A Warm Solace in Winter's Frost

Seraphina Montclair's voice was trembling. "Is this what I mean to you? A quiet shadow meant only for the dark?"

"What else could you be to me?" Mathias Cavendish looked at her with a small smile, but the look in his eyes was chilling, as if he was ridiculing her for not knowing her place. "What more do you want, Seraphina?"

Mathias leaned over her, brushing his thumb gently over her lips. "I've told you before that Cordelia is the only woman I love, but I do enjoy your body immensely. I can give you anything except my love and a legitimate place by my side.

"We'll still see each other and meet through the secret passage after Cordelia and I are married."

His tone suddenly turned cold. "Remember that Cordelia can never know about us. If she gets her heart broken after finding out about us, you'll pay the price for it."

Seraphina was stunned. It had never dawned upon her that Mathias never planned to marry her and that she was nothing but a secret plaything to him, never to be seen in the light. She trembled as she watched him leave, memories of their past racing in her mind.

Seraphina was from the House of Montclair, but she was the daughter of a mistress. On the other hand, Cordelia Montclair was the pristine and noble daughter of the house. They were meant to be stark contrasts of each other from birth.

Cordelia's clothes were made of the most expensive materials, and her accessories were equally exquisite. When it came to education, even her teachers praised her for her brightness.

As for Seraphina, she was always living in her older sister's shadow. She wore Cordelia's unwanted clothes, and everything she owned was ordinary. Even Mathias, the crown prince coveted by every woman of marriageable age, had eyes only for Cordelia.

Seraphina remembered how Mathias had made a promise in front of gathered nobles during the seasonal gala three years ago. "Cordelia Montclair will be my only wife, and I swear there will be no other woman for me but her."

It was a grand occasion, and to this day, the people of Caventon still speak fondly of their love story.

That was until one stormy night when Mathias was drugged with an aphrodisiac, and in a heated moment, he mistook Seraphina for Cordelia and took her virginity.

Seraphina thought she would be sentenced to death the next day, but that fateful night evoked something within the aloof Mathias, and he became obsessed with her. He even went as far as to build a secret passage to summon Seraphina into his chambers every night.

For the past three years, Mathias would ravage her body almost every night except for the days when she had her menstruation. Seraphina had seen a side of Mathias not many had seen before. He was cold and aloof, distant with everyone around him.

However, when he was on top of her, he would pant uncontrollably, pressing down on her as he went wild on her body.

Seraphina always thought such intimacy between them meant that Mathias felt something for her…

"Ms. Montclair, it's time for your medicine."

The palace matron, Aimee Hudson, entered the room with a bowl of herbal infusion, interrupting Seraphina's thoughts. Seraphina took the bowl from Aimee with trembling hands, and the scent of the bitter medicine filled her mouth and nostrils, making it difficult for her to consume it.

Outside the door, a palace maid kept hurrying them. "Hurry up, Ms. Hudson. It's almost past the best time for Ms. Montclair for prevention of con…"

Before she could finish, Aimee reprimanded her sternly, "Quiet!"

Seraphina's hand quivered, and the bowl fell with a clang to the ground. "It's for the prevention of conception?" Her voice was trembling as she heard the words in disbelief. "I've been taking herbal infusions to prevent conception all this time?"

Aimee looked at her grimly. "This is at the request of His Highness."

It felt like a knife to Seraphina's heart. Mathias had never wanted her to get pregnant, yet she had been silly enough to think that the herbal infusion was to help with impregnating her.

She laughed self-deprecatingly and then gulped the new concoction in one swallow. It was extremely bitter, but not as bitter as how she was feeling.

Seraphina remained in a daze all the way back to Montclair House via the secret passage.

"Come here, Seraphina." Her mother, Mireille Brown, called out to her with great delight. "General Sterling has sent word from the borders to ask for your hand in marriage!"

She held Seraphina's hand. "You're the daughter of a mistress, and your status cannot compare to Lady Cordelia's. General Sterling might be far away at the borders, but he is a good-looking man with a noble character, and this is the best marriage proposal I can seek for you."

