Chapter 3 3

Chapter Three: Blood on Stone

Seraphine didn't stop running until the forest swallowed her whole. Her breath came in sharp bursts, her heart hammering as if to shatter her ribs. She shouldn't have hesitated. She could have killed him.

But she hadn't.

Why?

She dropped to her knees beneath the twisted boughs of an ancient tree, clutching her head. The image of Alaric's eyes burned in her memory. He had recognized her. Not just as a rebel-but as Seraphine Vale.

That meant trouble.

Back at camp, the rebel leader-Dain Korrin, a grizzled warrior with deep scars and deeper hatred for the throne-waited with narrowed eyes.

"You saw him?" he asked.

She nodded. "He saw me."

"You should've killed him."

"I know."

He cursed, spitting into the fire. "He'll double the patrols now. You've made us vulnerable."

"No," she said sharply, rising to her feet. "I made us visible. Let them see we still fight. Let him see I'm still alive."

Dain growled low in his throat. "You're letting your feelings twist your blade, girl. That prince-he's not just your enemy. He's your executioner."

Seraphine's jaw clenched. "Then I'll decide when he swings the axe."

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Chapter Four: The Queen's Game

Back in the capital of Caer Thorne, Prince Alaric stood in the long hall before the Queen.

His stepmother, Queen Maerra, was as cunning as she was cruel. Draped in silk and power, she smiled like a serpent as he approached.

"You look pale, Alaric," she said. "Did the woods frighten you?"

"I saw her."

Maerra's smile didn't fade. "Her?"

"Seraphine Vale. She lives."

A pause. Then laughter. Cold and sharp. "You're seeing ghosts."

"She looked at me. She aimed an arrow at my heart."

"Then perhaps she missed her chance."

Alaric stepped closer. "The crown lied about what happened to House Vale, didn't it? I saw her father's face when they dragged him away. He wasn't guilty."

Maerra's expression cooled. "Do not test me, boy. You are heir to a kingdom built on war. Do not weep over broken stones and traitor's bones."

Alaric's hand balled into a fist. "What if she's right? What if we're the villains in this story?"

Maerra's smile returned, softer this time. "Then seduce your villainess, my prince. Bring her to heel... or break her."

As he left the throne hall, one thought haunted him.

He didn't want to break her.

He wanted to know why she hadn't loosed that