Chapter Seven

Serafina

The essence of lavender permeated through the washroom, as steam waved through the air from the bathtub. As my nightdress dripped down to my ankles I caught the sight of my looking glass in my peripheral.

It was just a normal mirror with a thin gold rim. There were no embellishments of any sort. And yet, when I approached it and leaned a palm to the now warmed frame, a piece of me expected to see ripples. But the only image that I was shown was my own. Although it wasn’t my own. Not as it was two weeks ago.

Dark impressions stained the skin under my sunken eyes. My cheeks were no longer full and in the place of my curved hips were protruding bones. On my stomach, just under my rib cage, was the remnants of my wound. A dark rugged scar that marred my light flesh. These almost three weeks of dying and recovering had taken their toll on me, but I hadn’t seen the effects until now. Why hadn’t anyone said how horrible I looked?

Bones sighed in delicious delight as I lowered into the porcelain claw-foot tub. No more sponge baths for me. I lifted my hand towards the rays of the sun coming through the window. Even my fingers had thinned to nothing more than twigs, yet the ring from Cato remained in place. It didn’t give any indication that it would come off unless I pulled it off.

Checking to be sure that the door was sealed shut I glanced back at the ring as the emerald glimmered in the rays. I wanted to use it, or at least try to. Cato had not provided any instructions. So, I did the only thing I could. I cleared my mind and lifted a mass of my hair in my hand, seeing auburn, like the hair of my mother’s in the mirror. A chill webbed from my ring finger through my hand, up my arm, and kept spreading until my entire body felt chilled. I noted that I wasn’t necessarily cold, but it was similar to the sensation of being watched by something - tingling from a person’s instincts to be on alert. Slowly, I took a peek at my raised hand from the water and gasped. The strands went from the darkest of blacks to the lightest of auburn. Extraordinary.

I wondered what it would be like to breathe underwater. Allowing my hair to return to its dark hues I submerged myself under the water, imagining the gills forming where my neck met my jaw. One intake of water was all it took before I shot back up gagging and quickly receded the gills back into my natural skin. Lavender filled my senses. I should not have put the bubbles in. Lesson learned.

Leena stopped me when I approached my vanity for the brush.

“You are to pick out an appropriate outfit for tonight.”

As if I would forget. Anything less than perfect would most likely portray me as a lowly barbarian to people such as my stepmother and grandmother. Leena came towards me, picking up the brush from underneath my hand and motioned for me to settle into the chair.

“Against my better judgment and counsel, your father has decided to thrust you out into the world.” Leena’s lips curled up in a scowl.

“And your brother thinks it’s smart to just stroll you into town.”

We all knew it was coming, but it didn’t stop Leena from snarling at Zander and Father every time they came to visit. I was expected to attend events and host a ball celebrating my being given legitimacy as well as for my brother using it to make the announcement of his engagement.

It still didn’t sit well with me that Regina was holding the success of my recovery over him to obligate him to marry. He kept insisting that the price was worth it and that he would have paid a much greater price. It was my potential obligation that he regretted, having informed me last night that I was indeed expected to consider marriage prospects. It was the least I should do considering what Zander was going through because of my own lack of sense.

In my mirror I saw Laney lounging on my bed with a book.

“Tell me more about her, Laney.”

I didn’t have to clarify, she was aware of exactly who I was inferring to. She shrugged her shoulders.

“Dea is a person who believes in country first and family second.” She put a finger on her chin and looked upwards, as if searching for more to say.

“That’s the best way to describe her. She’d throw her own son into a volcano if she thought it would prevent famine or a war.”

“That’s an exaggeration.” Jelena spoke up from one of the armchairs.

But Laney just shook her head.

“I don’t think it is. She’s all about self preservation. Although,” she paused for a moment, casting me an almost apologetic glance.

“She favors Zander quite a bit. She’s only human and I assume she knows that a human life is brief compared to other beings in Belinha. So she has developed a sort of soft spot for him. There are rumors that she despises you for the risk you are to his claim to the throne.”

My brows furrowed as I whirled around to face her, taking Leena with me with a sharp tug on my scalp. I was sure to regret that later when the pain sank in.

