Chapter 5

The next few days were a blur of preparation and quiet resolve. Seraphina couldn't shake the conversation she'd had with Elias in the garden. The weight of his words pressed on her chest like an iron shackle, and yet, something inside her had shifted. For the first time, she felt as though she had a purpose beyond the confines of her royal title. There was more to this world—more to her life—than she had ever known.

But Elias had been right about one thing. The truth was dangerous. She felt the invisible threads of fate beginning to twist around her, pulling her toward an uncertain future. And the more she learned, the less she felt like the young, sheltered princess who had once believed her life was her own.

Aldric's presence in the palace grew more oppressive as the days passed. He seemed to be everywhere—at her father's side during council meetings, in the garden where she tried to find a moment of peace, and even in the halls where she had once walked freely. It was as if he were always watching, his gaze cold and calculating. She could feel his eyes on her even when she wasn't looking directly at him. It unsettled her in ways she didn't understand.

But what unsettled her more was the nagging feeling that Elias had disappeared into the shadows. He no longer sought her out in the gardens or the palace halls. The quiet, furtive conversations they'd once had seemed to vanish, leaving Seraphina to wonder if he had truly meant what he said, or if he had only been another player in a game too dangerous for her to understand.

One evening, as the golden light of the setting sun filtered through the palace windows, Seraphina found herself standing in her chambers, staring at the reflection in the mirror. The young woman who stared back at her seemed foreign, as if she were someone else. She wasn't the naive princess she had been before, but the weight of knowledge—the burden of understanding what was at stake—had changed her.

Her mother's image haunted her thoughts, her quiet smile, her strange and distant manner. Had her mother known all along what Seraphina was destined for? Had she, too, carried the weight of a prophecy, of ancient forces that she couldn't control? The thought made Seraphina's chest tighten with grief and guilt. If her mother had known... had she kept it from Seraphina to protect her?

There was only one way to find out.

That night, after the royal banquet had ended and the palace descended into quiet, Seraphina slipped from her chambers, careful not to disturb the guards stationed at the hallways. She made her way through the palace's labyrinthine corridors, her footsteps light against the cold stone floors.

The library was her destination—the very place where she had found fragments of information that had set this whole chain of events into motion. The library was vast, its shelves towering high, filled with books containing forgotten histories, arcane knowledge, and forbidden secrets. It was a place Seraphina had often found solace in, but tonight, it felt more like a refuge.

When she entered the dimly lit room, the scent of old paper and dust filled the air, a comforting, familiar smell. She made her way to the farthest corner, where her mother's private collection of books was kept. It was a place Seraphina had been forbidden to explore as a child, but now, it felt as though it held the key to everything she needed to know.

She pulled down a thick, leather-bound tome from the top shelf, its weight heavy in her hands. Her fingers trembled as she opened the first page, scanning the ancient script. The words, though written in a language she barely understood, were familiar. They seemed to call to her in a way that made her blood run cold. It was a prophecy—a prophecy that had been passed down through generations of women in her bloodline.

"The daughter of Velandria," the text read, "will awaken the sleeping power of the land, a force bound by blood and magic. When the moon reaches its zenith, she shall choose—bind herself to the one who commands the kingdom, or break the chains that bind her. Her choice will decide the fate of all."

Seraphina's heart pounded in her chest as she read the words again, the weight of their meaning sinking in. She was the daughter of Velandria. She was the one bound by magic, by prophecy, and by blood. And the choice she had to make—the choice that would determine the fate of everything—was closer than she realized.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. The sound of footsteps echoed through the library, slow and deliberate. Seraphina's breath caught in her throat, and she turned, only to find Aldric standing in the doorway, his figure casting a long shadow in the dim light. His expression was unreadable, but there was a coldness in his gaze that sent a shiver down her spine.

"You've been busy," he said softly, his voice smooth and low. "I'm impressed, Seraphina. I didn't expect you to uncover the prophecy so soon."

Her heart hammered in her chest, but she forced herself to remain composed. "What do you want, Aldric?"

He stepped into the room, his boots clicking softly against the stone floor. "I want what's mine," he said, his voice laced with quiet authority. "The throne. And you, Seraphina. You're the key to everything. I need you to understand that."

Seraphina's grip tightened on the book in her hands. "I don't belong to you," she snapped. "And I'm not going to help you take this kingdom."

Aldric's lips curled into a faint smile, but there was no warmth in it—only a chilling calculation. "You misunderstand, my dear. This is not about ownership. It's about power. And whether you realize it or not, you are the most powerful person in this kingdom. More powerful than even I could have imagined."

He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "The prophecy is clear. You will either join me in this fight for power, or you will stand in my way. But there's no escaping what's coming, Seraphina. I've already won. The only question that remains is whether you will choose to fight by my side or against it."

Seraphina's blood ran cold as she stared at him, her mind whirling. She had been so certain that she was in control, that she could make her own choices. But now, it seemed as if everything was already set in motion—and she was just a pawn in a game much bigger than she could have ever imagined.

The decision was hers. And it would change everything.

But as Aldric turned and left her in the silence of the library, the weight of the prophecy pressed down on her once more. She wasn't sure what the future held, but one thing was certain: there was no going back.