Chapter 3

That night, I moved from Lucian's palace to Damien's estate.

The servants whispered among themselves.

"Mr. Drake is fine in every way except for his taste in women."

"His Highness has barely been laid to rest, and Seraphina is already seeking another. How can Mr. Drake marry a woman like that?"

"Didn't the Dragon Queen say Seraphina brings doom to her husband? I fear Mr. Drake will fall to her curse."

I listened to the gossip outside the window and smiled wryly. I turned to Damien and teased, "Seems all your fame is already ruined on my account."

He frowned. "Cut it out.

"Seraphina, give me half a day. I promise, you won't hear anyone talking trash about you ever again."

I sighed. "Honestly, I don't care." Compared to my last time, when I endured a lifetime of widowhood under Lucian's cruelty, only to be humiliated and executed publicly, this was paradise.

Damien spared no expense. My clothes, my meals, and my comforts were all of the finest quality, rivaling even the royal household. I had no reason to complain.

Before the lights went out, I caught him muttering softly, "Let them gossip about my name. As long as I have you, nothing else matters."

I didn't sleep a wink that night.

*****

Not long after, Rowena sent for me at the palace. She was preparing to become the next Dragon Queen. Her handmaidens brought her heavy, ornate gowns.

Impatient, she kept adjusting the crown on her head and turned to me. "Seraphina, tell me—do I look better in this than the Dragon Queen?"

I stayed silent.

Rowena went on as if I weren't there. "Sometimes, you just have to accept your lot in life. Even if you're sharper than I am, so what? In the end, it's still me who will sit as queen."

She had always been like this—always trying to outshine me.

I glanced over the cluttered table, and my eyes landed on the aquamarine Lucian had given her. A thought flashed through my mind.

Back when Rowena was a child, she had once been dragged into the sea by a sea hag during her training. She had hated aquamarines more than anything.

Adrian was always thoughtful—he never forgot about that.

After a moment, I forced out the words, my voice strained, "Did you seriously never realize that wasn't Adrian?"

Rowena's hand froze.

In that instant, I knew the answer. Previously, no matter what happened, I had never doubted Rowena. To me, even if we had clashed since childhood, Lucian had always been the one to blame for everything that happened. But now, her reaction told me she had known all along.

Tears welled in my eyes, and I couldn't help but demand, "Rowena, have you lost your mind?"

With a smack, Rowena slammed her phoenix hairpin onto the table and shot me a glare. "So what? Does it even matter?"

I froze.

She sneered, "Let me spell it out for you. As long as he is the crown prince and I get to be queen, I don't care who my husband is."

Her eyes sharpened as she studied me. "As for you—stay a widow. Keep quiet and mind your place, and when I become queen, I'll see that you're taken care of. Breathe a word of this, and you'll pay for it."

A chill spread through me. Her words mirrored exactly what Lucian had said the last time. And in the end, neither of them had spared me.

At this moment, voices sounded outside the door.

Lucian, along with Henry and Yelena, walked in. When they saw me, all three of them froze.

Lucian frowned, his voice tight with guilt. "Seraphina, what are you doing here?"

Yelena's tone dripped with mockery. "Why aren't you off with your new husband? What are you doing hanging around at Drakehall?"

Rowena forced a few tears and leaned against Lucian. "Seraphina doesn't mean any harm. She's just overcome with grief over losing Lucian, that's all."

Lucian drew her closer, his eyes burning with resentment. "Seraphina, none of us wanted to see Lucian fall on the battlefield. And you—not only do you refuse to mourn him, but you insist on remarrying, and now you take out your spite on Rowena? Leave this place at once."

I stared Lucian down and then, almost imperceptibly, smiled. "Very well," I said.

Revenge was a dish best served cold anyway.