Calen pushed open the door to his temporary quarters, a modest yet well-maintained room assigned to him after his placement was finalized. The scent of polished wood and faint traces of old parchment greeted him as he stepped inside, but his attention was immediately drawn to the neatly folded uniform laid out on the small desk near the window.His new uniform.His gaze shifted to the insignia resting beside it—Second Lieutenant.Calen exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.So, it was official.The rank still burned in his mind, a bitter reminder of what had been stolen from him. He should have been higher. Should have been more. But it was done. Complaining wouldn’t change anything."This is better than nothing," he muttered under his breath, trying to ground himself.He reached out, fingers brushing over the fine material of the coat. It was well-made, the fabric thick and sturdy—something meant for an officer, not just a common soldier. At the very least, it was something

Calen’s steps faltered as Astra’s voice, soft and trembling, reached his ears."You… you can’t take me back to the Frost estate right now," she murmured against his chest.His brows furrowed. "What? Why?"Astra hesitated, her breath uneven, her fingers curling slightly against the fabric of his shirt. Shame colored her face as she struggled to get the words out."I… I think I drank something," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "And it’s making my body feel… strange."Calen stiffened. His grip on her remained firm, but his entire body tensed. "Astra," his voice was low, warning. "Don’t tell me you—"She shut her eyes tightly, unable to meet his gaze. Her entire body felt as if it were burning from the inside out, every nerve hypersensitive. It was humiliating. And yet, the unbearable heat wouldn’t stop.Then, before she could second-guess herself, she reached up—and pressed her lips against his.Calen’s breath hitched, his mind going blank for a moment as the unexpected w

The accusations crashed down upon them like waves against jagged cliffs, unyielding, deafening, merciless."Liars! Deceivers!"The cries swelled, fueled by scandal and self-righteous outrage. The chapel’s once-sacred halls now echoed with venom, its walls pressing in like silent judges.Calen clenched his fists. It didn’t matter what he said. It didn’t matter what the truth was. The people had already chosen what they wanted to believe.His rank, his history, his victories in service—none of it meant anything here.And Astra…She was even more powerless.Just a servant. A shadow in a noble house. Someone to be spoken over, not listened to."Take them!"The order sliced through the air.The guards moved at once. Chains rattled. Hands seized his arms, fingers digging into his skin.Calen’s instincts screamed at him to fight back. But fighting would only seal his fate.With a sharp, piercing glare, he wrenched himself free."I will walk on my own," he declared, his voice cutting through

Morning arrived, bleak and merciless.Neither Calen nor Astra had found rest in the suffocating silence of their cells. The weight of their situation bore down on them like an unmovable stone.Astra curled into herself in the corner of her cell, her arms wrapped around her knees, her fingers clutching the fabric of her dress. She stared blankly at the cold, uneven stone floor, her breath shallow. The reality of what awaited her was undeniable—she was nothing but a servant, and worse, a servant despised by Lila Frost.No one would defend her. No one would care if she perished.Calen, sitting opposite her in his own cell, hadn’t closed his eyes either. But his sleeplessness wasn’t due to fear—it was anger. His mind had been working through the night, unraveling the trap they had been caught in, dissecting the details of how Evan Drake had orchestrated this moment with such brutal precision.A sound broke the quiet—the clank of boots against stone.Astra lifted her head slightly, dread c

A hushed silence fell over the courtroom as Lila Frost entered.Draped in an elegant deep-blue gown, her presence commanded the room effortlessly. The nobles parted for her without hesitation, their whispers dying in their throats.All eyes turned to her.She walked with a slow, deliberate grace, every step echoing across the marble floor, until she stopped right in front of the judge’s podium.Her icy gaze barely flickered toward Astra before she spoke. "I am here because the one on trial is my servant, Astra."Judge Alistair studied her, his expression unreadable. "Are you here to defend her? Or to pay her ransom?"Lila's lips curled into a cold, humorless smile. "Neither." She let the word linger, savoring the weight of it. Then, she turned to the crowd. "I am here to ensure she receives the punishment she deserves."Astra gasped, her eyes widening in sheer horror. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to her knees, trembling."M-Mistress, please! I didn’t— I swear I didn’t—" her vo