The engagement between Arthur and Seraphina had been decided long before they were born. Before Seraphina could understand what marriage meant. The elders called it The Renewal Marriage.
This all started when Seraphina's Great- Grandmother married outside of the Beaumonts Bloodline. The Beaumonts are known for keeping their lineage pure and for never marrying outside the name.
As an act of rebellion to oppose the Beaumont pure bloodline, the great-grandmother married a Valois. What she thought was an act of rebellion turned into another crazy family tradition. Marry a Beaumont or perform a Renewal Marriage with The Valois.
The Valois are known for their powerful noble status. So powerful that they surpassed Royalty.
She got pregnant out of wedlock. The heir to the Valois succession was responsible for it. The Beaumonts saw that as an opportunity to climb the ranks and increase their wealth and power.
They point fingers at the Valois heir. Claiming that he took advantage of her innocence and that what he did was an unforgivable act. An alliance was made to settle the dispute between the two families. They called it The Renewal marriage, as if dressing it up with a polite name makes it less disturbing.
The heirs are used to carrying out their dirty and greedy acts, a way to strengthen the bloodline without losing power. From the outside, the elders made it look like the heirs got to choose between the two sides. But from the inside, the elders are in charge of choosing the side to marry from.
Seraphina and Arthur were born during the time the two families aligned together.
Seraphina had been raised with that expectation stitched into every part of her life. Every etiquette lesson, every charity event, every carefully chosen dress was preparation for the day she would become Arthur Valois's wife.
She never told Elena about it. Why would she?
To Elena, she was simply Seraphina Beaumont, the rich girl who sat beside her in class, who invited her to parties, and who defended her sometimes when the other girls were too cruel.
But to Seraphina, Elena had always been someone temporary. Someone interesting to keep around. Someone harmless. Someone to remind her of what being above everyone else tastes like.
Because Seraphina knew something Elena didn't. Arthur Valois already belonged to her. Or at least… he was supposed to.
Then Arthur met the girl with crimson hair and a violin. And everything changed.
When Arthur chose Elena, it didn't just hurt Seraphina's pride. It shattered something deeper. In a single moment, the future she had quietly built her entire life around was gone. It was like her whole life was ripped right in front of her and she had nothing left.
Arthur didn't even care at all. He didn't hesitate. He didn't try to soften the rejection. He was so unbothered like his own life wasn't built around the same future as Seraphina's.
He simply walked away from the arrangement like it meant nothing. And worse than that… he chose Elena. A girl from the lower noble class, whom he had only known for a year. Just a year. That's all it took for him to throw everything away.
Seraphina had known him her entire life. That humiliation settled deep into her bones, hot and poisonous.
Across campus, Viktor Volkov was nursing a different kind of wound.
He had been chasing Elena for months. But he didn't do it calmly as Arthur did. He tried to win her over with the heavy confidence of someone who had never been told no.
Viktor offered protection. Status. Power.
Teachers who would look the other way. Doors that would open without question. Elena rejected him every time.
Then Arthur stepped in and suddenly Elena's walls disappeared for someone who hadn't even tried to break them down. That burned.
The tension finally snapped one afternoon in the gym.
The basketball court echoed with the squeal of sneakers and the steady thump of the ball hitting the floor. The game had already gotten rough but Viktor wasn't paying attention to the score anymore.
He saw Arthur cut across the court and slam into him hard during a transition play. Too hard. Arthur stumbled almost falling. He straightened slowly, rubbing his shoulder.
"That wasn't an accident," Arthur said calmly.
Viktor's eyes were dark.
"You think you're better than me?" Viktor muttered.
Arthur sighed like he was already tired of the conversation.
"This again?"
"You stole her from me," Viktor snapped.
Arthur's expression hardened.
"You need to stop acting like a spoiled brat. She was never yours."
Viktor swung.
The punch carried more desperation than skill. His fist clipped Arthur's jaw and sent both of them crashing to the floor.
The gym erupted.
Players rushed forward, shouting as the two of them grappled on the hardwood, throwing wild punches. Someone yelled for a teacher. Someone else tried to pull Viktor back.
But the fight stopped the moment Elena stepped onto the court. The crowd parted for her. She walked straight toward them.
Arthur was halfway up when she arrived but Viktor was still on the ground, breathing hard with a cut opening above his eyebrow.
"That's enough!" Elena yelled.
Her voice was so loud that it made the entire gym fall silent. Viktor looked up at her, confused.
