A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 181 | August 26th | Heaven's Over Now

38 Hours Later

In the thirty-eight hours that followed the madness that came with the fact that princess of the two worlds had been alive and  it felt as though her life had slipped through her fingers. The events had unfolded in a way she could never have anticipated.

She found herself back at the palace, gazing intently into the mirror of her wing as the morning sun rose for the third day. Sleep had eluded her since everything came crashing down around her.

Eko looked back into the mirror, trying to banish the tears, remembering the moment she had arrived back at Allegiant. Where else would she have thought of going? Allegiant had become her home; it was where she found her heart, where happiness had bloomed.

Although it took a while to explain everything to the group, by late morning, she just wanted the comfort of her bed, a searing hot shower, and her husband desperately. Instead, to her utter shock, she was greeted not by tranquility but by the imposing presence of the Palace's elite guards, all sworn to protect her until death.

The diverse assembly of the young and old faces of the royal court, along with the stern expressions of the high officials, surrounded her. They had all been waiting in the grand halls, their anticipation hanging heavily in the air.

However, what she hadn't anticipated was the abrupt order to leave the grounds; she was no longer permitted to stay at Allegiant. One of her maidens, who had accompanied the royal entourage, conveyed with a heavy heart that her belongings were being gathered from her room and that everything would be transferred back to the palace, marking an unexpected and unwelcome end to her stay.

She was left speechless by this news, and amidst the flurry of people surrounding her, she was ushered towards the docks where a ship awaited. Jesse was already there, waiting for her, and the only directive given was that one of them would remain with her at all times. Jesse also possessed the crystal that powered Allegiant, and her instructions were to use the same technology to protect Isadora and to power the defense network and the implementation of SIO at the Palace.

As soon as Matthew left her on the hilltops, Eko felt the world shift beneath her feet, setting off a chain of events beyond her control. This helplessness gnawed at her, a deep-seated fear she couldn't shake off. Trying to reach her husband and being met with silence only added to her growing sense of isolation. But what truly shook her to the core was the sudden absence of Matthew's powers, a connection she had always felt, now eerily missing, leaving her feeling more alone and vulnerable than ever before.

It was only that night, after Eko had reached a state of hysteria, that Jesse finally confided in her. She revealed that Matthew was in surgery, just as they had planned, and this was the reason why Eko couldn't feel his powers. Eko's immediate instinct was to rush to his side, to be there for him as he woke up. However, it was Jesse who persuaded her that it wasn't the right thing to do, convincing her to stay put despite her desperate desire to be with her husband.

At that moment, Eko couldn't quite grasp why she obeyed Jesse's advice. Perhaps it was because she knew how furious Matthew would be. Maybe she anticipated his anger in the weeks ahead, considering the extent of the lies she had told him, the secrets she had kept. She was well aware of his tolerance levels, and this time, the magnitude of the secret she had kept was undeniably crossing the line.

Sleep eluded her when she sought refuge from her guilt. Ever since the crystal had been used, she had felt horribly ill, as if she couldn't regain control. It was only after receiving some medication from the on-site doctors at the palace that she managed to get a few hours of rest. Now, she found herself shifting restlessly in front of the tall floor-to-ceiling mirror, momentarily inspecting the tired bags under her eyes.