The entire royal court stood frozen. No one breathed. No one moved. The King’s hands trembled as he stared at the birthmark on my neck. “The sun crest…” he whispered weakly. “It’s impossible.” Princess Evelina stepped backward in panic. “Father, it’s just a mark,” she said quickly. “Lots of people have birthmarks—” “NOT THAT ONE!” The King’s voice thundered through the ballroom. I flinched. Because suddenly every eye in the kingdom was locked onto me. The old man slowly reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a tiny gold locket hanging from a chain. With shaking fingers, he opened it. Inside was a faded painting of a baby wrapped in royal blankets. And on the baby’s neck… The exact same mark. My heart stopped. The King looked at me with tears streaming down his face. “Twenty years ago,” he said hoarsely, “my youngest daughter disappeared during the palace fire.” The room erupted into whispers. Princess Evelina’s face lost all color. “That’s not true,” she snapped. “You said she died!” “We never found her body,” the King replied quietly. A cold feeling spread through my chest. “No…” I whispered. “That can’t be possible.” But then the elderly palace maid near the throne suddenly gasped. “It’s her,” she cried. “The eyes… she has Queen Amelia’s eyes!” The King turned toward the guards. “Release her immediately.” The guards let go of my arms at once. Princess Evelina looked horrified. “You can’t seriously believe this dirty stable girl is royalty!” The King slowly stood. Then he said the one thing that changed my life forever. “She is not a stable girl.” He looked directly at me. “She is Princess Arabella. The rightful first heir to the throne.” The ballroom exploded into chaos. And Evelina? She stared at me like her entire world had just shattered. Because if the King was telling the truth… Then the girl she slapped in front of the kingdom… Was actually above her. To be continued… Comment “PART 3” for the moment Evelina discovers who REALLY started the palace fire. Subscribe to get more stories full part