CROWN OF FORBIDDEN HEARTS
Chapter 43: BETRAYAL, BLOOD & BURNING RAGE

Chapter 43: 43: BETRAYAL, BLOOD & BURNING RAGE

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In spite of the previous warning Alaric had given her a while ago, by tightening the love bind spell, Zara was still defiant and cared about nothing else but her goal of overthrowing Alaric.

The air inside the hidden passage was thick with dust, the stone walls pressing in from either side as Zara hurried through the darkness. Her heart pounded violently, a wild rhythm against her ribs. Every step echoed in the confined space, but she couldn’t slow down. She didn’t dare.

The love bind clawed at her chest, its suffocating grip tightening the farther she strayed from Alaric. The spell burned beneath her skin like chains forged in hellfire, forcing her emotions toward him, twisting her thoughts into something unnatural but still, she fought against it.

She had to.

She had snuck out of the palace, wrapped in a thick cloak, her breath fogging in the cold night air. The moon had been a mere sliver in the sky, barely lighting her path as she moved through the abandoned streets toward the hidden meeting place. The rebels had been waiting, hope burning in their eyes, their whispered voices filling the underground chamber with desperate plans for the future.

And standing beside her had been Lady Vaelor.

Zara had trusted her.

She had no idea that while they spoke of rebellion, while they dreamed of overthrowing Alaric’s reign of terror—Lady Vaelor had already whispered their names to the enemy.

Zara didn’t realize it then.

Didn’t feel the dagger buried in her back.

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Later that night, after she returned from the meeting with the allies early morning before the break of dawn, Sleep had barely claimed her before the doors to her chambers burst open.

A violent gust of air shook the room, sending tapestries rippling and candles flickering. Zara jolted upright, her pulse spiking—before she saw him.

Alaric stood in the doorway like a storm poised to destroy everything in its path.

His dark eyes burned with fury, his broad frame silhouetted against the torchlight behind him. Shadows danced across his sharp features, his lips curled in a snarl.

Zara’s breath hitched.

A single heartbeat passed before his hand twisted into her hair, and suddenly, she was being ripped from the bed.

She barely had time to scream before the world tilted violently.

Pain exploded across her scalp, her nails digging into his wrists as she clutched at him, struggling. But his grip was like iron.

"Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?" Alaric growled, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.

Zara’s feet stumbled over the stone floor, barely keeping up with his punishing pace. The cold air stung her bare arms, her nightgown tangled around her legs as he dragged her forward without hesitation.

"What are you talking about?" she bit out, voice sharp despite the pain.

Alaric stopped abruptly.

The force of it nearly sent her falling forward, but before she could regain her balance, he fisted her hair tighter, forcing her head back. She sucked in a sharp breath, her neck arching as she was forced to meet his gaze.

"You went to see them." His voice was eerily calm now, a quiet storm before the inevitable devastation. His lips twisted into something cruel. "Even after everything, you still defied me."

A shiver ran down her spine.

He knew.

Somehow, he knew.

Her stomach twisted violently. A sinking, horrible feeling clawed at her insides as realization dawned.

Lady Vaelor.

The betrayal struck her harder than Alaric’s grip.

But there was no time to process it.

Because before she could react, before she could even breathe, Alaric jerked her forward once more, dragging her down the endless halls of the palace.

"Where are we going?" she demanded, struggling against him, but he didn’t answer.

The moment the large wooden doors at the end of the corridor swung open, the morning sunlight blinded her.

And then—

Zara froze.

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The scent of blood hit her first.

Thick. Heavy. Fresh.

She knew instantly where they were.

The courtyard, the training grounds where soldiers were taught to kill.

But today, it was not warriors standing in the center.

It was them.

Her allies.

Darius. Renna. Cassian. etc

They stood in a single line, bound in heavy iron chains, their clothes torn and bloodied, their faces bruised and swollen.

Zara’s blood ran cold.

For a moment, she couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

And then—she lurched forward.

"NO!"

But Alaric held her back.

His grip on her arm was unyielding, his fingers digging into her flesh as she thrashed wildly.

"Let them go!" she shouted, her voice breaking, desperate, shaking. "Alaric, please, they—"

He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"You disobeyed me," he murmured, his voice chillingly quiet. "And now you will watch the price of your betrayal."

Then—he raised his hand.

The signal.

Zara’s heart stopped.

The guards stepped forward, their swords gleaming under the sun.

She screamed.

"NO! STOP!"

The swords swung.

The first blade sliced cleanly through flesh.

A wet, sickening gush of blood splattered against the dirt.

One by one, the swords came down.

