**Kael's POV**
The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. Her words were like a blade through my chest, sharp and unrelenting. The accusation was clear, but it wasn't just me she accused, it was my bloodline, my father and the man I had always revered.
"What did you mean, Sera," my voice was lower now, a mix of dread and disbelief.
Her arms were crossed, her gaze unwavering. She looked at me with a coldness that I wasn't used to, eyes that were blazing with fire and defiance.
"Your father," she began, her voice tight with suppressed emotion. "He betrayed my mother. He promised her protection, but instead, he left her to die. All for power. All for his precious kingdom."
The room spun. The floor beneath me trembled as though it might crumble at any moment. My father? No this can't be true, it can never be. My father had always been a man of honor, a symbol of strength. But as I stared into her eyes, filled with anger and pain, doubt began to creep in.
"You're lying," I whispered though the words felt hollow even to myself.
Her laugh was bitter, void of the warmth I had come to associate with, the warmth I had fallen in love with. "Do you think I will lie about something as serious as this? I had carried the weight of that betrayal every single day since I found out. My mother's blood is in your family's hands. That's why I can't trust you, Kael. I'm afraid you'd turn out to be like your father, and choose your kingdom over me when the time comes."
I staggered back a step, unable to look at her. Her words were like a poison seeping into my mind and tainting everything I thought I knew. Memories of my father flooded back—his stern lectures on loyalty, his unwavering pride in our lineage. Could it all have been a facade?
"I need answers," I muttered more to myself than to her. Without another word, I turned on my heel and stormed out of her chambers, leaving her standing there, her expression unreadable.
I stood before the council chambers, my hands trembling by my side. The elders sat in their usual position, their faces impassive as I demanded answers.
"Is it true," I asked, my voice echoing across the room. "Did my father betray Seraphina's mother?"
The elders exchanged wary glances. Finally, Elder Brynn cleared his throat. "What exactly did she tell you, Your Majesty.'
"She told me that my father offered her mother protection, but he betrayed her." Then I said between gritted teeth. "I need the truth. Now."
Elder Mike sighed heavily and interjected. “It is true,” he admitted, his voice weighed down by guilt. “Your father allied with Seraphina’s mother, but when the time came to uphold his promise, he chose the kingdom’s stability over her life. It was a decision he and every court member believed was necessary."
I felt like I'd been struck. My chest heaved as I tried to process the word that the man I had admired, the man whose legacy I had vowed to uphold had committed such a heinous crime.
"How come I never knew about this?" I demanded, my voice cracking.
"It was buried," Elder Scrolls replied. "To protect the kingdom and its legacy."
I clenched my fists, anger and shame coursing through me. Seraphina had every right to hate me, to push me away. How could I ask her to trust me when my very existence was tied to her suffering?
Later that night, I stood on the balcony of my chambers, staring out at the door horizon. My mind replayed her words, and the pains in her eyes. I couldn't ask her to forgive me. But I couldn't let her face the threat alone.
The decision was agonizing, but it was for the best.
The next morning, I summoned one of my trusted guards, Bryan and a handmaid Lila.
"You will be with her at all times," I instructed, my voice firm. "Your loyalty is to her above everyone else, even to me."
Bryan nodded. “Of course, Your Majesty. Your wish is our command.”
Lila curtsied, her expression serious. “She will be safe with us.”
Then the both of them bowed before retreating outside.
I turned to leave, but Collins's voice stopped me. "Your majesty, does this mean you are stepping back?"
I hesitated, the weight of my decision pressing down on me. "For her sake, I must."
As I walked away, a sharp pain settled in my chest. Staying away from her would break me, but it was the only way to protect her."
********
Three nights without her was unbearable. Every breath, I took felt heavier, weighed down by the distance between us. Knowing that she was just within my reach, but entirely out of my grasp drove me mad.
Seraphina was in the small garden in front of her chambers when I found her. Her figure was illuminated by the silver glow of the moon. She moved like a wraith, silent and golden. Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders. She's beautiful, beyond words.
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay rooted, fighting to urge to wrap my arms around her. But the pull was irresistible. Each step I took felt like surrender, but I couldn't fight the longing gnawing at my soul.
I waved Bryan and Lila away and braced myself to talk to her.
"Seraphina," I called softly.
She stiffened at the sound of my voice, but didn't turn. Her hands clutching to the side of her dress tightly, a sign that my presence affected her, even though she tried to hide it.
"What do you want, Kael,?" She asked her voice firm but heavy with exhaustion.
"To fix this," I said, my voice thick with desperation. "To ftus."
"There's no us, Kael," her voice was sharp and final. "Your family destroyed that possibility."
"I know what my father did," I said, stepping closer. "I can't even express how deeply, I regret his actions. But I'm not my father."
She then turned, her eyes blazing with pain. "Do you think an apology will erase everything? Do you think an apology will erase the painful death of my mother, and the pains I had to endure?"
"No, it won't," I said, my voice breaking. "But I can't allow you to carry this alone. Please let me help you."
She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "You want me to forgive your family. To let you protect me after what happened."
"Yes," I replied firmly, closing the gap between us. "Because you mean everything to me, Sera. I can't stay apart from you. Not when every of my fiber ache for you."
Her expression softened, but her gaze still lingered with pain. "Why, Kael. Why do you care?"
"Because I love you, Sera," I admitted, my voice trembling with the weight of the truth. "I love you and I'll spend the rest of my life proving that if you let me."
Her breath hitched, and for a moment the fire in her eyes dimmed. "You love me?" She whispered.
"With every breath," I said, cupping her face. "You are my mate, my equal, my everything."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned into my touch.
“I’ve tried to hate you for so long,” she admitted, her voice cracking. “But I can’t deny the bond between us, Kael. I feel it, too.”
A surge of relief swept over me and then I pulled her into an embrace, holding her tightly as though she might disappear. She clung to me, her sobs muffled against my chest and in that moment, I knew I was never, ever going to let her go.
"Let me prove it to you," I whispered against her ear. "Let me love you the way you deserve."
She looked up at me, her eyes searching mine for answers. And then with a determination that took my breath away, she kissed me.