Chapter 33: The Fire Beneath the Throne

The royal chambers had never felt colder.

Despite the soft flicker of firelight from the hearth and the velvet warmth of the thick rugs underfoot, Serena felt the chill of the Council’s threats still wrapped around her like a vice. She stood by the tall glass windows, arms folded tightly across her chest, staring into the snow-smeared darkness. The frost clinging to the glass mirrored the tension in her veins.

It had only been hours since the confrontation with the Elders—old wolves clinging to archaic laws and fearing change with a paranoia that reeked of desperation. Their words still rang in her ears: You are not of pure blood. You are a threat to our hierarchy. The mate bond with the King is a mistake that must be corrected.

Serena had expected resistance. But not the outright threat of exile.

The door creaked behind her, and even before the familiar scent of cedar and smoke met her nose, she knew who it was.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Elias said softly.

She didn’t turn around. “It’s the only place that still feels… mine.”

He came to stand beside her, silent at first. They stood like that, side by side, watching as snow drifted slowly across the courtyard. Finally, Serena broke the silence.

“They want to destroy me,” she whispered.

“They fear you,” Elias corrected, his voice calm but edged with steel. “Because they know they can’t control you. They’re afraid of your magic. Of your mind. Of the way you make me see the flaws in everything we’ve built.”

She turned to face him now, eyes shimmering gold in the dim firelight. “Do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Regret this? Us?”

Elias met her gaze without hesitation. “No. Never.”

Serena wanted to believe that. She did believe that. But fear had a way of whispering lies into quiet moments.

“I don’t regret choosing you either,” she admitted. “But I’m starting to wonder if I was meant for more than this. More than hiding behind castle walls, waiting for the Council to decide my fate.”

He reached for her hand. “You weren’t meant to hide. You were meant to lead. And not just beside me. On your own terms.”

A knock shattered the moment.

Elias stiffened. “Enter.”

The door opened to reveal Magnus, Elias’s most trusted general. The usually composed warrior looked grim, eyes sharp.

“My King. Queen Serena.” He bowed respectfully before speaking. “We have a situation.”

Elias moved toward him. “What kind of situation?”

“Rogues. Eastern border. But not like before. These ones move with discipline. Purpose.”

Serena’s heart clenched. “Are they armed?”

“Yes. And they carry banners.” Magnus hesitated. “The Moon Flame.”

Serena went still.

A thousand emotions flickered across her face—shock, disbelief, a flicker of something darker. “That’s not possible. The Moon Flame was dissolved before I was even born.”

“I’ve seen the symbols myself,” Magnus said. “The crescent moon encircled by fire. They’re not pretending.”

Elias stepped forward. “What do they want?”

“Unknown. But they’ve made no move to attack—yet. They’ve stopped outside the eastern forest. It feels more like… a message.”

“A warning,” Serena said under her breath.

Elias turned to her. “What do you know about them?”

“My mother, Lyra, was one of them before she disappeared. They were a secret order of gifted wolves—witches, seers, warriors who refused to obey the High Council’s decrees. They were branded traitors… hunted down. I thought they were gone.”

Elias’s eyes narrowed. “And if they’re not?”

“Then they’ve returned for a reason. And it’s not peace.”

A heavy silence fell.

Serena stepped forward, her voice steady despite the storm in her chest. “Let them in. But I want them brought to me, not the Council.”

“That’s risky,” Elias warned. “They could be here to finish what they started.”

Serena’s eyes glowed faintly. “Or they could be here to crown a queen.”

Elias studied her. “You’re changing.”

Serena gave a humorless laugh. “I’ve already changed, Elias. You just didn’t want to see it.”

He reached for her again, holding her hand tightly. “Then we face this change together. Whatever they want—whatever it means—we stand as one.”

She nodded once.

Magnus cleared his throat. “I’ll send a delegation. Shall I prepare the war council?”

Elias shook his head. “Not yet. Let’s hear what they have to say first. But have the warriors ready.”

Magnus bowed and exited swiftly.

The room dimmed again, but the tension had not eased.

As the fire popped and cracked behind them, Serena whispered, “I don’t think they’ve come for war.”

“Then what?” Elias asked.

She stared ahead, heart pounding. “To remind me who I really am.”