LOGINSerene’s POVThe court was in chaos from the moment I sat on the throne. I could barely get a word in with all of the noise happening around me.The court ministers were arguing over me, their voices overlapping and crashing together like waves.All of them were demanding that I reverse my decision about Eloisa. Lord Brandon was away, but I could feel his influence hanging over the room like a storm cloud.Was this how the court worked? I had no idea… and it was starting to terrify me. "Your Majesty," one of the ministers pleaded, bowing so low his head nearly touched the floor, "surely you didn't think this through. The Brandon family is one of our strongest allies. Humiliating them like this could destroy your political standing-""She deserves it," I said, and the whole room went silent. "Eloisa betrayed my trust. She's been manipulative and false. I won't marry someone I can't respect."It wasn't the full truth, but it was true enough. Some of the ministers actually nodded at tha
Lucas POV"Release me!" I screamed, still fighting against the guards dragging me deeper into the bowels of the castle. "I am your King! This is treason! I will have you all executed!"I tried to call on my wolf, but I got nothing in response, just a cold feeling wrapping around my chest.So the girl wasn’t just useless, but she also didn’t have a wolf and was weak too?I dug my foot harder into the ground, determined not to be thrown into prison. “I said let me go! Did you hear me? I am your King and-“"Sure you are, crazy girl," one of the guards laughed, shoving me hard toward an open cell. "Probably sign your own death warrant while you're at it."They threw me inside and locked the iron gate behind me with a sound that made my stomach drop. The bars clanged shut like the end of the world.“No!” I screamed, rushing towards the gate and pounding on it. “Release me! You’re making a big mistake! This body is not mine!”I slammed my fists against the cold iron hard enough that my hand
SERENE’S POVEloisa entered the room as if she owned it, and my blood started boiling immediately."Allow me to introduce Lady Eloisa Bran-" the eunuch started to say."I already know who she is," I cut in, my voice sharp enough to make him flinch. "I don't need an introduction."Eloisa's smile faltered for just a second before she recovered it, curtsying low and graceful. Somehow, even the mere sight of that seemed to annoy me more than usual. Her smile was brighter than the sun, and she stepped forward. "Your Majesty, how are you? I'm so glad to see you.” I shrugged. “I could be better.”Her smile faltered again, and I could see the looks the attendants were shooting me, but I could not care any less. “I just wanted to let you know that the wedding preparations are coming along beautifully, and I wanted to discuss our honeymoon.” She clasped her hands and sighed. “I know you said that you didn’t want to rush…” The more she talked, the more the memories came flooding back. I cou
SERENE’S POVBefore I could even scream, another voice tore through the study. It was a very familiar one. I turned, and there I was. Well, it was me… but it wasn’t me. I was standing several feet away and staring down at my own hands like they belonged to a stranger.But it was my face, my body, and my messy braid falling over my shoulder. Except it wasn't me at all. It was him."What have you done?" Lucas roared, patting down my body, like he was checking if any of it was real. "Fix this. Fix this right now, you insolent little wretch!”I staggered back, awed by how much taller and stronger I felt. "I don't know what happened!" I managed to shout back, my voice cracking in a panic that didn't feel like it belonged to me either. “I don't understand it any more than you do!"He lunged at me, grabbing the front of my collar, and I realized with sick horror that his hands… or rather my hands, were shaking with rage."You have to fucking reverse this," he snarled, his face inches fro
SERENE’S POVThe King walked in before I could even react, and I ducked my head so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash.My eyes were glued to the floor, my heart slamming against my ribs like it wanted out. I could feel his presence before I even saw him properly. It was this suffocating kind of power that pressed down on my shoulders and made it hard to breathe."Draft the letter to the western lords again," he spoke, his voice deep and clipped. "Word for word, this time. I won't repeat myself."I could hear the shuffling of his many attendants trailing behind him, each eager to serve their king. "Yes, Your Majesty," his eunuch answered smoothly, bowing so low his nose nearly grazed the floor.Nobody had noticed me yet. That was good. I bowed quickly, gathered my cleaning supplies, and started backing toward the door like my life depended on it. Which, honestly, it probably did."Stop there."That single word froze me solid. My luck was quickly running out, and if I didn’t find a
SERENE’S POVI clutched my blanket like it was the only thing keeping me warm in this whole freezing castle, limping down the corridor to put everything back where it belonged. That was my job. To tidy things up and stay invisible. Simple, right? Wrong.Two guards passed by and snickered. One of them intentionally bumped their arm against mine, sending me staggering. “Look, it’s the cripple.” The other jeered in a mocking tone. “Thought she died already.”The first guard snorted and rolled his eyes. “She’s a stubborn bitch, carrying her curse all over the palace. I’ll have the pleasure of killing her myself one day.”They laughed to themselves as they continued on their way. I didn't even flinch anymore. I just kept walking, dragging my bad leg behind me.This was my life. People mocked me for existing, and I stopped expecting anything else a long time ago.Up ahead, an older servant woman struggled with a stack of linens twice her size, wobbling as if she might collapse under the







