Eyes Off

THE NEXT DAY_NIGHT TIME

Seraph took one last glance at herself in the mirror, she was wearing the dress Sebastian had bought for her. Earlier, a hair stylist and a makeup artist had come to do some light touches on her hair and now, she was much more prettier than before.

Her waist-length hazelnut hair was neatly curled in thick waves over her shoulders and was decorated with beautiful blue roses, scattered across her hair. Light makeup was done on her face, she was already beautiful so she felt there wasn't any need for much makeup.

She hadn't seen Sebastian in hours. Had he left her? The uncertainty gnawed at her — she still didn't trust him.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when she heard the sound of the bedroom door being unlocked. She turned to it and saw Sebastian.

Her breath caught, her eyes widened in awe. He was breathtaking.

He stood just beyond the doorway, cloaked in rich burgundy, the golden embroidery catching the candlelight like fire spun into thread. His brown hair was neatly combed back, a few rebellious strands falling across his forehead in a way that made him look effortlessly regal. But it was his eyes — sharp and green like forest steel — that held her in place.

He looked dangerous and composed, like a knight from a storybook, but refined enough to blend into the nobility around them. The dagger strapped discreetly at his side reminded her of his role — her protector — but tonight, with the way his coat hugged his frame and how easily he carried himself, he looked more like a prince.

A quiet, deadly prince.

He smirked at her reaction. "Quit staring, weirdo" he said and she blinked, composing herself.

"Who said I was staring? Oh please." She rolled her eyes and made her way to the door way when his words stopped her.

"You look, beautiful." He muttered, his words coming out raspy and it made her stomach flip.

She looked away, her face a bit flustered. Thankfully, the blush masked the redness blooming across her cheeks

"Thank you and you look beautiful too" she joked and walked away. He hearty laugh followed her, echoing through the hallway as he shut the room door and walked behind her.

When they reached the bottom floor of the tarven. Eyes were on them and it made Seraph a bit uncomfortable, there were mostly men in the room she didn't know if they were staring at her with lustful intentions or admiration.

They reached outside and Sebastian came in front of her, holding her by her sides, looking straight into her eyes." You remember the plan right?"

She nodded. "To try and get Prince Xavier's attention."

He smiled and pulled her in for a hug. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears — loud, uncertain, wild. Why was he getting all close to her? Was he in love with her? She was so confused.

"Good luck." He muttered and helped her walk to the carriage he had prepared and when she saw it she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in awe.

It was circular in shape, painted a soft, pearlescent white with gold accents tracing every edge. A small window sat in the middle of the door, its glass etched with delicate floral designs. A narrow stairway, also white and trimmed with gold, led up to the entrance.

In front stood two tall white horses, their manes braided with blue ribbons to match the theme, the reins gleaming in the moonlight.

He raised his brows. "Have you never seen a carriage before?" He asked and she shook her head. It was then he remembered, she was Seraph. She lived behind the walls of the coven so she knew absolutely nothing about the real world. He immediately found her expression cute. He couldn't peel his gaze from her until she said. "Aren't you going to help me, it's a bit hard to climb stairs in this dress."

She was no longer with him, she was at the door of the carriage and he couldn't help but notice how small she looked compared to it. Cute.

He walked to her and helped her climb the stairs and settle inside the carriage. Then, after making sure she was comfortable, he stepped out and shut the door.

He climbed the front of carriage settling down on the wooden seat then holding the two reins of the horses. He smacked it and the horse neighed, the sound piercing into the night, before galloping through the roads as it made its way to the palace.

Seraph drew a deep breath as she stared outside the carriage through the window, her mind racing.

It was time.

She was going to infiltrate the palace, lie to the king and the entire royal family then find Alaric and kill him. Easy right?

She prayed to the gods that the mission would go as planned and she wouldn't raise any suspicion cause if she did, she would be done for.

Her mind moved to Sebastian, the man who made her heart flutter with the slightest contact. Why was she reacting this way to him. Why was Lila reacting to him this way. Lila had never been this calm with anyone before. She and Lila had trust issues, so she found it hard to believe that Lila trusted him so much, especially since they just met a few days ago.

She wanted to ask Lila, but the creature was asleep and she didn't want to bother her. She was jolted back from her thoughts when the carriage stopped. They were already at the gates of the palace.

She could hear Sebastian and the guards talking about something, from what she could decipher, they seemed to be arguing about a card. An invitation card.

And they didn't have one.

She wanted to step out of the carriage when silence followed and then the carriage started moving. What the hell happened? Did he do that thing again?

She tucked the question at the back of her mind and moved her gaze to the palace.

The palace was unlike anything Seraph had ever seen. The gardens stretched like emerald waves, perfectly trimmed and winding with spiral precision. Rows of glowing lanterns floated above the flowerbeds, casting soft golden light on the blossoms. The scent of roses and night-blooming jasmine lingered in the air, sweet and sharp.

A marble fountain stood proudly at the heart of the entrance, its cascading water glistening like liquid silver under the moon. The palace walls soared behind it, vast and endless, each stone shimmering with enchantment. She couldn't even see where the walls ended — they seemed to vanish into the stars.

Sebastian got to the stables and parked the carriage. He stepped down from the front and made his way to the door and pulled it open.

Seraph excitedly stepped down, not giving him the chance to help her down. He chuckled at her childish behaviour and followed her, after making sure that the horses were secure.

Seraph couldn't keep her mouth shut, her eyes dancing across the vast infrastructure of the palace.

The two massive palace doors stood open, tall and grand — carved from deep oak wood and inlaid with golden patterns that shimmered under the lantern lights. A sharply dressed man stood at the threshold, bowing slightly as he welcomed each guest, his voice smooth and practiced.

The palace itself towered ahead, carved from light gray stone that glowed pale silver beneath the moonlight. Tall spires reached for the sky, their pointed tips crowned with fluttering blue and white flags. The walls stretched endlessly in either direction, fortified yet elegant, with ivy climbing up their sides like nature's embroidery.

Stained glass windows dotted the front of the building — tall and arched, each glowing faintly with color from within, hinting at chandeliers and candlelight. Intricate statues of warriors and angels lined the path leading to the entrance, their eyes carved to watch silently over the guests.

"You know, a princess shouldn't be that surprised to see a Palace right?" Sebastian muttered behind her and she turned to him.

"I get that you're excited but you don't need to show it that much. People are watching and I'm sure you don't want to blow your cover." He reminded and she nodded, understanding his point.

She straightened her spine, kept her gaze up and walked elegantly to the door. Each step screamed pride and power and she loved the air of confidence that surrounded her.

The man bowed when he saw her and extended his hand for a handshake. She glanced at his hand then back at his face. She flashed him a small smile and walked into the hall.

Sebastian also flashed the man a charming smile then took his hand which was still extended as he stared at Seraph's retreating back. The man didn't glance at him and it made him jealous, he couldn't show his jealousy since people were behind him so pressed against his hand harder making him snap his gaze towards him and he saw Sebastian's eyes he gulped.

"Eyes off—" he whispered loud enough of the man to hear and walked away.