chapter 6:The Stranger By The River

Princess Seraphina Ashbourne's POV

Three days.

Only three days remained before my coronation, and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do.

In my previous life, I had looked forward to this day with all my heart. I had imagined standing before the kingdom, wearing my royal crown, with Spencer beside me, promising to support me as I took my place as queen.

How foolish I had been.

Now, whenever I thought about the coronation, I remembered the bitter taste of betrayal and the faces of the two people who had watched me die without a trace of remorse.

Spencer Whitmore.

Valentina Blackthorne.

Their names alone were enough to make my stomach tighten.

But I wasn't going to let them destroy me again.

This time, everything would be different.

For the past few days, Spencer had made several attempts to speak with me. He would appear in the corridors whenever I was passing, approach me in the garden, or suddenly remember some excuse to visit my chambers.

And every single time, I avoided him.

If he greeted me, I gave him a brief response and continued walking. If he tried to start a conversation, I pretended to be busy. Whenever he reached for my hand, I found a reason to move away.

At first, he seemed confused.

Then he became suspicious.

I could tell he wasn't accustomed to being ignored by me. In my previous life, I had practically revolved around him. His wishes had been my priorities, his happiness had been my responsibility, and his smallest frown had been enough to ruin my entire day.

Not anymore.

I had learned what his affection was worth.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Yesterday, he had stopped me outside the royal library.

"Seraphina, can we talk?"

I hadn't even slowed my steps.

"I'm busy, Spencer."

"You've been avoiding me."

"Have I?"

He stared at me as though I had suddenly begun speaking a foreign language.

"Yes, you have. Did I do something wrong?"

For one brief moment, I had wanted to laugh.

Did he do something wrong?

The man had conspired with my stepsister to poison me and steal my throne. He had stood beside my dying body and admitted that he had never loved me.

And now he wanted to know whether he had offended me?

I had looked at him calmly.

"If you think you've done something wrong, perhaps you should reflect on your behavior."

Then I walked away.

The expression on his face had almost made the encounter worthwhile.

Almost.

But I knew better than to underestimate him. Spencer was clever, patient, and skilled at pretending to be someone he wasn't. If he sensed that I remembered what he had done, he might change his plans.

So I needed to be careful.

I needed to observe him without allowing him to observe me.

And, most importantly, I needed to stop allowing thoughts of him to control my life.

Unfortunately, there was another creature occupying my thoughts.

A certain enormous black wolf with striking blue eyes.

I sighed and looked out of my bedroom window.

For three days, I had returned to the woods near the river, hoping to see him again.

Three days.

And he hadn't appeared once.

I knew it was ridiculous to miss an animal I had met only briefly. I had no idea where he lived, who he belonged to, or why he had seemed so comfortable around me.

Yet I kept remembering the softness of his fur and the strange sense of peace I had experienced while holding him.

It was almost as though I had known him for years.

I shook my head.

"This is becoming embarrassing, Seraphina."

Perhaps he had simply been passing through the woods.

Perhaps he belonged to someone who had taken him somewhere else.

Or perhaps I had imagined the entire connection because I desperately needed something good in my life.

Whatever the reason, I had decided that today would be my last attempt.

If I went to the river and he wasn't there, I would stop searching for him.

I had more important things to worry about.

Like surviving my coronation.

And making sure two particular traitors never got the chance to destroy me again.

I chose a simple dress in a soft shade of blue and covered it with a dark cloak.

The cloak was important.

I didn't want Spencer noticing me leaving the palace and deciding to follow me. Since I had started avoiding him, he had become strangely attentive to my movements.

I had no intention of giving him another opportunity to interfere with my plans.

After checking the corridor, I slipped out of my chambers and made my way through a quieter section of the palace.

Sandra was the only person I had told about my walks in the woods. She had looked concerned when I mentioned going out again, but she hadn't tried to stop me.

"Please be careful, Your Highness," she had whispered as she helped me arrange my cloak.

"I will."

"And don't stay too long. You know how quickly the weather changes near the woods."

I had smiled at her.

"I'll be back before anyone notices I'm gone."

