THE THORN

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER FIVE

LUCIEN'S POV

So small, so vile, so beautiful. What a temptation she was. Her lips… Gods, those lips. For years, I had imagined what it would feel like to have Seraphina Thornvale standing within my reach. In some of those imaginings, she had a dagger pressed against my throat. In others, she stood across a battlefield, her eyes burning with the same hatred that had made her name infamous throughout the supernatural kingdoms. Never once had I imagined her standing before me in an ivory wedding dress, wearing a crown of silver thorns, looking as though she would rather watch the world burn than become my wife. And yet, she was now mine.

The thought was as satisfying as it was dangerous. Her lips had barely touched mine before she began fighting to escape my hold. I felt the tension in her body, the fury radiating from her like heat from a dying star. She pushed against my chest, and I released her before she could mistake my intentions for a challenge she needed to win. She stumbled back half a step. Then she looked at me. Oh, that look.

If hatred could kill, I would have been reduced to ashes before the priest finished his final prayer.I almost smiled. "Get your filthy hands off me!"

Her voice sliced through the silence. I lowered my gaze to my hands. I had released her, yet she was still glaring at me as though I had personally offended every ancestor in her bloodline.which I had. I glanced at the dagger in her hand. My eyes narrowed. That weapon, I knew it.

The sight of its familiar hilt brought back a memory I had spent years trying to bury beneath the responsibilities of a crown.

King Aldric had carried a similar blade.

I remembered him standing in the royal courtyard, his hand resting on the weapon's hilt as he watched me with the suspicion of a man who knew his kingdom was running out of time. I remembered the way he had looked at his daughter, too.

As though she were the one good thing the world had ever given him. And now she was standing before me, holding his dagger and looking at me as though she would gladly use it to carve out my heart.

I couldn't decide whether to laugh or admire her.

"Your Highness," Damon my right hand stammered, "perhaps we should allow the princess—"

"Prepare the carriage , we are leaving tonight."

“ No, I'm not going anywhere with you” Seraphina barked out “ in fact, your not even leaving here alive you demon”

I blinked trying to hide the laughter that was bubbli go up in my stomach, she's so cute, and that mouth of hers… God the things I would like to do to that mouth. So plump, soft-

I couldn't finish the thought as the dagger in her hands, slide into my chest, pivoting blood trickling down my suit. My brows raised as my eyes studied her vengeful expression. I raised my hands as a signal to stop my Warriors from retributing. “ Saraphina, stop” queen Isolde ordered.

Her brows furrowed as she stared at the blood spreading across my suit. Confusion flickered across her face, quickly followed by renewed fury. She pushed the dagger deeper. I glanced down at the blade, then back at her. "Are you finished?" Her mouth fell open.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" she shouted. "WHY AREN'T YOU DYING?"

"Perhaps you're not as good with a dagger as everyone claims." Her eyes widened with outrage. "I WILL CUT YOUR HEART OUT!"

"Your majesty," Damon muttered beside me, sounding as though he regretted every decision that had led him to this moment. I ignored him. Seraphina was watching me with the bewildered fury of someone whose carefully planned murder had refused to cooperate. It was, admittedly, rather entertaining. "Now," I said, lowering my voice, "are you going to remove the dagger, or shall we stand here until sunset?"

"Go to hell."

"I've been there. The accommodations were dreadful." She stared at me. Then she twisted the dagger. Pain flared through my chest, sharp enough to erase the amusement from my face. “wife!" I warned

"Don't call me that!"

"Would you prefer princess?"

"I would prefer you dead!"

"An ambitious request for our wedding day."She looked as though she might actually smile but she didn't causing me to surge my darkness… pushing her and the dagger away from me.

A hiss escaped her lips as she clutched her stomach in pain” your gonna pay for this”

My head tilted “ I have no time for this” I seized Seraphina's wrists before she could attempt another attack and dragged her towards the waiting carriage. "Let go of me!" she snapped, struggling against my grip.

I didn't even bother to respond I dragged her towards the waiting carriage, ignoring the curses pouring from her mouth.She made a furious sound behind me. "I hate you!"

I reached the carriage and pulled the door open. Before she could launch another insult at me, I lifted her by the waist and placed her inside.She landed on the velvet seat with an indignant gasp.Her silver crown sat crooked on her head, several strands of dark hair had escaped their arrangement, and her dress was rumpled from our struggle. The dagger remained in her hand. She looked like a princess who had been dragged through a war.

A particularly unpleasant princess who would probably attempt to murder me again before dinner. "Give me the dagger," I ordered.

"f**k you" my eyes darkened at the word held out my hand trying not to think about f*****g her here and now. She smiled sweetly.Then she tried to stab me again.

I caught her wrist before the blade could reach me. "Seraphina."

"Don't call my name, you devil."

"Give me the dagger."

"Go to hell."

"We've established that I'm not particularly fond of the place."She tried to wrench her hand free. I took the dagger from her grip and slipped it into the inner pocket of my coat. Her expression darkened. "That belongs to me!”

"And you have demonstrated a remarkable inability to use it without attempting to murder your husband."

