"Open wide, Your Majesty," she said with a smile that felt far more controlled than she actually was, the curve of her lips steady even as her fingers tightened slightly around the spoon, because if she was going to survive this union, if she was going to make it through whatever kind of man this prince turned out to be, then she had no choice but to play along, to be exactly what was expected of her, obedient, agreeable… perfect.
Kaelen didn't respond immediately, his gaze fixed on her in a way that made the air between them feel thinner, like every second stretched just a little too long, and yet he leaned forward anyway, slow and deliberate, accepting the spoonful of meat without breaking eye contact, his silence not empty but heavy, as though he was trying to understand something about her that she hadn't even revealed.
Serenya forced herself to keep going, ignoring the strange tightness building in her chest as she lifted the spoon again, offering another bite, then another, each movement precise, careful, while the silence between them deepened into something almost suffocating, his eyes still on her, unwavering, unreadable, and somehow… questioning, as though her compliance itself was what unsettled him.
Then—
he moved.
Not gradually, not in any way she could anticipate, but suddenly, sharply, his hand closing around her wrist before her mind could even register the shift, the contact firm enough to stop her completely as a brief flash of confusion passed through her before anything else could form, her balance faltering as he pulled her forward, the world tilting in a way that felt wrong, too fast, too abrupt, until the solid surface of the bed met her back with a force that knocked the breath from her lungs, leaving her momentarily disoriented as his weight followed, pressing her down before she could recover.
And just like that, she was beneath him.
Pinned.
Her breath caught halfway, her chest rising too quickly as her body reacted before her thoughts could catch up, muscles tensing instinctively as she tried to move, to push against him, but the attempt barely registered, his position leaving no room for resistance, his legs blocking hers while one hand held both of her wrists above her head with ease, the imbalance of power settling over her in a way that made her pulse spike uncontrollably.
"…What are you doing?" she snapped, the sharpness in her voice not quite matching the sudden instability inside her, her eyes wide as she stared up at him, searching for something—anything—that might explain what was happening.
But Kaelen didn't answer.
He only looked at her.
Not casually. Not briefly.
His gaze moved over her slowly, deliberately, as though he was taking in every detail, studying her in a way that made her skin prickle with awareness, the intensity of it far more unsettling than any immediate action could have been.
Serenya's pulse quickened.
This man is insane…
"Let go," she said, trying again, her body shifting beneath him as she attempted to free herself, but the effort was useless, her strength meaningless against his hold, the realization creeping in gradually as her movements slowed, frustration giving way to something sharper, more urgent.
"Let me go!" she shouted, struggling harder, but nothing changed, his grip unyielding, his position unmoved, as though her resistance didn't even register to him.
Kaelen leaned closer then, the movement unhurried despite the tension in the room, his presence closing in until the distance between them disappeared, his breath brushing against her ear, warm and steady in contrast to the chaos building inside her.
"You can scream all you want. No one is coming to save you."
His voice was low, controlled, close enough that it didn't need force to carry weight, the words slipping in quietly and settling somewhere far deeper than they should have, her body reacting instantly, tensing beneath him as the meaning sank in.
No one is coming to save you…
The thought echoed before she could stop it, repeating in a way that felt heavier each time, because he was right, and that was the part she couldn't ignore, the reality of her situation pressing in on her from all sides, leaving no space for denial, no room for escape.
What was she even thinking… agreeing to this?
Her throat tightened, her chest rising unevenly as the fight in her body began to falter, not disappearing all at once but weakening gradually, her movements slowing as the truth settled in piece by piece, until the resistance that had filled her just moments ago started to drain away, leaving behind something hollow.
This was her new life now.
As painful as that reality was… it didn't change anything.
No one was coming.
She felt it then, the shift not in him but in herself, as her body slowly stilled beneath his, not out of acceptance but out of the absence of options, her fingers curling weakly into the sheets as her breathing struggled to steady, her mind still trying—and failing—to catch up.
Then—
Knock. Knock.
The sound cut through the room sharply, abrupt and out of place, breaking the tension in a way that almost didn't feel real.
Both of them froze.
Kaelen didn't move immediately, his body still hovering over hers as though the interruption meant nothing, as though the world outside the room simply didn't exist, the moment stretching just long enough to feel deliberate before the knock came again, louder this time.
"Your Highness," a voice called from outside. "It's urgent."
Kaelen exhaled slowly.
And just like that—something shifted.
He released her wrists without hesitation and straightened, stepping back as though the entire moment had never happened, the intensity that had filled the space disappearing so abruptly it left behind something almost unreal.
Serenya sat up instantly, her body reacting before her thoughts, grabbing the sheets and pulling them around herself as her breathing remained uneven, her mind struggling to process the sudden change.
"You may enter," Kaelen said, his tone flat, controlled, as if nothing had occurred.
The door opened.
Zeke stepped in.
His posture was straight, his expression as cold and unreadable as before, his gaze sweeping the room once, taking in the scene in a single glance before settling into stillness, revealing nothing.
"My lord," he said with a slight bow.
Kaelen didn't respond.
Zeke continued regardless.
"The princess has to prepare."
Kaelen's gaze shifted slightly. "Prepare for what?"
Zeke's eyes flicked briefly toward Serenya before returning to him.
"The Blood Rite."
Silence followed.
Serenya blinked, the words not immediately making sense.
"…The what?"
Zeke didn't hesitate.
"It's a welcoming ceremony."
But the way he said it didn't match the meaning, his tone carrying something heavier beneath the surface, something that made the word welcoming feel wrong.
Kaelen stood, his movements calm, controlled, as though he had already moved past everything that had just occurred, his gaze settling on Serenya for a brief moment—just long enough to make her chest tighten again—before he turned away.
"Prepare her," he said.
And walked out.
Serenya remained where she was, the silence left behind pressing in around her as her body slowly caught up with everything that had just happened, her thoughts still scattered, uneven.
What… was that just now?
Zeke lingered by the door, his gaze shifting toward her once more, something unreadable flickering in his eyes for the briefest second, something that almost resembled pity—though it vanished too quickly to be certain.
"Come," he said simply.
"The Blood Rite begins at moonrise."