Seraphina pushed open the doors to her chamber and walked inside, her steps quick and restless. Lorin and Kael followed closely behind as the doors shut heavily behind them.
The room was dimly lit, the orange glow of the fireplace flickering across the walls while the night wind brushed softly against the curtains.
Seraphina stopped near the center of the room, pressing a hand against her chest as if trying to steady the storm rising inside her. Beneath her palm, the Crimson Amulet throbbed faintly—warm, alive, warning.
"She wanted this," she breathed, the realization sharp in her voice. "The witch wants this alliance."
Kael turned sharply, his dark eyes narrowing. "You're sure?"
Seraphina nodded slowly. "The amulet reacted the moment Father agreed. I felt it burn—like it was trying to warn me."
The gem shimmered faintly, and a sudden gust of wind swept through the chamber, rattling the candle flames as though the amulet itself agreed.
Lorin's expression darkened, confusion and concern mixing together. "But that doesn't make sense," he said carefully. "An alliance should make the kingdom stronger. United. Why would she want that?"
Kael's gaze lingered for a moment before drifting toward the window, his voice lowering.
"Unless this alliance was never meant to strengthen the kingdom," he murmured. "Only distract it."
Seraphina frowned. "Distract it?"
Kael turned back toward them fully.
"Think about it," he said. "An alliance means preparation. Ceremonies. Noble gatherings. Trade negotiations. Troop movement changes. The entire kingdom will be focused on appearances and politics."
His expression hardened slightly.
"And while everyone is distracted… something else could move unseen."
Lorin's jaw tightened. "A marriage used to blind a kingdom," he muttered bitterly.
Seraphina's eyes flashed.
"Then she's smarter than we thought."
Her fingers curled tighter around the amulet, crimson light slipping faintly between them.
"But she will not break this kingdom," she said firmly. "Not again."
Kael stepped closer, calm but alert.
"Then we stay vigilant. We watch everything—every council order, every unfamiliar guest, every sudden change. If she's building a trap, she'll leave something behind."
Seraphina nodded slowly.
"She's expecting us to lose focus," she said. "We won't."
Silence settled briefly between them, tense and heavy.
Then Lorin finally spoke, quieter this time.
"Whatever she's planning… she's already ahead of us."
His gaze drifted toward the amulet.
"But maybe the fact that it warned you means we still have time."
Seraphina looked at him, and despite everything, a faint smile touched her lips.
"Maybe."
Kael's eyes lingered on the glowing gem once more.
"Then we take this as a warning," he said. "The witch moves when people feel safest. Don't let her catch us unguarded."
The three of them stood there for a moment, the weight of the realization hanging heavily in the room.
Outside, the wind howled against the castle walls.
And the amulet pulsed once more—
---
Far away, deep within the witch's chamber her crystal orb shimmered faintly.
Maryse leaned over it silently.
Within the orb, distorted images flickered—Seraphina, Lorin, Kael.
Not too clear.
But visible enough.
A slow smile curved across her lips.
"Oh, my clever little fools," she whispered softly.
"You see the shadow…"
Her fingers brushed across the orb's dark surface.
"…but not the storm."
Behind her, Maelren's low chants filled the chamber, sustaining the orb's power each time the amulet's interference threatened to blur their vision. But slowly… the chanting stopped.
Maryse's wicked laughter echoed through the chamber as the orb dimmed into darkness.
And above the tower where they performed their sorcery, thunder rolled violently across the horizon.