Chapter 4 A CAGE OF GOLD

Seraphina barely slept.

She lay in her bed, staring at the silk-draped canopy above her, replaying Kael's words over and over in her mind.

"You are mine now."

Even now, the memory of his voice sent a shiver through her.

She wasn't naïve Kael wasn't a fool. He was watching her. Studying her.

And if she made one wrong move, he would destroy everything.

As dawn's first light crept through her windows, Seraphina sat up, already feeling the weight of the day pressing down on her shoulders.

She had no time to waste.

She needed a plan.

By mid-morning, the palace was alive with activity. Servants bustled through the halls, preparing for yet another diplomatic meeting between Elarion and Vellador.

Seraphina dressed in a gown of deep sapphire, her golden hair pinned in an intricate braid woven with delicate jewels. She looked every bit the perfect princess ,the obedient future queen.

But beneath the surface, she was anything but obedient.

The meeting was held in the Great Hall, a grand chamber with towering stained-glass windows and banners bearing the sigils of both kingdoms.

Seraphina sat beside her father, King Aldric, her expression poised and unreadable as he and King Edric of Vellador discussed the final terms of the alliance.

Kael sat across from her.

He had been watching her since she arrived, his sharp gray eyes filled with quiet amusement as if he knew something she didn't.

Seraphina ignored him.

Instead, she risked a glance toward Adrian, who stood among the other Elarion nobles. He had positioned himself further back, but his eyes found hers almost immediately.

A silent conversation passed between them.

Are you alright?

No.

Adrian's jaw tensed.

But before either of them could say more Kael spoke.

"It seems Elarion and Vellador are finally to be united," he mused, swirling his goblet of wine. "A historic moment."

His voice was perfectly polite. But there was something beneath it, something pointed.

Seraphina kept her expression neutral. "Yes, Your Highness. Historic, indeed."

Kael's lips twitched, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Seraphina turned away before her mask could slip.

The meeting stretched on, and by the time it ended, Seraphina's patience was hanging by a thread.

She needed air.

She made her way toward the gardens, slipping past the guards and courtiers until she reached the secluded rose pavilion-her favorite place in the palace.

The moment she was alone, she let out a slow breath.

But she was not alone for long.

"I thought I might find you here," came Kael's voice.

Seraphina tensed, her grip tightening on the stone railing. "Do you make a habit of following me, Your Highness?"

Kael chuckled. "Only when you make it so easy."

She turned to face him, her expression carefully blank. "What do you want, Kael?"

He stepped closer, his gaze never leaving hers. "A conversation."

Seraphina crossed her arms. "We have nothing to discuss."

"Oh, I think we do." Kael's voice was smooth, dangerous. "You see, I don't care about your secrets, Princess. Keep them if you wish."

Seraphina's heart pounded. "Then what do you want?"

Kael smiled, slow and deliberate. "A deal."

Seraphina's breath caught. "A deal?"

Kael leaned in, his voice dropping lower. "You want your little affair with Adrian to remain a secret?"

Seraphina's blood turned to ice.

Kael smirked. "Then marry me, play the perfect queen, and in return-I will look the other way."

Seraphina stared at him, her pulse roaring in her ears.

He wasn't threatening her.

He was offering her freedom-at a price.

But could she trust him?

And more importantly...

Could she afford not to?

The meeting stretched on, and by the time it ended, Seraphina's patience was hanging by a thread.

She needed air.

She made her way toward the gardens, slipping past the guards and courtiers until she reached the secluded rose pavilion-her favorite place in the palace.

The moment she was alone, she let out a slow breath.

But she was not alone for long.

"I thought I might find you here," came Kael's voice.

Seraphina tensed, her grip tightening on the stone railing. "Do you make a habit of following me, Your Highness?"

Kael chuckled. "Only when you make it so easy."

She turned to face him, her expression carefully blank. "What do you want, Kael?"

He stepped closer, his gaze never leaving hers. "A conversation."

Seraphina crossed her arms. "We have nothing to discuss."

"Oh, I think we do." Kael's voice was smooth, dangerous. "You see, I don't care about your secrets, Princess. Keep them if you wish."

Seraphina's heart pounded. "Then what do you want?"

Kael smiled, slow and deliberate. "A deal."

Seraphina's breath caught. "A deal?"

Kael leaned in, his voice dropping lower. "You want your little affair with Adrian to remain a secret?"

