Chapter 5: A Kingdom Frozen in History

The tremor beneath the Red Castle lasted only a few seconds.

Yet it felt much longer.

Every guard in the Hall of Crowns stood motionless.

No one spoke.

No one even seemed willing to breathe.

The growl that had echoed from below had vanished, but its memory remained.

Elena looked from Rowan to Lyra and finally to King Alaric.

The immortal king's expression had hardened into stone.

Whatever had made that sound, it frightened people who normally seemed incapable of fear.

That realization unsettled Elena more than the growl itself.

Rowan stepped forward.

Majesty, should the lower chambers be inspected?

Alaric considered the question.

Then he shook his head.

Not yet.

The answer surprised Rowan.

Even Lyra looked uncertain.

The king turned toward Elena.

You will see your quarters now.

Elena crossed her arms.

And afterward?

Afterward, you will learn why this kingdom survives.

That was the closest thing to a promise she had received since arriving.

It would have to do.

Rowan escorted her from the hall.

The corridors beyond seemed quieter now.

Servants moved carefully.

Guards exchanged worried glances.

News of the tremor had clearly spread already.

Elena noticed several people staring at her.

Some bowed their heads respectfully.

Others looked almost suspicious.

One elderly woman whispered a prayer as Elena passed.

The outsider's arrival was becoming a story.

And stories spread quickly.

They climbed a spiral staircase that wound through one of the castle towers.

Sunlight streamed through narrow windows.

The city stretched beyond them.

From above, the Crimson Kingdom looked even more extraordinary.

Stone houses clustered around market squares.

Red banners hung from rooftops.

Fields extended toward distant forests.

Mountains surrounded everything like giant walls.

The hidden valley truly felt separate from the rest of the world.

As though someone had carved a piece from history and hidden it away.

Your room is here.

Rowan opened a heavy wooden door.

Elena stepped inside.

The chamber was larger than expected.

A fireplace burned quietly.

Bookshelves lined one wall.

A large bed occupied the far side of the room.

Near the window stood a writing desk covered with parchment.

The room looked comfortable.

Comfortable enough to make imprisonment seem polite.

Elena approached the window.

The city spread beneath her.

People moved through streets.

Merchants shouted.

Children played.

Life continued normally despite the kingdom's impossible nature.

Do you ever miss it?

Rowan frowned.

Miss what?

The outside world.

His expression became distant.

I barely remember it.

Elena turned toward him.

You were alive before the mist?

Rowan nodded.

I was thirteen.

The answer shocked her.

You look thirty.

That is what five years of aging looks like.

Elena stared.

For the outside world, five centuries had passed.

Inside the valley, only five years.

The reality was difficult to grasp.

What happened when the mist appeared?

Rowan remained silent for a moment.

Then he walked toward the window.

The kingdom was dying.

An enemy marched against us.

Cities had already fallen.

Entire noble houses were destroyed.

The king sought a way to save his people.

And?

And he found one.

Rowan's voice lowered.

But everything has a price.

Before Elena could ask another question, someone knocked.

The door opened.

A servant entered carrying food.

Fresh bread.

Roasted meat.

Fruit.

Tea.

Elena suddenly realized she was starving.

The servant placed everything carefully on a small table.

Then left without speaking.

After he was gone, Rowan headed toward the door.

Rest.

The king will summon you later.

Elena pointed toward the city.

And until then?

Try not to escape.

She laughed.

You actually think I can?

No.

Then why mention it?

Rowan finally smiled.

Because everyone says it at least once.

Then he left.

The door closed behind him.

For the first time since entering the valley, Elena was alone.

She sat beside the window and began eating.

As she did, she reviewed everything she had learned.

The kingdom existed outside normal time.

King Alaric had ruled for centuries.

The map had chosen her.

Something dangerous slept beneath the castle.

And apparently, that thing might be waking up.

None of it made sense.

Yet all of it was real.

Hours passed.

