Chapter 30
SERAPHINA
My eyes open slowly, consciousness returning in fragments.
Warm. I’m so warm.
The scent hits me first—pine and snow, surrounding me completely. Then the weight across my waist. An arm. Heavy and possessive.
My brain catches up all at once.
Kieran’s chambers. His bed. His arm wrapped around me like I belong here.
Memory crashes back with devastating clarity. The heat. His hands. The wall. Coming apart for him over and over until I couldn’t remember my own name.
Mortification floods through me so fast I feel dizzy.
I need to leave. Now.
I hold completely still, listening to his breathing. Deep and even. Still asleep.
Moving carefully, I start extracting myself from his hold. His arm tightens reflexively, pulling me closer, and I freeze. But then he shifts slightly, and I use the moment to slip free.
The cold air hits my bare skin, raising goosebumps. My nightgown—where is it?
I spot the white fabric crumpled on the floor near the wall. Heat floods my face as I remember how it got there. How he pulled it over my head, how I let him, how I wanted—
Stop. Don’t think about it.
I grab the nightgown and pull it on with shaking hands. The wrinkled fabric clings to my skin.I look around for my robe, but it’s nowhere in sight. It must be somewhere in his chambers from when he took it off.
Doesn’t matter. I just need to get back to my chambers before he wake up.
I move to the door on silent feet, easing it open just enough to slip through. The corridor beyond is dim, dawn light just starting to filter through the high windows. The fortress is quiet, most people still sleeping.
Good. Maybe I can make it back without being seen.
I keep to the shadows, moving quickly. My bare feet are silent on the cold stone. My hair is wild, I can feel it tangled around my shoulders. His hands did that, fisting in the strands while I—
No. Stop.
I round a corner too fast, and slam directly into someone.
Hands catch my shoulders, steadying me before I can fall. I look up, an apology already forming on my lips.
The words die in my throat.
Cassius stares down at me, his amber eyes wide with surprise. Then his gaze sweeps over me—taking in every detail. Wild hair. Bare feet. Wrinkled nightgown. Coming from the direction of Kieran’s chambers.
His nostrils flare slightly.
I watch his expression shift. Surprise, then understanding, settling into something carefully controlled.
“Princess Seraphina.” His voice is perfectly even, but there’s an edge underneath. “Good morning.”
My stomach drops. “Lord Cassius. I was just—” What? What possible excuse is there?
His eyes drop to my neck, my shoulders. Linger there for a moment before returning to my face.
I know what he sees. The marks along my neck and collarbone where Kieran’s mouth worked my skin.
Heat floods my face.
“I should explain—” I start desperately.
“You don’t owe me an explanation.” But his jaw is tight, his hands still gripping my shoulders.
“It’s not what you think.”
He just looks at me for a long moment, his amber eyes searching my face. Then he releases my shoulders and steps back slightly.
I open my mouth, but no words come out.
“I need to get back to my chambers,” I finally manage, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Of course.”
The corridor is narrow. I have to squeeze past him, and his body is rigid as I brush against him.
As I pass, I catch something in his expression. Just for a second—something cold flashes across his face.
Gone so quickly, I almost miss it.
“Princess?” His voice stops me when I’m a few steps away.
I turn back, dread pooling in my stomach.
His smile is perfectly in place, polite and concerned. But it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“I hope you’re feeling better. I heard you were unwell last night.”
My stomach drops. He knows. He knows exactly what happened, and he’s letting me know that he knows.
The gentle concern in his tone makes it so much worse. I’ve betrayed him. My second-chance mate, the one person who’s shown me kindness here, and I spent the night with another man.
“I’m fine.” The words come out strained. I can’t meet his eyes. “Thank you.”
I flee before he can say anything else, practically running down the corridor.
I don’t look back.
I reach my chambers and close the door behind me, hands shaking.
A sharp knock makes me jump. “Come in.”
Mira enters, her expression bright with barely contained excitement. “Princess, someone is here to escort you.”
My stomach drops. “Escort me where?”
“I can’t say.” She moves to my wardrobe. “But you should get cleaned up and dressed. Something practical.”
