Kill The Heir
1191 Words
The golden halls of the Sun Clan palace gleamed like molten fire beneath the noonday sun. Seraphine stood on a balcony overlooking the valley below, her hands resting lightly on the carved rails as the wind danced through her silver-ash hair. The palace hummed with life—servants moving in flurries, banners unfurling, and the scent of baked saffron bread drifting up from the kitchens. The celebration was near, and for once, there was joy in the air.
Her mother, Vyreth, entered the chamber silently behind her. The older woman’s presence was heavy with something unsaid, and Seraphine felt it immediately.
“You’ve been quiet,” Vyreth said, crossing to her side.
“I’ve been listening,” Seraphine replied. “The palace whispers louder than it should.”
Vyreth nodded slowly, then reached to brush a loose strand from her daughter’s face. “You’ve grown sharper than I feared. That’s good. You’ll need it.”
Seraphine turned to her. “What are you preparing me for, Mother?”
There was a long silence. Then Vyreth said carefully, “There is a plan. One that’s been set in motion. You don’t need to know the details—only that you must trust me.”
“A plan?” Seraphine’s eyes narrowed. “And I’m not allowed to know?”
“Not yet,” her mother replied. “Because if you knew… you might try to stop it. Or worse—change it.”
“I’m not a child anymore.”
“No,” Vyreth said softly. “You’re a queen. And your crown is heavier than you think.”
Seraphine stared at her mother, sensing the weight behind those words. But before she could question her further, Vyreth gave her hand a soft squeeze. “Just trust me.”
Then she was gone.
The following week blurred into a whirlwind of rituals and visits across the realm. Alaric and Seraphine stood side by side as they were introduced to the ruling clans—Sun, Moon, Night Flame, and even the elusive Starborn from the edge of the skies. There were blessings, dances, and endless rounds of gifts. Smiles everywhere. Polished teeth hiding sharpened intent.
But beneath the silk and fire, tensions simmered. The Moon Clan greeted Alaric with veiled hostility, and even the Sun Clan—supposedly his most loyal supporters—had grown colder since the arrival of Taevin, the young boy with sunlight in his eyes and fire beneath his skin. The lost heir.
Seraphine watched it all, her body aching from travel and the weight of royal expectation, her child shifting within her as though sensing the unease. But nothing—nothing—prepared her for what came next.
The grand celebration was held in the Sun Citadel’s Flame Court, a vast chamber of golden marble and flickering fire-glass. The air shimmered with heat and music. Seraphine wore a gown of crimson silk embroidered with gold dragons, her hair braided with rubies. Alaric stood beside her in armor so polished it reflected the stars above.
The court was filled with dancers, nobles, emissaries… and enemies cloaked in finery.
Seraphine smiled politely as she received another toast, her laughter practiced and light. Her hand rested on her belly, a quiet promise to the life she carried.
Then—
The room shifted.
A flicker in the corner of her vision. A shimmer in the crowd.
It happened fast.
A shramp creastly—a small, serpent-fast assassin from the Night Flame border—darted through the crowd, blade drawn. Alaric’s instincts snapped like a whip. He turned just in time, the blade grazing past his shoulder—
—but the strike wasn’t for him.
The blade arced, slicing across Seraphine’s belly.
She gasped, her hand flying to her stomach as warmth spread beneath her fingers.
“Alaric…” she whispered. “My stomach—it’s…”
The blood was crimson. Thick. Flowing too fast.
“My baby.”
Alaric roared, catching her before she could fall. “SERAPHINE!”
The court erupted into chaos. Guards surged. Guests screamed.
“FIND HIM!” Alaric bellowed, his voice thunderous as he cradled her. “GO AFTER HIM!”
Blood soaked his sleeves.
His mother, Queen Celeste, rushed forward. “Bring a healer! We cannot lose that child!”
Alaric looked up, his eyes wild. “Who did this, Mother?!”
“I don’t know,” she whispered, voice tight.
“You do,” he growled.
Just then, the high council burst into the hall, breathless and grim.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” one said, bowing low. “But… we have a problem. The Realm Council demands the last Sun heir—Taevin.”
Alaric’s eyes flared. “Why?”
“To replace you,” the man said. “They claim Seraphine was hidden too long. That the people no longer trust this union. That Taevin is the true heir—the people’s fire.”
Alaric’s expression hardened.
“This was the plan,” he hissed. “They used her. To kill my heir and place a boy in my stead.”
Celeste’s voice was cold. “Kill him.”
Alaric froze. “You’re telling me to kill a child?”
“Kill him or lose your crown,” she said.
One of the advisors spoke gravely. “Or lock him away. Control him. If he vanishes, their momentum will die.”
Alaric’s jaw clenched.
“Lock him in the tower,” he said at last. “And keep him away from the public.”
Moments later, Taevin was seized. The child screamed as he was dragged toward the Iron Tower, while his sister Selyra sobbed, clinging to the guards.
“Let him go, please!” she cried. “Please! We don’t want this!”
Meanwhile, in the inner sanctum, a healer pressed glowing hands over Seraphine’s belly, the scent of ancient herbs filling the chamber.
“She’s stable,” the dragon whispered to Alaric. “The child is safe. The ancestors shielded them both.”
Alaric collapsed into a chair, burying his face in his hands.
“I must see her.”
“You can’t,” Celeste said, barring the door. “She needs rest.”
He pushed past her.
Inside, Seraphine lay on a bed of woven flame silk, pale but breathing. Her hand rested gently on her abdomen, and as Alaric stepped in, she stirred.
“Alaric…” she murmured, eyes fluttering open.
He crossed to her, kneeling beside the bed. “I’m here. You’re safe. The baby’s safe.”
Tears slipped from her eyes. “I thought—I thought we lost it.”
“You didn’t,” he said gently. “You protected it.”
She closed her eyes. “If we had… I don’t know what would’ve become of me.”
“You don’t have to think about that.”
“Do you know who did this?”
Alaric hesitated. “No.”
It was a lie.
Seraphine frowned slightly but said nothing.
But deep in her heart, something had shifted.
This wasn’t just an assassination attempt.
This was the plan.
And somehow, she had been the bait.
- Writer
