The morning after the "Secret Date" was quiet. I sat in the garden, drinking tea and watching the mist rise off the mountains. I felt a strange warmth in my heart. But as I touched my neck, I felt a small, red mark. It was a "bite" from last night—a sign that Alaric, the Dragon King, had finally claimed me as his own.
Suddenly, the sound of silk rustling broke the silence.
Lady Elara walked into the garden. She was dressed in pure white, looking like an angel. But when she saw me, her eyes were cold. She sat across from me and smiled, but the smile did not reach her eyes.
"You look tired, Seraphina," Elara said sweetly. Then, her eyes widened. She saw the red mark on my neck. Her face turned pale, then red with anger. "Is that... a mark from the King?"
I pulled my collar up, but it was too late. Elara realized the truth: the King was no longer interested in a "Blessed Lady." He had chosen the Villainess.
"You think you have won," Elara hissed, her sweet voice turning nasty. "But a King needs a Queen with a clean reputation. No one will respect a woman who was once the most hated person in the land."
Elara stood up and walked away. I felt a "shiver" of fear. I knew from the book that Elara was not just a girl; she was a master of gossip and lies.
Later that evening, Alaric held a small dinner for the noble families. The room was filled with the smell of roasted meat and expensive wine. I sat next to Alaric. He looked at me with a soft glow in his eyes, his hand occasionally brushing against mine under the table.
But Elara was ready. She stood up and raised her glass.
"Your Majesty," Elara said, her voice loud so everyone could hear. "We all saw how 'brave' Seraphina was at the Iron Pass. But I have heard strange rumors. People say Seraphina knew about the assassins because she was the one who hired them! They say she saved you just to look like a hero and steal the treasury."
The room went silent. The noblemen began to whisper.
"I also found this," Elara continued, pulling out a fake letter. "It is a letter from Seraphina to the Shadow Sect, asking them to attack the King so she could 'save' him and win his heart."
Everyone looked at me with disgust. My heart hammered against my ribs. Elara was trying to destroy my prestige. She wanted Alaric to think I was still a bad person.
I looked at Alaric. His face was like stone. His golden eyes were fixed on the fake letter.
"Seraphina," Alaric said, his voice deep and cold. "Is this true?"
Elara smirked. She thought she had won. She thought Alaric would throw me in the dungeon.
But I didn't cry. I stood up and looked Elara in the eye. "I did not write that letter. I don't need to hire assassins to win a heart that is already mine."
Alaric suddenly stood up. The temperature in the room spiked. He walked over to Elara and took the letter from her hand. He didn't even read it. Instead, he crushed it in his fist until it turned into ash.
"Lady Elara," Alaric growled. The orange glow returned to his eyes. "You think I am a fool? I am a dragon. I can smell a lie from a mile away. This paper smells like your perfume, not like my wife's ink."
The room gasped. Elara's face turned white with shock.
"Seraphina bled for me," Alaric said, stepping closer to Elara until she shook with fear. "She stayed by my side when I was a monster. You? You bring me pieces of paper and gossip. You want to be Queen? A Queen protects her King. She does not try to destroy his peace."
Alaric turned to the crowd. "Let it be known. Anyone who speaks a word against Seraphina is speaking against the Dragon. And I do not forgive."
He walked back to me and wrapped his heavy, warm arm around my waist. He leaned down and kissed the mark on my neck in front of everyone. It was a clear message: She belongs to me.
Elara ran out of the room, crying in shame. Her plan had failed. Instead of pulling us apart, she had made Alaric's obsession even stronger.
As we walked back to our chambers, Alaric stopped in the hallway. He pinned me against the wall, but his touch was gentle.
"You didn't need to defend yourself," he whispered, his eyes glowing. "I told you. No one touches what is mine."
I smiled, my heart full of love. "I know, Alaric. But it was nice to see the Dragon roar for me."