A Dangerous Ride

Seraphina stood near the horses, tightening the straps of her riding gear.

She stopped and looked up at the sky, where deep blue blended with streaks of gold. Closing her eyes, she took a slow breath. The air was fresh, carrying the scent of damp earth and the last traces of smoke from the dying campfire.

For a moment, she felt refreshed. But then, reality crept back in—the reminder of how her life had taken a harsh turn. She was now stuck with her enemy Kael Daeven forever.

***

She had barely slept.

Her mind had raced the entire night, replaying her conversation with Kael over and over again.

Ride with me to the border. No guards. No titles. Just you and me.

His words still echoed in her head, a challenge she had no choice but to accept.

But now, standing here, the reality of it settled in.

This was dangerous.

Not just because of the battle-scarred land they were about to enter—but because of him.

Kael Draeven was not a fool.

He wouldn't have offered this test if he didn't already have the upper hand.

And yet…

Seraphina knew how to play this game, too.

If she wanted to survive Draeven, she needed to start understanding the man who ruled it. And today she would.

Kael approached, dressed in dark riding leathers, his cloak billowing slightly in the wind.

He moved with intentional ease, like a predator who knew there was no threat capable of challenging him.

Seraphina hated that about him.

Hated that no matter how much she tried to see him as a brute, a tyrant—

He always managed to be something else.

Something more.

He mounted his black stallion in one smooth motion. "Ready, Princess?"

Seraphina didn't answer. She simply climbed onto her horse and met his gaze.

"I will not be intimidated", she thought.

Kael smirked, but he said nothing more as they rode off.

They rode for hours.

At first, the silence between them was thick, suffocating.

Seraphina had spent years imagining Kael Draeven as a monster. A warlord who burned cities for pleasure. A man who had taken everything from her.

But now, here he was—riding beside her in absolute silence.

No crown. No army. No throne.

Just a man.

And somehow, that was more unsettling than anything else.

Kael finally broke the quiet. "Tell me, Princess—" he glanced at her, "what do they say about me in Valaris?"

Seraphina kept her eyes on the road ahead. "That you're a monster."

Kael didn't flinch. He simply nodded, as if he expected that answer. "And do you believe that?"

Seraphina hesitated.

The easy answer was yes.

The safe answer was yes.

But for some reason, she couldn't say it.

Instead, she turned the question back on him. "Do you want me to?"

Kael's smirk returned, slow and knowing. "I don't care what you believe."

Liar.

By midday, the landscape had changed.

The once lush forests gave way to burned-out villages and abandoned farmlands.

The border, the place where Draeven and Valaris had clashed for years.

Seraphina's chest tightened as they passed the remnants of war.

This was her home.

Or at least, it had been.

Kael said nothing, but she knew he was watching her.

Finally, she exhaled. "Was it worth it?"

Kael raised a brow. "Was what worth it?"

Seraphina gestured to the ruined land. "All of this. The war. The destruction."

Kael was quiet for a moment before answering. "War is never about worth, Princess. It's about necessity."

Seraphina's jaw clenched. "That's a coward's excuse."

Kael's lips twitched. "And yet, your father fought just as hard."

Seraphina's fingers curled around the reins.

He's right.

Her father had not been innocent.

But that didn't make Kael any less of a conqueror.

It didn't change the fact that she was his prisoner.

Seraphina took a slow breath.

***

As the sun began to set, they stopped near a cliffside, overlooking a vast valley.

The wind was sharp, carrying the scent of earth and something distantly metallic.

Seraphina dismounted, stretching her legs.

Kael did the same, but instead of resting, he studied her. Always watching. Always trying to figure her out.

Finally, he spoke. "You didn't run."

Seraphina turned to him, arms crossed. "Should I have?"

Kael shrugged. "Most would have."

Seraphina tilted her head. "Then you don't know me as well as you think."

Kael's smirk faded slightly.

For a moment, they simply stood there, staring at each other in the fading light.

Then, softly, Kael murmured, "No. I suppose I don't."

The way he said it was almost thoughtful, almost intrigued, it made Seraphina's heart stutter.

She ignored it, She had to.

Because no matter what game they were playing, No matter how much she learned about Kael Draeven—

She could never forget what he was.

A tyrant. A selfish, ruthless Monster.