Chapter 5 THE HEART'S RECKONING

Seraphina paced her chambers, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. The walls around her felt like they were closing in, suffocating her with every passing second. She had been given an impossible choice-one that no amount of preparation could have prepared her for.

Kael's offer echoed in her ears, relentless. Marry me, play the perfect queen, and I'll turn a blind eye to your affair with Adrian. But remember your place beside me.

A golden cage. A gilded prison.

She clenched her fists. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Adrian, to the touch of his hand, the way his voice had cracked in the garden when he had begged her not to marry Kael. How could she betray him, knowing how deeply he cared for her?

The weight of it all pressed heavily on her chest, making it hard to breathe. She was trapped-trapped by duty, trapped by love, trapped by the expectations of a kingdom that saw her as nothing more than a tool to secure political power.

But she couldn't escape. Not unless she made a choice.

The evening air was cool as Seraphina made her way through the palace gardens, her footsteps soft on the gravel path. The moonlight bathed the flowers in silver, casting long shadows across the stones. It was a place of quiet refuge, and tonight, it was the only place where she could find some semblance of peace.

As she rounded a corner, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Adrian was waiting for her, standing at the edge of the fountain, his back to her. He hadn't noticed her approach, and for a moment, she simply watched him. The weight of their unspoken words hung between them, a tension that neither of them could break.

Finally, he turned, his eyes locking onto hers. There was no need for words. The way his face softened, the way his gaze searched hers, told her everything she needed to know. He was waiting-waiting for her to make the impossible choice.

She stepped forward, her breath shallow. "Adrian..." The word was a prayer, a plea, a confession. It tasted like the answer she had been avoiding.

His eyes darkened. "Seraphina." His voice was low, strained, as if he was holding back something raw. He reached for her hand, his fingers warm against hers. "I'm not asking you to choose between him and me. I'm asking you to choose for yourself."

Seraphina swallowed hard, the lump in her throat making it difficult to speak. "I don't know what to do. If I marry Kael, I'll be free to be with you, but I'll lose everything else. I'll lose myself."

Adrian's grip tightened, his voice rough. "You won't lose yourself, Seraphina. Not if you don't let him take you. You're stronger than that. You always have been."

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She pulled her hand from his, pacing a few steps away, trying to make sense of the storm inside her. "I'm scared, Adrian. I'm scared of what I'll become if I stay with Kael. But I'm also terrified of what will happen if I choose you. The consequences will be..."

"Severe," Adrian finished for her, his tone bitter. "I know. Kael doesn't play games, and he won't let us go without consequences. But I'm willing to face them. For you."

Seraphina stopped, turning back to him. The sight of his sincerity, the raw emotion in his eyes, made her heart ache. "But I can't bear the thought of losing you, Adrian. I can't bear the thought of being torn away from you, from everything I've ever known."

Adrian took a step forward, closing the distance between them. "You won't lose me, Seraphina. No matter what happens, I'll fight for you. I'll fight for us. You don't have to be alone in this."

She reached out, touching his face gently, as though she needed to confirm that he was real, that they were real. "I wish I could be brave like you," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I wish I knew how to fight this."

"You already are fighting," Adrian replied softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You're here. You're standing in front of me. That's all I need."

Her heart thudded in her chest as she looked into his eyes, searching for the courage to make the choice. The choice that would either save them both or tear them apart.

"Adrian, I..." The words were stuck in her throat, heavy and tangled. "I don't know how to live with the consequences. I don't know if I can bear them."

Adrian cupped her face in his hands, his touch gentle, as if he could somehow anchor her in the storm. "You don't have to bear them alone. We'll face them together."

The days that followed were filled with tension and uncertainty. Kael's presence loomed over everything, his calculating gaze always on her, his smirk always lurking just beneath the surface.

But Seraphina couldn't bring herself to make the decision yet not with Adrian's words still echoing in her mind. You don't have to be alone in this. Could she truly make that choice? Could she step into a future with Adrian, knowing the price they would both pay?

Kael had made his offer. The cage was waiting. He had given her time to think, but time was running out.

The storm in her heart only grew stronger with each passing day.

The final council meeting before the wedding was a formal affair, attended by nobles and diplomats from both kingdoms. Seraphina sat at her father's side, her hands folded tightly in her lap, her mind elsewhere. Every now and then, her gaze drifted to Adrian, who sat among the guests, his eyes meeting hers for just a fleeting moment before he looked away.

She couldn't keep pretending. Not anymore

Kael was speaking now, his deep voice filling the room. "The alliance between Elarion and Vellador will ensure peace for generations to come," he said, his eyes flicking toward Seraphina as he spoke. "But peace comes at a price. And the price of this marriage is the loyalty of this kingdom."

Seraphina's heart raced. She could feel his eyes on her waiting. Watching.

And then, with a glance toward Adrian, she knew what she had to do.

She stood, her movements graceful but deliberate, the weight of her decision settling around her like a heavy cloak. "Your Majesties, Lords and Ladies..." Her voice rang clear through the hall, surprising everyone into silence. "I have made my decision."

All eyes turned to her.

And for the first time in her life, she wasn't afraid.