Episode 7: The Emperor's Move

"A queen is not crowned by the love of her people, but by the fear of those who would see her fall."

Xavien Draethis did not believe in luck.

He believed in power. In control.

Yet, as he watched Seraphina navigate his court with an effortless grace, he realized—

She was something he had not accounted for.

That irritated him.

No, it infuriated him.

Because he was supposed to be the one in control.

And now?

His court was watching her.

Seraphina knew she was being followed.

It had started the moment she left the ballroom, when she had smiled one last time at the nobles and walked away, her presence lingering long after her departure.

The shadows in the corridors moved differently now.

The air felt thicker.

And the footsteps behind her?

Too careful. Too controlled.

She let them think she hadn't noticed.

She continued walking, her gown flowing behind her as she made her way toward her chambers.

Then—

She turned a corner and stopped.

The footsteps halted.

A silence stretched between them.

Seraphina inhaled slowly before speaking, her voice calm but firm.

"If you're going to kill me, at least have the decency to face me."

For a moment, nothing.

Then—

A low chuckle.

And out of the shadows stepped Xavien Draethis.

Golden eyes. Midnight robes.

A man who could command an entire empire with a single glance.

He leaned casually against the stone wall, arms crossed, watching her with something unreadable in his gaze.

"Kill you?" he mused. "Is that what you think?"

Seraphina met his stare, refusing to back down.

"You were following me."

Xavien tilted his head. "And you noticed. Interesting."

She frowned, her pulse quickening.

"Why?" she demanded.

He pushed off the wall and took a step closer.

Then another.

Until there was barely any space left between them.

"Because you," he murmured, "are not behaving as you should."

Seraphina's heart pounded. "And how exactly should I behave, Your Majesty?"

Xavien studied her, his golden eyes flickering with something dangerous.

"Like a woman who understands where she stands in my kingdom."

Seraphina refused to flinch.

"And where do I stand?"

A slow, dark smirk tugged at his lips.

"On the edge of a blade, little wife."

The tension was suffocating.

Seraphina knew this was a test.

A game.

And if she showed even a moment of weakness—

He would win.

So she smiled.

And then—she stepped even closer.

Close enough that she could see the flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Close enough that when she spoke, her breath brushed against his jaw.

"Then I suppose," she whispered, "I should learn how to balance."

A beat of silence.

Then—

Xavien laughed.

A deep, rich sound.

Not of amusement.

But of something else entirely.

Something dangerous.

Something that sent a shiver down her spine.

"Careful, Seraphina." His voice was a warning. "You might just make me interested."

And then, just as quickly as he had appeared—

He was gone.

Leaving her standing alone in the empty corridor, her pulse still racing.

Seraphina exhaled shakily, pressing a hand against her chest.

Because for the first time since she had arrived in this palace—

She realized something.

Xavien Draethis was not just watching her.

He was starting to play the game.