Nyra Ashwyn hated carrying meals to the royal wing. It wasn't a difficult work. The trays weren't especially heavy, and the distance from the kitchens to the princess's chambers wasn't far. What Nyra hated was the silence.

The kitchens made sense. People shouted when they were angry, laughed when they were happy, and argued over things that rarely mattered. The royal wing was different. Everyone walked carefully and spoke as if someone important might be listening. Which, to be fair, was usually true.

Balancing a tray in both hands, Nyra made her way down the corridor lined with portraits of dead royals. Most of them looked disappointed. She wondered if that was a requirement for becoming king.

By the time she reached Princess Elysia Valmort's chambers, two guards stood outside the door. One of them recognized her and stepped aside. Nyra entered.

The princess sat near an open window with a book resting on her lap. Sunlight spilled across the room, illuminating the silver embroidery on her gown.

Elysia looked up. "You're late."

Nyra glanced at the clock mounted on the wall. "By two minutes."

"Still late." Elysia said

"I'll strive to do better." Nyra commented, stepping forward towards the princess's direction.

The princess narrowed her eyes. "You say that every time."

"And yet you keep believing me."

A smile tugged at Elysia's lips despite herself.

Nyra placed the tray on a nearby table. Unlike most servants, she had never learned how to pretend the princess was some perfect creature sent down by the gods. Elysia was kind enough, but she was also stubborn, curious, and occasionally impossible.

The princess closed her book. "How are the kitchens?"

"Hot." Nyra replied.

"I meant the people." Elysia continues

"Oh. Loud." Nyra replied without a second thought.

"That's more helpful." Elysia calmly spoke.

"They nearly started a war over missing cinnamon." Nyra added.

Elysia laughed. "A tragedy."

"The kingdom may never recover." Nyra turned to the princess after setting the table.

For a moment, the room felt normal. Then shouting echoed somewhere beyond the corridor. Both women looked toward the door. The sound came again. Louder this time.

Nyra frowned. That wasn't unusual palace noise.

That sounded like panic.

Elysia rose from her chair. "What's happening?"

Before Nyra could answer, the chamber doors burst open. One of the guards stumbled inside. His face had lost all color. "Your Highness, we need to move."

Elysia immediately straightened. "What happened?"

"The palace has been breached." The soldier replied in shaky voice.

The words landed heavily. Breached? The royal palace wasn't supposed to be breached. It was protected by hundreds of soldiers, fortified walls, and enough security to make ordinary citizens dizzy. Yet judging by the sounds outside, someone had managed it.

The guard moved toward the princess. "We must leave immediately."

Another crash echoed through the corridor. Then came the unmistakable sound of steel striking steel. Nyra felt unease settle in her stomach. Whoever was attacking wasn't hiding anymore.

They were already inside.

The second guard appeared at the doorway. "NOW!" he shouted.

The group rushed into the corridor. Servants scattered in every direction. Soldiers pushed forward. Orders flew from every corner.

The entire palace had descended into confusion. Nyra stayed close behind Elysia as they hurried toward a staircase.

A mistake!... Because in moments like these, chaos had a way of separating people. Someone slammed into Nyra's shoulder. She stumbled.

A soldier rushed between her and the princess. Then another. The crowd shifted. By the time Nyra regained her footing, Elysia was gone.

Not vanished. Simply swallowed by the sea of moving bodies.

"Princess!" she called.

No response. The hallway shook beneath a thunderous impact. Every head turned. At the far end of the corridor, smoke billowed through a shattered window.

Several soldiers lay sprawled across the floor. Others struggled to rise. A figure stepped through the haze. Dressed entirely in black, tall, calm, unhurried. The fighting around him seemed almost irrelevant.

Nyra couldn't see his face clearly from this distance, but something about him made the corridor fall silent. Even the soldiers hesitated.

The stranger surveyed the hallway. Not like a man entering enemy territory. But like a man inspecting property he already owned. More figures emerged behind him. A dozen at least.

Armed, organized and moving with purpose.

One of the palace guards suddenly froze. His eyes locked onto the broken crown embroidered across a black cloak. Then his gaze shifted to the silver mask covering half the stranger's face.

The color drained from him. "The Hollow Crown..." he whispered.

Another soldier heard him. A murmur spread through the corridor. Fear followed. Nyra couldn't understand why.

