Ten Strokes
1515 Words
The fire popped in the hearth. That was the only sound.
Seraphina eyes popping. Her heart was still pounding from the way his hand had been around her throat.
Across the room, Kael hadn’t moved.
“ Just kill me , end me fir good devil! ,” she said.
Kael didn’t answer, he only release his hand on her neck making her stumbled on the floor.
“So what now?” She stood up. The broken lamp was still on the floor where she dropped it. “I just stay here? In your room? Like some... trophy? .You just leave me in a room full of things I can use to hurt myself or you.”
She laughed, bitter. “Is that the plan, Dragon King? Wait for me to break so you don’t have to do it?”
Kael’s jaw ticked. “Go to sleep, Ina.”
“Don’t say my name like that,” she snapped. “Like you know me. You don’t know anything about me.”
He walked to the door and she followed him two steps.
“Coward,” she whispered. “That’s what you are. You dragged me here and now you can’t even look at me.”
Kael stopped. His hand was on the iron handle. For half a second she thought he’d turn.
He didn’t, the door shut behind him. Hard.
Silence.
Seraphina sank back onto the bed. She pressed her palms to her eyes until she saw stars.
---
The halls were emptyas Kael walked fast, his hands were fists at his sides.
He could still feel her pulse the faint
,defiant. Right under his thumb.
“Kael.”
Grok stepped out of the shadows.
His closest guard. Brother in everything but blood. Tall, scarred, with a sword that had killed more men than Kael could count.
“Did you kill her already?” Grok asked. No bow. Just straight.
Kael didn’t answer.
Grok’s eyes widened. “...You didn’t.”
He glanced toward the King’s chamber down the hall. “She’s still breathing. After you put her in there. With you. After what they did to her cheek.”
Still nothing from Kael.
“That’s weird,” Grok said, dragging a hand through his hair. “You don’t let anyone live. Especially not Phoenixes. Especially not after what her sister pulled.”
He studied Kael’s face. “Did she try to—”
Kael stopped in his tracks.
“Tell the maids,” he said. Voice flat. Dead.
“Go to that room now. Take everything that’s breakable.The lamp. The pitcher. The glass on the table. The mirror.
Everything. Even the light fixtures if they can be pulled down.”
Grok stared. “All of it? The whole room? My King.”
“I don’t care,” Kael growled. “Do it.”
“Yes, my King.” Grok hesitated.
Kael didn't even wait again he walked to his tower.
Next day Quora Suite
Seraphina was still on her bed when she heard someone knocking,the door opened before she could answer.
Three maids slipped in with their he'd down "Morning Quora" they greeted in unison.
The first one carried a peach dress,embroidered with silver thread that looked like ice.
The second carried shoes and the third, with a brush and pins and jewelry.
Seraphina sat up on the bed, groaning her throat still hurt.
“What is this?” she asked silently.
The oldest maid finally looked up.
“My Lady,” she said, and dropped into a curtsy so low her forehead that almost hit the floor. “You are to be dressed. The court is waiting.”
Seraphina stared. “Court? For what?”
The maid hesitated. Then whispered, like she was afraid the walls had ears.
“Since last night... the King has named you.”
She lifted the peach dress. “You are the New Quora now.”
The word hit Seraphina like ice water.
“Quora?” She laughed once. “Queen? He put his hands around my throat 8 hours ago and now I’m his Queen?”
No one answered.
The second maid stepped forward and started unlacing the back of Seraphina’s sleeping gown without asking.
“Stop,” Seraphina snapped, jerking away. “Did he tell you that? Or did you just decide I’m a trophy to dress up?”
The old maid’s hands trembled. “Please, my Lady. If you’re late, he—” She cut herself off.
“If I’m late, what?” Seraphina stood barefoot. “He’ll kill me? He already tried.”
The maid flinched. “The court is full and the families and nobles. They’re waiting to see the New Quora.”
Seraphina looked down at the dress, it's beautiful. And it felt like a collar.
She was quiet for a long time,then she held out her arms.
“Fine,” she said, voice dead. “Dress me. But tell your Dragon King this, If he wants a Queen, he should’ve asked. Not chained her.”
The maids moved fast after that.
By the time they were done, Seraphina didn’t recognize herself in the mirror. she's in peach silk with silver ice at the throat and her hair is pinned up.
A Queen,in a cage.
The old maid opened the door and gesture her hand to the opened door. Two guards waited outside.
“Court is this way, my Lady Quora,” the maid stated
Seraphina took one last look at the room.
Then she walked out.
---
Court Tower~ Corridor ~
The tower was almost as big as the main castle, but the luxury here was much more. Everything was either in crystals, sapphire, gold, or jade. It was like a land of honey, decked with enough richness to build several cities and capitals.
The tower is wide,too wide. Every step Seraphina took, she can only hear her new shoes that clicked against the marble.
Two guards walked behind her and four maids too , she felt like the queen she was but she has no freedom.
At the end of the corridor, the big gold doors to the court room were already open. Voices and whispers what all what she could hear.
And standing right in front of them, blocking the way, was a lady.
she has a crown on her head in slick gold and red dress. Twenty guards behind her.
The Crown Princess of the Barish Kingdom.
Seraphina knew the name from books. Crown Princess Lyra, Kael’s “political choose queen” for 3 years.
Kyra looked Seraphina up and down. Slowly like she was judging meat at a market.
“Well,” Lyra said in her sweet dress. “So this is the stray he picked up.”
Seraphina stopped on her track and faced her properly. “Move.”
Kyra smiled. “I don’t move for caged birds. Tell me, does the collar hurt? Or are you used to chains by now?”
The maids behind Seraphina gasped.
Seraphina’s jaw ticked she used her tongue to push her side cheek. “At least my cage has a door. Yours is called ‘waiting 3 years and still not being chosen.’”
The smile dropped from Lyra’s face.
“You think because he put a dress on you, you’re important?” Kyra stepped closer. “You’re nothing, but a Phoenix with no fire. A girl he’ll throw away in a week, your just a replacement for the time being.”She picked up a jeweled hairpin from her own guard’s tray.
“Let’s see how much the Dragon King cares Quora,” Kyra whispered. She threw the pin at her , seraphina didn't see it coming It hit Seraphina right in the cheek. The pin has a sharp mouth it stung her cheeks that blood was gushing out
Pain flashed Seraphina’s face, immediately her hand went to her cheeks and she saw blood.
For half a second the whole hall went silent,then something in Seraphina snapped.
She ripped the hairpin out of her own skin, furious, and threw it back.
But Kyra ducked and hairpin didn’t hit her.
It hit the man walking in behind her, Everybody eyes went to man man it hit.
Time stopped when seraphina saw who the pin hit.
King Kael!.
The hairpin hit his chest with a soft tinkand fell to the floor.
Everyone dropped to their knees,everyone except Seraphina.
Kyra’s face went white,then red.
She pointed at Seraphina immediately, voice shaking with fake tears.
“Cease her!” Kyra shouted to her knights. “She tried to assassinate the King! She’s a wild animal!”
The Barish k
nights moved. And at the same time, Kael’s voice cut through the hall.
“Flog her,” Kael commanded with his eyes on Seraphina. Only her. “Ten strokes.”
Seraphina didn’t move, she's staring with the same intensity as kael her blood still running down her cheek.
“Ten strokes,” Kael repeated. “For raising a hand in my court.”
The guards grabbed her arms.
And Kyra smiled, where she's still kneeling.
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