After Vesper said what she said in the pit, she had ordered the servants to see to me. My protests were ignored with the same practiced indifference they showed to the exploding pitcher. The servants were efficient, silent shadows and within an hour, my dusty jeans and thin t-shirt were gone. I was scrubbed and scented with a light aroma, then dressed in a gown of deep sapphire velvet which was really uncomfortable.
I mean, how do noble women live in gowns such as this? It felt heavy, restrictive, and very strange . It was the uniform of a captive queen.
When Vesper returned to escort me, she nodded towards the door. "The King awaits you for the evening meal."
"Must be nice," I muttered, pulling the velvet off my shoulder, "to know exactly when you'll die."
Vesper only gave me a look that said, You're being dramatic, but you're probably right. "Do not try to run. Do not try to fight. The King intends for this to be a political display. He wants to see if you possess the decorum of the role you must inhabit. Act accordingly, or the consequences will be immediate."
The dining hall was immense, perhaps twice the size of my entire old apartment. The walls were clad in shimmering black marble, and the air was chilled. It was a constant, low temperature that seemed to be actively fighting the natural warmth of my body. A single, enormous table made of dark, shiny wood stretched the length of the room. Only two chairs were set at the very center.
Where are the other people? Didn't Vesper say that this was a political display?
Lorcan was already seated in the chair nearest the massive fireplace, though the flames in it were low and mostly blue. He was wearing formal attire now which was a tunic of rich black brocade embroidered with dark silver, and he looked less like a creepy Fae king and more like an intimidating, ancient CEO.
As I approached, I noticed the curse's effect was more pronounced here in the bright and quiet hall. His skin seemed paler, his already dark hair looked darker, and there were faint, black, hairline cracks visible on the back of his exposed hands.
He didn't stand, merely inclining his head a fraction. "Seraphina. You are prompt. Sit."
I sat opposite him, careful to let the heavy sapphire velvet pool around my chair. My first instinct was to dump the plate of food on his head, but Vesper's warning echoed in my mind. Political display. I would play the role, for now.
The table was set with elaborate silver dishes and goblets. Silent Fae servants materialized and vanished, placing food before us: a cold salmon, wild berries that I knew tasted intensely sweet and slightly metallic, and a chilled dark wine. Their food is similar to that of the humans.
"The Nightshade Diet," Lorcan stated, picking up his fork. "Cool in temperature, high in minerals. I imagine you are used to… simpler fare."
I pushed a berry around my plate. "I was used to food that wasn't served by people who can turn invisible. And yes, 'simpler' usually means 'not poisoned.'"
He stopped eating, pausing with his fork halfway to his lips. He finally looked up at me, his amber eyes unwavering then he dropped the fork on his plate. "If I wished you dead, Seraphina, I would simply allow the forced bond to kill you. I do not waste time or resources on unnecessary theatrics. I need you healthy. I need you burning."
"I'm happy to incinerate myself in the Obsidian Pit if it means you don't get what you want," I retorted, the anger rising immediately.
"You won't," he said, taking a deliberate bite of the salmon. "Because now you know the stakes extend beyond your own death. Alaric made that clear. If you fail, the resulting power fracture will send the Shadow-Curse spilling into your world, consuming it faster than it consumes me."
That was his leverage, and he knew it. My hands clenched in my lap.
"So you've guaranteed my compliance through guilt," I said, managing to keep my voice steady. "Clever. A true king's move. Tell me, Lorcan, do you genuinely believe this will work? That my solar power can be forced to bind with a curse that is fueled by death and shadow?"
He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table, and for a fleeting moment, I caught a glimpse of the man beneath the curse, a man who was exhausted.
"I don't believe it, Seraphina," he corrected quietly. "I know the prophecy. The Sun and Shadow must reunite at the time of the Great Eclipse to mend the Veil. That time is now. This forced bond is the only option left. I am not a tyrannical brute who enjoys kidnapping. I am a man desperate to save his people."
"By enslaving me," I finished for him.
"By utilizing a debt owed to me by your bloodline," he corrected, his voice hardening. "Some of your people fled during the attack and sealed the Sun-Fire away, leaving my kingdom to wither under the Shadow-Curse. They disregarded the fact that there must be a balance of light and shadow. This is the consequence of their cowardice. Now, you pay the price."
I finally picked up my wine goblet, taking a deep, fortifying sip of the cold, dry wine. "It must be lonely, being so utterly justified in your own cruelty."
A small, genuine twist touched the corner of his mouth, the closest thing to a smile I had seen from him. "Cruelty is a luxury I cannot afford. I am pragmatic. You, Seraphina Lyra, are the only door to survival. And I will walk through you, if necessary."
He put down his fork, having finished his meal with a quiet finality. He didn't seem to notice the food's flavor, only its function. He looked directly at me.
"I had Kael retrieve some records from your mortal life," he murmured, his gaze softening just enough to be terrifying. "Your apartment was above a bakery. You worked as a librarian. You favored books on architecture and ancient history. You did not have a family, only a cat named Muffin."
The sudden intrusion of my mundane, fragile life into this dark, ancient court hit me like a physical blow. Muffin. My tiny, ginger escape.
"Where is Muffin?" I demanded, the composure I had built instantly shattering. My voice was suddenly thin, laced with panic.
"Safe," Lorcan replied immediately, his tone strangely steady, almost soothing. "I did not want the creature to perish in the magical backlash. I had Kael deliver it to a reputable farm sanctuary near the edge of the Veil. She is well-fed and protected."
I stared at him, unable to speak. He had stolen me, enslaved me, and intended to force me into a magical bond that might kill me yet he had protected my cat. This small, illogical act of mercy was infinitely more destabilizing than all his threats.
"Why?" I whispered.
He leaned back, the shadows deepening around him, the cold radiating off the dark obsidian lines on his hands. "Because, Seraphina, I am not a monster. I am a King. And a King understands that even the most volatile weapon must be maintained. And," he added, his voice dropping to a low, intense rumble, "I want you to understand that while I have taken your freedom, I am capable of giving you comfort. We do not need to be enemies in all things."
He stood up, signaling the end of the meal. "I expect Vesper to report progress tomorrow. You have nineteen more hours until our next training session. Use them wisely, or the King who comes to claim you will not be the man who protected your pet, but the shadow who saves his world."