“I don’t want anything to do with the throne.” I nearly shouted, not remembering how many times I have repeated those same words.

Laney shrugged.

“It’s not your desire that she’s interested in but your existence. Even though you come from the same line as her, she simply doesn’t see it that way. And honestly, I’m not sure if you will be able to change her mind.”

I left it at that, slowly turning back into my vanity. It was just another reason that I should have ignored Cato and just left.

A knock came around five in the evening and the door opened before anyone had the chance to answer it.

“What if I was still dressing?” I said coldly from my spot on the sofa only to have Zander raise an eyebrow at me and shrug.

“You would have screamed at me the second the door started opening. Knowing you, something would have been thrown at it as well.”

“A gentleman waits for an answer before barging into a lady’s room.” I huffed, crossing my arms before me.

He gave me an incredulous glance before lowering himself dramatically into a mock bow.

“My apologies Serafina, Princess of the pain in my ass. Would Your Highness like to go and eat now or should I come back when all the food is picked over and cold?”

From the armchair beside me came a hard snicker. I looked over to find Jelena with both hands over her nose and mouth as she shuddered trying to hold in her laughter. A lone tear rolled down her cheek as her attempts became in vain and she burst out in a fit of giggles anyways. I gave a half-smile at the reaction. It felt as though it had been ages since anyone of them, especially Zander, had treated me as something more than a broken doll. The banter was appreciated.

“May I remind you that you are a princess as well, young lady.” Leena addressed Jelena with a half-hearted glare. Jelena simply ignored her and continued with her fit.

I rolled my eyes and stood, straightening my sea foam colored silk dress. A sense of pride filled me as I peered down at it, having picked it out myself. It had an empire waistline that flowed into delicate layers of various shades of the sea foam color that met with the floor. At the end of my shoulders were short and slightly puffed out sleeves that were translucent. My hair sat pinned at one side with a large blue lily blossom as the rest flowed around me, like the dark depths of the sea attempting to swallow the lightness of my dress.

“You look lovely.” Zander complimented and motioned his head towards the door and crooked his elbow before me.

“Shall we?”

I allowed for the frustration of his lack of manners to melt away and nodded before accepting his arm, taking in his own appearance of a three-piece navy suit. His hair ever the curly mop.

We walked in a slow silence. The ring certainly helped in my recovery, but I still couldn’t fight the fatigue in my legs from lack of use. The others trailed close behind us. My heart hammered as we approached the Grand Staircase. I wasn’t overly familiar with the location but I stared intently at that one spot at the base, expecting to see a crimson puddle. But there was none. No broken body either. Just a polished marble floor that reflected the high wood beams of the ceiling in the light.

Zander tensed beside me and stopped walking before we began our descent and looked down at me.

“Are you alright?” His eyes held concern.

Was I? I glanced down towards the bottom again. Nothing was out of sorts. And yet, seeing the empty space unnerved me. As if ghosts lingered to push me towards a similar fate. Forcing my lips away from my teeth I formed a smile and looked back up at him.

“I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

He gave an unconvinced tilt of his head and followed where my gaze once was. Realization dawned on him as he brought up his free hand to rest on mine, gripping firmly. As we descended he held my attention talking about his plans for my first day in Nautica. He went into detail of every activity planned and I loved him for it. Those times when he just seemed to read my mind and became my shield, even from my own thoughts.

“If we have time we’ll stop by the orphanage.” He finished as we came to the double doors that lead to the Dining Hall. The ballroom had their own double set of doors behind us, but I refused to peer in that direction. The thought of that night had no place in my mind for this evening.

I was grateful for the distraction to descend the stairs without issue, however now my heart began to flutter fiercely again as I faced the doors. Behind them was a woman whom I never met and another woman who assaulted me as a child and yet also saved me. I had no expectations of this being an enjoyable dinner.

The doors opened and I felt my body fill with dread. There were not three people waiting for us but eight. Quickly glancing at Zander for his reaction I was disappointed to see that he was not as startled as I was. In fact, his apologetic gaze towards me told me all I needed to know. He had been aware that others were coming but decided to keep me in the dark. I wanted to yank my arm away and lay into him about how I did not appreciate how reticent he has been since I woke up. I wanted to ball my hands up and throw one first to his nose and another to his stomach. But proper etiquette and our audience kept my hands tied. He wasn’t going to be able to get away for long. I had plans for him after dinner.

