Let Them Kneel (kaelani and Julian) novel Chapter 94

Kaelani stirred.

For a moment, she wasn’t sure if she was dreaming. The bed beneath her was too soft, the sheets too smooth. The scent in the air—wild jasmine and something unfamiliar. It wasn’t her bakery. It wasn’t her home. It wasn’t anywhere she knew.

Her eyes blinked open slowly.

The room was beautiful. That was the first word her mind could form. High-vaulted ceilings. Stone walls softened by velvet drapes. Moonlight spilled through narrow windows, illuminating carved furniture and delicate, crystalline sconces that glimmered like stars. A place out of a storybook—or a hallucination.

But the ache in her body, the heaviness in her limbs, the storm still churning low in her stomach… that was real.

A knock at the door broke through her haze.

Three sharp raps, then silence.

Kaelani didn’t move.

The knock came again—softer this time, more hesitant.

She swallowed, pushing the covers off and slowly setting her bare feet on the cool stone floor. Her legs were shaky, her breath unsteady. Every inch of her felt out of place here. Like she had been dropped into someone else’s life.

She reached the door and opened it.

A young woman stood there—no older than Kaelani herself, dressed in a simple gown with silver embroidery at the cuffs. Her dark hair was braided neatly over one shoulder, and her expression was kind, though nervous.

“I’m terribly sorry to wake you,” the woman said softly. “May I come in?”

Kaelani blinked at her. Then, with a slow nod, she stepped aside and opened the door wider.

“Of course. I… I have no authority here. This isn’t my home.”

The woman stepped inside, her tone gentle but sure.

“You have more authority than you think.”

Before Kaelani could ask what that meant, the woman crossed the room and began laying out gowns—gorgeous, intricate things in soft shades of lavender, emerald, and deep crimson, each one stitched with threads that shimmered in the light.

Kaelani stood frozen, watching as her new reality unfolded in silk and jeweled embroidery before her.

The young woman stepped back, admiring the arrangement across the bed, then turned with a warm smile.

“These should fit you well. You may choose whichever dress you like.”

Kaelani blinked, still adjusting to her strange surroundings. Her voice came out rough from sleep.

“A simple shirt and jeans will do just fine.”

“What’s the special occasion?”

The young woman clasped her hands in front of her with a polite smile.

“It’s breakfast with Lord Draevyn. He would be delighted if you joined him.”

Kaelani’s brows knit together as she glanced toward the tall balcony doors, pale light spilling in through the heavy drapes. She moved toward them, her bare feet silent against the stone floor.

“Breakfast?” she murmured. “It’s still night out.”

The girl gave a soft, knowing laugh.

“It is indeed morning. It’s just… always night here.”

Kaelani paused, her hand on the door, then slowly pushed it open and stepped out onto the balcony. A cool breeze brushed her skin as she took in the somber beauty of the land beyond—endless shadows and glimmering stars overhead.

“Always night?” she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper.

The stars above blinked like distant embers, frozen in a sky that never softened to blue. A hush blanketed the landscape, eerie and eternal. The wind tugged gently at the fabric clinging to her skin, but she barely felt the chill.

Behind her, the young woman stepped quietly into the doorway.