The announcement that Princess Seraphina desired the throne did not fade from the minds of the nobles.
If anything, it spread like wildfire across the kingdom.
In the weeks following the banquet, conversations in noble houses often turned toward a single topic—the princess who had dared to claim the crown.
Some nobles admired her courage. Others called it arrogance. Many simply waited, carefully observing which direction the winds of power might shift.
Within the palace, however, the atmosphere had grown noticeably tense.
Prince Malric had not forgotten that night.
At first, he tried to dismiss Seraphina's declaration as youthful ambition. After all, the laws of Valoria strongly favored the first-born son. The throne had always belonged to him.
But the more he listened to the whispers among the nobles, the more uneasy he became.
Some spoke of Seraphina's intelligence.
Others admired the political alliances she had quietly helped arrange between trading families and noble houses.
Even a few of the royal advisors had begun to treat her opinions with unusual seriousness.
To Malric, the problem was not that Seraphina wanted power.
The problem was that she might actually be capable of taking it.
And the prince had no intention of allowing that to happen.
---
One evening, Malric stood alone in his private chamber overlooking the capital.
The city stretched far below the palace walls, its countless lights flickering beneath the night sky.
Behind him, a nobleman bowed respectfully.
"You summoned me, Your Highness."
Malric did not turn around.
"Yes."
The noble stepped closer. He was Lord Bereth, one of the most influential young nobles in the court.
"You have been attending the gatherings of the noble families recently," Malric said calmly.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Tell me something."
Malric finally turned to face him.
"What do they say about my sister?"
Lord Bereth hesitated.
Malric's voice sharpened slightly.
"I did not ask for politeness. I asked for the truth."
The noble cleared his throat.
"Some believe she would make… a capable ruler."
Malric's eyes darkened.
"And you?"
Lord Bereth quickly bowed his head.
"My loyalty is to you, Your Highness."
Malric studied him carefully before nodding.
"Good."
He walked slowly across the chamber.
"My sister has made a mistake," he said. "She has attracted too much attention."
"And attention can be… redirected."
Lord Bereth looked curious.
"What do you mean, Your Highness?"
Malric smiled faintly.
"Tell the noble families something interesting."
"What kind of information?"
Malric's smile grew colder.
"Tell them that the princess spends far too much time with a certain knight."
Lord Bereth frowned slightly.
"Arvin?"
"Yes."
"But they grew up together," the noble said. "Most people already know that."
Malric shook his head.
"They know they are close."
His voice lowered.
"They do not yet believe they are in love."
Lord Bereth's eyes widened slightly.
"You want the nobles to believe the princess is romantically involved with a knight?"
Malric nodded slowly.
"A princess who wishes to rule… yet secretly loves a common-born knight."
He chuckled quietly.
"Imagine how quickly the nobles would turn against her."
The nobleman understood immediately.
Among the aristocracy of Valoria, marriage and status were deeply intertwined with political power. A princess connected romantically to someone of lower status would be seen as reckless, even scandalous.
The perfect rumor.
Lord Bereth bowed again.
"It will be done."
Malric looked back toward the city lights.
"Good."
---
Over the next several months, subtle rumors began to spread across the noble circles of Valoria.
Nothing direct.
Nothing obvious.
Just whispers.
The princess and the knight were often seen together.
They spoke privately in the palace gardens.
The knight trained endlessly to impress her.
At first, the rumors seemed harmless.
But slowly, they began to affect the court.
Some nobles started questioning Seraphina's judgment.
Others wondered if a future queen could truly separate her personal feelings from her duty to the crown.
Seraphina heard the rumors, of course.
She simply chose not to respond.
Instead, she continued her work quietly.
She attended council meetings.
She studied trade agreements.
She met with nobles from different regions and listened carefully to their concerns.
The more she listened, the more she understood something important.
Many nobles disliked King Albert's rule.
Not openly.
But quietly.
Taxes were high.
Commoners were restless.
And the king ruled with an iron hand that allowed little room for disagreement.
Seraphina began building connections with those nobles.
Not promises.
Not alliances.
Just understanding.
Meanwhile, Arvin remained unaware of the growing political tension surrounding his name.
His days were filled with training.
Sword practice.
Physical endurance.
Strategy lessons with the senior knights.
One evening, after a particularly long training session, Seraphina visited the training grounds.
The sun had already begun to set.
Arvin was still practicing.
The sound of steel cutting through the air echoed across the empty yard.
"You're going to exhaust yourself," Seraphina said.
Arvin lowered his sword.
"I still need improvement."
Seraphina stepped closer.
"You're already stronger than most of the knights here."
"Not strong enough."
Seraphina crossed her arms.
"For what?"
Arvin looked at her.
"For whatever the future brings."
She studied his expression carefully.
"You sound like you're preparing for a war."
Arvin shrugged slightly.
"Sometimes it feels like one."
Seraphina smiled faintly.
"You might not be wrong."
For a moment, the two stood quietly in the fading sunlight.
Neither of them noticed the figure watching from a nearby balcony high above the training grounds.
Prince Malric.
He leaned casually against the stone railing, observing them from the shadows.
His expression remained calm.
But his mind was already working.
Rumors alone would not stop Seraphina.
He needed something stronger.
Something final.
And as he watched the princess standing beside the knight…
An idea slowly began to form.
An idea that would soon change both of their lives forever.