Episode 8: The Prince Who Felt Lost In His Actions
883 Words
The morning after the incident in the forbidden west wing...
The entire palace was restless.
Rumors traveled faster than the wind.
"The west wing was attacked!"
"Something from the ancient legends appeared!"
"I heard the prince fought a monster!"
"No... I heard the girl summoned it!"
The last rumor spread the fastest.
And the person at the center of it all...
Was Seraphina.
Inside the royal council chamber, several nobles stood before King Aldren and Queen Elara.
"The girl is dangerous."
A noblewoman stepped forward, her voice filled with suspicion.
"Your Majesties, this cannot be ignored."
"Ever since that girl arrived, strange things have happened."
"The west wing awakened."
"The Dark Stone reacted."
"Is that not enough proof?"
Several people nodded.
Queen Elara remained silent.
She had watched Seraphina carefully since the day she entered the palace.
The girl was mysterious.
That much was true.
But dangerous?
The Queen wasn't convinced.
"Do you have evidence?"
The noblewoman hesitated.
"Not yet..."
"Then you have nothing but fear."
The room became quiet.
No one expected the Queen to defend the girl.
At that moment...
The chamber doors opened.
Everyone turned.
Prince Kael entered.
His cold expression immediately silenced the room.
"Discussing someone behind their back?"
His voice was calm.
But threatening.
The nobles bowed.
"Your Highness."
Kael walked toward his father.
"What happened?"
The noblewoman quickly stepped forward.
"We were discussing the new maid."
"Seraphina."
Kael's expression changed slightly.
Only for a second.
Then it returned to normal.
"What about her?"
"We believe she may be connected to the events in the west wing."
The room waited for his reaction.
Everyone expected him to agree.
After all...
Kael had never shown kindness toward her.
Instead, he said:
"Ridiculous."
Everyone froze.
The prince continued.
"You saw a creature attack her."
"She was the one in danger."
The noblewoman lowered her head.
"But Your Highness..."
Kael's silver eyes turned sharp.
"Are you suggesting a powerless servant caused something that even trained knights couldn't stop?"
Silence.
No one answered.
Because they knew...
He was right.
Kael turned away.
"Find actual evidence before accusing someone."
Then he left.
Only after walking down the hallway did Kael realize what he had done.
He stopped.
Why did he defend her?
He frowned.
It wasn't because he cared.
Impossible.
He simply hated foolish accusations.
That was all.
"She is just a servant."
He said the words aloud.
Yet somehow...
They sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
Meanwhile...
Seraphina sat alone in the servants' room.
Her hands rested quietly in her lap.
The other maids avoided sitting near her.
Their whispers had become worse.
"She must have some hidden power."
"Why else would the prince protect her?"
"Maybe she bewitched him."
Seraphina lowered her eyes.
She was used to being disliked.
But she didn't understand why.
She had done nothing.
She didn't want attention.
She didn't want power.
She only wanted a place where she belonged.
A young servant girl approached her quietly.
"Are you alright?"
Seraphina looked up.
The girl quickly glanced around before whispering.
"Don't mind them."
"They're just jealous."
Seraphina smiled softly.
"Jealous of what?"
The girl looked confused.
"Of your beauty."
Seraphina laughed lightly.
A genuine laugh.
"Beauty?"
She shook her head.
"I don't think I'm beautiful."
The servant stared at her.
"You really believe that?"
Seraphina nodded.
"When people look at me, they don't see me."
"They see something they decided to hate."
Her words surprised the girl.
Because there was no anger in them.
Only sadness.
That evening...
Kael walked through the palace garden.
He wasn't searching for anyone.
At least...
That's what he told himself.
Then he saw Seraphina.
She was sitting beside the fountain, feeding small birds that had gathered near her.
She noticed him.
Immediately, she stood.
"Your Highness."
Kael expected her to complain.
Expected her to mention what happened.
Instead...
She simply bowed.
Then returned to feeding the birds.
He frowned.
"You're not afraid of me?"
Seraphina looked surprised by the question.
"Should I be?"
The answer irritated him.
"Everyone is."
She looked at him quietly.
"Everyone fears the stories about you."
"But I don't know you."
Kael went silent.
Those words were strange.
Most people looked at him and saw the Dark Stone.
The curse.
The monster.
But she...
She looked at him like he was just a person.
And he hated that it affected him.
"Don't make the mistake of thinking you understand me."
His voice became cold again.
Seraphina nodded.
"I won't."
Then she smiled gently.
"But I hope one day someone does."
Kael looked away.
For some reason...
That sentence stayed with him.
That night, Kael stood before the mirror in his room.
The Dark Stone beneath his chest was quiet.
Too quiet.
Usually, when someone approached him...
It burned.
It reacted.
It awakened his anger.
But around Seraphina...
Nothing happened.
No rage.
No darkness.
Only silence.
Kael placed a hand over the stone.
"What are you doing?"
He whispered.
The stone did not answer.
But deep within its darkness...
Something ancient watched.
And for the first time in centuries...
The Dark Stone feared something.
Not a weapon.
Not an enemy.
But a girl who carried no power at all.
A girl who had somehow reached a place even darkness could not touch.
End of Episode 8
- Writer