"Elena, I was just—"
"Save your excuses. I don't want to hear them."
The words landed harder than any punch.
"Do you know why I keep rejecting you?" she continued. "It wasn't about your money or the stupid power you carry around like some trophy."
Viktor slowly pushed himself upright.
"It's because of the way you look at people. You look at them like things you want to own or control."
He frowned.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you're impossible to love. You are terrified of what it means to actually feel real," Elena said. "You'd rather be admired than understood. I won't give my heart to someone who doesn't even notice it."
She gestured toward Arthur.
"He doesn't treat people that way. He sees them as what they are. Human."
Her gaze returned to Viktor.
"You look at me like I'm something to collect. Like I'd be another asset in your family portfolio."
Her voice dropped.
"And I would rather be alone forever than be with someone like you."
No one moved. Viktor just stood there, stunned. Then Elena turned, helped Arthur to his feet and walked away with him. Viktor remained in the middle of the court while the whispers started.
Seraphina was there the entire time watching everything happen. That was when Seraphina approached Viktor. She crouched beside him.
"You heard her," she said softly.
Viktor didn't answer. His jaw was clenched so tightly it hurt. Seraphina leaned closer.
"She humiliated you. Publicly." she continued quietly.
He finally looked at her.
"You are not going to let that slide, are you?"
Something dark passed between them.
"She has to pay for that," Seraphina said.
Viktor didn't respond. But he didn't disagree either. And just like that, the first stone in their shared hatred was laid.
After that day, Seraphina moved carefully. She didn't chase Arthur anymore. Instead, she turned her attention to someone else. Augustin Schuyler. Arthur's closest friend.
Augustin was kind. Too kind for the world he lived in. When Seraphina started showing interest in him, he didn't question it.
Why would he?
She was beautiful. Charming. Elegant. He fell for her quickly. And Seraphina let him.
Through Augustin, she stayed close to Arthur's world. Close enough to observe everything she needed. The Valois family. Their power. Their secrets. Their finances. Their offshore accounts.
And eventually, Augustin married her. Not because she loved him. But because he gave her access.
That was how the Renewal Marriage tradition between the two families was broken. No one side gets to raise a voice about it because the two heirs were responsible for the split.
A year later, Arthur and Elena's wedding became the biggest event of the season. The estate was filled with guests, laughter, and music.
Seraphina stood in the front row during the ceremony, perfectly composed. When it ended, she approached Elena and wrapped her in a tight embrace.
"I'm so happy for you," she said sweetly. Elena smiled, glowing with happiness.
"Thank you, Sera."
She meant it. She believed Seraphina was still her friend. That night, after most of the guests had gone home, the house grew quiet.
Elena finally escaped to the bedroom she now shared with Arthur. She was halfway through removing the pins from her hair when Seraphina walked in. She carried a glass of wine.
"You look exhausted," Seraphina said lightly.
"Helping a bride out of her dress is practically tradition."
Elena laughed softly.
"Please do. I think this gown weighs more than I do."
Seraphina helped loosen the back of the dress. For a while, neither of them spoke. Then Seraphina sat down on the edge of the bed.
"You know," she said slowly, swirling the wine in her glass, "this was supposed to be my room."
Elena paused.
"What do you mean?"
Seraphina took a long sip.
"The engagement," she said.
"Elena… Arthur and I were supposed to marry."
Elena stared at her.
"What?"
"It has been our family's tradition for years."
Seraphina's smile was thin.
"I spent most of my life preparing for it."
The silence in the room suddenly felt heavy.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Elena asked quietly.
Seraphina shrugged.
"What would have been the point?"
She set her wine glass down.
"Then you came along."
Her eyes locked onto Elena's.
"And he chose you."
Elena shifted uncomfortably.
"I didn't know—"
"I know you didn't," Seraphina interrupted. Her voice wasn't angry. If anything, it sounded calm. Too calm.
"That's why I married Augustin."
Elena frowned.
"What?"
Seraphina smiled.
"To stay close."
The words hung in the air.
"I was supposed to be the wife, Elena," she continued softly.
Her gaze drifted around the bedroom, the carved furniture, the Valois crest above the fireplace.
"All of this… it was meant to be mine."
Elena felt something cold settle in her stomach. Seraphina leaned forward slightly.
"But you're here instead."
Her smile sharpened.
"And people who take what doesn't belong to them usually don't keep it for very long."
For the first time that night, Elena realized something terrible. The girl she had trusted for years… had never truly been her friend at all.