Chapter 1: The Day I Died

Princess Seraphina Ashbourne's POV

The day I was supposed to become queen was the day I died.

I never imagined that my coronation would end in betrayal, heartbreak, and death. I had dreamed of that day for years, imagining myself standing beside the man I loved as we began our lives together.

But I was wrong.

The man I loved never loved me, and the sister I trusted had been plotting against me all along.

And the worst part? They were the two people I would never have suspected.

The royal palace of Valoria was more beautiful than ever. Golden chandeliers illuminated the grand hall, white roses decorated the pillars, and nobles from neighbouring kingdoms gathered to witness my coronation.

Today, I was supposed to become Queen Seraphina Ashbourne.

Beside me stood Spencer Whitmore, the man I had loved since childhood. He looked handsome in his black ceremonial uniform, his dark hair neatly styled and his charming smile making my heart flutter.

"Are you nervous, my love?" he whispered, squeezing my hand.

I smiled at him. "A little. I can't believe we're finally here."

He brushed his thumb across my fingers.

"Everything will be perfect. I promise."

I believed him.

How could I not?

Spencer and I had grown up together. He was the son of the palace gardener, and we had been inseparable since we were children. While other people saw him as nothing more than a servant's son, I saw a kind, intelligent boy with beautiful dreams.

I had defended him against people who looked down on him. I had shared my happiness with him and stood beside him whenever he needed me.

When our friendship turned into love, I thought it was destiny.

Even when the royal court questioned our relationship, I refused to listen. I believed that love mattered more than status, wealth, or family background.

I had no idea that the man I defended so fiercely would one day become my greatest enemy.

"To our future," I whispered, lifting my glass of wine.

Spencer raised his glass.

"To our future."

Our glasses touched, and I took a sip.

The wine tasted slightly bitter, but I paid little attention to it. I was too happy to worry about something so insignificant.

A few moments later, however, my stomach began to twist painfully.

I frowned and placed my glass on a nearby table.

"Spencer, I don't feel well."

He turned towards me, his expression strangely calm.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm feeling dizzy."

My vision blurred, and my legs suddenly felt weak. I reached for his arm, expecting him to support me.

Instead, he stepped away.

I stared at him in confusion.

"Spencer?"

He looked down at me, and the smile I had always loved disappeared.

"Stop pretending, Seraphina."

My heart skipped.

"What?"

"You heard me."

Fear crept into my chest. Something was terribly wrong, and the man standing before me was no longer behaving like the person I knew.

"Please," I whispered. "Help me."

He laughed softly.

Then he leaned closer and said something that shattered my world.

"You should have been more careful about what you drank."

My eyes widened.

I looked at the glass on the table, then back at him.

"No..."

Before I could say another word, a familiar voice sounded behind me.

"What's wrong, sister?"

I turned my head.

Valentina stood there in a magnificent silver gown, diamonds glittering around her neck. Her beautiful face carried an expression of amusement rather than concern.

My stepsister.

The girl I had tried so hard to love.

"Valentina," I whispered. "Please, something is wrong with me."

She glanced at Spencer, and they exchanged a look.

A look that told me everything.

They had planned this.

"Why?" I asked, tears filling my eyes. "Why are you doing this to me?"

Spencer sighed impatiently.

"Because I never loved you, Seraphina."

For a moment, I could not breathe.

"What?"

"I never loved you," he repeated coldly. "You were useful to me. Marrying you would have given me access to the throne and everything that comes with it."

I shook my head, refusing to believe him.

"No. That's not true. You told me you loved me. You promised we would spend our lives together."

"People say whatever they need to say to get what they want."

His words cut deeper than the pain spreading through my body.

I remembered the boy who had once cried beneath the oak trees because other children mocked him for being a gardener's son.

I remembered sitting beside him, telling him that he was worth more than their cruel words.

I remembered promising that I would always stand by him.

And I remembered the day he first told me he loved me.

Had every moment been a lie?

"How could you?" I whispered.

