Lena did not sleep long. Before the first bell, a guard was already at the door of the maid quarters asking for her by name. Mira sat up in bed and looked at her with wide eyes. “Again? The prince wants you again? Lena, what did you do?”

“Nothing,” Lena said, though she knew that was not true. She had followed Lady Serah underground. She had seen the Gate. She had felt it react.

She washed her face, tied her hair back, and followed the guard through the quiet halls. Dawn light spread in thin lines through the tall windows. The palace seemed different this morning. Not tense from fear, but alert, like it was listening.

The prince’s hall was empty when she arrived, except for Prince Alden and two guards standing near the doors. He did not speak at first. He stood by the long table, fingers resting on a map. Lena waited in silence, her hands clasped in front of her.

Finally he said, “You were seen near the eastern wing last night after the festival. That area is restricted to higher rank.”

Her heart jumped. “Yes, Your Highness. I was told to help gather lanterns after the ceremony.”

He looked up at her, and she knew he did not fully believe her. “You ran toward the fire,” he said. “Most people run away from danger. You did not.”

“I didn’t think,” she said.

“That is what concerns me.”

He walked closer. He studied her face as if trying to read what she was not saying. “There is something unusual about you. People whisper already. Some think you are blessed. Some think you are cursed.”

Lena swallowed. “Which do you believe, Your Highness?”

“I do not believe in luck,” he said. “I believe in cause and effect. Something brought you here and I want to know what.”

Her pulse sped up. She remembered Lady Serah’s words. The prince must know the truth. She also remembered the dead guard and Serah’s warning. Be careful. The wrong ear could turn her into a threat.

So she picked one truth and left the other truths hidden.

“There is something under the palace,” she said softly. “Something powerful. If it breaks, it will hurt everyone. I know you feel the unrest in the palace. I know you see it. This is part of it.”

Alden’s expression did not change, but he stilled. “Who told you that? A maid does not speak of such matters.”

“I saw it.”

Silence fell between them. He watched her with sharp focus now.

“What did you see,” he asked.

Lena chose her words with care. “Rooms under the palace. Old markings. Light that is not fire. It reacts to people. It reacted to me.”

The prince exhaled slowly. “So the rumors are true.”

“What rumors,” she asked.

He ignored the question. Instead he said, “Did anyone else take you there, or did you go alone.”

If she said Serah’s name, Serah might disappear. If Serah disappeared, Lena would have no one who understood her. She lifted her chin and said, “I went on my own.”

One of the guards shifted, like he did not like the answer. The prince raised a hand and the guard went still again.

“You are not supposed to be able to open those doors,” Alden said. “Only certain people can. Which means you are not a simple maid.”

Lena’s throat felt dry. She said nothing.

The prince stepped even closer. His voice dropped. “Listen to me, Lena Carter. The palace is not safe for you. There are people who would take you apart to understand you. There are others who would make you a symbol. Neither path ends well for you. Do you understand.”

Her voice came out small. “Yes.”

“Good,” he said. “Then listen to this command. Until I tell you otherwise, you will stay in service in the inner palace. You will not leave the grounds without permission. You will not speak to anyone from outside the royal wing. If someone questions you about last night or about the lower halls, you will say nothing.”

“So I am under protection,” Lena said.

He held her gaze. “You are under watch.”

Her stomach sank. This was not safety. This was being contained.

“May I ask a question,” Lena said.

He almost smiled. “You already did.”

She held her ground. “Why is that place under the palace so important to you.”

His eyes cooled. “Because it keeps this world from breaking apart.”

It was the first time his voice carried anything close to emotion.

He turned away then, as if the conversation was over. “You may go. You will be assigned to the inner wing for the next few days. You will serve only my household. Report to Mistress Halden for orders.”

Lena bowed, then began to back away. But at the door, his voice stopped her.

“One more thing,” he said.

She turned.

“If you lie to me again,” the prince said softly, “I will know.”

Her breath caught. “Yes, Your Highness.”

When she left the hall the guard escorted her through a different route than usual. The inner palace looked nothing like the servant halls she knew. The floors were warmer in color. The air smelled of sandalwood and citrus instead of soap and metal. The curtains were thin silk, not heavy wool. Every detail whispered of power.

Mira rushed to her the first chance she got. “Are you all right. Are they punishing you. Tell me you are not being sent away.”

“I’m not being sent away,” Lena said.

Mira let out a shaky breath and grinned. “Good. Because I was ready to steal you back.”

Lena smiled, but it faded fast. “Mira. Listen. Be careful what you repeat. If anyone asks about me, just say I am doing laundry work.”

Mira blinked. “Laundry,” she said. “That is boring enough to be true.”

They both laughed softly.

But that laugh felt thin compared to what Lena felt inside.

Because now the prince knew. He did not know everything, but he knew enough to keep his eyes on her. And if he knew, others would know soon.

She lay awake that night and stared at the ceiling. No bells. No footsteps. Only her own thoughts.

She had crossed into this world by accident. That was still what she believed. But the more she learned, the less it felt like an accident.

It felt like placement.

Like someone had set her down in the center of a game already in motion.