Seraphina's POV
I woke up coughing, my lungs burning with smoke.
Strong hands pulled me upright. Adrian's face appeared through the haze, covered in soot and blood.
"Can you walk?" he demanded.
My head spun. The last thing I remembered was the floor collapsing, then falling, then—nothing. "What happened?"
"Explosion took out the west wing. Someone tried to kill us on our wedding night." His jaw clenched tight. "We survived. They didn't expect that."
He helped me stand. My dress was torn and filthy. My carefully arranged hair had come completely undone. And my ribs hurt like someone had kicked me.
But I was alive.
We'd fallen into some kind of storage room below the main floor. Above us, I could hear shouting and the roar of flames eating through wood.
"We need to move," Adrian said. "Before they come back to finish the job."
"They?" I grabbed his arm. "You know who did this?"
"I have suspicions." His eyes went dark and dangerous. "But first, we survive. Then we make them pay."
The way he said it—cold and certain—sent chills down my spine.
We escaped through servant passages that Adrian somehow knew perfectly. Within an hour, we were safe in his private quarters in the east wing, far from the fire. Healers checked us over. Guards stationed outside our door—new guards that Adrian personally selected.
"Get some sleep," he told me. "Tomorrow, we deal with whoever did this."
But I couldn't sleep. My mind raced with questions.
Someone had tried to murder us both. On our wedding night. When we should've been distracted and vulnerable.
Which meant someone knew we'd be alone. Someone with access to the royal wing. Someone who wanted both Adrian and me dead.
My father? No, he needed me alive to spy. Adrian's brothers? Maybe, but killing us together risked war with the Ashenheart Empire.
Unless that was the point. Start a war. Blame it on accidents.
I finally fell asleep as dawn broke, my knife clutched under my pillow.
Morning came too fast.
A servant girl woke me gently. "Princess Seraphina? Breakfast is ready in your private dining room."
Princess. I was a princess now. The title felt wrong on my shoulders—I'd been raised as a general's daughter, trained for war, not tea parties.
"Where's Prince Adrian?" I asked.
"He left before dawn, Your Highness. Council meeting."
Of course. The dutiful prince, already working while I slept like a lazy child.
I ate breakfast alone, then decided to explore my new "domain." Time to see what kind of disaster I'd married into.
The servants' whispers started immediately.
"Did you hear? Prince Adrian reorganized the whole kitchen staff last week."
"My cousin works in his province now. Says wages doubled and bandits disappeared overnight."
"He fired Lord Merchant for stealing. Just walked in and exposed everything!"
I paused outside a storage room, listening to two maids gossip while folding linens.
"Three weeks ago, he couldn't even dress himself proper," the older maid said. "Now he's running the castle better than the King."
"My brother says it's magic," the younger one whispered. "Dark magic that changed him."
"Don't be stupid. Magic can't make someone smart."
"Then how do you explain it?"
Good question. How did anyone explain Adrian's transformation?
I spent the morning investigating, using skills Father taught me. Observing. Questioning. Gathering information like pieces of a puzzle.
What I found shocked me.
The castle kitchens ran with military efficiency—food arrived on time, nothing wasted, everyone knew their job. The storerooms were organized perfectly, every item catalogued. Even the guards seemed sharper, more alert.
And everywhere I looked, people smiled.
Happy servants. In a royal castle. That shouldn't be possible.
I cornered a senior steward in the hallway. "Tell me honestly—what changed Prince Adrian?"
The old man studied me carefully. "You're his wife now. You'll figure it out yourself soon enough. But I'll say this: whatever changed him, it saved this castle. Three weeks ago, we were stealing from each other just to survive. Now we're paid fair wages and treated with respect. The Prince did that."
"The fool prince who couldn't even stand straight?"
"He was never a fool, Your Highness." The steward's eyes gleamed knowingly. "He was just pretending. And he's very good at pretending."
Those words haunted me as I continued exploring.
I found Adrian's study unlocked—probably on purpose. Inside, papers covered every surface. Financial records. Trade agreements. Maps marked with notes in careful handwriting.