Seraphina's blood turned to ice.

Kael smirked. "Then marry me, play the perfect queen, and in return-I will look the other way."

Seraphina stared at him, her pulse roaring in her ears.

He wasn't threatening her.

He was offering her freedom-at a price.

But could she trust him?

And more importantly...

Could she afford not to?

Seraphina stood frozen, her mind racing.

Kael's offer hung in the air like a poisoned gift. The choice was deceptively simple: accept his proposal, marry him, and live in a gilded cage but in return, he would allow her to continue seeing Adrian, undisturbed.

But the weight of it was crushing.

Kael wasn't a man to make such an offer without expecting something in return. And she knew, deep down, that if she took the deal, she would be giving him a piece of her soul.

"Why?" Her voice came out colder than she intended. "Why would you offer this to me?"

Kael tilted his head slightly, as if considering her question. "You misunderstand, Princess. I'm not offering you kindness." His voice dropped a fraction. "I'm offering you control."

Seraphina's brow furrowed. "Control?"

"Think about it," he continued, stepping even closer. "You'll still be queen-with the power to keep your precious Adrian close. You won't have to hide. You'll have the freedom to do as you please, as long as you remember your place beside me."

His words were smooth, like oil on water, sliding into her mind, making everything feel dizzying.

He was right in one way: it was tempting.

Tempting because the alternative-her marriage to Kael in a show of pure political calculation-would never give her that same kind of freedom. And without the option to be near Adrian, her heart would suffocate under the weight of her duty.

But to live like this-always looking over her shoulder, pretending to love a man she loathed-how much of her soul would she lose in the process?

She stepped back, shaking her head. "You think I'll be content to pretend? To be your obedient little wife, all for the sake of keeping secrets?"

Kael's eyes darkened. "I think you'll do whatever it takes to protect the ones you care about. Including yourself."

His words hit her like a physical blow.

"Are you implying that I don't already care about Adrian?" she demanded, her voice trembling with emotion.

"I'm saying that you care more about your survival than you care about your loyalty," Kael replied coldly. "Adrian will never be able to protect you when the politics of this kingdom start turning on you. I can."

Seraphina took another step back, her heart racing as she processed the weight of his words. Was he right? Was Adrian truly too weak to protect her from the storm that was coming?

She couldn't deny it Adrian didn't have the power that Kael wielded. His bloodline, his position, his ruthless mind all of those things made him an unstoppable force in the political game of Elarion.

But could she live with herself if she allowed herself to be subjugated to him?

Her mind was spinning, torn between the terrifying reality of marrying Kael and the equally terrifying reality of losing Adrian forever.

Kael was waiting for her response, his expression unreadable, his posture relaxed as if he already knew the answer.

Finally, Seraphina's lips parted, her voice a whisper. "I can't... I can't be your pawn, Kael. Not like this."

Kael's eyes flashed, a flicker of something like anger behind them. But it was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by that same cold smirk.

"You're already playing the game, Princess. The only question is whether you'll play it my way, or against me."

He stepped back, turning away with a casual, deliberate motion. "I'll give you time to think. But don't take too long, Seraphina. The offer won't stay open forever."

And with that, he disappeared into the shadows, leaving Seraphina alone in the pavilion with nothing but the cold bite of the wind and the thundering guilt in her chest.

The days that followed were a blur. Seraphina spent her time in the palace, attending endless meetings and pretending to smile as the preparations for her marriage to Kael continued. Every time she saw him, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched, like an animal trapped in a cage.

Her heart still longed for Adrian, and every time their eyes met, it was as though the world was collapsing around them. They exchanged quiet words, brief glances, and stolen moments when they could. But nothing was the same anymore.

She couldn't keep living like this.

Every time she looked at Adrian, she saw the pain in his eyes the guilt he wore for being unable to protect her.

And every time she looked at Kael, she saw the dangerous allure of a man who knew exactly how to control her.

Seraphina felt herself being pulled in two different directions, both choices leading to heartbreak.

In the deepest part of her soul, she knew what Kael wanted. He wanted her to choose. To submit to him completely, to make her mark on the kingdom with him at her side. But in doing so, she would lose herself.

And if she chose Adrian, the consequences could be even worse Kael would not let them live in peace. His power was too great, his influence too vast.

In the end, there would be no winners. Only sacrifices.