The palace gates groaned shut behind her as dawn painted the horizon in muted gold. Seraphina hadn't slept. The night spent in Kael's arms still burned on her skin, but her heart was heavy with dread.
She had to face them.
The royal guards flanked her silently as she entered the throne room. It was colder than she remembered—its marble columns casting long shadows, as if the palace itself had begun to mourn. Her footsteps echoed as she approached the dais where her parents waited.
King Alzareth sat like carved stone, regal and unyielding, his silver eyes sharper than swords. Beside him, Queen Illyra watched with a gaze filled not with fury, but something deeper: sorrow.
"You left the palace walls without permission," her father said, his voice like ice cracking.
Seraphina bowed her head slightly, her royal poise unraveling. "I had to see the truth for myself."
"The truth?" the king echoed. "You consorted with a demon. You brought shadow into the heart of Soavy."
"I brought myself back," she said, lifting her chin. "You raised me in light, but never let me see the world. Never let me feel anything real."
Illyra rose from her seat slowly, her voice softer. "Sera… there are laws. You know the ancient bonds that keep our kingdom safe. If you love him, you doom us both."
"I didn't choose to love him," Seraphina said. "It chose me. And it feels more real than anything this crown has ever given me."
The king stood. "You are a princess of Soavy. You do not belong to yourself. You belong to the Light."
"No," she said, shaking. "I belong to truth. And it's time you told me what you've hidden."
A tense silence followed.
Queen Illyra stepped forward. "You were born during the eclipse," she said quietly. "Your light was… different. Woven with shadow. We feared what it could mean. So we sealed your powers. Hid the old prophecies. Hid the truth."
Seraphina's eyes filled. "What truth?"
"You were never meant to rule as only an angel," the Queen whispered. "You were meant to bridge."
Suddenly, the throne room doors slammed open.
A council messenger entered, breathless. "The demon—he's been spotted in the Outer Grove. The High Council demands his execution."
Seraphina turned to her parents. "Then choose. Is your daughter still your blood? Or will you let the council destroy the one soul who sees me completely?"
King Alzareth didn't blink. "You must prove your loyalty. Bring the demon to us… or be stripped of your title."
Her heart shattered.
But her voice was clear: "Then I'll bring you my answer… and it will not be silence."
She turned from the throne and walked out, head high, wings pulsing beneath her skin—no longer hidden, no longer silent.