She had heard stories about the Hollow Crown, of course. Everyone had. But stories had a habit of growing larger each time they were told.

The stranger's gaze swept across the crowd. For a brief second, his eyes met hers. Then someone grabbed Nyra from behind. A cloth covered her mouth. She twisted violently, trying to break free. Voices blurred together. The corridor spun. Darkness rushed in from every side.

The last thing Nyra heard before consciousness slipped away was a man's voice. Calm and controlled. "Take her and go." Then everything disappeared.

The first thing Nyra noticed was the smell of wood smoke. The second was the headache. She opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. Light streamed through a narrow window, forcing her to squint.

For several moments, she remained still. Not because she was afraid but because she was thinking. The palace. The attack. The corridor. Someone grabbing her. A cloth over her mouth. Kidnapping.

Wonderful... Everything felt unreal. She slowly sat up from the bed. The room was small but clean. A wooden table occupied one corner. A bookshelf stood against the wall. The bed beneath her was surprisingly comfortable for a place where people were presumably held against their will. That was concerning.

Across the room sat a man. He was reading. Not sharpening knives. Not interrogating prisoners.

Just reading. Nyra stared at him. And he continued reading.

The silence stretched. And finally she spoke. "Am I supposed to pretend you're not there?"

The man looked up from his book. Dark hair, sharp features. A calm expression that suggested very little surprised him. "No."

"Good.". Nyra swung her legs off the bed. "Where am I?"

"Safe." He replied calmly

She stared at him expressionlessly. "That's not an answer."

"It is." He replied again without looking up to see her.

"It really isn't." Nyra frowned.

The man closed his book with a slight frown. "You've been unconscious for several hours."

"I know that." Nyra replied.

"You should be resting." The man said then put down his book.

"I should be in the palace." Nyra glared at him.

A flicker of amusement crossed his face.It vanished quickly. "Unfortunately, that isn't possible." He glared back at her.

Nyra folded her arms. "Unfortunately for whom?"

The question seemed to catch him off guard. Only slightly. But before he could answer, the door opened. Another man entered looking permanently exhausted.

He carried several sheets of paper tucked beneath one arm. He stopped the moment he noticed Nyra awake. "You're conscious."

"I worked very hard to achieve that." Nyra replied in a sarcastic tone.

The newcomer blinked. Then looked at the dark haired man then back at Nyra. A strange expression crossed his face. As if he suddenly understood why someone else was suffering.

"Good luck," he muttered.

The dark haired man's gaze narrowed and called. "Silas."

"I'm leaving." Silas turned around to leave before the matter on ground included him.

"You just arrived." The dark haired man calmly spoke

"And now I'm leaving." Without another word, he turned and headed for the door.

Nyra watched him go. "He seems pleasant."

"He isn't." The dark haired man replied

"That's unfortunate." Nyra shifted her gaze from the closed door back the dark haired man

The door closed and the silence returned. Nyra looked around the room once more then back at the man.

"Let's try this again. Who are you?" Nyra asked tilting her head to the side confused.

For the first time, he hesitated. Not long enough for most people to notice but long enough for Nyra to. Before he could answer, voices echoed somewhere beyond the room.

Footsteps followed then a knock sounded against the door. Without waiting for permission, a woman entered. She froze when she saw Nyra sitting upright.

"Oh." Her eyes widened. "She's awake."

Apparently everyone in this building had the same reaction.

The woman approached the bed. "You feeling alright?"

"No." Nyra sharply replied without a second thought.

"Fair." The woman took a step backwards, scanning Nyra over with her eyes.

"Where am I?" Nyra asked yet again.

The woman opened her mouth then glanced toward the dark haired man, then back at Nyra. And made a terrible decision. "You don't know?"

Nyra frowned. "Know what?"

The woman pointed directly at the man sitting across the room. "That's Kael Draven."

Silence filled the room. The room waited. The woman waited. Even Kael seemed to wait. Waiting for a reaction. A horrified one.

Nyra shifted her gaze to the woman then back at him.

"...What?" The woman blinked.

"Kael Draven." Nyra stared.

The name was familiar. Everybody knew the name. Children heard stories about him. Merchants cursed him. Nobles feared him. Soldiers hunted him. The leader of the Hollow Crown. The most wanted man in Velmora.

