The palace walls had always been a cage, but Gwendolyn never truly felt trapped until now.
Her crime? Friendship.
Her punishment? Captivity.
---
His name was Alden.
A boy born with nothing but a heart full of dreams and hands calloused from hard labor. A commoner, a nobody. But to Gwendolyn, he was more than that.
He was a friend.
The one person who did not care about her title, the one who spoke to her like she was just a girl, not a princess, not an heir. Just Gwendolyn.
They met in secret, at the edge of the city where the palace guards rarely roamed. There, in the quiet of the woods, they talked about the world, their hopes, their fears.
But Morganna saw it all.
And she knew how to turn innocence into crime.
---
One evening, Morganna sat beside the king in his chambers, her voice soft, almost hesitant.
"Your Majesty… I fear for our kingdom's future."
The king barely looked up from the scroll in his hand. "What are you speaking of now, Morganna?"
She sighed, feigning reluctance. "It pains me to say this, truly, but… it is about Gwendolyn."
At the mention of his daughter, the king frowned.
"She has been seen sneaking out of the palace. Meeting someone in secret. A boy. A commoner."
The king's fingers tightened around the scroll.
"What proof do you have?"
Morganna smirked inwardly. "Would I dare speak such things without proof, my king? If you wish, I shall summon the guards. They will tell you what they saw."
And they did.
Two guards, bribed with gold, stepped forward and spoke of Gwendolyn's secret visits.
The king's face darkened with disappointment. Morganna had planted the seed of doubt.
And now, he would make her pay.
---
The Judgment
The moment Gwendolyn entered the throne room, she knew something was wrong.
The air was heavy. The guards stood tense.
And her father's eyes were filled with rage.
"Do you deny it?" he demanded. "Do you deny sneaking into the city to meet with a commoner?"
Gwendolyn stiffened, her heart pounding.
She had never lied to her father.
And she wouldn't start now.
"I do not deny it," she said firmly. "Alden is my friend. He has done nothing wrong."
Morganna gasped theatrically. "Oh, my king, do you hear? She does not even deny her shameful actions!"
Gwendolyn turned sharply to her, eyes blazing. "Shameful? For what? For showing kindness? For treating someone as an equal?"
Morganna smirked. "For disgracing the royal blood."
The king slammed his hand against the armrest of his throne. "Enough!" His gaze burned into Gwendolyn's soul. "You have defied the rules of this kingdom, disrespected your title, and put our reputation at risk. Do you not understand what this means?"
She clenched her fists. "I understand that this kingdom fears what it does not know. I understand that the law is bent only for those who sit on golden thrones. But I have done nothing wrong!"
"You have done enough," the king said coldly. "You will be confined to your chambers until further notice. You will not leave the palace. You will not see that boy again."
Her heart stopped. "Father—"
"Enough!"
With a wave of his hand, the guards stepped forward, grabbing her arms.
She struggled, but the grip was too strong.
As they dragged her away, she turned to Morganna.
And the woman smiled.
---
The door slammed shut behind her, and the sound of the lock turning felt louder than thunder.
For the first time in her life, Gwendolyn was truly trapped.
She sank to the floor, rage and betrayal warring inside her.
Not at her father.
Not even at the guards.
But at Morganna.
At the woman who had stolen her mother's place. The woman who whispered poison into her father's ears.
The woman who would do anything to see her fall.
Gwendolyn's hands clenched into fists.
"You will regret this."
The words were soft.
But they carried a promise.
A storm was brewing.
And soon, Morganna would feel its wrath.
---