In a panic, the King summoned a magical shield to protect them. But in doing so, the coronation lost
The hall fell silent. All eyes were on Damon and my sister, waiting for an explanation.
s meaning.
Damon struggled to his feet and looked up at the King. “Father, perhaps there was some mistake./am
The King hesitated.
I sighed and spoke up. “It’s useless. Stop struggling. How can two impostors be recognized by the
willing to try again.”
he heavens?”
A hush fell over the hall, my voice the only sound. Xylos looked down at me, surprised, but his expression held no doubt, only confusion. Damon’s eyes were practically shooting fire at me, mixed with a sliver of guilt. Serena wiped the blood from her lips.
“It’s Phoebe!” she cried, pointing at me. “She’s jealous that I’m to be Queen, so she’s slandering me!”
The King turned to me, his face grim. “Phoebe, I know you hold a grudge against them, but you should not speak so recklessly today. Your sister, Serena, is the Crown Princess, and Caelus is the prince I appointed. How could they be impostors?”
06.16
Chapter 2
Serena, is the Crown Princess, and Caelus is the prince I appointed. How could they be impostors?”
The Queen erupted in fury. “Enough! Why waste words on her? Damon married her, and he died on the battlefield. Now Caelus is to receive the inheritance, and because she is here, everything is going wrong. She is clearly a curse! Banish her!”
The Queen ordered the guards to seize me. Xylos stepped in front of me, his gaze sharp as a blade. “Who dares touch her?”
I took Xylos’s hand and met the King’s gaze. “Your Majesty, do you remember the two conditions for receiving the royal inheritance?”
The King, though perplexed, answered, “The prince must be the designated heir of the Dragon Clan, or the princess must be of the true royal bloo- dline of the Phoenix Clan. In truth, only one of these conditions needs to be met to gain the heavens‘ approval. We simply strive to meet both to
ensure the purity of the bloodline.”
Both Damon’s and Serena’s faces went rigid.
Damon looked at the King in disbelief. “Father, why did you never tell me this?”
The King’s face darkened. “What do you mean, I didn’t tell you? When I named you Crown Prince, I revealed all the secrets of the Dragon Clan to you. Caelus, you have always been so level–headed. How could you forget something so important?”
Damon’s eyes darted around frantically. “I… I…”
“Your
I answered for him. “Your Majesty, can you not see it? This is not Prince Caelus. This is the Second Prince, Damon.”
The clan erupted in an uproar. The King’s eyes widened. The Queen shot to her feet, pointing at me and screaming, “Insolence! Phoebe, how dare you spread lies? You have already cost me one son. Do you intend to ruin the reputation of my other son as well?”
I walked onto the altar, slowly approaching Damon, my expression calm. But he recoiled as if he’d seen a ghost, stumbling backward, forgetting Serena who lay collapsed beside him.
“What… what are you doing?” he stammered.
I sighed. “Ten years ago, Damon saved my life. His heart was scarred by a sea demon’s tear, and he nearly died. That scar is branded on his soul; no magic can remove it.”
very
It was because of that scar that I had been so easily deceived in my past life. After all, who could believe that the man who had once been willing to die for me would one day have me sliced into a thousand pieces?
I reached out to pull open his tunic, but he slapped my hand away. He scrambled back, keeping his distance, not even letting a concerned Serena get close. “Phoebe, have you lost your mind?” he roared. “I am your brother.
But the King had already seen enough. He ignored Damon’s protests and ordered two of his trusted guards to rip open his tunic.
The crowd gasped. No matter how Damon tried to cover it, there on his chest was a teardrop–shaped scar, stark against his pale skin.
The truth was out.
The Queen pointed at Damon, her lips moving, but no sound came out. She clutched her heart, stumbled backward, and fainted. The King endured for a moment, then coughed up a mouthful of black blood. He collapsed to his knees, unable to rise.
“Your Majesty!”
The High Priest and other clan elders rushed to his side.
Damon, seeing his deception exposed, ignored his father and stared at me in disbelief. “Phoebe, how did you know?” he demanded. Then he sho- ok his head, muttering to himself, “No, that’s not right. My deception was perfect. I eliminated
who knew the truth.”
