Game with no rules
790 Words
The rain had passed, but the skies remained overcast, as if the storm had only retreated for breath. Blackmour Keep awoke slowly, its halls stirring with the rustle of silks and steel, of servants bearing trays and nobles whispering behind lace fans.
Seraphine stood in the main courtyard, arms folded, watching the guards train. The clashing of blades, the thud of boots on gravel—it grounded her more than any etiquette lesson or political farce ever could.
“Planning to join the drills?” a smooth voice asked behind her.
Thorne.
He looked far too polished for someone who’d arrived in a downpour the night before. His uniform was pristine, silver trim sharp enough to cut. His smile, as always, held a hint of challenge.
Seraphine didn’t look at him. “Only if I get to choose the weapon.”
He stepped to her side, hands clasped behind his back. “I thought you already had.”
Her brow lifted. “Meaning?”
He glanced toward the field. “You wield silence like a blade, Lady Seraphine. With terrifying precision.”
She almost smiled.
But before she could respond, another voice joined them—low, rough, and already laced with irritation.
“Kain,” Thorne said smoothly, not even turning. “Glad you could join us.”
Kain gave a stiff nod, his dark eyes flicking first to Thorne, then to Seraphine. “You make a habit of hovering around women who aren’t yours, Commander?”
Thorne smiled. “Only the dangerous ones.”
Seraphine stepped between them before the tension could snap. “Are you both finished measuring your swords, or should I call for an audience?”
Thorne chuckled.
Kain didn’t.
The captain folded his arms. “Seraphine, a word. Alone.”
Thorne inclined his head politely. “Of course. I wouldn’t dare interrupt.”
As he walked off, Kain’s jaw clenched. “He’s circling you like a hawk.”
She raised a brow. “And you’re circling like a wolf. Should I be flattered or concerned?”
“You should be careful,” he muttered, then met her gaze with that familiar fire. “Men like Thorne don’t want hearts. They want leverage.”
“And what do you want, Kain?” Her voice was soft now, dangerous. Trying to entice him into biting at her question and the challenge it hid.
He didn’t answer at first. He looked at her like a man walking the edge of a cliff, unable to decide whether to jump or pull her back with him.
“I want you to stop looking at him like that,” he said finally. Letting out a sigh he turned to watch the guards train with uninterested eyes.
Seraphine blinked, a flicker of heat in her chest. “Like what?”
“Like he could touch you,” he said, voice low. “Like he already has.”
She didn’t know whether to laugh or slap him. “You don’t own me, Kain.”
“No,” he said. “But gods help me, I wish I did.” He looked directly at her as he spoke.
Her heart skipped.
But before she could respond, footsteps approached again. Not Thorne this time—but one of the royal messengers, bowing low.
“Lady Seraphine. His Majesty requests your presence in the war chamber. At once.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What for?”
“He did not say. But Commander Thorne and Captain Kain are to join as well.”
She exchanged a look with Kain, tension sharp between them.
Together, they followed the messenger down the long corridor, Thorne already waiting at the heavy doors, arms crossed, the hint of a knowing smile on his lips.
When the three of them entered, they were met by a room full of high-ranking officers, a newly unfurled map of the eastern border, and the king himself standing behind the table—expression grim.
“Lady Seraphine,” he said without ceremony. “A delicate matter requires your attention. You’ll ride at first light.”
Kain stepped forward. “Where to?”
The king looked between them. “To the shattered remains of House Lirien. A noble family executed for treason… and the birthplace of Seraphine’s late mother.”
Gasps rippled through the room.
Seraphine’s spine straightened. “Why now?”
“Because something’s stirring in the ruins,” the king said. “And I need someone who understands shadows to confront it.”
His gaze was sharp.
“Commander Thorne will ride with you,” he added. “And so will Captain Kain, if there is something at least one of you should make it back to tell me what it is.”
- Writer
