Ch 9- Forbidden Letters
1085 Words
Seraphina spent the entire morning in a state of low-grade paranoia. Every time a servant entered her room, she scanned their faces for signs that Duke Adrian had read her journal page. Had he found it? Was he currently plotting how to "remove" the glitch in his fiancée? Or worse...was he amused?
She paced in yet another "boring" gown (this one a muted gray that still somehow made her look like a moonlight goddess who'd discovered minimalism).
"If he brings it up, I'll just say it was fiction. A silly novel I read. People write fanfiction about their own lives, right? Totally normal."
Martha watched her with the patience of a woman who had raised three chaotic noble daughters before this one. "My lady, you've reorganized your handkerchiefs three times. Shall I bring calming tea? Or perhaps the Duke?"
"No! No Duke. The Duke is… complicated. Like quantum physics with swords."
A soft knock interrupted her spiral. Lily slipped in, cheeks unusually pink and eyes sparkling in a way that had nothing to do with noble etiquette. The young maid clutched a small folded note like it was contraband.
"My lady," Lily whispered, curtsying hastily. "A letter arrived for you. But… it's not from the Duke."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "If it's from Liliana with more golden roses and thinly veiled death threats, I'm burning it."
Lily's blush deepened. "It's actually… for me. But I didn't know who else to tell. Captain Elias Thorne,he's one of Duke Valdermoth's northern knights,has been… writing to me since they arrived."
Seraphina's chaotic brain switched from panic to gossip mode instantly. "Wait. Spill. Side couple unlocked?"
Lily sat on the edge of the chaise, twisting the note. "He's nothing like the stories about the Northern Army. He's kind. He brought me a pressed winter rose from Blackthorn on the first day and said my smile reminded him of the first thaw. We've only spoken in passing,when I serve meals or tend the outer courtyards,but the letters…"
She handed Seraphina the note. The handwriting was surprisingly elegant for a soldier:
Dearest Lily,
The southern flowers are beautiful, but none compare to the courage it takes to smile in a den of nobles. Meet me by the old oak at dusk if you can slip away? I have a new letter and perhaps a story about ice wolves that refuse to behave.
— Elias
Seraphina grinned despite herself. "Lily, you absolute legend. You're living the maid-route romance while I'm over here accidentally speedrunning political marriage with the final boss."
Lily covered her face. "It's improper. A maid and a captain from the North… But he makes me laugh. And he doesn't treat me like I'm invisible."
For a moment, Seraphina felt a pang of genuine warmth. In the original novel, side characters like maids existed only to witness the villainess's cruelty or the heroine's kindness. This felt… real. A small pocket of happiness outside the main plot's toxicity.
"Go," Seraphina said, squeezing Lily's hand. "I'll cover for you. Tell Martha I'm 'meditating' or doing more dragon-birthing stretches. Just be careful. The palace has eyes everywhere, and Liliana's been meeting shady mages."
Lily's eyes widened. "You saw that too?"
Seraphina nodded grimly. "Something's rotten in the golden kingdom. Keep your ears open while you're out there being cute with your knight."
As dusk painted the sky in soft pinks and golds, Seraphina found herself unable to sit still. She slipped out to the lesser-used balcony overlooking the eastern gardens, journal tucked safely in her sleeve this time
From her vantage point, she could just make out two figures by the ancient oak: Lily's modest uniform and a tall knight in Valdermoth colors. Elias leaned down to say something that made Lily laugh,a bright, free sound that carried on the breeze.
Seraphina smiled softly. "At least one of us is getting a wholesome slow-burn. Mine's more like 'enemies to lovers but the enemy keeps catching me when I fall and finding my conspiracy notes.'"
Her amusement faded as she spotted another movement near the rose alcove. Liliana again. This time the princess wasn't with the shady mage. She was speaking with a tall, hooded figure,someone new. The exchange was brief, tense. Liliana pressed something small and metallic into the figure's hand before both melted back into the shadows.
Seraphina's grip tightened on the balcony rail. Definitely not pure heroine behavior. Is she the one behind the original Seraphina's "accidents"?
A soft footstep behind her made her whirl around.
Adrian stood there, cloak draped over one arm, silver eyes catching the last light of sunset. He looked unfairly composed, as if he hadn't spent the day commanding strategy meetings and reading dropped journal pages.
"Lady Seraphina," he said, voice carrying that dry humor she was starting to dread (and secretly like). "Plotting on balconies now? Should I be concerned?"
She laughed nervously. "Just enjoying the view. Southern sunsets are superior to northern ones, I hear. Very… non-lethal."
Adrian stepped closer. The faint smile appeared again..the one that made her stomach do stupid flips. "I found something interesting today. A page with rather strong opinions about me. 'Smiling now. This is worse than hatred.'"
Seraphina's soul left her body. "That… was creative writing. Therapy. Very private."
Instead of pressing, Adrian simply offered his arm. "Walk with me. I promise not to interrogate you tonight. Though your ideas on trade hubs keep echoing in my mind. Impressive."
As they walked the lantern-lit paths, their conversation drifted surprisingly easily,him sharing dry stories of northern blizzards that refused to behave, her slipping in modern analogies about "project management under dragon fire." His rare chuckles made her traitorously warm.
For a moment, the terrifying Duke felt… safe. Safer than the palace full of smiling vipers.
Later that night, after Adrian had escorted her back with another lingering hand on her waist and a quiet "Sleep well, little Valtoria," Seraphina collapsed into bed, heart racing.
She reached for her journal to update her notes.
It wasn't there.
A cold dread settled in her stomach. She tore through the room, checking under pillows, in drawers, even the secret spot beneath the poetry books.
Gone.
A single folded note had been left on her desk in its place. The handwriting was unmistakably Adrian's:
We should discuss your 'story' properly tomorrow. — A.
P.S. Lily and Captain Thorne make a charming pair. Don't worry,I approve.
Seraphina stared at the note, pulse thundering.
He had her journal.
And he was done with subtle tests
- Writer