Now, as I passed through the palace gates and followed the path leading away from the kingdom, I felt the familiar tension in my shoulders begin to ease.

The farther I walked from the palace, the lighter I felt.

There were no servants waiting for instructions, no nobles discussing my future, and no Spencer pretending to care about me.

For a little while, I could simply be Seraphina.

Not the princess.

Not the future queen.

Just a young woman who wanted a moment of peace.

When I reached the woods, sunlight filtered through the branches, scattering golden patterns across the ground. Birds called from the treetops, and a gentle breeze carried the scent of wildflowers.

I followed the familiar path toward the river.

My heart lifted with every step, though I tried to convince myself not to expect too much.

Perhaps the wolf wouldn't come.

Perhaps that was for the best.

Still, when I finally reached the riverside, my eyes immediately searched the surrounding trees.

Nothing.

I sighed and lowered myself onto the grass beneath my favorite tree.

"Well," I murmured, "I suppose this is goodbye, then."

I wasn't entirely sure why I was talking to an absent wolf.

Perhaps I had finally lost my mind.

I leaned back against the tree and closed my eyes, listening to the gentle sound of flowing water.

For a few minutes, I allowed myself to relax.

Then I heard footsteps.

My eyes opened.

Someone was standing near the trees on the opposite side of the clearing.

But it wasn't the wolf.

It was a man.

A very handsome man.

I sat up immediately.

He was tall, with broad shoulders and dark, curly hair that fell carelessly across his forehead. His features were sharp and striking, and there was something confident about the way he carried himself.

But it was his eyes that caught my attention.

Blue.

A beautiful, unusual shade of blue.

My breath caught.

Those eyes looked almost exactly like the wolf's.

I stared at him.

No.

Surely not.

Could the wolf somehow have become a man?

I immediately dismissed the thought.

Werewolves belonged in fantasy stories, ancient legends, and the ridiculous tales people told around fireplaces. I was a princess, not a child who believed every strange story she heard.

And yet...

Those eyes.

I shook my head slightly.

Get a grip, Seraphina.

The stranger began walking toward me.

I watched him approach, suddenly aware of how alone we were in the woods.

He didn't look threatening, but I had learned the hard way that appearances could be deceiving.

Still, something about him felt strangely familiar.

When he stopped a few steps away, I decided to speak first.

"Hi."

He stared at me for a moment.

Then he stepped closer.

"Hello."

His voice was deep and smooth, and there was a faint smile on his lips.

"I'm Kael," he said, offering me his hand.

I hesitated briefly before accepting it.

"I'm Seraphina."

He lifted my hand and gently pressed his lips against its back.

My eyes widened.

Then heat rushed into my cheeks.

Oh, goodness.

Who behaved like that anymore?

And why had such a simple gesture made my heart skip?

Kael looked amused by my reaction, though he was polite enough not to comment.

"Seraphina," he repeated, as though he liked the sound of my name. "That's beautiful."

"Thank you."

I pulled my hand back, trying to regain my composure.

"You come here often?" he asked.

"Sometimes."

"To be alone?"

I studied him.

"Is it that obvious?"

He smiled.

"Only a little."

I laughed despite myself.

It was strange how easily the conversation began. I had expected awkward silences, uncomfortable questions, and the usual formalities I was accustomed to when meeting someone new.

Instead, talking to him felt surprisingly natural.

He sat on the grass a short distance away, leaving enough space between us to make me comfortable.

For a while, we talked about ordinary things.

Our favorite foods.

The places we liked visiting.

The things that made us happy.

He told me he enjoyed riding through the countryside and spending time away from the responsibilities waiting for him at home. He spoke fondly of his family, especially his younger sister, who he said could be quite troublesome.

I laughed.

"Then you understand my suffering."

His eyebrows lifted.

"Do you have a troublesome sibling too?"

"Not exactly. My stepsister is the troublesome one."

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Kael's expression changed slightly, but he didn't interrupt.

I glanced at him, wondering whether I should continue.

For some reason, I wanted to.

"I live in a kingdom," I explained. "My father is the king, which makes me a princess."

