Chapter One – Part 3: The Bride Chosen by Fate
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The rhythmic sound of the carriage wheels echoed along the cobblestone roads leading toward the heart of the capital. Through the lace curtains, Seraphina watched the familiar streets slowly disappear behind her. Every corner of the city carried a memory—a bakery where she and her younger brother used to buy warm honey bread, the old fountain where children threw coins while making wishes, and the flower market where her mother would often bring her every spring.
Today, those places seemed like memories from another lifetime.
The carriage finally crossed the massive stone bridge that led into the Royal District. Unlike the bustling marketplace outside the city walls, this part of Asteria was silent and majestic. Towering marble statues of former kings lined the avenue, while crimson banners embroidered with the royal crest fluttered proudly in the crisp autumn breeze.
At the end of the road stood St. Aurelius Cathedral.
Its towering spires reached toward the heavens, their golden crosses glimmering beneath the afternoon sun. Colored light spilled through the cathedral's enormous stained-glass windows, depicting saints, angels, and the founding of the kingdom centuries ago.
Hundreds of royal guards surrounded the cathedral. Noble families had already filled the grand hall, their whispers blending together like the rustling of leaves before a storm.
When Seraphina's carriage came to a stop, the cathedral bells rang once more.
The coachman stepped down and opened the carriage door.
"My Lady," he said respectfully, bowing his head.
Seraphina gathered the courage she had left and stepped onto the crimson carpet that stretched all the way to the cathedral entrance.
The murmurs began immediately.
"That's Lady Seraphina..."
"So young..."
"Poor child..."
"They say she has never even spoken to the Duke."
"I heard the Duke personally requested this marriage."
"No," another noblewoman whispered. "It was ordered by the Crown."
"I wonder if she'll survive living in Montecielo Castle."
The words reached Seraphina's ears despite how softly they were spoken.
She lowered her gaze and continued walking.
She had learned long ago that nobles loved two things more than power.
Secrets.
And gossip.
The enormous cathedral doors slowly opened.
Warm candlelight poured out, illuminating the polished marble floor inside.
The royal orchestra immediately began playing a solemn melody as every guest rose to their feet.
At the far end of the aisle stood the altar.
And beside it...
He was there.
Duke Kael Draven Montecielo.
For the first time in her life...
Seraphina saw the man who had haunted countless stories.
He was taller than she had imagined, his broad shoulders wrapped in a perfectly tailored black ceremonial uniform embroidered with silver thread. A dark velvet cloak rested over one shoulder, fastened by a silver wolf-shaped brooch—the symbol of House Montecielo.
His black hair fell neatly across his forehead, and his sharp features gave him the appearance of a sculpture carved from obsidian.
But it was his eyes that stole the breath from her lungs.
They were an icy shade of silver.
Beautiful.
Yet frighteningly empty.
There was no joy in them.
No excitement.
Not even curiosity.
He watched her approach with the calm expression of a commander inspecting another battlefield.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
For reasons she couldn't explain, Seraphina suddenly felt small beneath his gaze.
It wasn't hatred she saw.
Nor disgust.
It was distance.
As though he had already built walls around his heart so high that no one could ever climb them.
When she finally reached the altar, she stood beside him in complete silence.
Only then did she notice something unexpected.
A faint scar ran across the side of his neck, disappearing beneath the collar of his uniform.
Another small scar rested just above his right eyebrow.
They weren't imperfections.
They were reminders.
Proof that every terrifying story about the Devil Duke had been earned on real battlefields.
The Archbishop cleared his throat.
"My children..."
"We gather here today before the eyes of Heaven to unite two noble souls in sacred matrimony..."
His voice echoed through the cathedral, yet Seraphina barely heard the words.
Her heart pounded loudly against her ribs.
She could feel every curious gaze upon her.
Every noble.
Every servant.
Every member of the royal family.
Even the King himself watched from the front pew.
This marriage wasn't simply about two people.
It was about politics.
About power.
About keeping the fragile peace of Asteria from shattering.
The Archbishop turned toward Kael first.
"Your Grace, Duke Kael Draven Montecielo..."
"Do you accept Lady Seraphina Evangeline De Armonte as your lawful wife, to honor and protect her for as long as Heaven grants you life?"
Without hesitation...
"I do."
His voice was deep.
Calm.
Steady.
Like thunder rolling across distant mountains.
The Archbishop smiled before turning toward Seraphina.
"And do you, Lady Seraphina Evangeline De Armonte, accept Duke Kael Draven Montecielo as your lawful husband, to stand beside him through peace and war, joy and sorrow, until death parts you?"
Her lips parted.
No sound came out.
In that brief moment, memories flooded her heart.
Her mother's smile.
Her father's embrace.
Her brother's laughter.
The gardens of De Armonte Manor.
Everything she loved...
Everything she was leaving behind.
She closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, she looked straight into Kael's silver eyes.
For the first time...
She noticed something hidden beneath all that coldness.
Loneliness.
A loneliness that looked painfully familiar.
Taking a slow breath, she whispered—
"I..."
To be continued in Chapter 1 – Part 4.
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