The afternoon sun drifted across the valley.

Eventually Elena could not resist her curiosity.

She left her room.

The guards outside followed immediately.

One on each side.

Subtle.

Very subtle.

She wandered through castle corridors.

No one stopped her.

They merely watched.

The castle contained libraries, galleries, gardens, and courtyards.

It felt less like a fortress and more like a living city.

At one point she entered a chamber filled with paintings.

Most depicted kings and queens.

Others showed battles.

One painting caught her attention immediately.

It showed King Alaric standing beside a woman wearing a silver crown.

Unlike every other portrait, this one looked happy.

The king was smiling.

The woman held his hand.

They looked like ordinary people rather than rulers.

Elena stepped closer.

Who was she?

Queen Seraphine.

Elena turned.

Lyra Moonfall stood in the doorway.

The mage moved silently.

Almost unnaturally so.

The queen?

The only queen.

Elena looked back at the portrait.

What happened to her?

Lyra's expression darkened.

She died the day the mist rose.

The answer carried obvious pain.

Even after five hundred years.

Elena studied the painting.

King Alaric had lost someone important.

Perhaps everything important.

No wonder his eyes looked exhausted.

Lyra stepped beside her.

You judge him.

Elena blinked.

What?

The king.

You study him as though trying to decide whether he is hero or villain.

Elena considered denying it.

Instead she nodded.

Fair.

And?

Lyra looked toward the portrait.

He is neither.

Most dangerous people aren't.

The statement lingered between them.

Elena decided to change the subject.

What woke beneath the castle?

Lyra immediately became guarded.

Something ancient.

That's not an answer.

It is the only one you are getting today.

Before Elena could argue, bells began ringing outside.

Not alarm bells.

Ceremonial bells.

The sound echoed through the city.

Lyra looked toward the nearest window.

Interesting.

What?

The council has gathered.

Elena frowned.

Why is that interesting?

Because they only gather during emergencies.

The mage's eyes settled on Elena.

Or when prophecies begin moving.

A chill traveled through Elena.

Prophecies.

Wonderful.

Exactly the thing every rational person wants to hear.

Lyra almost smiled.

Come.

Where?

You wanted answers.

The council chamber is the best place to start.

They crossed several corridors and descended deeper into the castle.

Eventually they reached a circular chamber guarded by armored soldiers.

Voices echoed from inside.

Angry voices.

Fearful voices.

Political voices.

Lyra pushed open the doors.

The room fell silent.

A dozen nobles sat around a massive stone table.

King Alaric stood at its center.

Maps covered the table.

Not ordinary maps.

Some glowed.

Some moved.

One appeared to show parts of the valley darkening like spreading ink.

Every person present turned toward Elena.

The atmosphere shifted immediately.

One elderly noble rose.

The outsider should not be here.

Another nodded.

Agreed.

This concerns the kingdom.

Alaric's voice cut through the chamber.

The kingdom concerns her.

Silence followed.

The king looked directly at Elena.

The map awakened for the first time in centuries.

The mist gate reacted differently.

The lower vaults trembled.

These events are connected.

A noblewoman spoke.

You believe she is part of the prophecy?

The prophecy.

There it was again.

The word everyone seemed afraid of.

Alaric answered slowly.

I believe the future changed the moment she crossed the ridge.

Every eye turned toward Elena.

She suddenly felt very small.

And somewhere beneath the castle, another growl echoed.

Louder than before.

Closer than before.

This time, everyone heard it.

The maps on the table trembled.

The candles flickered.

Even King Alaric looked troubled.

Then a crack appeared across one glowing map.

A thin black line.

Spreading slowly.

Like something pushing its way toward the surface.

Lyra whispered a single word.

Impossible.

Alaric's gaze hardened.

No.

His eyes moved toward Elena.

Not impossible.

Expected.

And for the first time, Elena realized the terrifying truth.

The kingdom had not been waiting for her arrival.

Something else had.