The gates of the old palace opened without a sound.
That was somehow worse than a creak.
Elara had expected the ancient hinges to groan beneath the weight of centuries.
Instead, the gates moved smoothly.
As if someone had opened them yesterday.
Ravenna stared into the darkness beyond.
"Stay close."
Elara nodded.
Adrian drew his sword.
The guards followed.
Blue poked his head out of Elara's travel bag.
He looked at the palace.
Then at Elara.
Then he quietly disappeared back into the bag.
Elara smiled.
"Even Blue understands that this place is unpleasant."
Ravenna glanced at the bag.
"Perhaps he has finally developed some wisdom."
A tiny blue snout emerged.
Blue sneezed.
Ravenna sighed.
"I spoke too soon."
They entered.
The courtyard was enormous.
Broken statues stood on either side of the path.
Most had lost their faces.
Others had been covered in vines.
Elara recognized the old demon royal crest carved into the stone.
Ravenna stopped before one of the statues.
"My father."
Elara looked at her.
The statue showed a man wearing a crown.
The face was damaged.
Only the eyes remained.
Ravenna stared at them for a long time.
"I remember this place."
Her voice was quiet.
"I used to come here when I was little."
Elara stayed beside her.
"With your father?"
"Sometimes."
Ravenna looked toward the ruined palace.
"My mother hated this place."
"Why?"
"I never knew."
Ravenna smiled faintly.
"She said it was too gloomy."
Elara looked around.
"She had a point."
Ravenna laughed softly.
The sound echoed strangely through the courtyard.
For a moment, she looked younger.
Then her smile disappeared.
"She also told me never to go underground."
Elara's expression changed.
"Why?"
"I don't know."
Ravenna looked at the palace.
"She never explained."
Adrian stepped closer.
"My father said the same thing."
Ravenna looked at him.
"Your father knew?"
"Apparently."
Elara frowned.
"Then both of your fathers knew about this place."
"Yes."
"And neither told you."
Ravenna nodded.
"That is beginning to irritate me."
Elara smiled.
"Beginning?"
Ravenna gave her a look.
"Very much."
They entered the palace.
The inside was colder than the courtyard.
Their footsteps echoed through enormous halls.
Paintings covered the walls.
Most had faded.
But one remained strangely clear.
Elara stopped.
"Ravenna."
Ravenna turned.
The painting showed a royal wedding.
A human woman stood on one side.
A demon woman stood on the other.
They were not dressed as enemies.
They were dressed as queens.
Between them was a silver rose.
Elara approached.
"That's them."
The first Black Rose Queen.
The first White Rose Saint.
Ravenna stared at the painting.
"They married."
Adrian stepped closer.
"Apparently."
Elara looked at the bottom of the frame.
There was an inscription.
She read it aloud.
The first wedding was not made to end the war.
She frowned.
There was another line.
The wedding was made to protect the peace that already existed.
Ravenna looked confused.
"But the war..."
"Had already begun?"
Elara nodded.
"Or perhaps this was before it."
Adrian examined the frame.
"Look."
He pointed toward the bottom corner.
There was a date.
It was older than the official founding of both kingdoms.
Elara stared.
"That can't be right."
Ravenna's expression hardened.
"Unless our calendars are wrong."
"Or our history is."
At the end stood a large circular door.
Two roses were carved into it.
Black.
White.
And between them, silver.
Ravenna stepped forward.
The silver mark on her hand began to glow.
Elara's did the same.
The door opened.
Beyond it was a staircase.
They descended.
The air became colder.
And colder.
Until Elara could see her breath.
Blue climbed onto Ravenna's shoulder.
Ravenna glanced at him.
"Cold?"
Blue wrapped his tail around her neck.
"Apparently."
Elara smiled.
"He's using you as a scarf."
Ravenna sighed.
"I have become a dragon accessory."
"You are a very expensive accessory."
"How much?"
Elara pretended to think.
"Three honey cakes."
Ravenna considered.
"Acceptable."
Adrian, walking behind them, stared.
"Are you two always like this?"
Elara and Ravenna looked at each other.
"Usually," they answered together.
Adrian smiled.
"I see."
The stairs ended.
They found themselves in an underground chamber.
At the center was a stone table.
On it lay a single document.
Ravenna approached.
Her face changed.
"It's my father's handwriting."
Elara stood beside her.
The first line read:
To my daughter, Ravenna.
Ravenna stopped breathing.
For several seconds, she simply stared.
Then she picked it up.
Her hands were shaking.
Elara did not touch her.
She simply stayed beside her.
Ravenna began reading.
My dear Ravenna,
If you are reading this, then I have failed to keep this secret buried.
Ravenna swallowed.
The next line was harder to read.
I wanted to tell you.
Every year, I wanted to tell you.
But every year, the danger became greater.
Ravenna's fingers tightened around the paper.
Your mother knew.
Her eyes widened.
