CHAPTER 19:The Gathering Storm

The empire was not yet at peace.

Seraphina had reclaimed the throne, but loyalty was not given freely. The scars of Aldric's rule ran deep, and not all welcomed her vision of change.

And now—

The first rebellion had begun.

The First Flames of Rebellion

The warning came at dawn. A messenger, bloodied and breathless, stumbled into the grand hall.

"My queen," he gasped. "They have risen."

Kael stepped forward, hand on his sword. "Where?"

"The western provinces," the messenger said. "Damaris has declared war against the crown."

Seraphina's jaw tightened.

She had expected resistance, but Damaris had once been Aldric's most ruthless general. If he had chosen to rise against her, he would not fight alone.

Kael turned to Seraphina. "We should strike now, before he gathers more forces."

Seraphina considered. If she met Damaris in open battle, she could crush the rebellion quickly—but if she did, she risked proving her enemies right.

Aldric had ruled through war.

She needed to prove she would not follow in his footsteps.

"No," she said. "We end this before it becomes a war."

Kael frowned. "And how do you plan to do that?"

Seraphina's gaze hardened. "By finding out who is truly behind this."

A Deeper Conspiracy

Damaris was a fighter, not a strategist. Someone else was pulling the strings.

And Seraphina needed to know who.

That night, she and Kael rode in disguise into the heart of the city, slipping through the shadows of the lower districts. Here, where Aldric's old supporters still whispered his name, they would find answers.

At a dimly lit tavern, they listened. Rumors spread like wildfire.

"The girl-queen will fall."

"The rebellion is only the beginning."

Then—one voice stood out.

"She is blind to the truth. The true heir will return."

Seraphina's breath caught.

Kael leaned closer. "What does that mean?"

Seraphina's fingers tightened around her cloak. Her father was dead. She had seen his final breath.

But if someone claimed otherwise—

The conspiracy was far more dangerous than she had imagined.

And the war had only just begun.

To Be Continued…