Royal Ascension: TheLady's rebirth

SIERRA

The day stretched on in a haze of confusion.

I could barely keep up with the world that had so suddenly been thrust upon me. The weight of Angelica D'Alathra's life...the life I was now inhabiting, was far heavier than I could have imagined. Each time I looked into the mirror, I had to fight the urge to scream. Angelica's features stared back at me with a mix of arrogance and disdain, and yet, there was something else there too. A flicker of vulnerability buried beneath the cold façade.

But it was the presence of Prince Alistair that truly unsettled me.

I had barely enough time to process the bizarre events of the morning before I was hurriedly escorted to the grand council chambers. My heart hammered in my chest as I walked down the long corridor, flanked by guards.

The council chamber was just as grand as the rest of the palace—long tables lined with noblemen and women, each one wearing expressions of calculated civility, as though they were all pretending not to notice the storm brewing beneath the surface. The moment I stepped inside, the room fell silent. Every head turned toward me.

"Lady Angelica," a voice called out from the end of the table, dripping with thinly veiled contempt. It was Lord Dorian, a high-ranking noble whose house had long been in opposition to the D'Alathra family. His eyes glinted with something that could have been hatred, or perhaps disdain. It didn't matter—he didn't like me, and I could feel that in my bones.

I stood there, rooted in place, unsure of how to proceed. The words of the system buzzed in the back of my mind—"Manipulate royal politics to survive." Was this the part where I was supposed to act like the villainess I had read about in the story? Arrogant, dismissive, and commanding respect without giving any in return?

I took a deep breath and stepped forward, adopting what I hoped was a regal posture. I had no idea if I was doing it right, but I figured it was better to be bold than to be forgotten.

But just as I reached the table, the doors slammed open, and I froze.

Prince Alistair.

He was everything I had imagined—a towering figure, with the regal poise that only someone of royal blood could possess. His blue eyes, sharp and calculating, swept over the room before landing on me. And in that moment, something shifted. The room seemed to hold its breath.

He didn't look at me with admiration. He didn't look at me with affection. He looked at me like I was something beneath his notice. His eyes narrowed slightly, as though his gaze alone was enough to pierce through my very soul.

I swallowed hard, trying to maintain composure. This was not the prince I had expected. In the story, he was cold, distant, but here he was—a man whose presence could command an entire room with nothing more than a glance.

He approached, his footsteps measured, his eyes still trained on me. The entire chamber seemed to shrink under his gaze, and my stomach twisted in knots. I fought the urge to shrink away from him, but something told me that would be a grave mistake.

"Lady Angelica," he said, his voice low and dangerous. There was no warmth in his tone, only a sharp edge that made my heart race faster. "I trust you're ready to discuss matters of state?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat. Was this my cue to be aloof? To speak with authority? Or should I play the role of the gentle, compliant noblewoman?

"Answer me, Lady Angelica," he pressed, his voice turning colder with each passing second.

I blinked, my thoughts racing. I had no idea how to respond. The system, still hanging in the back of my mind, offered no guidance. Instead, I was left to figure this out on my own.

"I—I am ready, my prince," I stammered, mentally kicking myself for sounding so weak. I had to hold it together. I had to be more like the Angelica everyone feared.

His eyes flicked to mine again, this time with an unreadable expression. For a moment, it seemed like he was studying me, looking for something deeper than the surface I was trying so desperately to maintain.

"You will speak when spoken to, Lady Angelica," he said, his words cutting through the air like a blade. "We are here to discuss matters of importance, not idle chatter."

I stiffened. So, this was how it would be. He would push me, prod me, and see how far he could go before I broke. The Angelica D'Alathra I had read about would have fought back with all her arrogance, but I had no idea if I could live up to that image.

I glanced down at my hands, now gripping the edge of the table. I needed to be stronger than this—needed to find the resolve to face him. To make sure I didn't end up like the Angelica from the story—dead at the prince's hands, her life snuffed out in an instant because she had miscalculated.

"Of course, my prince," I finally managed to say, my voice a little steadier this time.

The prince didn't seem satisfied with my answer, but he didn't press the matter further. Instead, he turned to the other nobles, nodding once before taking a seat at the head of the table. The tension in the room was thick, and I could feel every pair of eyes on me, waiting for me to make my next move.

I took my seat beside him, feeling as though every part of my body was on edge. I had no idea what was expected of me, but I couldn't let my fear show. I had to fit into this world, no matter how much it frightened me.

But then, as I settled into my seat, something caught my eye. A figure sitting across from me—a man with dark, stormy eyes who had been watching me from the moment I entered the room. His gaze was intense, predatory even.

It was the prince's most trusted adviser. The one who had warned me earlier.....

And in that very moment something else became very clear...

I had no allies here....