others, always been the one to eat whatever scraps remained after the nobles had finished their feasts.
The maid set the tray down on a small table near the fireplace before turning to her with a stiff expression.
"You are to bathe and dress at once," she said. "The king has summoned you."
Aria’s stomach twisted.
She had known this was coming.
But still, the reality of it sent a shiver down her spine.
She hesitated for only a moment before slipping out of the bed. The marble floor was cold beneath her bare feet, but she barely felt it as the maid led her through an adjoining door.
The bathroom was just as grand as the bedroom, with a massive copper tub filled with steaming water.
Aria hesitated. She had only ever bathed in ice-cold water before, in wooden basins shared by other servants. The idea of sinking into something warm, something luxurious, felt… foreign.
But she did not have time to dwell on it.
The maid handed her a bar of finely scented soap and a set of fresh clothes before stepping back. "Be quick. The king does not like to be kept waiting."
Aria nodded, stepping toward the tub.
—
When she was finally dressed, she felt like an imposter in her own skin.
The gown she wore was too fine, the fabric too soft against her flesh. A deep blue, the color of midnight, embroidered with silver threads that shimmered beneath the morning light.
She looked nothing like the servant she had been only a day ago.
And that terrified her.
She did not want to be dressed in finery. Did not want to play whatever role the king expected of her.
But she had no choice.
So she straightened her spine, lifted her chin, and allowed herself to be led through the halls of the palace.
The whispers followed her like shadows.
Servants and nobles alike stared as she passed, their gazes filled with curiosity, jealousy, resentment.
She kept her eyes ahead.
Pretended not to hear the murmurs.
"That’s the girl the king claimed."
"A human? Impossible."
"Selene must be furious."
Aria clenched her fists.
She had not asked for this. She had not wanted this.
But it did not matter.
The moment she had stepped into this palace, her fate had been decided for her.
And now, she had no choice but to face the beast who had taken her.
—
The throne room was massive.
Grand. Intimidating.
Aria felt small the moment she stepped inside.
The ceiling stretched high above, adorned with golden chandeliers, their light reflecting off the marble floors. Massive pillars lined the walls, carved with ancient symbols she did not recognize.
And at the center of it all, seated on a raised platform, was Kieran.
He was draped in black. His broad shoulders framed by a thick, fur-lined cloak, his golden eyes sharp beneath the heavy crown that rested atop his dark hair.
The moment she entered, his gaze snapped to hers.
A shiver ran through her spine.
He did not speak at first.
He only watched her.
As if he were studying something he could not quite understand.
Aria’s throat tightened.
She did not know what he wanted from her.
But she had no choice but to find out.
Slowly, she stepped forward.
Kieran’s lips curled into something unreadable.
"Good," he murmured. "You came."
Aria clenched her jaw. "Did I have a choice?"
A dangerous smile ghosted across his lips. "No."
The air in the room grew heavy.
He stood then, his movements slow, deliberate.
She forced herself to remain still as he descended the steps of the platform, his gaze never leaving hers.
When he finally stopped before her, she had to tilt her chin upward to meet his eyes.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—
"You are afraid of me."
It was not a question.
It was a statement.
Aria’s pulse pounded.
She knew better than to lie.
"Yes," she whispered.
Something flickered in his gaze. Amusement. Interest. Something else she could not name.
"And yet, you stand before me anyway."
Aria swallowed. "I had no choice."
Kieran hummed. "No. You did not."
Silence.
A thick, suffocating silence that stretched between them like a blade.
Then, finally—
"You belong to me now, Aria."
The words settled over her skin like chains.
Heavy. Inescapable.
And yet, deep in the pit of her stomach, beneath the fear and confusion, there was something else.
Something dangerous.
Something she did not dare name.
Kieran’s gaze darkened.
"You may not understand it yet," he murmured. "But you will."
Aria’s breath hitched.
Because she knew, in that moment, that whatever had just begun between them—
It was only the start.