The Grand Counsel was made up of two men and three women. Should the king want a law passed it went through the counsel first. At the same time, the king had the power to veto any potential laws that the counsel brought up to him. It was a system that kept the peace, for the most part. And they were all there, waiting for us. Waiting for me.

The room was massive with a table large enough to occupy fifty people in its current state, however it could be expanded to accommodate more. Facing inwards were tall windows, much like the gallery. On the opposite wall was a grand marble fireplace that stretched twelve feet long and six feet high, roaring with a flame that made the room stifling. Sitting on the mantel was my father’s crest on a shield. The rim was silver with a royal blue center. An emerald water dragon stood on its hind-legs in the center with a gold crown on his head and a silver sword in his claws. So much like that young man’s, I thought before reminding myself of where I was.

As we approached the table I bent lowly for a curtsy as Zander bowed. When I lifted my head I was able to observe the other guests. My father stood at the head of the stable in a navy three-piece suit like Zander’s, his hair freshly combed back. On his right side stood two women.

One, the tall and elegant one, I recognized immediately and a sense of dread fell upon me. Regina’s steel eyes bore into me, melting my confidence from the inside. I wanted to run away but the sliver of courage I had left kept me from aiming towards the door.

Her medium-brown hair shined with soft ringlets at the ends that met her mid back, the front pieces of her hair pinned to the back of her head. A gold tiara encrusted with sapphires rested atop her head, complimenting her off-the-shoulder ocean blue ball gown. Stunning was too weak of a word to describe her. She was bewitching.

Beside her was a shorter woman who looked upon me as if I were worse than a rat or a cockroach. Her ocean eyes mirrored my father’s, only they held none of the warmth that his did. They were cold and calculating. The dress she wore was of a deep purple that had a high color and sleeves that went to the base of her fingers. Her sandy hair was held back in a similar fashion to Regina’s, although her thin face didn’t quite work with it. It made her features appear small and mousy.

There were two other men and three other women. The Grand Counsel. My throat hitched as I swallowed. The most powerful people in the country were staring back at me, expectantly. I wanted to throttle Zander for keeping me in the dark. Instead, I kept my tongue on the roof of my mouth to prevent saying anything regrettable.

“Come and sit.” My father beckoned, taking a seat and motioning towards two empty chairs on his left side, in between him and the men. The women sat beside my grandmother, Dea.

I was frozen on the spot. Fortunately, Zander pulled me along anyway and guided me towards the seat closest to our father. He pulled out the heavy chair for me and I thanked him, hoping he understood that it wasn’t just for the seat but also to not sit me beside a stranger.

As soon as Zander pushed in his chair bowls of a thin chicken broth were placed before us. Once my father had picked up his spoon we were able to follow.

I tried to eat silently, being sure to not clang my spoon against the bowl or to slurp. Peering up I noticed that Leena and the others did not follow us in. My stomach flipped. I was hoping to have them around for silent moral support.

Zander’s arm grazed mine sharply. When I gave him a questioning glance he motioned with his eyes to look around, and I did. What I saw made me want to just melt into my seat and into the floor cracks. Every single person was looking at me. Did I miss something? Were my eating habits too barbaric?

“Sweetheart,” my father’s deep voice began, launching me out of my thoughts.

“As you become accustomed to your new role in our family there will be expectations.”

He spoke with hesitance, it made me nervous.

“I will do what I can to be of use to you, Father.”

“You will be used to strengthen our ties with the other nations.” Dea said in a voice like stone.

I peered over at her and saw that the gaze in her eyes matched the tone of her voice. Cold as ice. Then, I turned my gaze to Zander., who was peering back at Dea with just as cold of a stare.

“Mother, I have already told you that Serafina will not be bartered away just to gain a couple of war ships.” My father’s voice was steady and tight.