"You're not my husband!" I glanced at the silver band on her finger. "Would you like me to explain the ceremony to you?"

"I would like to explain to you what I'm going to do when I get my hands on you."

"How touching. Already making plans for our future." She lunged towards me.

I shut the carriage door. Her furious shout followed me through the wood.

.

"eep the doors secured," I instructed the guards. "And nobody enters that carriage without my permission."

"Yes, my lord." I turned just as Queen Isolde approached. She looked nothing like the composed ruler who had stood before the altar. Her gown was creased, her crown sat slightly crooked, and worry had carved deep lines into her face. Behind her, the Fae delegation watched us with barely concealed alarm.

"Lord Veyr," she began, her voice strained. "I must apologise for what happened."I looked at her. "Must you?"

Her lips parted, but no words came.

I glanced at the blood staining my ceremonial coat. "Your niece attempted to kill me in front of both our courts, Your Majesty. On the day of our wedding, no less. I would say a simple apology is rather inadequate."

"I understand."

"Do you?" She lowered her eyes briefly.

"Seraphina has suffered greatly. She has carried her grief for eleven years, and the sight of you—"

"Do not mistake my patience for ignorance." My voice hardened. "I know precisely what she thinks of me. I also know that she is not the only person who has suffered because of this conflict."

Isolde's expression tightened.

"I will speak to her," she promised. "I will ensure she understands the consequences of her actions."

"No." She blinked. "No?"

"I am not letting this slide." I stepped closer, lowering my voice so the surrounding guards would not hear every word. "You offered me an alliance between our kingdoms. You promised that your niece would honour the marriage, and I accepted those terms because the agreement was supposed to prevent another war. Instead, I have a bride who believes she can plunge a dagger into my chest and walk away without consequence."

"She did not understand—"

"She understood perfectly well what she was doing." Isolde went quiet, I studied her carefully. There was fear in her eyes, certainly, but it was not fear for herself. It was fear for Aurelith. For the fragile peace she had struggled to preserve. For something she had clearly sacrificed far more than she wanted anyone to know.

Perhaps now she would understand the cost of the bargain she had made.

"I need more than an apology, Your Majesty," I continued. "I need action."

"What do you want from me?"I let the silence stretch, then I came closer her ears, then whispered "Why don't you kneel and beg?"

Her face drained of colour. For a moment, she simply stared at me, as though she could not believe what she had heard.

I continued before she could respond. "Kneel before me. Beg me to forgive the insult your niece has delivered, and perhaps I will consider your apology sincere."

"Lord Veyr—"

"That is not all."bHer fingers tightened around the fabric of her gown. "You will also surrender something of value to demonstrate your commitment to this alliance. Something that will assure me Aurelith has no intention of breaking the agreement the moment my carriage leaves your borders, since I can't have the heart of thorns…yet."

Her eyes widened with sudden understanding. "No." I tilted my head.

"I haven't told you what I want yet."

"You want a hostage."

"I want a guarantee."

"You already have Seraphina!" Isolde's gaze flickered towards the carriage.

I followed it. Through the small window, I could just make out Seraphina's silhouette. She was sitting rigidly, probably planning a dozen new ways to kill me. I turned back to the queen. "Your son ," I said. "Send him to Noctis."

Isolde went utterly still. "Absolutely not," she whispered.

“Why are you so afraid, Isolde?"

"He has nothing to do with this."

"Neither did I have anything to do with your niece's decision to put a dagger through my chest, yet here we are, or perhaps do you want me to reveal your secret to my new wife."

Her face tightened. "You cannot ask me to surrender him."She took a shaky breath, struggling to maintain the dignity expected of a queen. "You promised peace."

"And I intend to keep it. But peace is not built on apologies, Your Majesty. It is built on trust, sacrifice, and consequences when promises are broken. I'll just treat this as a punishment for breaking out deal years ago"

"You would threaten my family to prove a point?" I leaned closer.

"Please," she whispered. The word was so quiet that I almost missed it. I straightened.

"Please what, Your Majesty?"

Her jaw trembled. "Do not involve him."

I held her gaze. "Then give me a reason not to kneel."

And so she did, on her knees, shame framing her features” I truly apologize for my niece's behaviour, I plead mercy, my lord” She looked as though she might fall apart right there on the palace steps.

I crouched slightly, bringing my face closer to hers then murmured. "Now, let us see how much that apology is worth."

Her eyes lifted to mine, filled with desperation. "Your son leaves for Noctis with us tonight."

She swallowed. "Please, Lucien. He is all I have left of my sister."

"And Seraphina is all you have left of your brother. Yet you gave her to me without hesitation." Isolde flinched. I straightened, adjusting the bloodstained collar of my coat. "Have him ready before sunset. If he refuses, I'll consider that a declaration that Aurelith no longer honours our agreement."

I turned towards the carriage. "But, Lucien—" I stopped. "One more word, Your Majesty, and I might start wondering what other secrets you're desperate to keep from me."

Satisfied, I opened the carriage door, only to be met with my dead guards and a missing wife.