Chapter 6: The King Who Remembered
The palace of Valtherion had always been a place of beauty.
Tall golden pillars stretched toward painted ceilings, servants moved like whispers through the halls, and chandeliers shimmered like captured stars. Everything was perfect—polished, controlled, admired.
But that morning… something felt wrong.
King Aurelian had not slept.
He sat on his throne, unmoving, his fingers gripping the armrest so tightly his knuckles had turned pale. The court stood before him in uneasy silence, no one daring to speak unless spoken to.
Because the king… was thinking.
And when King Aurelian thought too deeply, it meant trouble.
"She bears the mark?" he finally asked, his voice low but sharp enough to cut through the hall.
The messenger knelt, trembling.
"Yes, Your Majesty. A girl… living in the outer village. Scarred face. But the mark—there is no mistake."
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Aurelian leaned back slowly, his eyes darkening.
"That is not possible."
But even as he said it, something twisted inside him.
A memory.
A cry.
A child.
His jaw tightened.
"I buried that mistake," he muttered under his breath.
But the past… did not stay buried.
Across the hall, two figures stood watching.
Princess Lysara and Princess Elowen.
Draped in silk and jewels, they were everything the kingdom adored—beautiful, graceful, flawless.
Unlike the sister they had never known.
"Father looks disturbed," Lysara whispered, fanning herself lazily.
Elowen smiled faintly. "Perhaps age is finally catching up to him."
But her eyes… were sharp.
Calculating.
"What did the messenger say?" Lysara pressed.
Elowen's gaze flickered toward the kneeling man before returning to the throne.
"Something has been found," she said softly. "Something Father thought was gone."
Lysara frowned slightly, uninterested. "If it does not concern us, then it is irrelevant."
But Elowen did not respond.
Because deep down… she felt it.
Something was changing.
"Send for Lord Darius."
The command snapped through the hall.
The messenger blinked. "Y-Your Majesty?"
"Do you question me?" Aurelian's voice turned cold.
"No, Your Majesty!"
"Good. Send word immediately. I want him here."
The court stirred at the name.
Lord Darius.
A man feared across kingdoms. Ruthless. Strategic. A power no king ignored.
And more importantly—
The man rumored to be preparing to overthrow the throne.
Hours later, the great doors opened.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the hall.
And he walked in.
Tall. Composed. Dangerous.
Lord Darius.
His presence alone shifted the air, as though even the palace itself recognized a threat.
Behind him followed his son.
Prince Kael.
Where his father was cold, Kael was fire.
Sharp eyes. Unreadable expression. Power coiled beneath calm.
He bowed slightly, more out of formality than respect.
"You summoned us, Your Majesty."
Aurelian studied them carefully.
"I did."
His gaze lingered briefly on Kael.
Then returned to Darius.
"You seek alliance," the king continued. "Power. Stability."
Darius gave a faint smile. "And you seek survival."
A dangerous silence followed.
Then Aurelian spoke the words that would change everything.
"Let us bind our houses."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
Darius tilted his head. "Marriage?"
"Yes."
The court erupted into whispers.
Lysara straightened immediately.
Elowen's lips curved slightly.
But the king raised a hand.
And silence returned.
"My daughter will marry your son."
Kael did not react.
But his gaze darkened slightly.
"And which daughter would that be?" Darius asked calmly.
Aurelian paused.
Just for a moment.
Then said—
"The one you have not seen."
Far beyond the palace walls…
In a quiet village touched by the edge of the forest…
She danced.
Seraphina.
Barefoot on the soft earth, her movements were light, free—untouched by the weight of crowns or cruelty.
Children laughed around her.
Villagers watched with warmth.
To them, she was not a scar.
She was joy.
Her voice rose in soft song as she spun, the wind catching her dress, her laughter blending with the rhythm of her steps.
For a moment… she was simply alive.
Free.
Unclaimed.
But fate… was already on its way.
A shadow moved at the edge of the village.
Armored men.
Silent.
Watching.
And among them…
A royal crest.
Back in the palace, Kael finally spoke.
"And if I refuse?"
Aurelian's eyes locked onto his.
"You won't."
Kael held his gaze.
Then, slowly… a smirk touched his lips.
"Then I suppose," he said quietly, "I should meet my bride."
And somewhere far away…
The girl he was meant to marry laughed, unaware—
That her world was about to be taken from her
Again