Chapter 005
873 Words
“Come on, Seraphina, we’ll be late!” her father’s voice echoed from downstairs, tinged with impatience and concern.
“I’m coming!” she called back, giving herself one last twirl in front of the mirror.
She had spent the entire night carefully choosing the perfect dress, a shimmering emerald gown that hugged her curves just right and made her feel like royalty. It was what she liked to call her snatch dress. Her makeup was flawless, highlighting the delicate freckles on her cheeks and the sparkle in her deep green eyes. Her long auburn curls spilled over her shoulders like silk, soft and glowing. She was beautiful every day, but tonight… tonight, she looked like an angel.
As she descended the grand staircase, the buzz of conversation in the house fell silent. Her parents stood at the bottom, frozen in awe.
Her mother gasped softly, her hand fluttering to her mouth. “Seraphina… you look like an angel.”
Her father’s eyes brimmed with pride, voice thick. “My little girl… all grown up.”
Seraphina’s smile was small, nervous. “Is it too much?”
Her mother shook her head gently, wiping a tear. “It’s perfect.”
At the palace, a whirlwind of activity filled the air. The grand ballroom gleamed under a thousand crystal chandeliers, the polished marble reflecting the glitter of noble gowns and jeweled tiaras. Nobles from every corner of the Lycan kingdom filled the room, murmuring in excited anticipation. Tonight was the night, the coronation of their new king and the selection of the queen.
Inside the royal suite, Blake and Kayla stood before a gilded mirror, each dressed impeccably. Kayla’s deep crimson gown shimmered like a flame, while Blake was sharp and commanding in a black suit embroidered with silver thread, destined for kingship.
Kayla smirked, adjusting her earring. “Nervous?”
Blake shrugged, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of tension. “A little.”
“Big night,” Kayla said, a hint of triumph in her voice.
Blake offered a tight smile. “More than you know.”
Back in the crowd, Seraphina’s heart beat wildly beneath her emerald gown. She moved through the throng with quiet confidence, though no one else suspected the secret she carried. Nobody knew about her stolen moments with Blake, the stolen kisses, whispered promises in the shadows, the dreams they built in secret.
Not a soul.
She had guarded that secret fiercely, protecting it from the judgmental eyes of the court and the weight of royal expectations. To the world, Blake was just the crown prince, and she was another noble maiden.
But to her, he was everything.
As the king was crowned, a hush fell over the ballroom. The moment everyone had been waiting for was upon them, the naming of the Lycan queen.
The royal family ascended the dais, the crowd’s chatter fading into expectant silence.
The king’s voice rang out, steady and regal. “Tonight, I name the woman who shall rule beside my son, one who embodies courage, loyalty, and grace.”
Every maiden present, including Seraphina, straightened, standing tall in a line of elegance and hope.
The king continued, “And the lady who shall reign by my son’s side is none other than the beautiful Kayla.”
A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd.
“What?”
“Kayla?”
Confused whispers echoed, but Seraphina alone did not flinch. Her gaze sharpened, cool and distant.
She’s back, Seraphina thought bitterly. Of course she is.
Suddenly, the great ballroom doors swung open with a dramatic creak, and all eyes turned.
A tall, graceful figure stepped in, bathed in the glow of moonlight pouring through the windows. She moved with the quiet confidence of someone who belonged to this place, elegant, poised, and breathtaking.
Gasps and whispers spread like wildfire.
“It’s her…”
“She’s returned…”
Blake’s eyes lit up as he pushed through the crowd and closed the distance between them in seconds. Without hesitation, he pulled the woman into a warm, intimate kiss that silenced the room.
Seraphina’s world shattered.
The cheers erupted around her, but she heard nothing. Time seemed to freeze.
Blake then took the woman’s hand, leading her forward to the front of the ballroom. Bowing low, he kissed her knuckles with reverence.
“This,” Blake declared, voice strong and proud, “is your queen.”
He placed a dazzling diamond crown atop her head, and the entire assembly bowed in unison.
Seraphina stood rooted to the spot, the breath caught painfully in her throat.
“No… no, no…” she whispered, trembling.
The tears came fast, hot and unstoppable, streaking down her cheeks as the truth crushed her.
All the nights they had spent dreaming beneath the stars, all the whispered promises they’d shared in secret, all the love vanished in an instant.
A gentle hand touched her arm.
“Seraphina…” It was Adolphus, Blake’s loyal friend, who had always watched her with quiet affection from the sidelines.
His voice was soft, filled with sympathy. “I didn’t know…”
She shook her head, trembling. “Don’t… please.”
Adolphus’s eyes searched hers. “I never thought”
She cut him off…
- Writer