His eyes widened.

For the briefest moment, he looked genuinely surprised.

Then he smiled.

"A princess?"

I nodded.

"Yes. Although I don't spend every moment wearing a crown and attending grand balls, despite what people seem to imagine."

He chuckled.

"I suppose royal life isn't always as glamorous as the stories make it sound."

"You have no idea."

I shook my head, and he watched me with an expression I couldn't quite understand.

"What about you?" I asked. "You said you have a family. Where do you live?"

"Some distance from here," he replied. "My family has responsibilities of its own."

"Are you a prince?"

He paused.

Then the corner of his mouth lifted.

"Something like that."

I narrowed my eyes.

"That's a suspicious answer."

"Is it?"

"Very."

He laughed, and I found myself smiling too.

There was something unusual about him. He spoke like someone accustomed to being listened to, and there was a quiet authority in his manner that didn't quite fit the image of an ordinary man wandering through the woods.

But I didn't press him.

We had only just met, and I wasn't eager to turn a pleasant conversation into an interrogation.

Instead, I told him a little more about my family.

"My mother died when I was born," I said quietly. "I've never had the chance to know her."

Kael's smile faded.

"I'm sorry."

I nodded.

"My father tried his best to make me happy. But eventually, he married my stepmother, Vivienne. She brought her daughter, Valentina, into the palace, and things became... complicated."

"Complicated how?"

I hesitated.

"They aren't very kind to me."

His expression grew serious.

I looked down at my hands.

"I try to avoid them whenever I can. That's one of the reasons I come here. The palace can feel suffocating sometimes, and the woods are peaceful."

Kael remained silent for a moment.

Then he said, "You shouldn't have to feel like a stranger in your own home."

I looked up at him.

There was something sincere in his voice that made my throat tighten.

"No," I whispered. "I suppose I shouldn't."

I didn't tell him everything.

I didn't tell him about Spencer, or the betrayal that still haunted my dreams, or the terrible future I was determined to change.

Some secrets were too heavy to share with someone I had known for less than an hour.

But it felt good to speak honestly, even if only a little.

"What about your family?" I asked. "Are they kind to you?"

His expression softened.

"They mean everything to me."

He paused.

"My father passed away some years ago. Losing him changed our family in ways I still struggle to explain."

"I'm sorry, Kael."

He nodded.

"My mother has also been very ill. For a long time, we weren't sure she would ever recover."

I felt a pang of sympathy.

"That must have been difficult."

"It was."

He looked toward the river.

"But things have changed recently. She's awake now."

His voice carried a quiet emotion that made me smile.

"That's wonderful!"

"It is." He looked back at me. "I don't think I've ever been so grateful for anything."

I understood that feeling more than he knew.

We continued talking, and the afternoon seemed to slip away without either of us noticing.

Then I remembered the reason I had come to the river in the first place.

"Actually, I came here hoping to see someone."

Kael turned toward me.

"Someone?"

I nodded.

"A wolf."

His expression became very still.

I didn't notice.

"I saw him here a few days ago. He was enormous, with beautiful black fur and the most incredible blue eyes."

I glanced at Kael.

"Almost exactly like yours."

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then I laughed softly at myself.

"I know how ridiculous that sounds. But he was so gentle. I thought he might come back."

Kael watched me with an expression I couldn't read.

"He made you feel safe?"

I blinked, surprised by the question.

"Yes."

I thought about the wolf's warm fur and the strange comfort I had felt in his presence.

"Very safe. I know it's silly, but I felt as though I could trust him."

Kael looked away briefly.

When he turned back, there was a softness in his eyes that made my heart flutter.

"Perhaps you'll see him again."

I smiled.

"I hope so."

And as the sunlight began to fade behind the trees, I found myself wishing the same thing about the handsome stranger sitting beside me.

I wanted to see him again too.

I didn't know who Kael was, what secrets he carried, or why his blue eyes reminded me so strongly of the wolf I couldn't forget.

But something told me that our meeting was not an ordinary coincidence.

And for the first time since waking up with a second chance at life, I found myself looking forward to what tomorrow might bring