Mag-log inSerene’s POVThe next morning, Kyros and I had already packed, ready to leave the village. Martha fluttered around me like a worried mother hen. "Now, do you have enough food for the journey? What about the extra blanket? The roads up get terribly cold, child.""Martha, she's travelling with a bloody war hero; you don’t have anything to worry about.” David chuckled and winked at me, his eyes crinkling with humor."Hush, dear," Martha scolded, slapping his arm before turning back to us. She looked at Kyros, her expression turning stern. "You take care of her, General. Please.” Kyros placed a hand over his heart and bowed his head. "I swear on my honor, Martha. No harm will come to her."Martha smiled and reached out, taking my hand in hers."Serene," Martha murmured, looking deeply into my eyes. "Regarding your lost memories... there is a way to unlock what that necklace has hidden.” She sighed and shook her head. “But it involves dark magic. Now I would prefer you leave the past b
Serene’s POV"We have to get her out of the village," David insisted, his weathered face contorted with worry. "If you start packing now, we can get you out before midnight. You can head south toward the border, Serene-""They'll watch the roads," Kyros interrupted, and he sounded very calm. "The moment Killian realizes he can't take her by intimidation, he'll post scouts along every major road of Oakhaven. Running will only make her look guilty of a crime, and they'll hunt her down like a fugitive.""Then what are we supposed to do?" Martha wept softly. "Just let them drag her away to be a servant again?”Kyros rubbed his jaw, his eyes narrowing in deep thought as he paced the length of the living room. "The King is using her former status as a palace servant to demand her return, but there are legal boundaries even a monarch cannot easily break without causing a scandal among the noble houses."He stopped pacing, turning to look at us. "If Serene were married to a man of respectable
Serene’s POVHe was actually getting married.The news hovered in the air like smoke, choking me every time I tried to draw a breath. Lucas Thorne had announced his marriage to Eloisa Brandon, and it was official.While I sat in this dusty room, nursing a bitter hangover, he was preparing to put a crown on the head of the woman I hated the most.Of course he is, I thought bitterly, my fingers digging into the corner of the desk until my nails scraped against it.He was a King, and he would always prioritize his throne over anything… including me.I cursed under my breath and raked my fingers through my hair. A knock at the front door broke me from my miserable thoughts, and I walked over to open it.Kyros was on the opposite side, sporting a bright smile on his face. I frowned, raising my eyebrows.“I wasn’t expecting you…” I said slowly. “Do you need something?”He shook his head. “I just wanted to check on you. Are you fine?”"Just... thinking," I lied, stepping back to open the doo
Lucas POV"Are you out of your mind?”I flung the scroll to the ground, glaring into the eyes of the elder mage.The old man didn't even blink. He stood calmly, his hands resting on his staff, his face unbothered by my rage. Beside him, James looked as though he were about to faint, his hands trembling as he stared between us."I do not forge the stars, nor do I write the threads of destiny, Your Majesty," the mage said. "The ladies listed on that scroll are the only noblewomen in the entire kingdom born under the alignment of the Astral Star."I scoffed, a dark laugh escaping my throat as I tapped a single finger against the top name on the list."Eloisa Brandon," I snarled, my eyes narrowing into slits. "You want me to believe that her name found its way to this list by coincidence?”Why did I even bother trusting him in the first place? I should have known that Victor wouldn’t miss the opportunity to sink his claws into this situation. "Sire," the mage countered, leaning forward
Serene’s POV I picked up the mug, taking a hesitant sip. The liquid was bitter and burned like fire as it slid down my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut, coughing. "It’s terrible."Kyros laughed aloud. "You’ll get used to it, don’t worry."I stared into the drink, seeing my own reflection in the foam. Lucas. His face flashed in my mind, especially the way his eyes were filled with mistrust.An unbearable pang of hatred and grief exploded in my chest.Without thinking, I lifted the mug to my lips and chugged the rest of the bitter alcohol down, letting the burning heat drown out the agonising noise in my mind."Whoa!" Kyros gasped, his eyes widening in shock. "Slow down, small wildcat!""Another one," I demanded, slamming the empty mug onto the table.One drink turned into two, and two turned into four.As the hours dragged on, the alcohol flooded through my system, washing away my inhibitions and tearing down the dam holding back my emotions. I began drinking faster and faster, tryi
Serene’s POVThe afternoon sun poured through the dusty window of the study, casting orange shadows across the desk.I sat alone, staring down at the torn half of the document resting in my hands. The edges were jagged where Lucas and I had ripped it apart in our furious tug-of-war. My thumb traced the faded ink, my heart growing heavier with every passing second.I was stunned to find more pages in the document, and what it held was enough to make my stomach turn into a nauseating knot. It detailed the truth of how Lucas’s father had spent his last days consumed by poison and how he had signed the death warrant that condemned my father, Arthur Ashton, and my mother to the executioner's block.“He knew,” I whispered bitterly, my eyes burning as tears threatened to spill. “Lucas knew what his father was, and he still defended his lineage over my family's blood.”A knock at the open door broke the stifling silence."Serene, darling?" Martha stepped into the study along with Lily, who