Darius’s body crumpled first, his head lolling unnaturally as he collapsed into the dirt.

Renna was next. She let out a single, strangled gasp before her body fell lifelessly beside him.

Cassian barely made a sound, just a soft exhale as his knees buckled.

And then—

Zara’s screams tore through the air, but the damage was done.

Blood spilled onto the ground, seeping into the cracks between the stones.

And in the blink of an eye,

They were gone.

Zara’s body gave out.

She collapsed to her knees, shaking violently.

Her screams were raw, broken, endless.

She reached out with trembling hands, her fingers brushing against the warm blood pooling beneath them.

They had been alive just moments ago.

Now, they were nothing but corpses.

A sob ripped from her throat.

Through the haze of her grief, she cried out the only name that mattered.

"Erythian!"

The moment his name left her lips—

Pain exploded inside her.

A violent, burning agony tore through her chest, like a thousand scorching knives stabbing deep into her heart.

She screamed, clawing at herself, writhing on the cold stone.

Through her haze, she heard Alaric’s voice.

"Foolish girl," he muttered. "You still don’t understand, do you?"

Then—he grabbed her wrist, yanking her to her feet.

Her body felt limp. Lifeless.

And as he dragged her back into the palace, Zara knew.

She had lost everything.

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Back in her chambers, Zara sat motionless on the floor, staring at the wall, her breath shallow and uneven. Her hands trembled in her lap, streaked with dried blood, not her own, but theirs. Darius. Renna. Cassian. Their names echoed in her mind, each syllable a fresh wound, cutting deeper and deeper until she felt hollow inside. She could still see them in her mind, their faces frozen in the moment before death, their eyes filled with quiet resolve.

She had screamed until her throat was raw. She had fought against Alaric’s grip, had begged, had pleaded but it hadn’t mattered. Nothing she did had mattered. They were gone.

And it was her fault.

The air in the chamber was thick, suffocating, pressing down on her like an unbearable weight. The scent of jasmine and rose from the nearby incense did nothing to mask the stench of blood still clinging to her skin. The room that once felt like a prison now felt like a grave. Her grave.

The door creaked open.

The sound sent a violent shiver through her, but she didn’t look up. She didn’t move. She simply listened, her body too drained to react. Soft footsteps glided across the marble, careful, deliberate. Then a faint clink of porcelain.

Lady Vaelor.

Zara knew it was her before she spoke, before she even dared to look.

The scent of spiced tea curled through the air, thick and cloying. It turned her stomach.

"My queen," Lady Vaelor murmured, her voice smooth, pleasant, as if nothing had happened. As if she hadn’t just led four innocent people to their deaths. As if Zara hadn’t just watched them be slaughtered like animals. "You should drink something. You look unwell."

Something inside Zara snapped.

Slowly, she lifted her head.

Lady Vaelor stood before her, holding a silver tray with two delicate cups, steam rising in soft tendrils. She was dressed in her usual fine silk, her hair perfectly pinned, her expression composed. But it was her eyes that gave her away. They gleamed with satisfaction.

She was smirking.

Zara’s breath left her in a slow, shuddering exhale. Her fingers curled against the floor, nails digging into the cold stone.

"You," she whispered.

Lady Vaelor’s smile didn’t waver. "You should rest, my queen. You have been through quite the ordeal."

A hollow, bitter laugh escaped Zara’s lips. It didn’t even sound like her own.

"An ordeal? That’s what you call it." Zara laughed hysterically.

Zara’s sorrow twisted into something else entirely.

Rage.

She moved before she could think.

With a sharp, violent motion, she struck the tray from Lady Vaelor’s hands. The porcelain shattered against the floor, tea splattering in dark stains across the pristine marble. The sound echoed sharply through the chamber, but Zara barely heard it over the roaring in her ears.

Lady Vaelor didn’t flinch.

She merely tilted her head, lips curving upward as if amused.

"You sold them out," Zara hissed, her voice shaking with fury.

Lady Vaelor sighed, feigning disappointment. "I did what was necessary, my queen. I just picked a winning side."

Zara saw red.

Her hand flew to her waist, fingers closing around the cool hilt of the dagger hidden in the folds of her nightgown. In one swift motion, she unsheathed it and pressed the blade against Lady Vaelor’s throat.

The woman didn’t gasp. She didn’t recoil.

She smiled.

"You should be careful," Lady Vaelor murmured, her voice calm, almost taunting. "Alaric wouldn’t like to see you acting so... reckless."

Zara’s grip tightened, the sharp edge of the blade pressing into soft skin. A single drop of blood welled at the point of contact.

"Try me again," she whispered with tears and rage welled up in her red eyes.

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