Chapter 2: The Duke’s Price
516 Words
The silence in the cathedral was so heavy it felt like it might shatter the stained-glass windows. Seraphina didn’t look back at the altar, but she could feel Prince Alaric’s fury radiating off him like a heatwave.
"Seraphina! Get away from that man this instant!" Alaric’s voice cracked, his polished Imperial mask finally slipping to reveal the Irritable and Arrogant boy beneath.
Seraphina didn't flinch. Instead, she leaned closer to Duke Valerius, her fingers brushing the cold steel of his pauldrons. She felt him shift—a slow, Dominant movement that made the guards at the door reach for their swords.
"I believe the lady made her choice, Your Highness," Valerius said. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the weight of a man who had commanded armies through Tragedy. He stood up, his towering height casting a long shadow over Seraphina. Up close, the Mystery surrounding his "curse" was palpable; the air around him felt charged, like a coming storm.
"Choice? She is my betrothed!" Alaric stormed down the steps, his face flushed. "She is a Blaise! She belongs to the Crown!"
"I belong to no one but myself," Seraphina countered, her voice ringing with the Scheming confidence of a woman who had already won this argument in her head. "And as the sole Heiress of the Blaise estate, I have the legal right to choose my protector. The contract is already signed, Alaric. I signed it in my own blood while you were busy flirting with the wine girls last night."
That was a lie—she hadn't signed it yet—but her Genius lay in her ability to bluff the most powerful men in the room.
Valerius looked down at her, a flash of dark amusement crossing his Taciturn features. He knew she was lying, and he liked it. He reached out, his gloved hand gripping her waist with a possessiveness that made the crowd gasp.
"We are leaving," the Duke announced.
As they walked down the aisle, Seraphina caught the eye of Lady Elara. The mistress looked pale, her grip tightening on her lace fan. Seraphina gave her a small, Cold smile. Enjoy your Prince while he still has a palace, Elara. By the time I’m finished, you’ll both be begging for scraps in the street.
Once they reached the Duke’s black carriage, Valerius didn't help her in. He stood by the door, blocking her path.
"You have a very sharp tongue for a 'plain' noblewoman," he murmured, his gaze Paranoid and searching as if looking for the trap he knew she was setting. "But my protection isn't free, Seraphina. You promised me secrets. You promised me the Crown."
"And you’ll have them," Seraphina promised, her eyes burning with the fire of Revenge. "But first, we need to deal with the assassin Alaric just sent to follow us."
Valerius didn't even turn around. He simply drew a hidden dagger, the silver reflecting the Dark grey sky. "I like you, Seraphina Blaise. You're much more dangerous than you look."
- Writer
