SECRET LOVE WITH PRINCE
na bare
k-draped canopy above her, replaying K
re min
of his voice sent a
asn't a fool. He was wa
wrong move, he would
ws, Seraphina sat up, already feeling the wei
no time
eded a
rvants bustled through the halls, preparing for yet an
pinned in an intricate braid woven with delicate jewels. She l
rface, she was any
d chamber with towering stained-glass windows
pression poised and unreadable as he and King Edric
across
, his sharp gray eyes filled with quiet am
na igno
ong the other Elarion nobles. He had positioned himself
rsation passed
ou al
o
's jaw
of them could sa
lly to be united," he mused, swirling h
te. But there was something
ion neutral. "Yes, Your Hi
as if he knew exactly
away before her
the time it ended, Seraphina's
eeded
the guards and courtiers until she reached the secl
s alone, she let
s not alon
t find you here,"
on the stone railing. "Do you make a
"Only when you
expression carefully blank
s gaze never leaving
er arms. "We have n
, dangerous. "You see, I don't care about yo
pounded. "Then w
low and delibe
breath caugh
lower. "You want your little affa
s blood tu
lay the perfect queen, and in r
t him, her pulse r
t threat
ng her freedo
d she tr
e impor
e afford
the time it ended, Seraphina's
eeded
the guards and courtiers until she reached the secl
s alone, she let
s not alon
t find you here,"
on the stone railing. "Do you make a
"Only when you
expression carefully blank
s gaze never leaving
er arms. "We have n
, dangerous. "You see, I don't care about yo
pounded. "Then w
low and delibe
breath caugh
lower. "You want your little affa
s blood tu
lay the perfect queen, and in r
t him, her pulse r
t threat
ng her freedo
d she tr
e impor
e afford
od frozen, he
ively simple: accept his proposal, marry him, and live in a gilded cage
ght of it w
something in return. And she knew, deep down, that if she
lder than she intended. "Why
n. "You misunderstand, Princess. I'm not offering you kindne
brow furrowe
the power to keep your precious Adrian close. You won't have to hide. You'll hav
on water, sliding into her mind,
in one way: i
al calculation-would never give her that same kind of freedom. And without the
oulder, pretending to love a man she loathed-how
'll be content to pretend? To be your obedient l
do whatever it takes to protect the on
her like a p
ady care about Adrian?" she demande
your loyalty," Kael replied coldly. "Adrian will never be able to pro
rocessed the weight of his words. Was he right? Was Adrian
d. His bloodline, his position, his ruthless mind all of those thi
rself if she allowed herse
fying reality of marrying Kael and the equall
expression unreadable, his posture re
r voice a whisper. "I can't... I can
ger behind them. But it was gone almost as quickly
ncess. The only question is whether y
motion. "I'll give you time to think. But don't take t
Seraphina alone in the pavilion with nothing but the col
ngs and pretending to smile as the preparations for her marriage to Kael continued. Every time she
hough the world was collapsing around them. They exchanged quiet words, brief
t keep livi
saw the pain in his eyes the guilt he
he saw the dangerous allure of a man
ed in two different directions, b
her to choose. To submit to him completely, to make her mark on the
e even worse Kael would not let them live in peac
would be no winner