Elara looked at her.
Ravenna continued.
She knew about the door beneath the palace.
She knew about the First Pact.
And she knew that our bloodline was connected to the Black Rose.
Ravenna closed her eyes.
"My mother..."
Elara placed a hand gently against her back.
Ravenna continued reading.
Your mother did not die because of illness.
Silence.
The paper trembled.
Elara's heart sank.
Ravenna's face went completely still.
She read the next sentence.
She died protecting the seal.
Ravenna stopped.
The room seemed to disappear around her.
"My mother..."
Her voice broke.
Elara stepped closer.
Ravenna shook her head.
"No."
She looked at the letter again.
"No."
Adrian lowered his eyes.
He seemed to understand.
Ravenna continued.
She discovered that someone within the human kingdoms was attempting to weaken the pact.
She traveled to the old border temple.
She never returned.
Ravenna's breathing became uneven.
"My father told me she was sick."
Elara's hand remained on her back.
"He lied."
Ravenna laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
"He lied."
She looked at the letter.
Then at the stone floor.
"All these years..."
Her voice became smaller.
"I thought she died because she was weak."
Elara turned toward her.
"Ravenna."
"My birthday."
She looked up.
"He always told me she died because her body couldn't survive the illness."
Ravenna's eyes filled with tears.
"She died protecting everyone."
Elara reached for her hand.
Ravenna took it immediately.
"I should have known."
"No."
"I should have..."
"No."
Elara's voice was firmer.
Ravenna looked at her.
"You were a child, Ravenna."
The words settled into the room.
Ravenna closed her eyes.
A tear escaped.
Elara wiped it away.
Ravenna did not pull back.
They read the rest of the letter together.
Ravenna's father had discovered that the ancient pact had been deliberately altered.
The original agreement had not required a marriage between kingdoms.
It had required something much simpler.
Two people carrying Black and White Rose magic had to willingly join their powers.
But the old kings had feared this.
Because a united Black and White Rose would create a force stronger than either kingdom.
So they changed the records.
They turned allies into enemies.
They changed the First Pact into a story about sacrifice.
They taught every generation that the Black Rose and White Rose were opposites.
They turned cooperation into betrayal.
And eventually, the war began.
But Ravenna's father had discovered the truth.
He had tried to restore the old pact.
Her mother had helped him.
And then she died.
At the bottom of the letter was one final paragraph.
Ravenna, if you have married the White Rose, then there is one thing I want you to remember.
Ravenna's breath caught.
She read slowly.
Do not marry her because the kingdom needs you to.
Elara looked at her.
The next line followed.
Do not stay with her because an ancient prophecy tells you to.
Ravenna's fingers trembled.
Then came the final sentence.
Choose her only if you would choose her even if there were no war.
The room became completely silent.
Elara looked at Ravenna.
Ravenna looked back.
Neither spoke.
Then Ravenna laughed softly.
A tear still rested on her cheek.
"He really did know."
Elara smiled.
"What?"
"My father."
Ravenna folded the letter carefully.
"He knew this would happen."
Elara shook her head.
"Maybe he only hoped you would find the truth."
Ravenna looked down at their joined hands.
"And what about you?"
Elara blinked.
"What about me?"
"If there were no war..."
Ravenna hesitated.
"If there were no prophecy."
She looked directly into Elara's eyes.
"Would you still choose me?"
Elara's heart beat faster.
The answer came easily.
"Yes."
Ravenna stared at her.
Elara smiled.
"Would you choose me?"
Ravenna's expression softened.
"Yes."
There was no magic.
No ancient voice.
No prophecy.
The silver marks on their hands did not glow.
Nothing supernatural happened.
And somehow, that made the answer feel more real.
They simply stood there.
Two women.
Two hands joined.
Two choices made freely.
Then Blue sneezed.
The moment shattered.
Elara laughed through the tears gathering in her eyes.
Ravenna sighed.
"I swear he does that on purpose."
Adrian looked away, trying not to laugh.
"I believe he does."
For the first time since reading the letter, Ravenna smiled.
A real smile.
Small.
But warm.
Then the stone beneath them shook.
Hard.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
The silver marks on their hands suddenly burned.
Ravenna's smile vanished.
Elara looked down.
A crack had appeared across the floor.
From inside it came a faint red light.
And beneath the stone...
Something breathed.
Once.
Twice.
Then a deep voice rose from the darkness.
Not angry.
Not loud.
Almost amused.
"So the old king finally told you the truth."
Ravenna drew her sword.
Elara raised her hand.
The Silver Rose appeared between them.
The voice continued.
"How unfortunate."
The crack widened.
"Because now you know what he was afraid of."
A pair of enormous red eyes opened beneath the palace.
And for the first time, the Sleeping King spoke directly to them.
"The truth is not that your marriage will save the world."
A pause.
Then:
"The truth is that your marriage may destroy it."