Shadow
Chapter 7
Aletheia’s Tower (Part 3)
The Curse I Loved
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In the dead of night, Ivanka hurried through the palace gardens toward her queen’s chambers — her Queen must have already fallen asleep by now.
As she crossed from the knights’ hall through the main garden, her steps grew faster toward the Queen’s Palace.

“I’ll protect her till the end… till the very end,” she murmured.
— “Well done.”

Ivanka turned sharply toward the familiar voice — it was Prince Ivan.
He stepped closer, speaking softly, “Thank you… and I’m sorry. You don’t have to bear this alone.”

“Your Highness!” she straightened. “I am a knight, appointed to fulfill my duty until the end, and properly! Now, if you’ll excuse me, Her Majesty must be asleep, and I have to guard her quarters.”

As she tried to leave, Ivan blocked her path.
“Wait,” he said, his tall shadow covering her as he stared at her strangely.
Ivanka froze, lowering her gaze, her ears burning red though her face betrayed no emotion.

He smiled, satisfied, and after a short silence he stepped aside with a sigh.
“You may go now,” he said gently.

Ivanka bowed, then walked steadily toward the Queen’s Palace. Opening her dark wings, she soared up toward the window of the connecting bridge.
Ivan stood there for a long while, watching her vanish into the night.

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Ivanka knocked softly on the Queen’s door. No reply — which means a permission to enter.
She stepped in, slightly flustered.

In truth, Asma was flustered too — though for a completely different reason.

“What’s wrong, Ivanka? Why were you late?”
“My lady, you’re still awake? Something must be troubling you…”
“What’s with your ears? Why are they so red? It’s not that cold tonight!”

Ivanka’s eyes widened; she touched her long, delicate ears — and at once, she remembered those longing, passionate eyes staring at her earlier. Not the gaze of a foolish boy… but of a grown man.

Asma’s teasing voice cut through her thoughts, playful and sly:
“Oooh, looks like we have a lover here! Let me guess… Iv—”
“NOOOOOO!” Ivanka shouted, completely losing her composure — all royal manners forgotten.

Asma gasped dramatically, “IVAAA….!”
“No! No!”
“Hahahaha! Fine, I won’t say it, I won’t!”

Ivanka sighed in relief… but Asma suddenly pounced:
“Ivan.”

Ivanka’s jaw dropped. “Your Majesty! I—”
“What? I was talking about Ivan!”
“Oh…”
“Why so disappointed? Come on, you love him, too!”
“My lady! How can you say something like that?!”
“How?” Asma asked innocently.
“Feelings and such things… that’s not proper for your position!”
“You mean I’m not noble enough? I already know that.”
“No— I didn’t mean— I’m sorry, my Queen!”
“Forget it! Just call me Asma, and don’t apologize. We’re friends, right?”

Ivanka nodded, a rare warmth flickering in her usually stern eyes. Asma smiled brightly.
“What a beautiful smile you have, Ivanka! No wonder Ivan loves you.”

Ivanka covered her ears again, then gathered herself.
“Your Highness! I respect and value Prince Ivan deeply. We’re childhood friends — he’s helped me so much to become the knight I am today. But… he’ll always be a child in my eyes.”
Asma raised a brow coldly. “I don’t see it that way.”

Ivanka froze, and Asma laughed. “Alright, if you ever need help, just tell me, deal?”
Ivanka’s face turned crimson, so she quickly changed the topic.

“My lady! You’re still awake — is something troubling your mind?”
“Oh, just a little…” Asma sighed heavily.
“It must be something serious.”
“I just want to reach the truth. Then I can understand my situation clearly.”

Silence filled the room for a long moment, as if time itself had stopped — until Ivanka’s firm voice broke it.
“Should we make another visit to Aletheia’s Tower, Your Highness?”
“Yes. Of course!” Asma answered with determination.

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In the King’s chamber, Shadow sat reviewing documents — records of Norton’s armory and resource inventory. Routine monthly work.

A knock came — rhythmic and childish. Surely, it was Ivan’s.
“Come in, you nuisance.”
“What’s with all this paperwork? Papers, papers, and more papers!”
“If you don’t like it, step down. Lady Litchie won’t cause half the trouble you do.”
“Your choices are awful! Lady Litchie? Seriously?”

Shadow shot him a cold look, then returned to reading.
Ivan leaned closer, curious. “Your Majesty, are you… old?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“No, just wondering… how can you stay so calm in front of a woman you love?”

Shadow hit the papers on the desk, standing still.
“Who loves what?”
“When you see a beautiful face, how do you hold yourself back? Especially when she doesn’t love you?”

Shadow frowned deeply — and then realized Ivan was talking about Ivanka.
“Simple,” he said coolly. “Stop acting like a boy.”
“I’ve tried everything!”
“Well, I can’t help you. Romance isn’t my field. I hate that disgusting nonsense.”
“Disgusting?! You just don’t understand!”
“You’re insolent,” Shadow muttered, clearly annoyed.
“Sometimes I just wonder… what’s your type of women? Do you even have emotions?”
“Are you done working, or are you that bored?”
“No, seriously! Tell me! Please, please, please, please…”

For two hours straight, Ivan begged, made him coffee, and helped with the reports until Shadow’s head throbbed.
“Enough!” he finally roared, clutching his head.

After a long pause, he closed his eyes, his voice low and hoarse — as if he were describing a vision before him:
“A noble woman… delicate features, fierce beauty and grace… long black hair… arrogant — shamelessly so. And… a traitor.”

Ivan fell silent, frowning. “Why don’t you try letting go of your past?”

Shadow’s eyes trembled slightly before turning cold again.
“I don’t know. Maybe because the instinct to kill consumed me long ago… I don’t know when I started enjoying it. Maybe because I was the first one to be killed. Maybe because I killed everyone I ever loved. Maybe because I wiped out an entire kingdom for the sake of another people I love. All I know is this: the only woman who killed me… I killed her, too. So, we’re even. That’s how I forgave her.”

Ivan’s voice grew sad. “She doesn’t deserve you, Shadow.”
Shadow glared, anger burning in his eyes.
“You wouldn’t understand. You’re still a boy and—”
“You need to break that damn wall! How can a man like you be so weak before a filthy woman like that witch?!”

He didn’t finish — Shadow’s slap hit him so hard that blood dripped from his lips as he fell to the ground.
Ivan wiped his mouth, stood up, bowed slightly, then turned and left without a word.

Shadow collapsed into his chair, staring blankly at the blood on his hand.
Tears filled his eyes, falling onto the paperwork, leaving dark stains across the ink.

“I hurt Ivan today because of you… Who else will I hurt next? I hate you… curse you every day… yet I can’t let you go.
You’re a curse I loved… Isolde.”

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