Nyra looked at Kael again. He looked exactly the same as he had thirty seconds ago. Which felt somewhat unreasonable.

"You're Kael Draven?" Nyra asked

"Yes." The dark haired gave a short reply.

She went silent, pondering on her words, then pointed toward him. "You kidnapped me."

"Yes." Kael replied

Another pause.

"Why?" Nyra's eyebrow arched up in a questioning look

Kael leaned back slightly. For the first time since she'd woken up, he looked uncomfortable. Not guilty, not embarrassed just so uncomfortable.

An interesting distinction. The woman noticed it too. Nyra didn't show any kind of horror look. She had the same tone she had the moment she woke up. Except a tone of anger one could barely notice in her speech.

"So..." The woman said slowly.

"What?" Nyra looked at her.

"Have you told her yet right?" The woman asked Kael

"Told me what?" Nyra asked.

Nobody answered immediately. That was never a good sign. Silas appeared in the doorway again. One look at the room told him exactly what was happening. His eyes briefly closed. The expression of a man accepting his fate.

"Tell me what?" Nyra repeated.

Kael rubbed a hand across his jaw. The room had suddenly become very interested in the floor. Even the woman avoided eye contact. Nyra's suspicion grew. Finally, Kael spoke. His voice remained calm. Almost irritatingly calm.

"There appears to have been a mistake."

A mistake? Nyra didn't like that word. Not in this context. "What kind of mistake?" Nobody answered.

"Kael." Silas sounded tired already. "Tell her."

Kael looked at Nyra and Nyra looked back. Then he delivered the sentence that would proceed to ruin everyone's week. "You were not the person we intended to kidnap."

Silence... Nyra processed the information. Slowly, carefully, then she smiled. Not because she found it funny. But because sometimes it was the alternative to screaming. "You kidnapped the wrong woman?"

"Yes." Kael replied.

The smile disappeared without a trace. "Are you an idiot?"

Silas turned away immediately. The woman choked on a laugh. And for the first time in many years, Kael Draven found himself without a response.

For several seconds, nobody spoke. Nyra wasn't sure what surprised her more. The fact that she had been kidnapped by the most wanted man in the kingdom, or the fact that he had somehow managed to kidnap the wrong person.

She looked around the room. Nobody appeared particularly eager to defend the situation. A promising sign.

"So let me understand this correctly," she said at last.

Silas sighed quietly while the woman looked away. Kael remained infuriatingly calm.

"You attacked the royal palace." Nyra asked.

"Yes." Kael agreed.

"You fought your way through hundreds of guards." Nyra asked again.

"More or less." Kael replied having his arms folded.

"You kidnapped a random servant." Nyra asked again with a frown.

"No." Kael replied calmly.

Nyra folded her arms.

Kael continued. "We kidnapped the wrong servant."

"That isn't better." Nyra rolled her eyes.

Silas covered his face with one hand and the woman left the room entirely.

Nyra pointed at Kael. "You had one person to identify."

"I am aware." Kael stared at her.

"One." Nyra gestured with her finger.

"I know." Kael replied yet again, calmly like a toddler's nagging child.

"And somehow you failed." Nyra had a infuriated look all over her face.

"I am aware of that as well." Kael agreed to what she said.

The fact that he wasn't arguing made it worse. People were supposed to defend themselves when accused of stupidity and Kael simply accepted it like a man reading a report.

Nyra exhaled slowly. "No wonder you're wanted."

Silas looked up with a questioning look. "That doesn't even make sense."

"It does in my head." Nyra replied without throwing him a glance.

"I'd rather not visit your head." Silas spoke.

Nyra ignored him, her attention shifted back to Kael. A thought had been forming since she woke up now she finally voiced it.

"Why am I still here?" Nyra glanced towards Silas and the woman.

The room fell quiet again. Kael's expression became unreadable. Silas suddenly found the wall fascinating, averting his gaze.

There it was... Another problem. Nyra knew enough about politics to understand the situation. If Kael released her, she could tell the kingdom where she'd been held And if he kept her, he'd be imprisoning an innocent servant. Neither option looked particularly appealing.

"Ah," Nyra said.

"Ah?" Silas echoed.

"You don't know what to do with me." Nyra spoke again.

Nobody answered. Which was the answer enough. A small laugh escaped her lips first...Then another.

