My fists flailed in protest as Lucius attempted to lift me into the waiting carriage. My eyes, brimming with defiance, met his, and I let out an ear-piercing wail that echoed through the once quiet and peaceful forest. "I don't want to go!" I screamed, my voice laced with frustration. My face was flushed, and my hair flailed about with each forceful movement. Lucius, feeling the weight of both my resistance, tried to soothe. "Seraphina, please," he pleaded, his voice strained. The more he insisted, the more my protests intensified. "No! I won't go with you!" I spat, kicking my legs in rebellion. Lucius, now struggling to maintain a grip on my squirming form. "Seraphina, sweetheart, you don't have to be so rough. It hurts," he implored. I could tell Lucius was feeling a growing sense of