Dea’s gaze met her son’s and I wished more than anything to be back in my rooms and pretending I didn’t exist. It worked well enough for the last two decades after all.

“Unfortunately for you, Jovan, a girl is only worth the marriage she can procure and the heir she will birth. And now that Zander has finally given up his childish resistance of not finding a bride, Regnum needs to make use of your little bastard.” Her voice was unwavering.

When I used to imagine what it would be like to have grandparents I would envision a cranky grandfather and a kind grandmother. Perhaps it was Laney’s stories of her own, what she remembered at least, that molded my own expectations. But the woman sitting diagonally from me was nothing like what I envisioned.

I took in my father as his shoulders tensed and his eyes darkened in warning.

“Be civil or be gone.” His tone was low, giving her a chance to correct herself, although I doubted she would heed it.

A cough sounded from the man sitting beside Zander. He was around my father’s age with dark brown hair and a patch covering his left eye. My lessons had taught me that he was Gunther, a member of the council and an old friend of my father’s. Father looked at him and then nodded, to acknowledge Gunther’s desire to speak.

“I just want to clarify, for everyone at this table, that when the Grand Council passed the proposal, we did so with stipulations.” His voice was rugged but light.

“Which was added on to by Her Majesty this past week.” Said the woman beside Dea. A short woman with short dark brown hair. She was Mira, Regina’s friend from Durant and representative on the council.

Gunther nodded before continuing.

“Yes. Well, along with the prince’s agreement to marry Princess Celina Drakonis of Demarcus, there is the stipulation that the new princess should be actively seeking her own political marriage as well.” He paused to put up a hand before my father could interrupt.

“Seeking my friend. The council has agreed to keep our hands out of the decision unless it will have a great impact on Regnum. There is no rush as of now.”

I burned with hurt and betrayal. Even though it was a possibility that I would have to be on the lookout for a husband, it still hurt thinking about it. I wanted to tell my father to reverse his decision to use that law and allow me to return to my life of solitude. Then afterwards I wanted to punch my brother in the throat for actively keeping the information from me. There were costs to saving my life. There were costs of adding me to the line of succession. And there were costs to any other optimistic sounding ideas the two of them may conjure. Now they were playing with my life in a way I never expected.

Then Regina took a sip from her goblet and set it down before giving her own opinion.

“There are a couple of proposals that have come in for… her.” Her voice was soft and delicate as she glanced at me and then quickly away.

My father clenched a fist beside me on the table.

“There is no rush, Regina.” He spat out her name as if it were offensive to say.

The queen backed down and returned to her empty soup bowl, eyes seemingly interested in the imaginary contents it held.

There was a pause to allow for the second course to be brought out. Steamed mussels and scallops, some of my personal favorites. I caught my brother peering at me with an apology in his gaze and as if sending me the message that the food was a peace offering. I furrowed my brow at him and turned away. My forgiveness was not going to be bought with food. It was insulting for him to even think it would knick the iceberg of my newfound rage towards him and our father.

Through the deafening silence a fork scraped a plate with a screech. I looked up to see my grandmother ready for another round with my father. Let her, I thought. I was going to keep my mouth shut for the meal and then make my point known later to Zander and my father about making plans and not including me in them.

“As Regina was stating before,” Dea paused, turning away from Father and addressing the Grand Council instead.

“There have, surprisingly, been three proposals for Jovan’s… other child…”

I felt both Zander and my father tense on either side of me, ready to explode. But Dea ignored them and continued.

“The first is from the Duke of Maris.”

My ears perked up. Anton, Laney’s older brother wanted to marry me? They both grew up as wards to my father and stepmother, so we grew up as practically siblings. He was also Zander’s closest friend. Knowing him the way I did, he was most likely putting in the proposal to be kind and as a favor to my brother.

“The second,” Dea continued, keeping everyone’s focus, “is from the second son of King Oberron Orwell of Silvania, Prince Hamish of the fairies.”

The members of the council appeared intrigued. I began thinking that they may put their hands in the decision sooner than Gunther previously implied. The land of the fairies was the furthest distance from our own human land and incredibly wealthy. A fool would only turn down such a prospect if the exchange was pleasant enough.