Silas stared. "Are you laughing?"

"Yes." Nyra suddenly stopped laughing and put on a serious face.

"Why?" Silas had his eyebrow arched up.

"Because this is ridiculous." Nyra arched up her eyebrows also.

She gestured around the room. "You people attacked the most secure place in the kingdom and somehow ended up with me."

"It wasn't intentional." Silas said with a disappointing sigh.

Another knock sounded at the door. Before anyone could respond, a young man entered carrying a stack of papers. He stopped immediately.

"Oh." He exclaimed at the sight of the awkward situation.

His gaze moved from Nyra to Kael, then to Silas, then back to Nyra. He fully understood the situation without an explanation.

A grin followed. "She's the one?"

Silas pointed toward the door. "Leave."

"I'm just asking." The guy stepped into the room.

"Leave." Silas ordered without looking at him.

The newcomer ignored him instead, he approached Nyra. "I'm Rowan."

Nyra blinked. "Hello, Rowan."

"Welcome to the Hollow Crown." Rowan have an introduction.

"I'm here against my will." Nyra glared daggers at him.

"Most people are at first." Rowan replied with a quick shrug.

Silas looked horrified... Kael closed his eyes briefly. Rowan appeared completely unaware of the danger surrounding him. Nyra was beginning to understand the organization. They were criminals. Apparently not smart criminals.

Rowan dropped the papers onto a nearby table.

"I've never seen him make a mistake before."

Nyra looked at Kael. "Neither have I."

"That's because this is my first." Rowan said.

Silence...Then Rowan laughed. A loud, genuine laugh. Even Nyra smiled. Kael did not. Unfortunately for him, that only made the situation funnier. Rowan eventually recovered.

"Were you really a servant?"

Nyra frowned. "What kind of question is that?"

"A normal one." He asked with a quick shrug.

"No, it isn't."

"Fair." Rowan replied.

Silas looked ready to throw Rowan out of the nearest window. "Do you ever stop talking?"

"Not willingly." Rowan turned to Silas.

"That explains a lot." Silas stared down at him.

A distant voice called Rowan's name from somewhere beyond the hallway.

He raised a finger. "Duty calls."

"No," Silas said. "It really doesn't."

Rowan ignored him and left. Peace returned. Briefly... Nyra sat back against the headboard.

The headache from earlier had mostly faded.

Now that the shock was wearing off, a different realization settled over her. She wasn't in a dungeon. Nobody had chained her up... Nobody had threatened her. The room itself looked more like a guest room than a prison cell. Which was strange.

She expected criminals to be... different. Less organized, more murderous. Then again, she had only met four of them. here was still time.

Her gaze drifted toward the window. The sun hung lower in the sky now. Several hours had passed already. The palace would know she was missing. People would be searching. At least she hoped they would.

An uncomfortable thought followed. WOULD THEY? Princess Elysia certainly would. But the palace employed hundreds of servants. Some were easier to replace than others.

Nyra pushed the thought aside. It wasn't useful.

Across the room, Kael rose from his chair.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Work." He gave a abrupt reply.

The answer felt absurd. As if kidnapping mistakes were everyday inconveniences.

He moved toward the door then stopped. For the first time since meeting him, he seemed uncertain... Only for a moment. Then he looked at Silas. "Assign additional guards."

Nyra narrowed her eyes. "Guards?"

Silas looked equally confused.

Kael continued."...Outside the room."

Now everyone looked confused. Including Kael himself, judging by the faint irritation crossing his face.

"Why?" Silas asked.

A reasonable question. Kael glanced toward Nyra. Just briefly then looked away. "Because if she escapes, I don't think we'll survive the embarrassment."

The door closed behind him. Silence lingered for several seconds.

Then Nyra turned toward Silas "...Was that a joke?"

Silas stared at the closed door. "I honestly don't know."

For some reason, that answer worried him far more than it worried her.

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Hey guys, this is your writer RainbowDan_ris. Thanks for your support, likes, gifts and votes. I really appreciate it. And thanks for the 50k likes on my novel chat *LAST SEEN ONLINE by RainbowDan_ris* Honestly it wasn't easy to get. People rarely read horrors compared to watching. And plus I'm short on followers because this account is new🤧🤧. Anyways, thanks always. And please don't stop supporting me. Arigatou gozaimasu 🥹

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