The night was colder than I remembered. The crackling of the small fire Gideon had started was the only sound breaking the heavy silence. I sat wrapped in a worn cloak he had given me, my eyes fixed on the flames as they danced, casting shadows on the stone walls of the cave we were in.
Even now, the pain in my body was a cruel reminder of what I had endured but the pain in my heart, that was far worse.
"Here," Gideon said, offering me a bowl of steaming broth. "Eat. You'll need your strength."
I looked up at him, hesitating for a moment before taking it. "Thank you," I murmured, my voice hoarse from the days of screaming and crying I had wasted in that dungeon.
He sat across from me, watching me closely. "You don't have to thank me, Your Highness."
I winced at the title. "Don't call me that."
Gideon raised an eyebrow. "Why not? You're still the Empress, whether Kaelion accepts it or not."
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "No. I'm not. I was discarded like a piece of trash. An Empress loved, cherished, honored she doesn't end up left to die in a dungeon, accused of crimes she didn't commit."
Gideon studied me for a long moment. "Maybe it's time to redefine what kind of Empress you want to be."
His words struck something deep inside me. What kind of Empress? One that cowered and accepted her fate? Or one who rose from the ashes and reclaimed what was rightfully hers?
I sipped the broth in silence, feeling the warmth spread through my body. "Why did you save me?" I asked finally, meeting his gaze. "You could've left me there. You risked everything to get me out."
His jaw tensed. "Because I owe you."
I frowned. "Owe me?"
"You don't remember, do you?" His voice softened, and for the first time, there was something vulnerable in his expression. "Years ago, when my family was falsely accused of treason, it was you who convinced the emperor to spare us. You stood up for us when no one else would."
Memories stirred in my mind vague, blurred images of a boy standing with his mother before the throne, his eyes filled with fear. I had begged Kaelion to show mercy that day, believing in justice, believing in him.
"That was you?" I whispered.
He nodded. "You saved our lives. And now, it was my turn to return the favor."
I felt my throat tighten. "Thank you."
We sat in silence for a while longer, the weight of everything unspoken hanging between us. Finally, I asked, "What happens now?"
Gideon's eyes darkened. "Now? Now we plan. You can't let them win, Evelyn. You can't let Kaelion and Selina get away with this."
The mention of their names brought a fresh wave of rage and sorrow crashing over me. I clenched my fists. "They took everything from me."
"Then take it back," Gideon said firmly.
"I don't have anyone left."
"You have me."
His words were simple but carried a promise, and for the first time since my world shattered, I felt a spark of hope.
"You'll help me?" I asked, my voice small.
Gideon leaned closer, his eyes burning with determination. "I will. But you have to be willing to fight, Evelyn. You have to become stronger than you've ever been."
I took a deep breath, the firelight reflecting in my eyes. "Then teach me. Teach me to fight."
A slow smile spread across his face not one of amusement, but of pride. "Good. Because we'll need every bit of strength to face what's coming."
As the night deepened, Gideon began to explain what had been happening in the empire since my arrest.
"Selina has already moved into the palace as Kaelion's consort," he said bitterly. "And many of the nobles who were loyal to you have either been silenced or forced to swear loyalty to her."
I gritted my teeth. "And the people?"
"They're scared. They believe the lies Selina spread that you were plotting to overthrow Kaelion, to kill him and take the throne for yourself."
My hands trembled, but I forced myself to remain calm. "I would never…"
"I know."
I stared into the flames, my mind racing. "If they think I'm dead, they won't see me coming."
Gideon's eyes glinted in the firelight. "Exactly. That's why we must move carefully. Gather allies. Expose Selina's schemes. And when the time is right… strike."
I looked at him, a new resolve hardening in my chest. "I want to see them fall, Gideon. Both of them. I want Kaelion to know the pain of betrayal. I want Selina to pay for everything she's done."
"And they will," Gideon promised. "But first, you need to become the woman who can make that happen."
A small smile tugged at my lips a smile I hadn't felt in a long time. "Then let's begin."
As the first light of dawn broke over the horizon, I stood up, feeling the weight of the past days lift slightly off my shoulders.
I was no longer the broken woman thrown into the dungeon.
I was Evelyn Rosendale. And I would return.