Chapter 1

Alexander Hawthorne had loved me to the core. He knew I was hungry for power.

He gifted me fiefs, military seals, and a necklace worth a fortune. He even put the military command token right in my hand.

"Serena, if everything comes crashing down, use this to bargain for your life," he said. "With this, the new ruler will guarantee you a lifetime of glory."

Ten years slipped by in a flash. Alexander still stood before me, unmatched in nobility, carrying the regal pride of someone who held the world in his hands.

But now, there was a woman in plain white at his side, her eyes soft and bright. That was Evelyn Sinclair, the woman he brought back from Southelle.

"I owe Evelyn a title," Alexander said, holding her hand the whole time.

I watched their hands clasped together, their sleeves brushing softly, and suddenly memories from years ago washed over me.

Back then, he held my hand like this, making a vow sincerely.

He said, "Serena, I swear, in this life, I will never betray you."

My nails dug into my palm, leaving half-moon marks.

I lowered my eyes, my voice as soft as ash falling on snow. "You did too, General. You made that promise to me once."

The air was thick with silence.

Alexander's hand tightened briefly around Evelyn's. His face, serene and unmatched in elegance, betrayed no emotion, only the distant coldness of a man raised above others.

"Serena," he finally said, his voice calm as deep water. "Ten years have passed. Everything you ever wanted, fiefs, the military seal, and power, I've given it all to you. Now, it's time I gave Evelyn her due."

Evelyn, standing meekly at his side, her delicate face showing the right amount of guilt and unease, shrank behind Alexander as if my gaze were a poisoned arrow.

It was laughable. All these years, I'd shielded him from countless open attacks and hidden schemes, my hands stained with blood, to pave his way to the very top.

Everyone in the court called me a "vile woman," spat on me as a "scheming traitor". I bore those insults and cleared every obstacle for him.

Now that the path was clear, he was ready to welcome another woman into the halls of power.

The last flicker of warmth in my heart was finally extinguished by his words.

I raised my head, meeting his deep, unreadable eyes, swallowing the bitter taste rising in my throat, and flashed a smile, the kind everyone expected from someone hungry for power.

"You're right, General Hawthorne. Ten years of your favor, I won't forget it." I paused, and then shifted my tone.

"But after all I've done for you, now that you're discarding me, surely I deserve something in return. Otherwise, word will spread that the mighty General Hawthorne is cold and unfeeling."

Alexander's brow furrowed slightly. He never expected that, even now, I was still fixated on what I could gain. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Raven's Nest, outside the city. I've heard it's barren, crawling with bandits. It's a bitter, forsaken place nobody wants. Why not let that be your final gift to me?"

I said it lightly, as if I were asking for some worthless trinket.

Even Evelyn, watching from the sidelines, was caught off guard.

Raven's Nest was an infamous hellhole in the Kingdom of Evermere. It was like a place of exile, not a real fief.

Alexander looked at me silently, as if searching my face for any hint that I was bluffing.

But I wasn't. I met his gaze calmly, with a hint of greed in my eyes.

After a long moment, he slowly nodded. "Granted."

All those years between us were cut clean.

I gave a formal, elegant bow, like the curtain falling on a flawless deal. "Thank you, General Hawthorne."

As I turned to leave, I didn't look back. I didn't want him to see the flicker in my eyes. It was not sadness, but the murderous intent burning there.

Alexander thought this was the end. He was wrong. This was the beginning.

The carriage bumped and rattled as we left the lively capital behind, heading north into rougher lands.

Mandy, my maid, offered me a cup of water, worry etched all over her face. "Princess Serena, are we really heading to Raven's Nest? That place..."

"It's fine," I replied, taking the cup. The warmth against my fingers eased a bit of the lingering cold.

Mandy paused, unsure whether to speak. She'd been by my side for eight years, witnessing my climb from a nameless orphan to the formidable Princess Serena, commanding the court.

She couldn't wrap her head around why, when I was so close to everything I ever wanted, I'd walk away from riches within reach and pick that forsaken hellhole, Raven's Nest.

I kept silent. Some truths were meant to stay locked away forever.

For example, the way Alexander and I first crossed paths wasn't some dramatic rescue; it was a transaction, meticulously planned from the very beginning.

"I'll help you climb to the very peak of power," I told him, "but in return, you must promise me a lifetime together, the two of us."

That year, beneath the blooming trees, Alexander was brimming with youthful confidence. He took my hand, his eyes shining brighter than all the stars above. "Serena, I trust you," he said.