FORBIDDEN LOVE (THE KING IS IN LOVE WITH A PALACE ORACLE MAID)

CHAPTER 1 SERAFINA’S POV Just before morning, a desperate wail broke the peace at the palace gates. "Please assist me! kindly! A man staggered forward, his cloak ripped, and fell to his knees on the chilly stone. Raw with desperation, his voice floated across the vacant courtyard. "I begged you!" A palace guard rushed toward him, boots slamming down hard on the ground. His hand stayed above his sword's hilt. "Who dares at this hour to disturb the palace? Do you think you can give the king an audience? Do you have a death wish? The man, his hands shaking, pressed his forehead against the stone and reached for something. "I have a guard's boot." I have nowhere else to look. Everything has vanished, including my family and my land. I must have the justice of the king! The guard laughed dismissively. "Justice?" asks He drew it deliberately, with an air of carelessness. Do you believe, peasants, that justice is free? Do you believe the king will change his rules for someone like you? Glistening in the torchlight, a blade struck—"Enough!" A sharp voice cut through the tension like a knife across silk. The guardian stopped. The man choked. The king himself emerged from the massive palace doors, which groaned open. King Vittorio of Castamar dropped down the steps, his black cloak billowing behind him and his emerald eyes unreadable. First light of morning caught the golden embroidery on his cuffs. His every movement sent whispers among the assembled guards, radiating authority. "What is this disturbance?" His voice remained steady, yet it carried a hint of irritation. The peasant took a deep breath, his head still lowered. Your Majesty, my brother—he pilfers my territory! He is the sole provider of food for my family. The villages have no justice left. I found my last hope here. The king slanted his head to study the man as one would have seen a chipped jewel. "Who's the eldest?" "My friend, sire." A flicker of something passed over the king's face. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly through his nose. "The law is obvious. In the absence of a written will, the eldest inherits. There is no further action required in this situation. The hands of the peasant became fists. Nevertheless, Your Majesty— "Do you find my words confusing?" Vittorio's voice sharpened and his eyes darkened. "Or do you want to challenge the law?" The matter came to a halt. It came to a hold. His face twisted with despair as he ventured to raise his gaze just slightly. "They say the suffering of the people rules the king's pain. It is believed that the throne exists to protect those who are less fortunate. was that a lie?" Over the courtyard, a lethal silence descended. The cops stiffened. The peasant had wandered too far. Vittorio's fingers tightened around his cloak, his face inscrutable. Then he turned on his heel and vanished into the palace, kneeling on the man's knees in the ground without saying a word. The Kingdom of Castamar once stood as a beacon of hope for the future. That was the past. Ten years of war had devastated the land. Then famine set in. There was a ferment of rebellion. The realm broke when the former king turned traitor; every nobleman was vying for control. And then the legitimate heir turned eighteen. Seizing the throne amid a tempest of blood and fire, Vittorio brought Castamar once more together. But there was a price for peace. He married Isabella of Velmara, the daughter of the most formidable emperor in the empire, to guard his realm. Her dowry rebuilt the national capital. She quieted Castamar's adversaries. She was a savior. People are a savior. The nobility viewed her as a savior, while Vittorio viewed her as a burden. Whispering in the darkness, they identified him as "The Cursed King." Spoken at his birth, a prophecy had predicted he would bring disaster upon his people. In due course, it might prove accurate. The queen's chamber smelled of lavender and a hint of pepper. Sitting next to the window under moonlight, Isabella wore a golden braid draped over her shoulder. She did not turn as the king came in. "Isabella," His voice now was almost tired, softer. "Vittorum." She nodded to him without looking up. He moved in front of me. "May I find solace in my wife tonight." Stillness. She then laid her scroll aside and at last looked at him. "Has the weight of the crown grown too great?" He lets out a sharp breath. "They consider me to be nasty. They believe I do not share their suffering. She studied him; her expression was incomprehensible. "You understood the loneliness." "Absolutely. But must a stranger also be unfamiliar to me? She looked down. "I don't have any responses for you tonight, Vittorio." His jaw tightened, but he did not press the issue. He nodded slowly, then turned and left her chambers, the door closing between them like an iron gate. Dawn dawn in Castamar was anarchy. Retailers, beggars, and thieves all pulsed through the streets. Vendors shouted their goods above the sound of blacksmith hammers and brothel girls laughing. "Clean fruit! Sweetest in the land!" "Jewels Isles!" Properness is queen. "Serafina!" A dirt-streaked figure ran down the alley. The girl he called hardly turned to look at him. As she rolled a pilfered apple between her fingers, her raven curls fell over her shoulder. "What is it,Giovanni?" Soldiers! They are absorbing everything! Her hold got me. I'm yours. "Who?" "I'm your father here. He is being dumped onto the streets! Serafina was on her way already. She found it worse than she had anticipated when she arrived. One man lay on the ground while his wife held their wrenched children. Soldiers dumped their few possessions into the ground.Giovanni sobbed and grabbed at his father's arm. "Where?!" Shouting, Serafina "What else did they do?" The head soldier barely glanced at her. Land dispute. "The king has set his rule. The lad's uncle receives everything." Serafina turned over in her stomach. The king... he let this happen? The soldier gave a smug grin. "The king does as advised by law. The law does not concern itself with beggars." Her lips erupted with fury like flames. She spat at his feet before she could control herself. "then I'll chat to him myself." "Serafina!" Her father grabbed her wrist. Philip's father Don't—" She was on her way already. One guard at the palace gates caught her by the arm. "Where have you been? Are you trying to get yourself executed? She wrenched free, heaving her chest. "I had to—I had to—" "no excuses." He drove her forward. "Get to your post before someone picks it up. Heart pounding, she nodded and ran inside. She changed into her maid's uniform in a few minutes and started to line up as the head maid assigned tasks. "Serafina," the woman said with outstanding clarity. "Today you are on call in the Queen's chambers. There are no errors." Serafina graced a smile under pressure. understood. She stayed, her eye straying toward the throne room doors as the other maids rushed away. She had never had a close-up view of the king. No commoner was permitted to meet his gaze. But modern times could be different. She didn't leave without anyone noticing.