“They got the last princess, if I recall correctly. She went to one of their nobles.” Said an older woman with long silver hair beside Mira. Agatha.

Dea nodded her head.

“Yes, my late husband’s great aunt. And in return we were given a handsome payment in exchange for her, rather than Regnum being responsible for a dowry. Girls are rare in the line after all.” Dea informed, a small smirk playing at her lips. She had them right where she wanted them.

Another gaze at me told me all I needed to know about her opinion of me. She didn’t like me and wanted me gone. At least through a marriage there would be benefits other than my leaving.

“Then the third is a double marriage contract. King Marek of Demarcus has already agreed to begin negotiations for his daughter, Princess Celina, to marry Zander but he would also like to propose a match for his son as well, Crown Prince Elek.”

A terrible gnawing sound passed through my father’s lips.

“He should be grateful that we are even considering his daughter. It would be a blessing for her to get out of that barren wasteland. That barbarian can forget about my daughter being sent there.” He spoke with venom and it made me want to question why Demarcus was worse than Silvania, which then made me want to ask why either should be considered.

If anything, Demarcus, the kingdom of dragons, would be more appealing just due to the size of their coffers alone. Unlike their twin nation of Ignatia, Demarcus seemed to have unlimited access to the mines of Hyperion, the city of the dragons that lay in the mountain range separating the sister nations.

From the corner of my eyes the queen caught my attention as she rolled her eyes and returned to her food. Such curious behavior from both of them.

Dea, once again, ignored her son and continued to address the Grand Council.

“Marek is also the only one, so far, to write about the conditions of the proposal.” She lifted her goblet up to her thin lips and sipped, waiting.

“What is it he wants?” Gunther asked, food and drink seemingly forgotten as he leaned forward to hear the reply.

“Something that I believe will be of great interest. Forgoing a dowry to begin with, as well as Fort Aquila that rests in the sea between our two countries, with five new ships. He is also giving a dowry for Celina at seven million gold. And that’s just the first draft of his proposal without any negotiation.”

Well, Demarcus here I come, I thought as I took in the gravity of her words. As I stared down onto my plate, I wished it wasn’t seafood. It would be a waste to expel it from my stomach later as my nausea continued to rise. Day one of official princess duties and I was already practically married. I cast a glance over at my father who looked as though he would leap from his chair and strangle his mother. But she just continued to sit there and wait for the next course.

Roasted pig with caramelized vegetables replaced the seafood. I could only push the food around my silver plate with my fork, appetite long gone.

A man next to Gunther was next to speak. He was a balding man with gray hair. He appeared as old as Cicero and when he spoke his voice cracked with age.

“If that is indeed a true proposal then the Grand Council will need an official copy of the proposal and we will set time aside for a meeting with all parties involved.”

“And that does not involve either of you two.” My father said, pointing his fork towards Dea and Regina. But Regina straightened her shoulders.

“If it includes a match for Zander as well then I am involved.” Her voice was unwavering as she held a strong gaze towards him.

To my surprise he was the first to turn away, as if burned. His shoulders slumped.

“Only for the part of the meetings that pertain to our son, but my daughter will not be subjected to the biases of you or her.” He said as he sipped from his goblet and sent a glare towards Dea.

Regina’s eyes softened as she returned to her plate. I wondered if I was witnessing some form of olive branch between the two of them or concessions being made.

“As for the meeting…” Gunther began, “let’s meet by the end of this week. It may play a role in how we greet the guests for the upcoming ball.”

I had forgotten that a ball was going to be thrown to debut the family as a new unit. It felt as if it were ages ago when Zander first told me about it. My father gave a nod and then turned towards Regina.

“Regina, you will teach Serafina how to be a proper hostess.”

Then his voice softened as she peered up at him wide eyed.

“Your parties are always a success. I’m sure she would be honored to learn from you.”

She locked eyes with me and her tight face relaxed, but only slightly.

“We will meet here tomorrow morning and begin the invitations.”

I reluctantly nodded.

Perhaps I should have said something. Was I being rude with only giving a nod?

