d her felt like they were closing in, suffocating her with every passing second. She had be

play the perfect queen, and I'll turn a blind eye to yo

age. A gil

of his hand, the way his voice had cracked in the garden when he had begged her

She was trapped-trapped by duty, trapped by love, trapped by the expectations

scape. Not unless

gravel path. The moonlight bathed the flowers in silver, casting long shadows across the stones. It was

orner, she stopped

e hadn't noticed her approach, and for a moment, she simply watched him. The weight

e way his face softened, the way his gaze searched hers, told her everything sh

..." The word was a prayer, a plea, a confession

back something raw. He reached for her hand, his fingers warm against hers. "I'm n

lt to speak. "I don't know what to do. If I marry Kael, I'll be fr

ose yourself, Seraphina. Not if you don't let him take

ng to make sense of the storm inside her. "I'm scared, Adrian. I'm scared of what I'll become if I st

now. Kael doesn't play games, and he won't let us go wit

his eyes, made her heart ache. "But I can't bear the thought of losing you, Adrian. I

You won't lose me, Seraphina. No matter what happens, I'll fight

m that he was real, that they were real. "I wish I could be brave like yo

rushing a strand of hair from her face. "You're here

es, searching for the courage to make the choice. The ch

heavy and tangled. "I don't know how to live with

as if he could somehow anchor her in the storm. "You do

. Kael's presence loomed over everything, his calculating gaze

till echoing in her mind. You don't have to be alone in this. Could she truly make that

was waiting. He had given her time

t only grew stronger

Seraphina sat at her father's side, her hands folded tightly in her lap, her mind elsewhere. Every now and then, her ga

keep pretendi

r will ensure peace for generations to come," he said, his eyes flicking toward Seraphina as he s

She could feel his eyes

e toward Adrian, she k

g around her like a heavy cloak. "Your Majesties, Lords and Ladies..." Her voice ran

s turne

time in her life,