Chapter 2: The Woman in the King's Bed

The silence inside the royal chamber lasted only a heartbeat.

Then everything erupted at once.

'Your Majesty!'

The massive bedroom doors burst open with a deafening crash.

Half a dozen armored guards stormed inside, swords already drawn. Behind them stood an elderly man dressed in dark blue robes, his silver hair tied neatly behind his head. Beside him was a tall warrior with crimson eyes and broad shoulders, his hand resting on the hilt of an enormous sword.

Every single person froze.

Serena remained sprawled on top of the stranger from her dreams.

The stranger stared back at her with equal disbelief.

Golden eyes.

Not hazel.

Not amber.

Golden.

They glowed faintly, almost unnaturally, like molten sunlight trapped inside glass.

'What...?' Serena whispered.

She instinctively tried to push herself away.

Before she could move, a powerful hand gripped her wrist.

'Don't move,' the man said.

His voice was deep enough to send a strange shiver down her spine.

It wasn't anger she heard.

It was confusion.

The room remained deathly quiet.

Finally, the elderly advisor found his voice.

'Your Majesty... who is she?'

The king slowly sat upright, forcing Serena to slide backward across the expensive black silk sheets.

He looked from Serena to his guards.

Then back to Serena.

'I was hoping one of you could answer that.'

The warrior beside the advisor narrowed his crimson eyes.

'She wasn't here a second ago.'

'Impossible,' another guard muttered.

'No one crossed the palace gates tonight.'

Serena's heartbeat accelerated.

None of them looked like actors.

Their armor.

Their weapons.

The room itself.

Everything looked painfully real.

'Excuse me...'

Everyone turned toward her.

'Can someone tell me where I am?'

No one answered.

Instead, the guards slowly surrounded the bed.

Steel blades reflected the moonlight.

Serena swallowed nervously.

'Okay... judging by the swords, I'm guessing this isn't Comic-Con.'

The king frowned.

'Comic... what?'

'Never mind.'

She laughed awkwardly.

'Look, I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding.'

'Who sent you?'

'Nobody.'

'Which kingdom do you serve?'

'New York?'

Complete silence.

The crimson-eyed warrior glanced toward the king.

'She's lying.'

'I'm not!' Serena protested.

'I literally have no idea how I got here.'

The elderly advisor stepped closer.

'Your Majesty... allow me.'

The king nodded once.

The old man approached Serena carefully, studying her face with unusual curiosity.

'Human...'

He sounded genuinely surprised.

'Entirely human.'

Several guards exchanged uneasy glances.

'Impossible,' one whispered.

'Humans disappeared centuries ago.'

Serena blinked.

'Excuse me?'

'Silence,' the warrior barked.

She flinched.

The king finally climbed out of bed.

Only now did Serena realize how incredibly tall he was.

Well over six feet.

Broad shoulders.

Dark hair.

Every movement carried calm authority.

Unlike the embarrassing dream she'd had the previous night, he was now fully dressed in loose black trousers while a servant hurriedly draped a dark robe over his shoulders.

Even so, his presence filled the room effortlessly.

'Leave us,' he ordered.

'Your Majesty—'

'Everyone except Magnus and Elder Rowan.'

The guards immediately bowed before retreating.

Within seconds, only four people remained inside the enormous chamber.

Serena.

The king.

The crimson-eyed warrior.

And the elderly advisor.

The king folded his arms.

'Start from the beginning.'

'I wish I could.'

'Your name.'

'Serena McAllister.'

'Kingdom?'

'United States.'

'Never heard of it.'

'Because... it's on Earth.'

Magnus scoffed loudly.

'She's insane.'

'I am not insane.'

'Enough,' the king interrupted.

His golden eyes never left Serena's face.

'You expect me to believe you appeared inside the most heavily guarded room in the kingdom by accident?'

'Honestly?'

'Yes.'

'I don't expect you to believe me.'

That answer caught him off guard.

Serena sighed deeply.

'Because I barely believe it myself.'

She slowly explained everything.

The antique shop.

The mysterious painting.

The strange old woman.

The dreams.

The voice calling her.

Touching the painting.

Then waking up here.

No one interrupted.

When she finished, Magnus laughed.

'An entertaining story.'

'It's the truth.'

'Magic paintings? Dreams? Another world?'

'Yes.'

'Ridiculous.'

Elder Rowan, however, remained unusually quiet.

He continued staring at Serena as though searching for something invisible.

Finally, he asked softly,

'Did the castle inside your painting... resemble this one?'

Serena slowly nodded.

'Exactly.'

The old man's expression changed.

'Interesting...'

Magnus frowned.

'Rowan?'

'Nothing.'

'You're hiding something.'

'Not hiding.'

'Then explain.'

The elderly advisor looked toward the king.

'Perhaps later, Your Majesty.'

Aero's expression hardened slightly.

'Now.'

Rowan hesitated.

'There are... old legends regarding magical gateways between realms.'

'Legends,' Magnus repeated dismissively.

'Yes.'

'Children's stories.'

'Perhaps.'

'We're wasting time.'

Magnus pointed directly at Serena.

'She entered the king's private chamber without passing a single guard.'

'Correct.'

'Either she's a powerful enemy... or someone helped her.'

Aero remained silent.

Serena could almost see him thinking.

Every possibility.

Every risk.

Every lie.

Finally, he looked directly at her.

'Stand.'

She obeyed.

Immediately two soldiers entered from outside and secured her wrists with silver restraints.

'Hey!'

'They're only precautionary.'

'Precautionary?'

'Until I discover who you truly are.'

'I already told you!'

'You told me a story.'

'Because it's true!'

Aero stepped closer.

Close enough that Serena could clearly see the tiny scar beneath his left eye.

'In this kingdom,' he said quietly, 'trust is earned.'

'Then give me a chance to earn it.'

For the first time, something flickered inside his eyes.

Surprise.

Most prisoners begged.

This woman negotiated.

Before he could answer, a sudden howl echoed somewhere outside the castle.

Long.

Powerful.

Ancient.

Every person inside the room immediately looked toward the window.

Magnus's face darkened.

'The border wolves.'

Another howl followed.

This one much closer.

Aero's expression instantly became serious.

'Report.'

A palace guard rushed inside, breathing heavily.

'Your Majesty... the sacred barrier... it's weakening.'

Rowan's face turned pale.

'Impossible...'

'And...'

The guard looked nervously toward Serena.

'The barrier started collapsing... the exact moment this human appeared inside the castle.'