Chapter 001
1340 Words
"When I ascend the crown one day, it’ll be you by my side. You or no one else, and I mean it."
Blake's voice was low, firm, and full of the quiet fire that always made Seraphina's heart stutter.
She looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Blake, you know I love you more than anything. It’s your heartbeat that fuels me, day and night."
He cupped her face gently, brushing a loose strand of hair from her cheek. But the shadow of secrecy still loomed between them.
"Then why must we always meet in hiding?" she asked, her voice cracking. "Why am I still a secret?"
Blake sighed, pulling her closer beneath the sweeping branches of the giant cherry blossom tree.
"I’m just... preparing the way. When I finally introduce you to my parents, I want there to be no doubt. They’ll accept you no matter the cost."
Lady Seraphina shook her head, a tear sliding down her cheek.
"Am I not good enough now? Why can’t I meet them already? You’re the love of my life, Blake. You swore you’d be with me. You swore you’d fight for me. Why am I the one hiding in the shadows?"
Her voice broke.
"I’m the daughter of your father’s advisor and best friend. They know me. They’ve seen me. Why should I be kept in secret like some shameful thing?"
Blake wrapped his arms around her tightly.
"Very soon, my love," he whispered. "You’ll be known as the Queen of the Lycan Packs. And yes... I do love you. It's you or no one. I swear it."
He kissed her forehead, then her lips slowly, tenderly, and held her beneath the flowering tree as if she were the only thing that mattered in the world.
A soft smile bloomed on her face.
"I love you, Blake. I don't care about the crown, the servants, or the expensive clothing. It's you I love, and I'll give up everything just so I can throw in my lot with you, Blake Caspian. "
"It’s me and you." "Forever," Blake finished with a wink.
Seraphina glanced at the time on the small silver pocket watch he'd gifted her weeks ago.
"Oh no! Dad asked me to run some errands before the market closed. I’ve got to go!"
She stood, brushing the petals from her dress, and flashed him a bright smile.
"I’ll see you later, my love."
Blake watched her rush off, her hair cascading down her back like wildfire caught in the wind. His chest swelled with something heavy and real.
He truly loved her.
For four years, they had been together ever since the old royal advisor had passed, and her father took his place. From the moment Blake met Seraphina, he knew she was the one. That had never been a lie.
Still, the truth he carried one he had yet to speak aloud pressed against his soul like a blade at his back.
And far away, fate waited... silently, patiently, ready to strike.
Blake chased after her, and his hand caught her wrist gently.
"Wait... just a minute longer," he said softly.
She paused, looking over her shoulder.
"Blake, I really have to..."
"I know," he said, staring deep into her eyes. "I just... I don’t want this moment to end yet."
Seraphina’s expression softened. She stepped back into his arms.
"Sometimes I think the only time I can breathe is when I’m with you," Blake murmured, resting his forehead against hers.
"This tree, this place... it feels like the only world where we’re allowed to exist."
She let out a quiet laugh.
"Then let’s stay here forever. Just you and me. We’ll build a little cottage under the blossoms. You’ll be king of cherry trees, and I’ll be your queen."
Blake smiled, but the sorrow behind it didn’t go unnoticed.
"You’d trade the throne for a life in the woods?" he asked, half-joking.
Seraphina looked up at him, serious now.
"If it meant I had you, yes. Every time."
He pulled her in again, holding her tighter than before.
"Sometimes I wish I could choose love over duty without tearing the kingdom apart," he whispered. "But being the heir… it’s a cage that looks like a crown."
"Then burn the cage," Seraphina said fiercely. "Choose me. Fight for me like you said you would. Why are you waiting?"
Blake hesitated.
"It’s not that simple, Sera. My father..." He shook his head. "He has plans. And the Council they’re watching every move I make. I just need a little more time to make sure nothing comes between us."
"But something is coming between us," she said, voice rising. "All this secrecy, all these hidden meetings. I’m tired, Blake. I deserve to be seen not just as the daughter of an advisor, not just as some secret you hide beneath cherry blossoms."
Her hands trembled.
"You say you love me. So show them. Show everyone."
Blake's jaw clenched.
"I will. I swear it, Seraphina. Just hold on a little longer."
"I’m holding on by threads, Blake."
He reached into his coat and took her hand, placing something in her palm. It was a ring simple, elegant, with a stone that shimmered like moonlight.
"This belonged to my grandmother. She had entrusted it into my care, believing that Iq0 would make the right decision and give it to a worthy woman. That woman is you, Sera, you are my best decision. " His voice was raw.
"It’s not a formal coronation. Not yet. But it’s a promise. One day, I’ll give you this in front of the entire kingdom. You’ll wear it on the dais beside me."
Seraphina stared at it, stunned.
"You’re not proposing, are you?" she asked breathlessly.
Blake chuckled softly.
"No... not until I can do it right. But it’s something better."
"Better?" she raised a brow, trying not to cry again.
"It’s a vow, Seraphina. A vow that it’s still you, always you."
She launched herself into his arms, laughing and crying at once.
"You’re lucky I love you," she whispered into his chest.
"Because this better be worth the wait."
Blake kissed the top of her head.
"Now Blake, I really need to go."
Seraphina stepped back, brushing the last of her tears away as she straightened her dress and gathered herself. "Father’s going to worry if I don’t make it back in time with the goods."
Blake gave a reluctant nod, his eyes still locked on hers. Just as she turned to leave, he whispered softly
"I’ll see you tonight... at the old townhouse. The one my family abandoned years ago."
She paused, glancing over her shoulder with a small smile.
"I’ll try to make it," she said gently, and then she was gone disappearing into the sunlight, her silhouette swallowed by the shifting trees.
Blake stood frozen beneath the cherry blossom tree, watching the space she left behind. His chest ached with the weight of everything unsaid. She was his everything now his peace, his secret, his curse. No matter what fate demanded, he couldn’t let her go.
No one in the kingdom knew of their secret affair. No one... except Adolphus, his best friend since childhood. The only one he trusted enough to confide in. The only one who’d seen the depth of his love for her.
"Adolphus," Blake muttered to himself, snapping from his thoughts. "He’s probably waiting for me... training."
The prince sighed, running a hand through his hair as he began gathering their things picnic remnants, a discarded book, and the woven blanket still heavy with the scent of wildflowers.
Afternoon training had become a sacred routine, a cover for the chaos in his life. It was the one place he didn’t have to think. Just move, strike, sweat, breathe.
But today, even that wouldn't be enough to keep Seraphina out of his mind.
Not when he was already dreaming of the moment they’d meet again... under moonlight, in a forgotten place, where their love still dared to exist.
- Writer
