Seraphina's POV
I bolted upright, my scream dying in my throat.
The red cloak. My stepmother. She was here to kill me—
But I wasn't in the medical tent anymore.
I was in a bedroom. A real bedroom, not a dungeon cell. Soft blankets wrapped around me. Morning sunlight streamed through actual windows with curtains. The bed was huge and comfortable.
Where was I?
"Good morning, Lady Seraphina."
I jumped and spun toward the voice.
A woman stood near the door, holding a tray. She was young, maybe thirty, with kind brown eyes and a gentle smile. Not my stepmother. Not an assassin.
Just a servant.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she said, moving closer slowly, like I was a scared animal. "I'm Elena. King Cassian asked me to take care of you."
King Cassian. The Iron King.
Everything from yesterday came flooding back. The border. His silver eyes. His promise that I was safe.
"Where am I?" My voice came out scratchy and weak.
"The castle," Elena said, setting the tray on a table beside the bed. "The king's private wing, actually. He wanted you close by in case you needed anything."
The king's private wing? But that's where royalty stayed. Where important guests slept.
Not prisoners.
"There must be a mistake," I said, my heart racing. "I'm a prisoner. I should be in the dungeons."
Elena laughed softly. "Oh, sweetheart. You're not a prisoner. You're under the king's protection. There's a big difference."
Protection. That word again.
"I don't understand," I whispered.
"You will." Elena lifted the silver cover from the tray, and the smell of fresh bread and bacon made my stomach growl loudly. "But first, you need to eat. You're far too thin."
She was right. I was starving.
But as I reached for the food, my hand froze. "Wait. How do I know it's not poisoned?"
Elena's face softened with sadness. "Oh, child. What did they do to you to make you so afraid?"
Everything, I thought. They did everything.
"I'll eat first if it makes you feel better," Elena offered. She picked up a piece of bread, took a big bite, and chewed. "See? Perfectly safe."
I watched her for a moment, then grabbed the bread and ate. It was delicious. Better than any food I'd had in days.
Elena smiled and moved to a wardrobe in the corner. "After you eat, I'll help you bathe and get dressed. The king wants to speak with you."
My hand froze halfway to my mouth. "He does? Why? What does he want?"
"Just to talk," Elena said calmly. "He has questions, and he thinks you might have answers."
Questions about what? About the fake treason charges? About my father?
About the invasion?
I remembered the conversation I'd overheard last night. Father was planning to attack within a week.
Did King Cassian know I'd heard?
"What if I don't want to talk to him?" I asked quietly.
Elena turned to look at me, her expression serious. "Then he'll respect that and wait. King Cassian doesn't force anyone to do anything against their will. But..." She paused. "He's trying to prevent a war. And he thinks you can help."
Help prevent a war my own father started?
The smart thing would be to stay silent. To protect my kingdom's secrets.
But my kingdom had thrown me away like garbage.
And innocent people—on both sides—would die if this war happened.
"Okay," I said finally. "I'll talk to him."
An hour later, I stood in front of a mirror, barely recognizing myself.
Elena had helped me bathe—the warm water felt like heaven—and dressed me in a simple but beautiful blue gown. My hair was clean and braided. The bruises on my face were starting to fade.
I looked almost... normal.
"You're very pretty," Elena said with a smile. "The king will be pleased."
I frowned. "Why would he care what I look like?"
Elena's smile grew mysterious. "You'll see."
Before I could ask what that meant, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in," Elena called.
The door opened, and a tall man entered. He wore black armor with a silver wolf on his chest—the symbol of Valcrest. His hair was dark blond, and he had sharp blue eyes that studied me carefully.
"Lady Seraphina," he said with a slight bow. "I'm Commander Rylan, the king's second-in-command. His Majesty asked me to escort you to his study."
My heart pounded. This was it.
"Is he angry?" I asked nervously.
Rylan's stern face softened just a little. "No. He's concerned. There's a difference."
He offered his arm like a gentleman, not a guard. I took it hesitantly, and he led me out of the room.
As we walked through the castle halls, I tried not to stare. Everything was beautiful. Tapestries hung on the walls. Windows let in natural light. Servants moved about their work, and several smiled at me as I passed.
This wasn't the dark, evil place I'd imagined. This was... nice. Normal. Maybe even welcoming.
"Commander Rylan," I said quietly, "why is everyone being so kind to me?"
He glanced down at me. "Because the king ordered it. And because most of us have heard your story. What your family did to you." His jaw tightened. "In Valcrest, we don't punish the innocent."
Tears burned my eyes, but I blinked them back.
We stopped in front of a large wooden door. Rylan knocked twice.
"Enter," came that deep voice. King Cassian's voice.
Rylan opened the door and gestured for me to go in. Then he closed it behind me, leaving me alone with the Iron King.
The study was filled with books and maps. A fire crackled in the fireplace. And behind a massive desk sat King Cassian, reading a document.
He looked up when I entered, and those silver eyes locked onto mine.
"Lady Seraphina," he said, standing up. "Please, sit. You must still be weak."
He gestured to a comfortable chair near the fire. I sat carefully, my hands trembling in my lap.
King Cassian came around the desk and sat in the chair across from me. Not behind his desk where he'd have power. Across from me. Like equals.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Better," I admitted. "Thank you for... for everything. The room, the food, the kindness. I don't understand why, but... thank you."
He leaned back, studying me. "You don't need to thank me for basic human decency. That should be the standard, not the exception."
Silence fell between us. I fidgeted with my mother's necklace.
"That's pretty," King Cassian said, nodding at the necklace. "Was it your mother's?"
