CHAPTER THREEThe sound of hurried footsteps filled the hallway. I turned and saw four young women dressed in pale gowns running toward me, their heads bowed so low their hair brushed the marble floor.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty!” one of them cried, her voice trembling. She fell to her knees. “Punish me, my lady. I’ve been foolish.”

I blinked at her, utterly lost. “What is it again?” I whispered, trying to sound composed even though my heart was racing.

“It’s fine,” I said finally, brushing it off. The last thing I wanted was another wave of confusion. I already had too many questions running wild in my head.

I was stuck in someone else’s body,someone powerful, royal, and, according to every history book, doomed.

Queen Elara.

I swallowed hard. If I was here… then where was she? Was she in my body back in the future, sitting in class or eating noodles in the canteen while I was trapped in her nightmare?

The thought made me dizzy.

The maids led me down a long corridor, their footsteps soft and perfectly in sync. My eyes darted around, trying to take everything in. The palace was breathtaking-walls lined with carved angels, ceilings painted in gold, chandeliers hanging like frozen stars. It felt like stepping into one of those old storybooks I used to read as a child, except this time, I was the character.

My chest tightened as we approached two massive doors. I already knew who waited behind them.

King Alaric. The Raven King.

The most brutal ruler in history-the man I had just insulted in class that same morning.

“Deep breath, Liana,” I whispered under my breath. “You can do this. Just don’t die.”

The guards pushed open the doors, and I froze.

He was there.

Seated on a grand throne carved with ravens and gold, his crown catching the light. But what stole my breath wasn’t the throne, or the crown, or even the silence that wrapped the hall…..it was him.!

He wasn’t what I expected. Not at all.

Alaric was… devastatingly handsome. His jaw was sharp enough to cut glass, his silver-gray eyes cold yet magnetic. His hair fell just past his neck, thick and dark, brushing the edge of his golden robe. He sat tall, broad-shouldered, and commanding, the kind of man who didn’t need to speak to make everyone bow.

For a second, I forgot to breathe.

Was this really the tyrant history spoke of? The monster who burned kingdoms?

He looked more like a god carved out of fire and restraint.

“Queen Elara of Earldom!” the herald announced, and my maid nudged me gently to move.

I took slow, shaky steps forward, feeling the weight of dozens of eyes on me. My palms were sweating. Every step echoed in my ears like a countdown to disaster.

Keep your head down, Liana. Don’t mess this up.

I finally reached him and lowered my head to the floor in a deep bow. “Your Highness,” I said softly. My voice shook, betraying me.

“You requested to see me?”

His voice. Deep, low, smooth-like thunder whispered through silk.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I replied, not even sure what I was agreeing to.

“I was informed,” he said, leaning back slightly, “that you requested one thousand gold coins from the royal treasury.”

I blinked.

What?

My mouth opened but nothing came out. My mind was screaming, One thousand what?! I could barely afford noodles in my time, and now I was being accused of stealing gold coins from a king?

I forced a nervous laugh and quickly masked it with a cough. “Ah-yes, Your Highness,” I said, hoping I sounded confident.

The room went silent.

His gray eyes lifted to me, sharp and unamused. “And what purpose would a thousand gold coins serve, my queen?”

I froze. My brain short-circuited.

Think, Liana. Think.

“To… to create awareness,” I blurted out. “And help young girls in the town.”

He raised a brow. “Awareness?”

“Yes, I…..I want to help the poor. You know, charity. Feeding the hungry. Clothing the needy.”

His gaze didn’t move from my face. It felt like he could see through me, like he already knew I was lying. My throat went dry.

“Charity,” he repeated slowly, tasting the word like it was foreign.

“Yes,” I said, forcing a nervous smile. “I think it’s important to, um, give back to the people.”

Silence stretched between us. I could hear the faint rustle of my gown, the ticking of my heartbeat.

He leaned forward just slightly, his silver eyes softening in a way that made my stomach twist. “You may do as you please.”

I blinked. “I,thank you, Your Majesty.”

He didn’t reply. He just watched me. Calm, unreadable, distant.

I bowed again, my legs shaking beneath the heavy gown. I couldn’t believe I’d survived that. One wrong word and I would’ve been beheaded in the next minute.

When I straightened, I caught sight of a woman standing near the court’s edge. Her dress was dark blue, her hair tied in a perfect bun. She was older, elegant, and staring at me with piercing eyes. Was that… the king’s mother?

She didn’t blink. Just studied me, like she could tell something was off.

My stomach dropped.

If anyone here figured out I wasn’t Elara, I was finished.

I turned slightly to leave, catching one last glance at the king. He was no longer looking at me, his focus had shifted to a scroll on his armrest but something about his stillness, that quiet authority, made me hesitate.

History had called him a monster. But standing here, he didn’t look like one.

He looked like a man carrying too muchtoo much pain, too much power, too much control.

And maybe, just maybe, that was where the monster began.

As I left the hall, my heart pounded harder with every step. The air felt thick, heavy with something I couldn’t name.

Was this fate?

Or punishment for questioning his story?

Either way, one thing was clear.

I wasn’t just in a history book anymore. I was trapped inside it.

And the man sitting on that throne the one I’d mocked hours ago was now the only person who could decide if I lived or died.