Seraphina looked up and, for the first time, noticed her mother's hair turning gray. It saddened her. For years, she had been waiting for Mathias to propose to her officially and had declined many marriage proposals, which had worried her mother immensely.

"All right, Mother," she replied softly. "I'll marry him."

Mireille was overjoyed. "That's wonderful! I'm glad you've finally thought things through!"

She quickly stood up, as if afraid Seraphina would go back on her word. "I'll inform the House of Sterling right away. Lady Cordelia will be marrying the crown prince in two weeks. We should set your wedding on the same day. It'll be double the joy!"

Seraphina lowered her eyes in agreement, and she got up to walk Mireille out. When she came back, chests of gifts arrived from the crown prince as his palace servants brought them in one after the other.

"His Highness really dotes on Lady Cordelia!"

"Look at that fine silk from Nordlam! I heard His Highness imported it specially for Lady Cordelia to be used for her wedding dress!"

"He said that Lady Cordelia deserved the best!"

Every word sounded hurtful to Seraphina. She wanted to return to her room, but Seraphina accidentally stepped on someone.

Cordelia screamed and slapped her. "Don't you have eyes?! You've dirtied my shoes! They are special satin shoes His Highness just delivered to me!"

Seraphina apologized right away, "Please forgive me, Cordelia. I didn't step on you on purpose…"

"What's the point of apologizing?" Cordelia said haughtily, "You're just a lowly daughter of a mistress who is just as unpresentable as your mother!"

Every hurtful comment that Seraphina had quietly digested bubbled to the surface, and for the first time, she retaliated. "Please be careful with your words! You may vent at me, but please do not bring my mother into this!"

There was silence all around.

Cordelia did not give Seraphina more trouble, but a strange expression appeared on her face. Seraphina turned to look in the direction Cordelia was staring at. Mathias was standing in the corridor with a cold look in his eyes.

He swept a glance at Seraphina as if she were a stranger, then walked straight toward Cordelia. Mathias held her slightly cool hands in his, and he gently blew on them to warm them up. "Why are you standing outside when it's such a cold day?"

Cordelia was relieved that Mathias did not lose his temper because of her arrogant behavior, and she replied coquettishly, "Your Highness, I was just lecturing Seraphina for stepping on my new shoes, but she talked back at me instead. How infuriating."

She even stomped unhappily while speaking.

"If that's the way she's choosing to behave, why waste time talking to her?" Mathias' tone was calm as he finally glanced at Seraphina. "You should kneel for four hours for disrespecting your elder sister and allowing your tongue to run loose."

Cordelia broke out into a beautiful smile as she circled her hands intimately around Mathias' arm. "You've always been the best, Your Highness!"

She threw a Seraphina a gleeful glance and left happily while pulling Mathias along with her.

The freezing breeze gushed as Seraphina knelt in the cold, and her thin clothes became wet from the melting snow. The chilling air crept from Seraphina's knees and spread throughout her body, but the cold was nothing compared to the chill in her heart.

Four hours later, her personal maid, Lottie, came to her while brimming with tears. She helped her up. "Get up, Ms. Montclair. Your knees will get damaged if you continue kneeling in this freezing weather!"

Seraphina's knees had lost all senses, and she was only able to stand with Lottie's help. Lottie massaged her knees while choking back a sob. "How unfair life is to you. Lady Cordelia is given everything good in life because she's the legitimate daughter, and even His Highness…"

"Stop, Lottie." Seraphina interrupted her gently in a hoarse voice.

"But what have you ever done wrong, Ms. Montclair?" Lottie started crying. "His Highness saw that Lady Cordelia raised her hand at you first, but he still insists on punishing you. How unfair…"

Seraphina looked in the direction of Mathias' chambers, and suddenly laughed. It was a sorrowful laughter that was so sad, it stopped Lottie from crying.

Lottie was right about Seraphina being in an unfair situation, but she no longer wanted to fight for anything. All Seraphina wanted was for her wedding to arrive as soon as possible so that she could leave the city of Caventon and never return.