I picked up a report about his province. The numbers were incredible—tax revenue up forty percent, crime down sixty percent, citizen satisfaction at record highs.
All in three weeks.
"Impossible," I whispered. "Nobody works this fast."
But the evidence was right here. Adrian had somehow transformed a failing province into a profitable, well-run territory using methods that looked almost... modern? The organizational structure reminded me of military supply chains Father used during campaigns.
A piece of paper caught my eye. A list of names with notes beside each:
Lord Merchant—corrupt, removed
Captain Harris—loyal, promoted
Marcus Chen—recruited, trustworthy
Daemon—DANGEROUS, monitoring
That last one made my blood run cold. Adrian suspected his own brother.
"Finding everything interesting?"
I spun around. Adrian stood in the doorway, perfectly calm, like he'd expected to find me snooping.
"You left your study unlocked," I said defensively.
"I know." He walked in, closing the door behind him. "I wanted you to see. Saves time on explanations."
"You wanted me to spy on you?"
"I wanted you to understand who you married." He picked up the list of names. "I'm not the drunk fool everyone thinks. I'm someone who gets things done. And I need you to decide: are you going to help me save this kingdom, or are you going to help your father destroy it?"
My heart pounded. "That's not fair."
"War isn't fair. Marriage isn't fair. Life isn't fair." He stepped closer, and I saw that cold calculation in his eyes again. "But we could be unstoppable together. Your strategic training plus my organizational skills. Your father's military knowledge plus my intelligence network. Think about it, Seraphina. We could build something incredible."
"Or destroy each other trying."
"That too." He smiled slightly. "But where's the fun in playing it safe?"
I should've been angry. Should've felt manipulated. Instead, I felt... excited? This dangerous game with my dangerous husband suddenly seemed a lot more interesting than pretending to be a proper princess.
"Alright," I said slowly. "Let's test each other. I'll arrange an 'accidental' meeting tonight. Library, midnight. We'll talk strategy and see if you're really as smart as you pretend."
"I'll be there."
He turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, and Seraphina? I know about the hidden knife in your left boot. The poison needle in your hair pin. And the coded message you sent your father this morning using the servant girl's embroidery patterns."
My mouth went dry. "How—"
"Because I would've done exactly the same thing." His smile turned sharp. "Midnight. Don't be late. And bring your A-game, princess. I'm not easy to impress."
He left, and I stood there shaking.
Not from fear. From the thrill of finally meeting someone who matched me move for move.
Midnight came slowly.
I arrived at the library early, wanting the advantage. The room was dark except for a few candles. Shelves of books stretched to the ceiling, full of knowledge and shadows.
I heard footsteps behind me and turned.
But it wasn't Adrian.
Prince Daemon stepped from the shadows, and six armed men surrounded me.
"Hello, sister-in-law," Daemon said, his smile cold as winter. "Looking for my dear brother? He won't be coming. You see, Adrian had a terrible accident tonight. Fell down some stairs. Broke his neck."
Horror seized my chest. "You're lying."
"Am I?" Daemon moved closer, and I smelled wine on his breath. "I'm done playing games. Father's choosing his heir tomorrow, and I won't let my useless brother steal my throne. Not anymore."
I reached for my knife, but strong hands grabbed my arms.
"You're coming with me," Daemon continued. "We'll send your body back to Daddy with a nice note about tragic wedding accidents. War starts. Kingdom falls. Everyone loses except me."
"Adrian will—"
"Adrian is dead," Daemon snarled. "And soon you will be too."
They dragged me toward a side door. I fought and screamed, but Daemon's men were professionals.
Then the main library door burst open.
Adrian stood there, very much alive, with Marcus Chen and twenty armed fighters behind him.
His eyes found mine across the room, and what I saw there made my breath stop.
Pure, cold fury.
"Let her go, Daemon," Adrian said quietly. "Last warning."
"You should be dead!" Daemon shouted. "I had men waiting—"
"Your men work for me now." Adrian's smile could've frozen blood. "I told you already, brother. I'm done playing the fool. Now you're going to pay for every stupid decision you've made. Starting with touching my wife."
The library exploded into violence.