Seraphine didn't take her time dressing.
She barely dried herself before slipping into a deep crimson gown, tightening the laces with sharp, impatient pulls. Bear his child?
Her hands clenched.
She stormed through the halls, her mind a whirlwind of emotions she refused to name.
Kaelith was already seated at the dining table when she entered. He looked completely composed, sipping his wine as if he hadn't just shattered the fragile balance between them.
His eyes flicked up to meet hers the moment she stepped inside. "You're late."
Seraphine slammed her hands onto the table. "You think you can just declare something like that and walk away?"
Kaelith leaned back in his chair, unfazed. "I didn't declare. I stated my desire." He took another sip of wine, his gaze never leaving hers. "Now I'm waiting for your answer."
Seraphine's pulse pounded. "You want an heir?" Her voice was sharp, but beneath it, something trembled. "Is that what this has been about? Is that why you—" She stopped herself before she could finish.
Kaelith set his goblet down. "I want you to bear my child, Seraphine." His voice was quiet, firm. "Not just any heir. Ours."
Something in her chest tightened, something dangerously close to fear.
"You don't control me, Kaelith," she said, her voice a low warning.
His lips curled into a knowing smirk. "I never said I did."
Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words.
For the first time, Seraphine wasn't sure if she was fighting him… or herself.
To be continued…
---