Chapter 208-Untrustworthy

Chapter 208: 208-Untrustworthy

The princess glanced at her. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing," Maisa replied, carefully keeping her concerns to herself.

She had already noticed something peculiar about Varitreya’s attitude toward her mothers. The princess could question Queen Velanora’s decisions, even express doubts about her intentions, but whenever Kheamossa was involved, her perspective changed. Varitreya seemed incapable of imagining that her queen consort mother could do anything wrong.

Perhaps it was simply the trust between them. After all, Kheamossa had raised her, loved her beyond the throne, and stood beside her for most of her life. It was only natural for Varitreya to believe in her.

Still, Maisa couldn’t help wondering whether that trust had ever been tested.

"I’m just overwhelmed by the beauty of the palace," she added, forcing a small smile. "It’s much more beautiful than I remember."

Varitreya’s gaze lingered on her face. For a moment, Maisa thought the princess might question her further, especially since they had been discussing her mothers only moments ago. Instead, Varitreya gently squeezed her hand.

"I’m glad you like it. You haven’t seen the best parts yet."

With that, she resumed leading them toward the entrance. Maisa followed her but her thoughts remained with the two queens.

The last time she had entered the royal palace, she hadn’t been welcomed with flowers, music, and smiling servants. There had been no enchanted gardens glowing beneath the night sky, no magnificent carriages waiting to transport her to a luxurious castle and certainly no royal princess holding her hand as though she were someone precious.

She had been brought there to stand trial. Her supposed crime had been allowing Varitreya to feed her whiteblood, an act that had placed her under the scrutiny of the royal court.

The accusations had been severe, the atmosphere suffocating and the nobles who examined her had looked at her as though she were nothing more than a redblood who had dared to become involved with a royal princess.

She still remembered the coldness of those halls, the weight of countless hostile gazes and the uncomfortable certainty that very few people would care if the judgment destroyed her life.

Back then, she had been an outsider whose existence had become an inconvenience to the royal family. Now, she was an honoured guest. The contrast was almost laughable.

Servants bowed as she passed. The princess of the vampire kingdom was holding her hand in full view of everyone, and the royal family had apparently arranged for her to stay in one of their private castles without requiring her to explain herself or prove that she deserved the privilege.

It was a remarkable change of attitude. Too remarkable.

Maisa had lived long enough to understand that kindness did not always come from kind intentions. Sometimes, people offered you a hand because they wanted to lead you somewhere dangerous.

And sometimes, a gift was simply a debt disguised in beautiful wrapping; an invitation into someone’s home was the first move in a game you hadn’t even realized you were playing.

A smile could conceal a threat. A favour could become a chain and even affection could be used to make someone lower their guard.

And queens? Queens did not remain queens by being foolish especially ones ruling vampires. Maisa glanced over her shoulder once more.

Kheamossa had turned in their direction, apparently watching her niece and daughter lead the others away and for a brief moment, their eyes met across the courtyard.

The queen consort smiled at her. It was a warm almost welcoming expression, without the slightest trace of the cold scrutiny Maisa remembered from her trial.

Maisa returned a small, polite nod before turning away. ’Something is wrong,’ she thought inwardly.

She couldn’t identify what it was, but the suspicion settled deep in her chest and refused to leave.

Perhaps she was being unfair. Perhaps the queens genuinely wanted to welcome her and help Varitreya spend time with the women she was bound to by fate. Maybe they had finally accepted that their daughter’s choices were not something they could dictate forever.

But Maisa had learned the hard way that wishful thinking was a dangerous habit.

Old magic had returned to the world. The flower of fate had awakened, unleashed a terrifying power, and then been sealed inside her chest once more.

The Mother had returned after an absence long enough for even ancient vampires to fear the consequences. The hunters were gathering their strength, and the alliance between the Everheart and Siseli families threatened everything vampires had built over centuries.

Meanwhile, the royal family had suddenly decided that five young women bound together by fate should spend time under one roof.

There were simply too many coincidences and Maisa had no intention of becoming careless merely because someone had decorated a castle for her.

’Keep your eyes open,’ she reminded herself. ’Watch what they say... what they hide... and what they expect from you.’

She had already made one dangerous bargain to save her aunt Evelyn. The price of that agreement was the rights to her first child, an obligation that could follow her for the rest of her existence.

She still didn’t know who the Mother truly was, how far her power extended, or what she intended to do with the promise Maisa had given her.

That single bargain was enough uncertainty for one lifetime. She had no intention of stumbling into another simply because the royal family had decided to play matchmaker.

"Maisa?"

Varitreya’s voice drew her attention back to the castle entrance.

The princess was still holding her hand, her expression now touched by a hint of curiosity. Behind her, Addessa, Lumi, and Zolani waited beneath the magnificent archway, all three looking eager to explore their surroundings.

The castle doors stood open, revealing a spacious entrance hall illuminated by crystal chandeliers. Pale marble floors reflected the golden light while intricate paintings adorned the walls.

Beyond the hall, a sweeping staircase curved toward the upper floors and a pair of servants stood ready to guide the guests to their rooms.

Everything looked perfect. Maisa trusted perfection even less than she trusted a queen’s smile. The queen and the castles were both untrustworthy.

Varitreya tilted her head. "Are you coming?"

Maisa lowered her gaze to their joined hands, studying the princess’s slender fingers wrapped around hers. There was no hesitation in Varitreya’s touch, no embarrassment about being seen holding her hand and no apparent concern about what the servants might think.

Then Maisa looked into the princess’s expectant eyes. "Of course."

She stepped inside. The castle doors closed behind them, shutting out the fireworks, the smiling queens, and the secrets waiting in the palace courtyard.

For a moment, Maisa allowed herself to take in the grandeur surrounding her. The entrance hall was even more beautiful than it had appeared from outside.

Fresh flowers decorated the tables, soft music drifted from somewhere deeper within the castle and the air carried the comforting scent of warm bread and sweet pastries.

It was the sort of place where someone could easily forget the dangers beyond its walls. Perhaps that was precisely why she needed to be careful.

Varitreya led them farther inside, already explaining which rooms belonged to her, where the library was located, and which gardens offered the best views of the capital.

Zolani interrupted her with questions every few seconds, while Lumi examined the architecture with the intense interest of someone mentally cataloguing every detail. Addessa remained quieter, though her gaze occasionally drifted toward Varitreya.

Maisa let them talk. She listened, smiled when necessary, and memorized the layout as they moved through the castle. She noted the corridors, the staircases, the windows, and the doors leading outside. She paid attention to the servants and the positions of the guards without making it obvious.

If the queens were genuinely trying to give them a chance to grow closer, she could cooperate and if this beautiful castle turned out to be a gilded cage, she would make certain she knew where every exit was before anyone thought to lock the doors.

After all, there was a difference between being welcomed into a palace and being safe inside one. Maisa had no intention of confusing the two.