Valentina laughed.

"Oh, Seraphina. You really are as foolish as everyone says."

I turned towards her.

She folded her arms, looking at me with open contempt.

"Spencer loves me. He has always loved me. You were simply too blind to see it."

My tears fell freely.

"You are my sister."

"Half-sister," she corrected. "And that has never changed the fact that you always had everything I wanted."

I stared at her in disbelief.

Our father had married her mother, Vivienne Blackthorne, after my own mother died giving birth to me. From that day forward, I had tried to treat Valentina as family.

I shared my belongings with her. I defended her whenever the nobles questioned her place in the palace. Whenever she complained that everyone favoured me, I reminded her that she was still important to our family.

I had given her kindness when she offered me jealousy.

I had given her trust when she secretly wished to take my place.

And now she stood before me, smiling as I slowly died.

"You poisoned me," I whispered.

"Of course," Spencer answered. "We needed you gone before the coronation was completed."

My blood ran cold.

"And my father?"

"He will grieve, naturally," Spencer said. "But grief won't prevent us from taking what we want."

He looked at Valentina and took her hand.

"I will marry her. Together, we will claim the throne."

I felt as though the entire world had collapsed around me.

The man I had defended against the royal court had been using me.

The sister I had protected had been plotting my death.

They wanted my crown, my kingdom, and my future.

And they were willing to murder me to get them.

"Spencer, please," I begged, reaching for his hand. "I love you. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

For one foolish moment, I hoped he would remember our childhood.

I hoped he would remember the promises we had made beneath the oak trees, the laughter we had shared, and the years we had spent together.

But he simply pulled his hand away.

"Your love was never enough to give me what I wanted."

Valentina slipped her arm through his.

"Come along, darling. We have a wedding to plan."

Darling.

The word made my heart ache.

I watched them turn away from me.

"Please!" I cried. "Don't leave me here!"

They did not stop.

Instead, they laughed as they walked away, leaving me alone on the marble floor.

My knees finally gave way.

I collapsed, unable to hold myself upright any longer. The sounds of the royal celebration became distant as my vision blurred.

Somewhere nearby, someone screamed and called for the royal physician.

But I knew there was little time left.

I was dying.

On the day I was supposed to become queen, I was dying because I had trusted the wrong people.

My thoughts drifted towards my father. Would he discover the truth? Would he ever know that the people he welcomed into our family had helped destroy his only daughter?

Then I thought of my mother.

I had never known her embrace or heard her voice. All I had were her portraits and the stories my father told me about her.

Perhaps I would finally meet her.

Perhaps she would hold me and tell me that everything would be all right.

Tears slipped down my cheeks.

I had spent my entire life trying to be a good daughter, a good princess, and a good sister. I had loved Spencer with everything I possessed, believing that my devotion would be enough.

Instead, my kindness had become my weakness.

If only I could turn back time.

If only I could have another chance.

I would never trust Spencer again. I would never allow Valentina to manipulate me. I would protect myself and stop sacrificing my happiness for people who cared nothing about me.

I would make them answer for every lie, every betrayal, and every tear they had caused me.

I would not let them take my life and enjoy the future they had stolen.

A bitter smile touched my lips.

"Please," I whispered into the darkness. "If there is anyone listening, give me another chance."

My heartbeat weakened.

The golden lights above me faded into darkness.

I closed my eyes, and my final breath escaped my lips.

Princess Seraphina Ashbourne died on the day of her coronation.

Spencer Whitmore and Valentina believed they had won.

They believed that with me gone, the throne would be theirs and their future would be secure.

But they were wrong.

Because sometimes, fate gives the dead a second chance.

And if I ever returned, I would no longer be the trusting princess they had so easily deceived.

I would remember everything.

Every lie. Every betrayal. Every cruel word.

And I would make them regret the day they decided to destroy me.

I died as Princess Seraphina Ashbourne.

But if I ever lived again, I would make sure my enemies wished I had never returned.