I won't fall for the queen who burned my world-Chapter 256: What to do?

The quiet in Saelira’s castle was different from the quiet of home.

It wasn’t warm. Or comforting. Or filled with the scent of lilac and fire the way Malvoria’s palace had become. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

No, this silence was carved from centuries of battle and restraint. It echoed in the high-vaulted ceilings, in the ancient stone walls veined with protective magic, in the cold dark windows that reflected the mountain peaks outside.

Elysia sat curled on one end of a velvet settee in Saelira’s private living chamber, Kaelith asleep against her chest.

The baby had fussed briefly after the teleportation, but exhaustion and perhaps instinct had finally lulled her into rest.

Her tiny fingers now clutched the edge of Elysia’s sleeve, her head nestled under Elysia’s chin.

Malvoria sat beside her, one arm resting protectively behind her shoulders, the other still bearing faint burn marks from the magical backlash earlier.

She hadn’t said much in the last hour, but her tension was palpable. Her eyes didn’t stray far from Kaelith. Not even for a second.

Veylira stood near the fireplace, staring into the flames like she was asking them to explain how everything had gone so wrong.

Her usually pristine braids were loose around her shoulders, and the glass of wine in her hand had gone untouched.

Lara had taken up residence in the armchair closest to the door, as if prepared to fight her way out at any moment.

She hadn’t taken off her boots, hadn’t sat back once. She looked alert. Furious. Haunted.

Saelira entered with a tray of fresh tea no maids, no fanfare, just calm presence and silence. She placed the tray down gently and spoke without preamble.

"She’s still at the palace."

Everyone looked up.

"I’ve reinforced the wards," Saelira continued. "But as of now, she hasn’t moved. No teleportation signatures. No attempts to trace our magic."

"So she’s just waiting?" Lara asked, incredulous.

"For what?" Malvoria murmured. "Another moment to strike?"

Saelira shook her head. "Lucindra doesn’t strike blindly. She’s theatrical. She wants something. And she wants us to know she’s coming for it."

"She said she wanted the throne," Elysia said, adjusting Kaelith slightly. "That’s a bold declaration for someone who vanished for ten years."

That was when Veylira finally spoke.

Her voice was steady. But flat. Worn at the edges.

"She sent letters."

The room went still.

Malvoria straightened slightly. "What?"

Veylira didn’t look away from the fire. "Lucindra. She sent letters over the past year. Not many. Three, maybe four. They were... strange. Talking about the past. About how things ended between us. And the last one mentioned Kaelith."

"You never told us," Malvoria said, not accusing—yet.

"I didn’t think they were serious," Veylira said softly. "You know what she’s like. She talks in riddles, in half-promises. The letters were distant, rambling. I thought she was just... haunting me."

"And now she’s haunting all of us," Lara snapped.

"She didn’t say anything specific," Veylira continued. "Just that she’d heard about Kaelith. That maybe she wanted to see her. I thought it was some dramatic gesture."

"It was," Malvoria said bitterly. "A prelude to all of this."

Elysia looked up at Saelira. "You said her magic didn’t affect you."

"It didn’t."

"Then why didn’t you stop her?"

Saelira’s face remained unreadable.

"Because power is not always enough," she said quietly. "Her magic doesn’t work on me because of protections I carved into my very soul long ago. But her strength..."

She paused.

"She is stronger than me now."

That silenced the room like a blow.

Even Kaelith stirred faintly in Elysia’s arms.

Malvoria’s face darkened. "She was never stronger than you."

"She is now," Saelira said. "She’s grown into something unrecognizable. Her magic—it’s old. Ancient. And it’s no longer bound to the practices we know."

"She was always power-hungry," Veylira said flatly. "Even before she left, she was chasing secrets. Bargaining with beings she wouldn’t name. I thought it was arrogance. I didn’t know she’d become something else."

Lara stood, pacing now. "So what? We sit here and hope she doesn’t come knocking again? Hope she gets bored of wanting a throne and a granddaughter she never cared about?"

"She wants the throne," Malvoria said. "But Kaelith... she didn’t just want to see her. She wanted to claim her. She said Kaelith was hers by blood."

"She touched her like a possession," Elysia added. "Like she had a right."

"She never had a right," Veylira said, voice sharper now. "She lost that when she walked away from her family. From all of us."

"Doesn’t matter what she lost," Saelira said grimly. "She wants it back. And she’s strong enough to take it."

They all fell silent again.

The fire crackled.

The shadows danced.

Kaelith slept, unaware of the world unraveling around her.

Elysia reached for the tea Saelira had brought, taking a small sip to steady her nerves.

"We can’t hide forever."

"No," Saelira agreed.

"We can’t fight her head-on," Malvoria muttered.

"Not yet."

"Then what?" Lara asked. "Negotiate? She doesn’t want a treaty. She wants a crown."

Elysia glanced down at Kaelith’s tiny face, still nestled under her chin. She stroked the baby’s soft cheek, her heart aching with the weight of decisions not yet made.

"We need to protect Kaelith," she said. "Whatever happens, we start with that."

"Agreed," Malvoria said without hesitation.

"Agreed," Veylira echoed.

Lara grunted. "Fine. But the second she shows up again, I’m not standing still."

Elysia met Saelira’s gaze. "Can she be stopped?"

There was a long pause.

Then: "Everyone can be stopped," Saelira said. "But not without cost."

They sat with that truth.

Quiet. Tense.

And then—

A soft sneeze.

Kaelith blinked awake, her tiny nose scrunching, her grey eyes fluttering open with a confused squawk.

Elysia smiled gently. "Hello, my little girl."

Kaelith yawned, then raised one tiny hand glowing faintly violet and booped Malvoria on the nose.

Malvoria blinked.

A puff of smoke exploded from her collar.

Elysia burst into laughter.

Malvoria groaned, brushing away the smoke. "She’s doing it on purpose now."

Kaelith gurgled, extremely pleased with herself.

Even Lara chuckled.

Veylira finally sat down.

And for one fragile, flickering moment—peace returned.