The following days were a blur. The security around Seraphina tightened as the king became more erratic; desperately clinging to the solution. Seraphina, on the other hand, began to commune with her deity; desperate to find another solution.

Seraphina walked down the stone halls, her leather boots clicking against the floors. Two guards trailed behind her, their armor clanking with every step. It had been a few weeks since the seers cottage, and she hasn't been allowed to be alone since. She sighed, turning into the library. She hoped that somewhere in the vastness of the royal library would be more information. However, her efforts have been futile. Every book she has read has little information. Her mind drifts back to the seer, her twisted smile, and cloudy eyes. If only she could go back there to get more information.

She walks down a mahogany bookshelf, skimming the titles and covers. The doors to the library swung back open to reveal King Caelum, his pace urgent. This is the first time she has seen him since the cottage, and it made her heart pound in her ears. Her emotions: a mix of anger, shock, and confusion. He closes the distance between them, his expression cold.

"We can not wait any longer. The wedding must happen now," his voice was strained.

"There has to be another way to dissolve the curse," she responded.

"I'm not asking, Seraphina. This is about my survival and the survival of the kingdom," his voice was grim. Seraphina laughed bitterly.

"And what about me? What do I get out of it?" she glared at him. There was a tense pause, Caelum's gaze turned into something ruthless.

"You get to save you people," he stepped closer, now inches away from Seraphina. She could feel his hot labored breathing on her skin, "if you don't marry me, I will give the order at sunrise. I'll make sure there's nothing left but ashes. Your friends - your family - will pay for your defiance."

Seraphina stared at him, fury taking over her, "You're a monster."

"You think I want to marry?" He started, "but this isn't about me. This is about the kingdom. Do you think your village will survive against the invading armies of the surrounding kingdoms after they find out I died? Just know that your defiance will kill more than just me."

"You're no king... you're a tyrant," Seraphina's voice shaked with rage.

"Perhaps, but a tyrant who is alive for his kingdom. Marry me, and your village will be spared. Refuse, and they'll burn like Itheca."

Tears streamed down Seraphina's face. Itheca was the northern territory's capital city. The stories of Caelum's violence there stretched far across the kingdom. Only one part of the story was consistent: no one was spared. She took her face in her hands and sobbed.

~~~~~~~

It wasn't long until Caelum issued a royal decree about the engagement. If it wasn't for the constant watch of guards and the threat to her village, Seraphina would have fled.

As to not expose the curse to the ignorant people, all the formalities of a royal wedding must take place. So, Seraphina sat in an opulent royal dressing chamber; gold accents, dresses of silk and satin, and royal jewelry were shown. Seraphina stood awkwardly in front of a gold trimmed mirror. A glamorous silk forest green wedding dress was being adjusted to her body by Elena.

"It's heavy," Seraphina said, her voice defeated. Elena notices and smiles, trying to make the best of a bad situation.

"This dress - it's like it was made for you. You look radiant,"  she smiled as she adjusted some of the lace on Seraphina's collar, "I know it's not the best circumstance, but you're going to be a queen! Most girls dream about this."

"This isn't a dream, Elena. It's a cage," Seraphina said bitterly. Elena's eyes widened with shock.

"A cage? But... he's the king. The king needs you. You'll be saving the kingdom," Elena's voice was soft as she repeatedly glanced towards the door.

"At the cost of literally everything I am. Aurelia..." Seraphina trailed off, turning sound of footsteps startling the ladies. They're peer at the door, waiting for the sound to fade. However, it never did. Through the small opening underneath the wooden door, they saw shadows outside. Exchanging concerned looks, Elena crept towards the door. As she grabbed the handle to open it, the footsteps began to retreat quickly. Elena returns to her side, looking down, trying to figure out a way to comfort her.

"But... he's the king," she said again, as if trying to convince herself more than Seraphina, "there must be something good in this. You'll have power, influence. Think of all the good you could do."

"Do you really think he'll grant me power? I am a pawn to him," Seraphina's brow furrowed in anger, "I am here to break the curse and nothing more. I will be nothing more than a piece of this palace."

Elena frowned. She could feel Seraphina's sorrow, but she wanted to remain hopeful for her, "maybe in time, things will change. Maybe he'll grow to love y-"

"Love? No, Elena. There's no love in that man," Seraphina interjected, "he's just doing what he has to. As am I."

Elena was quiet for another moment as she finished up the lace collar, "Well... if you're stuck in a cage, we might as well make you the most dazzling bird around."

She stared at herself in the mirror deep in thought. However, it was cut short by the door opening quietly and Caelum entering. Elena freezes in place, and Seraphina stiffens at his presence.

"Your majesty," Elena curtsied. He barely acknowledges her and nods, turning his attention to Seraphina, "Leave us."

Elena glanced between the two of Caelum and Seraphina, her expression uncertain, "O-of course, your majesty."

Seraphina stared at him through the ornate mirror, "Will you always enter my room without warning?"

Caelum stepped forward slowly, his voice low, almost teasing, "it's my palace, I go where I please."

"And here I was, thinking you just wanted to see me in my pretty dress," Seraphina turned to face him, completely composed. His eyes flick up and down her frame briefly. His face displays something unreadable, and he pauses. She can see his tired eyes soften.

"The dress suits you," he said, his face remaining cold, "you look as regal."

"A regal queen upon your cursed throne," Seraphina's tone is guarded, and her breathing hitches slightly in her throat. Caelum steps closer to her, his eyes intense.

"You speak as if there aren't thousands of women in this kingdom that will take your place," his brow furrowed. Seraphina's heart began to beat faster, her face hardened, her brows furrowed.

"I was born for something else," she stated firmly. Caelum faltered, though he didn't back away.

"We both have duties - burdens that neither of us asked for," his tone softened.

"So, because we have duties, I'm just supposed to accept this? To sacrifice everything?" She glared daggers at him.

"I don't care if you accept this, you know what will happen if you say no," a chill ran down her spine at his words, "but I see strength in you, Seraphina."

"You speak of strength as if you haven't done anything, but break me," she said. There was a bit of sadness in her voice, but she tried to hide it. Caelum hesitates for a moment, his gaze softened, and he stepped further forward. He reaches out, and his hand almost touches her arm, but he hesitates inches before he makes contact. He pulls his arm back.

"I never wanted to break you. All I want is to be free of this curse," he leans forward slightly, "you must know what."

Seraphina's breath catches as his closeness. His red linen shirt is loose fitting on his broad shoulders. His shirt was tucked into his tight fitting pants, and a leather belt cinched him in at the waist. He had recently trimmed his beard down to be only stubble, and his light brown hair had soft curls in it. His eyes were a a more faded blue color, and the bags under then bad slowly worsened. His high cheekbones and jawline seemed sharper now that his cheeks sunk in. As much as Seraphina hated it, she was attracted to the king; though most women in the kingdom were. Seraphina pulls back, stepping just out of his reach.

"No?" Her voice was tight and cold, "everything I had was slipping through my fingers."

"And you think you know that better than I do?" His eyes locked onto hers, and he took another step forward. There's an undeniable tension between them, "I was just a boy when my father died, and now I am faced with the same fate."

Seraphina recalled the stories she had heard about Caelum's father, King Edric. Not much was known about him personally, but tales of his good deeds travel far. Seraphina remembered when she was a girl, a famine spread, and her village was badly affected. She will never forget the moment that Edric had opened the royal granaries and delivered food to the struggling rural communities. Shortly before his death, he was in the process of establishing the Council of Voices to give the people more power over themselves.

"Cealum..." Seraphina starts, reaching out to touch his arm, "How did Edric die?"