CROWN OF FORBIDDEN HEARTS
Chapter 36: THE SHADOWS OF REBELLION

Chapter 36: 36: THE SHADOWS OF REBELLION

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Zara stood in her chambers, the weight of the morning’s events pressing down on her like an iron chain. Alaric’s words still echoed in her mind, cold and demanding. "Lady Vaelor acts second in command to Scarlet." It was a small victory, yet it felt hollow. She had hoped that Lady Vaelor would be the court lady who was her first in command and with her political savvy and connections, Zara hoped she could help her find allies within the council, those who still opposed Alaric’s rule.

later that day, She paced, trying to steady her breath, Lady vaelor had told her that she was out, in search of someone whom she heard could be an ally but Zara hadn’t heard back and so she worried...What had Lady Vaelor discovered? The walls felt as though they were closing in. There was unrest in the kingdom, but it was not openly spoken about. People who once pledged allegiance to her were now afraid to stand by her.

Zara hoped that by aligning herself with them, she could spark something, maybe even a rebellion. But those whispers, those conspiracies, remained hidden, carefully guarded by fear.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was Lady Vaelor.

"Your Majesty," she began, her voice as smooth as ever, though her eyes held a glint of something Zara couldn’t quite place. "I’ve found someone, a member of the resistance who’s willing to speak with you."

Zara’s heart skipped a beat. Finally, someone who could be trusted. "Who is it?" she asked, trying to mask the hope in her voice.

Lady Vaelor’s lips curled into a subtle smile. "A woman named Mera. She’s not far. We can meet her in secret, away from prying eyes."

Zara nodded, her mind already racing with possibilities. "Go, bring her to me."

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Hours later, Zara met Mera in a dimly lit room beneath the palace, far from the eyes of the guards. Mera, a woman with a fierce look and wild, dark eyes, stood before her. Her presence was magnetic, full of defiance and sorrow. Zara could feel the tension in the air as they both faced each other.

"I came to tell you something," Mera said, her voice low but urgent. "Something I believe you must know".

Zara leaned forward, her breath catching in her throat. "What is it?" she demanded.

"The body of King Erythian... it was never found," Mera whispered, her voice filled with quiet grief.

Zara’s world tilted. The words hit her like a dagger, and her hands trembled. She struggled to breathe. Erythian, gone but not gone? Her thoughts swirled, a maelstrom of confusion and disbelief.

The grief she had buried deep inside her began to surface, and the pain from the love bind spell wrapped around her chest, squeezing until she could hardly breathe.

Mera’s eyes softened as she watched Zara’s reaction. "I’m sorry," she said quietly. "I know this is hard. But you deserve to know the truth."

Zara clenched her fists, fury rising within her. "How could they do this? How could they let his body be lost like that? I would have given him a proper burial. I would’ve—" She stopped herself, choking on the words. The grief, anger and the pain from the love spell mingled, creating a fire inside her.

The love bind spell was cruel. It tore at her, every thought of Erythian causing her physical pain, forcing her to long for Alaric even as she hated him.

The bind made her miserable, trapped between her feelings for a man who was dead and the monster who had taken everything from her.

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Back in the palace, Alaric’s presence was suffocating.

The tension between him and Zara had been building for days, ever since she’d begun meeting with Lady Vaelor and the resistance.

He was watching her more closely now, his eyes following her every move, his suspicions growing.

Zara could feel it, the tightening of his grip, the cold weight of his control.

He had always been possessive, but now, it was different.

His gaze lingered on her, sharp and calculating.

She could almost see the wheels turning in his mind, the suspicion growing, and she knew she was running out of time.

The council meeting that day did nothing to ease her nerves. Alaric called them all together, his voice firm and commanding as he declared, "I have something to say to all of you. Follow me outside."

The members of the council shuffled to their feet, murmuring in confusion, but Zara’s heart began to race. She had no idea what Alaric was planning, but she knew it wouldn’t be good. She followed the others outside, the chill air biting at her skin, and stood in line with the rest of them.