Relief flooded through me when Zander stopped at the door to my room. Then the rage rushed in as I turned towards him and balled up my fist to have it swiftly connect below his sternum. He lurched forward as the wind was knocked out of him, coughing hard.

“What in Cato’s name was that for?” He cried, clutching his abdomen.

“What in Cato’s name indeed.” I hissed at him.

Leena put a hand up to stop the others from intervening as they followed us. I was grateful for the support, when she would normally put a stop to it herself. Knowing her the way I did, she was just as furious as I was.

“Were you going to tell me about the stipulations as I walked to the altar or after the birth of my first child?” I asked coldly, anger rising up as he only faced me with a sense of calm in his cool eyes.

“The stipulation was to at least contemplate proposals, not to accept any of them.” He answered, still holding his stomach and propping himself up against one of the window sills facing my door.

“I won’t be allowed to seek or contemplate anything if the Grand Council makes the choice for me. Have Father reverse the decision! Take me out of the line of succession.” I said, walking up to him and jabbing my finger into his chest.

“No.” Zander clipped.

I knitted my eyebrows towards each other.

“I don’t want it.” I growled out, poking him again.

His steel eyes hardened.

“No matter what you believe, Sera, this was all done for you. This was to give you a better life.”

“Zander, I won’t even be allowed to have a better life because of the choices you have made for me.”

“I didn’t know about the contracts!” He shouted and then firmly placed a hand on each of my shoulders. His eyes then turned pleading, asking for forgiveness.

“I swear I didn’t know. Yes, I knew about you having to be open to the idea of considering a political marriage, but I did not know anyone would actively be waiting for you.” Then he dropped a hand to his side and brought the other one to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“Anton did tell me that he was considering it, but only because he thought it would help keep you out of trouble and to not be used politically. So, I was aware of his intentions, but the others I had no idea.”

I continued to harden my gaze at him as I kept a closed palm to my chest, trying to calm my raging heart.

“You still should have told me.” I said quietly.

I thought back to my time in the void and the mirrors. I was meant to find someone. Someone who was at the end of the chain that connected us. But if the men in my life, and apparently the Grand Council as well, continued to call the shots of what I must do, then how would I ever find the black dragon that Belinha told me to seek? My gaze focused on him, seeing his own eyes falter with remorse.

“I never wanted this, Zander. You and Father forced this upon me without my consent. The least you can do is to tell the Grand Council that I will not be used in their political games, no matter how nice the deal appears. I am to be left out of it.” I’m not sure where the confidence in my tone was coming from, but I hoped it was enough to have him understand the gravity of how disappointed I was in him and our father.

Zander pulled himself away from the window and turned towards the opening of the corridor before meeting my gaze once more.

“I can’t promise much right now, Sera, but I can try to keep them at bay. But do what you can to stay out of our grandmother’s sight for now. It’s her who is trying to ship you far away, not my mother. My mother won’t meddle when it comes to you, especially considering who your attacker was.”

I flinched, reliving the memory. But he continued.

“As far as we know, that guard worked alone. And my mother playing a pivotal role in your recovery paints her in a different light. Just… remember that tomorrow when you work with her.”

It was the first time I had heard him defend his mother. He always complained about her vanity and selfishness. However, I wouldn’t deny that without her, I would have likely died. I gave a nod in understanding and then crossed my arms before me.

“Don’t change the topic Zander.” I couldn’t muster the cool tone from before. Fatigue was beginning to take over, and it seemed to be doing the same to him as well.

He slumped his shoulders and casually put his hands into his pockets.

“Sera, I’m very tired. If you truly want to continue to berate me then save it for tomorrow.” Then he stepped towards me and put a palm on the top of my head. “Get some sleep, please.”

With a sigh of defeat I nodded and bade him goodnight.

I went to bed that night with my mind plagued by flashes of a cold and musty dungeon, my body covered in grime and blood. Just beyond the cell stood a pair of eyes in the shadows, bright green eyes like spring leaves. But I couldn’t make out anything more before the visions shifted and the man with violet and gold eyes looked down upon me. A sense of calm filled my body as I just stared up at him.

I may not have known his name or where to find him, but I did know that I was not going to allow for potential marriage proposals to stop me from following that chain to him.