Chapter 8 - SHADOWS OF DOUBT
Even in times of great peace, old wounds take time to heal completely.
Though Isolda now wore the crown of Valoria alongside King Cedric, occasional nightmares still haunted her sleep. In her dreams, she would feel the rough, suffocating texture of the burlap sack cutting into her skin, and hear the jeers of the crowd in the Oak Haven black market.
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Late one night, unable to sleep, Isolda wandered down the dimly lit corridors of Castle Dunbarton toward the grand library. The massive room was quiet, filled with towering shelves of ancient scrolls and historical manuscripts.
As she passed a row of historical archives, she noticed a soft candlelight flickering at a wooden desk near the back.
Master Caelum, who had traveled from the south to serve as chief historian for the new royal court, was hunched over a massive parchment map, frantically scribbling notes with a feather quill.
"Caelum?" Isolda asked softly, stepping into the light. "What are you doing up so late?"
The elderly scholar jumped, quickly covering a document with his sleeve before bowing his head. "Ah, My Queen! Forgive me. I was just reviewing some older territorial boundaries to ensure the northern tax distribution is fair."
Isolda narrowed her amethyst eyes, sensing hesitation in his voice. "Caelum. Show me what you're hiding."
The scholar hesitated, then slowly slid a yellowed, ancient parchment across the mahogany desk. "I wasn't trying to hide it from you, Your Majesty. But… I was waiting for King Cedric to return from the western border patrol before bringing it to your attention."
Isolda looked down at the parchment. It was an ancient genealogical tree of the Valoria dynasty, detailing laws and prophecies written centuries ago.
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"What does it say?" she asked, her heart skipping a beat.
"It details the Awakening," Caelum whispered solemnly. "When a true Lunar Sovereign awakens, their power sends shockwaves across the spiritual plane. But it also attracts ancient threats—rival bloodlines that were banished beyond the northern wall centuries ago. They know you have returned, Isolda. And they are coming."
