Chapter 4
After the fifty strikes with the oaken cudgel, Seraphine’s back was a mass of bruises and blood.
Lucien didn’t even glance at her. He took Vivienne’s hand and led her to the dining hall.
The maids whispered among themselves.
“Prince Valmont is so kind to Lady Sinclair.”
“Of course. I heard he even practiced for her…”
“Practiced what?”
“In matters of the bedchamber. ”
Seraphine struggled to her feet, limping back to her small room.
As she pushed the door open, she noticed a bottle of Witch’s Salve on the table. She stared at it for a long while before ultimately leaving it where it was.
Her back, still raw from the fifty strikes, hadn’t even started to heal when she was forced to leave again.
This time, Vivienne had decided to visit Silverbirch Vale to enjoy the first snow of the season.
Seraphine silently followed behind the carriage, watching as Lucien gently helped Vivienne down, wrapping her in a vermin–fur mantle, his eyes filled with tenderness.
“Lucien, the wood anemone smells so good,” Vivienne said, lifting her face to the sky, eyes sparkling.
Lucien chuckled softly. “Do you like it?”
“Yes!” Vivienne nodded eagerly, then, unexpectedly, rose up on tiptoe to plant a light kiss on his lips before quickly retreating, her face flushed. “I love the flowers… and you.”
Seraphine had grown tired of seeing such displays over the past few days. Ever since their kiss in the study, Vivienne seemed to have discovered the sweetness of such gestures, and Lucien always indulged her with a fond smile.
“I’ll go pick one for you,” Lucien said softly.
Vivienne stopped him. “I’ll pick it myself!”
She skipped over to the tree to try and reach a branch of the wood anemone, but despite her efforts, she couldn’t reach it.
Turning back, she called to Seraphine, “You, kneel down.”
Seraphine’s back was still bleeding, but she had no choice. She slowly knelt, feeling Vivienne’s embroidered shoes press down on her wound as the pain flared again, making her vision blur.
“Go higher!” Vivienne insisted, stomping her foot.
Seraphine bit her lip, forcing herself to rise a little more. Each movement felt like a knife twisting in her wounds.
“Ah! I got it!” Vivienne exclaimed, but as she jumped down, she tripped and nearly fell.
Lucien immediately rushed forward to catch her. “Be careful.”
“Lucien, you’re so quick,” Vivienne giggled, throwing her arms around his neck.
Lucien smiled helplessly, brushing her nose. “Are you happy now?”
“Happy!” Vivienne bearned, then looked over at Seraphine still kneeling in the snow. “Let’s go inside.”
Lucien nodded, his gaze briefly flicking to Seraphine, “Get up.”
Just as Seraphine was about to rise, a sudden whistling sound cut through the air.
Swoosh-
An arrow shot directly toward Lucien’s heart.
Instinctively, Seraphine threw herself forward, but he barked, “Protect Vivienne!”
Seraphine froze.
Chapter 4
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“My lord…”
“Her life is more important than mine!”
The words cut through her heart like a blade.
Seraphine quickly turned, standing in front of Vivienne and unsheathing her sword. She slashed through three arrows in one motion.
Assassins surrounded them from all sides, at least twenty of them.
Seraphine, already injured, found her strength waning, but she fought on, determined to shield Vivienne.
Finally, as she pierced the last assassin’s throat, Seraphine collapsed, drenched in blood.
But in her final moments, Vivienne suddenly grabbed her arm, pushing her forward.
Thrust!
The sword pierced Seraphine’s chest. She killed the assassin with her last breath, the world fading to black.
Before she fell, she thought she heard Lucien calling her name.
But it was too late.
My lord, I have protected her.
Mission accomplished…
Seraphine had a long dream.
In it, she was seven years old, lying frozen and near death in front of Valmont Keep’s carriage.
The carriage door opened, and a young Lucien looked down at her from above. “What’s your name?”
“I…I don’t have a name…”
The young boy thought for a moment, then declared, “Then I’ll name you Seraphine…Seraphine Frost.”
He reached out his hand. “Come with me.”
The dream shifted to Lucien teaching her martial arts.
She couldn’t hold the sword, so he stood behind her, guiding her hands. “Steady your wrist.”
And later, countless nights, when he would ask, “Does it feel good?”
A sharp pain jolted her back to reality. Seraphine struggled to open her eyes and found herself lying in a familiar bed.
The moonlight outside bathed the room in silver, and she was half–undressed, Lucien leaning over her, his lips kissing her heart softly.
“My lord…” Seraphine rasped, shock in her eyes. “What are you doing?”
Chapter 4
