Chapter 7 : Shadows Behind the Throne

The sky was gray, smothered by thick clouds that swallowed the morning light.

At the highest tower of Vaelthorn Palace, winter wind lashed at Aurelia's cloak with unkind hands, as if trying to drag her back into a world that never showed mercy.

Below, the palace courtyard rang with the sound of military training. Clashing blades, commanders barking orders, and rhythmic footsteps echoed in the cold morning air—a stark contrast to the silence where she stood.

Aurelia stared into the distance, but her thoughts drifted to the night before.

Serion's voice, promising that his engagement was merely a stepping stone.

Caelum's voice, pledging to protect her.

And… his lips.

That kiss.

Not born from panic or desperation, but something far more dangerous—her choice.

"Have I truly begun something?" she whispered.

"Is there something you see in the fog, Your Highness?"

The voice came gently, but with cautious precision. Caelum.

He always knew when to speak—and more importantly, when not to.

He stood a few steps behind her, face calm, but eyes sharp with awareness.

"The sky is dark," Aurelia replied without turning. "And it feels like it's only going to get darker."

Caelum stepped to her left, allowing silence to stretch between them.

"Is it because of Serion?" he asked, eventually.

Aurelia turned slightly toward him.

"He wants me back at his side. After all the betrayal… all the wounds."

"And you're unsure?" His tone was neutral, almost like a confession.

Aurelia didn't answer right away. She closed her eyes.

"I don't know if it's his ambition… or the thought of losing control over me that terrifies him more."

Caelum met her gaze, calm but unflinching.

"You're no longer part of his game, Aurelia. You've become the piece he can't control. And you know it."

Then, more softly—more dangerously:

"You kissed me, remember?"

Aurelia turned away sharply, color rising to her cheeks.

"I… didn't mean—"

"You don't need to explain. I know it wasn't fear."

Caelum stepped closer.

"I'm not here to demand your feelings. But if you regret it, tell me now."

Aurelia turned back to face him. His eyes… steady. Certain. Like an anchor.

She spun on her heel.

"I don't regret it," she whispered. "I'm just afraid… of what it might mean."

And then she walked away, leaving Caelum alone with the wind and the storm she carried in her wake.

Later That Morning – Throne Hall

The throne hall was flooded with nobles. Conversations buzzed over the northern borders, Serion's future policies, and the inevitable decline of the current king. Amid the hum of politics and polite deception, Crown Prince Serion Vaelthorn stood like a blade wrapped in velvet.

Aurelia entered with steady steps. Eyes turned to her—some admiring, others wary, a few dripping with disdain.

She ignored them all.

Serion stood near the central pillar, surrounded by advisors and commanders.

When their eyes met, he offered a faint smile.

"You came at last, Aurelia."

"Don't speak to me as if you didn't burn me yesterday," she snapped.

The advisors froze. Serion, unbothered, waved a hand.

"Give us the room."

Once the others retreated, Serion stepped closer until only the two of them remained in the grand marble chamber.

"I had to announce the engagement," Serion began.

"It was a political arrangement to stabilize the eastern border."

"And you announced it like a celebration," Aurelia said coldly.

"Now you speak of a private alliance with me? Who do you think I am?"

"A queen," Serion answered smoothly.

"A true queen—someone who will make my reign unshakable."

Aurelia almost laughed.

"After you flaunted your engagement in public?"

Serion exhaled slowly.

"That engagement won't last. The noble family I've aligned with will lose influence soon. I'm using it to unite the North and East. After that… tragedy will strike. An accident."

"You'll dispose of her?"

"If necessary. Or annul the betrothal. The world believes in me, Aurelia. One misstep, and I'll make them think it was fate."

Aurelia stared at him. She wasn't surprised.

This was Serion—the man made of steel and lies, yet brutally honest in his ambition.

"Do you love me?" she asked suddenly.

The question hovered in the air.

Serion didn't flinch, but he also didn't answer immediately.

"I respect you. I want you. I've never been able to control you… and that drives me mad."

Aurelia looked at him—and for a moment, she didn't know whether to feel flattered… or threatened.

Serion gave her one last glance, then vanished into the crowd, smiling at the nobles as if nothing had happened.

Aurelia did not stay.

That Night — Aurelia's Balcony

The garden below shimmered beneath silver moonlight. Aurelia sat alone on the balcony, a cup of deep red wine in her hand. Two men filled her thoughts—and with them, two completely different paths.

Serion—with the world at his feet, and plans behind every smile.

Caelum—with quiet devotion, and scars he never spoke of.

The door opened behind her.

"I knew you wouldn't be sleeping," said the low voice.

She didn't turn.

"I don't think I can."

Caelum walked toward her. No armor. No blade. Just himself.

He sat beside her in silence.

"If you choose him… I won't stop you," he said.

Aurelia gave a soft laugh.

"Will you go back to being the shadow behind me?"

"If that's what makes you happy. Yes."

She turned her head slightly.

"But you don't know if that will make me happy."

Aurelia met his eyes.

"I don't even know."

And in that silence, they sat with only the night between them.

This time, there was no urgency. No chaos. No fear.

Just them—and honesty, suspended in the air like frost.

Caelum leaned closer, forehead nearly brushing hers—but stopped.

"If you kiss me again, make sure it's not out of confusion," he whispered.

Aurelia closed her eyes for a moment.

And then she did.

Soft. Deliberate.

Carrying every unspoken wound—and everything neither of them dared name.

Terima kasih, Intan. Now, here is the English version of Crown of Ash and Blood — Chapter 6, Part 2, faithfully adapted in tone, elegance, and structure to match the original. Let the fire continue to burn beautifully.

"Those who understand pain... know how to turn it into a weapon."