I nodded, surprised he'd noticed. "She died when I was thirteen. This is all I have left of her."
Something flickered across his face. Pain? Understanding?
"I lost my mother too," he said quietly. "I was sixteen. I understand how much a memory can mean."
For a moment, we just looked at each other. Two people who'd lost their mothers too young. Two people who understood that kind of pain.
"Lady Seraphina," he said finally, his voice gentle but serious, "I need to ask you some questions. And I need you to be completely honest with me. Can you do that?"
I swallowed hard. "That depends on the questions."
"Fair enough." He leaned forward, his silver eyes intense. "Do you know why your father framed you for treason?"
My breath caught. "You... you know I was framed?"
"I've known from the beginning," he said. "I had spies in your father's court. I know he forged the letters, bribed the witnesses, and planned the whole thing. What I don't know is why. Why would he destroy his own daughter?"
Tears filled my eyes. Hearing someone else say it—someone who believed me—broke something inside me.
"I don't know," I whispered. "I've been trying to figure it out. Maybe my stepmother convinced him. Maybe he needed a scapegoat for his plans. Maybe..." My voice cracked. "Maybe he never loved me at all."
King Cassian's expression hardened. "Or maybe you knew something he couldn't risk you revealing."
I looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"
"Your mother's death," he said carefully. "Was it really an accident?"
The question hit me like a punch.
"I... everyone said it was. A riding accident."
"But you had doubts?"
How did he know that?
"Sometimes," I admitted. "My stepmother married my father so quickly afterward. And my mother was an excellent rider. She never fell. But I was thirteen. I didn't question it. I just... grieved."
King Cassian stood and walked to his desk. He picked up a folder and brought it back.
"I had my spies investigate your mother's death," he said. "What they found is... disturbing."
He handed me the folder. My hands shook as I opened it.
Inside were reports. Witness statements. Medical notes.
And a conclusion that made my blood run cold.
"Your mother didn't die from a riding accident," King Cassian said quietly. "She was poisoned. The fall was staged to hide the murder."
The papers fell from my hands.
"No," I whispered. "No, that's not... who would..."
But I already knew.
My stepmother. Ravenna.
She'd murdered my mother to marry my father.
"There's more," King Cassian said grimly. "Your mother wasn't just a noblewoman. She was a spy—for me. She was feeding me information about your father's plans to invade Valcrest. When Ravenna discovered this, she killed her."
The room spun.
My mother was a spy? For the enemy?
"That's impossible," I gasped. "My mother would never betray Aeloria. She loved our kingdom!"
"She loved peace more," King Cassian said gently. "She didn't want a war. She was trying to stop it. And she died for it."
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.
Everything I knew was a lie.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, my voice breaking.
"Because you deserve the truth," he said. "And because I think your father has been planning to kill you too. Not because you're a traitor—but because you're your mother's daughter. He's afraid you'll discover the truth about her death and expose him."
My hands clenched into fists. "So he framed me. Threw me to you. Hoped you'd kill me."
"Yes."
Rage burned through my grief. My father had murdered my mother. Or let his wife murder her. And then he'd tried to murder me too.
"I want revenge," I said, my voice shaking with fury. "I want to destroy him."
King Cassian's eyes gleamed with approval. "Good. So do I. But first, we need to stop his invasion. And for that, I need your help."
"Anything," I said fiercely. "Tell me what to do."
He smiled—a real smile that transformed his face. "I need you to tell me everything you know about your father's military plans, his allies, and his weaknesses. And then..."
He paused, studying me carefully.
"Then I'm going to train you to be the weapon your father fears most. His own daughter, risen from the grave to bring him justice."
My heart pounded with something new.
Not fear. Not grief.
Hope. Purpose. Power.
"When do we start?" I asked.
"Right now."
But before King Cassian could say more, the door burst open.
Commander Rylan rushed in, his face pale. "Your Majesty! We have a problem. A woman was caught sneaking into the castle. She claims she's Lady Seraphina's servant, here to check on her mistress's wellbeing."
My blood froze. "What does she look like?"
"Red hair. Green eyes. Wearing an expensive cloak—"
"It's my stepmother!" I gasped, jumping to my feet. "She's here to kill me!"
King Cassian's expression turned deadly. "Where is she now?"
"The guards are holding her in the entry hall. She's demanding to see you, claiming diplomatic immunity."
Cassian moved to the door, then stopped and looked back at me.
"Stay here," he ordered. "Lock the door behind me. Don't let anyone in except Rylan or Elena. Understand?"
I nodded, terrified.
He left with Rylan, and I locked the door with shaking hands.
My stepmother was here. In the castle. Mere floors away.
She'd come to finish what my father started.
I pressed my ear to the door, trying to hear anything.
Voices. Shouting. Then...
A scream.
A woman's scream.
And then silence.
My heart stopped.
What if Ravenna had killed King Cassian? What if she'd brought assassins? What if—
The door handle rattled.
"Lady Seraphina?" A voice called. Female. Familiar.
Elena?
"It's me, dear. Open the door. Everything's fine."
But something in her voice was wrong. Too smooth. Too sweet.
I backed away from the door, my heart hammering.
"Seraphina," the voice came again. "Don't be silly. Open the door. The king sent me."
No. He wouldn't. He told me only to open for Rylan or Elena.
This wasn't Elena.
"I know you're afraid," the voice continued, "but Mama's here now. Mama will take care of everything."
Mama.
My stepmother was on the other side of the door, pretending to be Elena.
Which meant...
Oh God. What had she done to the real Elena?