“Practical?” Dread pools in my gut. “Mira, what’s going on?”
“I really can’t say, Princess. His Majesty’s orders.” She pulls out simple trousers and a fitted tunic in deep green.
“His Majesty’s orders?” My heart pounds. “Why? Where are we going?”
“I was only told to bring you somewhere after you got ready.” She holds out the clothes. “Please, Princess. I’ll get in trouble if we’re late.”
I want to press further, but the genuine worry in her eyes stops me. Whatever this is, Mira truly doesn’t know more than that.
Twenty minutes later, I’m cleaned, dressed, and being led through corridors I haven’t explored before.
We pass through the main halls and head outside. The morning air is crisp, snow crunching under our boots. Mira leads me around the fortress to a section of the outer walls I’ve never seen.
She stops at an iron gate set into the stone. Beyond it, I catch glimpses of an overgrown courtyard—weeds pushing through cracked pavement, wild vines climbing the walls, everything covered in a light dusting of snow.
“What is this?” I ask.
Mira pushes open the gate with a rusty squeal. “This is going to be your garden, Princess.”
I freeze. “My what?”
She gestures at the neglected space. “Your garden. His Majesty ordered it prepared for you. Well, not prepared exactly. More like… handed over for you to do with as you wish.”
My brain can’t process what she’s saying. “A garden? For me?”
“His Majesty’s orders.” She grins. “I’ll leave you to it.”
Before I can ask what that means, she disappears back through the gate.
I stand there, confused and overwhelmed, staring at the abandoned courtyard. It’s not much to look at now—years of neglect have reduced it to little more than a weed patch. But the bones are good. High walls to protect against harsh winds, good drainage, and even some remnants of raised beds along the edges.
It could be beautiful.
“Azriel told me you had a garden back home.”
I spin around so fast I nearly lose my balance.
Kieran stands near the storage shed in the corner, partially hidden in shadow. He’s dressed casually—work clothes, not the formal attire I’m used to seeing him in. Simple dark trousers and a gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his forearms. His silver-streaked hair is tied back, and dirt already smudges one of his hands.
He’s been here a while. Waiting for me.
Our eyes meet, and heat floods through me. Not the burning fever from last night, but something worse, embarrassment mixed with memory.
He’s seen every inch of me. Touched me in ways no one else ever has. Made me beg and cry and forget my own name. And now he’s standing here offering to garden with me like it’s perfectly normal.
He sees my blush. The corner of his mouth quirks up in something that’s almost a smirk.
I want to die.
“He mentioned it once during lunch,” he continues, his voice carefully neutral despite that knowing look. “Said you spent every morning there with him.”
I still can’t speak. Just stare at him while my face burns hotter.
“I meant what I said.” His expression shifts, becoming more serious. “You told me I don’t make you feel safe. That Cassius does.” His jaw tightens. “I want to change that, Seraphina. And I thought… maybe if we spent time together. Doing something normal. Building something that’s yours.” He gestures at the overgrown courtyard. “Maybe you could start to feel comfortable around me.”
The honesty in his voice steals my breath.
I can’t believe he’s trying to make me feel safe. That he cares whether I’m comfortable around him.
It’s absurd. Surreal, but also… thoughtful. Kind.
“You’re planning to spend the whole day gardening?” I manage to ask.
“Yes.”
I almost laugh. The image of the Ice King covered in dirt, pulling weeds, is too ridiculous. “You’ll get bored within an hour.”
His jaw sets. “I won’t.”
“Right.” The skepticism bleeds through. “Because the feared ruler of the Northern Kingdom regularly spends his time doing manual labor in abandoned courtyards.”
“I do now.” He doesn’t look away. “Unless you’d prefer to work alone?”
I should say yes. Should send him away and maintain the distance between us. But looking at this overgrown space, imagining trying to tame it by myself…
And maybe, just maybe, I want to see if he means it. If he’s truly willing to put in the effort to earn my trust. To prove he can be someone I don’t have to fear.
“Fine.” I lift my chin. “Let’s work together.”