Then, the guards appeared, dragging a bloodied, bruised woman behind them. Zara’s stomach dropped as she recognized the woman’s face. It was Mera, the one who had told her about Erythian’s body.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched the guards throw Mera to the ground before Alaric.

Alaric stood tall, his gaze cold and unyielding. "This woman," he said, his voice echoing in the quiet courtyard, "is a traitor. She has been working against me, against Calithea. Anyone who stands against me is an enemy of the queen, and I will not tolerate it."

Zara felt a lump form in her throat as Mera’s eyes met hers. There was a plea in them, a desperate plea for help, but Zara knew there was nothing she could do. Alaric had made his decision, and there would be no mercy.

"guards!," Alaric commanded. "behead her."

Zara’s breath caught in her throat as the executioner walked up to mere with his weapon. The sound of the executioner’s axe was the last thing she heard before her world went dark.

How cruel Alaric was, how ruthless.

The man who was now her husband had no regard for life, no compassion, only power.

Her heart pounded in her chest, fear crawling under her skin.

This was the man she was trapped with.

This was the monster she had to face every day.

And yet, the love bind spell still held her, forcing her to feel something for him, even as he destroyed everything she held dear.

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That night, Zara sat at her desk, the dim candlelight casting shadows across her face as her thoughts swirled around her like a storm.

Erythian’s death, the crushing weight of Mera’s execution, Alaric’s cruel grip tightening around her heart, it was all too much to bear.

Her hand trembled as she picked up the quill, the scratch of the pen against the parchment only adding to the quiet turmoil in her soul.

"How could he?" Zara muttered to herself, her voice low but filled with an intensity that seemed to pulse in the air. Her eyes were wild with the rage she could no longer keep in check. "How could Alaric... destroy everything I have fought so hard for? How could he tear the kingdom apart and throw me into this prison of a marriage?"

She clenched her fist around the quill, her knuckles white from the pressure.

The love bind spell—a cruel, heart-wrenching chain, still coursed through her veins, keeping her tethered to the very man she despised.

Every moment, it tugged at her heart, forcing her to feel something for him, even as her soul cried out for the loss of Erythian and her people.

It was like being trapped in a nightmare, a nightmare where the one person who could make her feel free was gone, and the one person who kept her shackled to misery was still there, breathing beside her every night.

Her mind raced back to the courtyard, to the moment she had watched Mera’s blood spill onto the cold stone. She had failed to protect her. The guilt burned, but it was no match for the fire of vengeance that roared within her.

She felt so strongly in her heart that she had to protect those who were still fighting against Alaric, the ones hidden in the shadows of the council, the ones who still believed in her. How? How could she ensure their safety?

she is not stupid, He suspected her and she knew that, more than anything, she knew she had to move with precision.

I will fight, I will fight for them. I will protect them The words thudded in her chest, a slow drumbeat of resolve, as her mind flickered back to her one true love, Erythian, who had sacrificed everything for Calithea and for her.

The man who had truly seen her, who had made her feel like she could be more than just a puppet.

She would make sure his death was not in vain.

Her fingers hovered over the parchment as she mapped out the names of those in the council who might still stand with her. Some were only whispers in the shadows, but others had made their voices heard before, small, secret gestures that hinted at their growing discontent with Alaric’s rule.

They were scared, and Zara knew that fear could be both a weapon and a cage. But she also knew fear could be shattered.

she had seen it in Mera’s eyes before she was dragged to her death.

I will not let their sacrifices be in vain.

"I will not let this kingdom fall to a tyrant."

Her voice was sharp now, filled with the edge of the woman she had once been, the woman who had stood beside her people.

The queen she was born to be, not the puppet she had become.

But how?

She paused. The question hung in the air, almost mocking her.

How could she do this when her every move was under a watchful eye? When Alaric’s power grew stronger with each passing day? Her thoughts snapped to the night they had an intense conversation, after he had kidnapped her, the night she had felt the dangerous allure of his ambition. He would do anything to keep his throne, and she had no illusions about what he would do to her if he found out she was plotting against him.

this was a man who had his own brother killed for standing in his way to the throne.

Zara knew all this about Alaric but she had a strong resolve.

" I will burn everything that bastard has built to the ground." she whispered.

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