The afternoon wind brushed gently across the blooming lavender flowers that thrived between stone walls and narrow pathways. Aurelia sat on a marble bench, her cloak draped loosely over her shoulders. In front of her, Caelum stood like a shadow—ever present, never demanding answers.

"Caelum," she said quietly, "what would you do if I chose a path that opposed the Crown Prince?"

"Protect you."

"Without question?"

"Without question."

"Even if it meant being branded a traitor?"

Caelum looked into her eyes, and in that moment, not a flicker of doubt passed through him.

"I would betray only those who try to harm you."

Aurelia gazed at him, a small smile curling on her lips. Tired, but honest.

"You know, in this world, men like you are terribly rare, Caelum."

He didn't respond. But when he sat beside her—close enough for them to hear each other's heartbeat—there was no need for words.

The world might collapse. Power could shift like sand.

But here, that evening, beneath a sky tinged with copper, there were only two souls who understood each other without speaking.

And perhaps—just perhaps—Aurelia allowed herself to hope.

Two Days Later

The palace seemed calm on the surface, but whispers buzzed between servants like nervous flies. Nobles cast unreadable glances in Aurelia's direction, and even the guards clutched their swords a little tighter than usual.

Only Caelum remained unchanged—steadfast, silent, and never far from her side.

But within Aurelia, nothing was calm.

That night haunted her: Caelum's touch, his gaze, the kiss she had neither planned nor expected… yet couldn't forget.

She stood on the northern tower balcony—her refuge when palace noise grew too loud. The wind carried the scent of approaching autumn—cold, sharp, and nostalgic for something unnamed.

"I don't know what I was thinking that night," she murmured, her fingers clenched against the stone rail.

"I do," came a voice from behind—deep, quiet. Caelum.

She spun around, startled. She hadn't heard him approach. "You do?"

Caelum didn't avert his gaze, but there was a softness in his eyes. "That you didn't regret it. And that scares you."

Aurelia's breath caught. "You're too confident, Sir Caelum."

He nodded slightly. "Perhaps. But not out of arrogance." He stepped closer—not too close, but close enough to quicken her heartbeat. "Because I know what it's like to hold back for too long. And that night… we both let go of a weight we never dared speak aloud."

Aurelia looked at him, long and hard. She wanted to deny it, to twist the conversation away—but her eyes couldn't lie like her tongue could.

"If I asked you to forget it… could you?"

Caelum stared out at the silver-shadowed rooftops beyond the city walls. "I could… but I won't."

His words were simple—but they carried weight. Because they were true.

Aurelia exhaled slowly, turning back toward the cityscape. "Serion summoned me tonight. I don't know what he wants, but I doubt it's just about politics."

Caelum's brow furrowed. "After announcing his engagement?"

"Exactly. Which is why I don't believe this meeting is about the kingdom alone."

That Night

The private receiving hall where Serion often hosted select guests had been transformed into a warmer space, lit by soft candlelight and scented with red wine. Aurelia arrived in a dark velvet gown that clung to her like a second skin, her hair elegantly but simply done.

Serion stood by a small round table, eyes unreadable as they fixed on her.

"Aurelia," he greeted, voice low. "You came."

"Of course. I never turn down an invitation from a crown prince."

He smirked faintly. "Your sarcasm remains sharp as ever."

She sat without being offered, her posture asserting that she came not as a woman to be wooed, but as someone who knew her worth. "Get to the point."

Serion poured wine into two goblets. "I'm ending the engagement."

Aurelia froze. Her heart skipped just slightly. "Why?"

"The girl's father died three nights ago. The festivities were canceled. And beyond that… I never wanted her. You know who I want."

Aurelia gave a short, bitter laugh. "You want a queen, not me. Or do you think I'm yours to claim just because you broke off a political engagement?"

"I know I can't have you the usual way." His voice dipped lower. "But we can rule together. More than allies. You and I—imagine the power we could build."

Aurelia rose, approaching until the space between them nearly vanished. "And if I say no?"

Serion didn't flinch. "You won't. Because even if you hate me, you know I'm the only one who can destroy your enemies from within. And because a part of you still wants me."

Aurelia shut her eyes briefly. His words unsettled her, because some of them rang true. She didn't love him. But desire—that messy offspring of power, history, and old wounds—was undeniably real.

"I don't need love to make an alliance," she said at last.

"Nor do I," he replied softly. "But if love ever does come—don't run from it."

Aurelia stepped back. "If it ever comes, perhaps it won't be for you."

She left without farewell, letting Serion watch her retreat with eyes sharp as glass.

Later That Night – In the Library

Caelum found her in the library past midnight, cloak half-loosened, eyes weary but mind racing. He approached quietly.

"What did he say?"

Aurelia didn't look at him. "That he'll break the engagement. That he wants us to form an alliance… maybe more."

Caelum sat across from her. "And you?"

"Part of me wants to say yes. For revenge. For power. To win this game. But…" She finally looked at him. "Then I remember that night. What it felt like not to think of crowns or blood."

They fell silent for a long time.

"You know," Caelum said softly, "if you choose him, I'll stay by your side. Until you tell me to leave."

"And if I choose you?"

Caelum's voice lowered to a whisper. "Then I'll never leave."

Aurelia smiled faintly. But that smile hurt more than tears. "I can't choose yet."

"I know. And I won't ask you to. Just… let me stay until that moment comes."

She nodded slowly, leaning back in her chair—for the first time in days, feeling something close to calm.

Elsewhere — The Highest Tower

Serion stood beneath the moonlight atop the tallest tower, beside an elderly advisor.

"She didn't reject me. But she didn't accept either."

The old man bowed slightly. "A woman like her cannot be tamed. Only invited to dance in the fire she makes herself."

Serion smiled faintly. "Then I'd best learn to dance."