Chapter 6
“Seraphina! Seraphina!”
“Don’t you dare sleep. Wake up–now!”
It was so loud. All around me
My eyelids felt like they were made of lead–impossible to lift. And I didn’t want to.
Why wouldn’t they let me rest?
I was so tired. Bone–deep weary…
“Your Majesty, she’s just a condemned woman. Why cause such a commotion over her?”
The head lady–in waiting beside Evelyne couldn’t hide her disdain.
“You know full well, Your Majesty Her Grace is with child. She can’t be exposed to such gruesome sights. She’s shaken. Her health is at risk, and now she has no physician by her side to monitor her condition.
Something in that shrill voice dragged my fading consciousness back to the surface
I remembered what day it was. And where I was,
Ravenshire had fallen. The kingdom renamed.
We lived now in the reign of Wulfric.
And Evelyne was /
Alaric’s crowned consort.
In the end… whether I had married him or not, nothing would’ve changed.
After the bloodbath that was the palace siege, one of Alaric’s commanders had asked, “And what of Princess Seraphina? Shall we dispose of her to prevent future threat?”
Alaric had merely glanced at me. His eyes were cold. Merciless.
He could tame the fiercest beasts on the steppes. What fear could a fragile former princess possibly pose?
“Keep her,” he’d said. “If she refuses to obey–kill her.”
That was when I truly understood. The hatred in his heart would never fades
And L… I should’ve hated him too. But I couldn’t deny it.
He was a capable ruler–perhaps even a great one. He had united the fractured lands under one banner, achieved what even my father never could.
Back when he first forced me to share his bed, I had considered ending it
I’d hidden a hairpin beneath my pillow, waiting for the right moment to strike his throat. But when the moment came, my hand
trembled.
And I couldn’t do it. Because if I killed him-then what?
Chaos would erupt. War would return. And the rivers of Valebridge would run red again.
What was I supposed to do?
I felt nothing anymore. Not truly. Only numbness. Only fatigue. When I finally came close to release, to peace–he still found a way to pull me back into the pain.
In my mind, I pleaded silently: Just leave, Alaric. Go back to Evelyne. She needs you.
Chapter 6
I heard his footsteps recede.
He was gone.
He went straight to Evelyne’s chamber. The moment she saw him, her face lit up with relief.
“Your Majesty, you’ve come.”
“Is Seraphina… alright? It’s all my fault, really. I’m so clumsy. I should’ve known that beast would act out,”
“Even though I’m carrying your child, please… punish me if I’ve wronged you.”
She dropped into a dramatic curtsy, attempting to kneel.
In her heart, she was certain Alaric would -as always–stop her.
And he did. He reached out his hand. His palm opened toward her.
Evelyne’s lips curved upward slightly. Just as she moved to place her hand in his
His voice, sharp and cold, cut through the moment.
“Where’s the wolf fang talisman?”
Evelyne froze. For a heartbeat, confusion passed across her features. Then understanding. Of course. That’s what he’d come for She bit her lip–but quickly composed herself.
“It’s been placed in storage. A new maid handled the task. She’s… a little slow. It might take a day or two to find.
“If Your Majesty desires it now… perhaps a little more time?”
Alaric’s gaze turned glacial.
“Missing?
“Who was in charge of placing it? A maid who can’t manage a simple itern doesn’t deserve to remain.
“Drag her out. Execute her.”
Evelyne paled. Behind her, the maids collapsed to their knees, trembling violently.
“Please, Your Majesty, calm yourself!”
Half an hour later, the “misplaced” talisman was delivered untouched, undamaged.
וי
Alaric didn’t say a word at first. He gave Evelyne a single glance and offered a cold warning. “The Queen should manage her servants better.”
Then, without another word, he turned and swept out of the room.
I hadn’t expected him to return. But he did. He sat by the bed in silence. And with quiet care, he placed the talisman back around my wrist.
His movements were p
gentle–just like they’d been ten years ago, when he’d first fastened it on for me with a rare, flickering tenderness. That familiar scent–wild and sharp–drifted up to my nose. It dulled the pain in my bones, but only slightly.
It changed nothing
Not one of the healers in the royal Infirmary could save me.
They dressed my wounds, stopped the bleeding, tried every method to prolong the last flicker of breath in my body. But none could wake me.
Chuder &
“Useless! All of you are useless!”
His fury cracked, revealing something deeper beneath–something close to desperation.
Just then, a royal guard entered, dropping to one knee.
“Your Majesty. A warlock seeks an audience at the palace gates.”
Alaric turned sharply. “Who?”
“He says… he’s an old acquaintance of both Your Majesty and Princess Seraphina.”
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