Princess Of The Skulls - Chapter 51: Chapter 51
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The morning sun cast long shadows across the castle courtyard as I stood frozen, watching two men who had torn my world apart face each other with the recognition of shared blood. Kael's dark eyes—so like
Aldric's when I truly looked held a mixture of fury and pain that made my chest tighten.
"Brother," Aldric said quietly, his voice carrying none of the surprise I felt. "I wondered when you'd finally show yourself."
"Don't." Kael's sword was already in his hand, the blade that had tasted so much blood trembling with barely contained rage. "Don't you dare call me that. Not after what your father did to us."
"What our father did," Aldric corrected, stepping closer despite the weapon pointed at his chest. "The bastard son, he acknowledged with a coin instead of a name. The legitimate heir he tried to mold into his perfect weapon. We're both his victims, Kael."
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. Every stolen moment with Kael, every kiss, every whispered confession—all of it had been built on lies. The man I'd given my heart to was the brother of the man I was meant to marry. The cruel irony wasn't lost on me that in trying to choose between duty and desire,
I'd somehow managed to choose the same bloodline twice.
"Victims?" Kael's laugh was bitter. "Is that what you call it when you get to inherit kingdoms while I'm left to scrape by as a hired killer? When you get to marry the woman I—" He stopped, his gaze flicking to me with anguish that made my heart crack.
"The woman you what?" I stepped forward, my blade sliding free. "The woman you were hired to kill? The woman you've been lying to from the moment we met?"
Both men turned to me, but I only had eyes for Kael. The assassin who'd stolen into my heart with gentle touches and whispered promises. The killer who'd been paid to end my life.
"Seraphina," he said, my name a prayer on his lips. "I need you to understand—"
"I understand perfectly." My voice cut through the morning air like ice. "You took a contract on my life, and somewhere along the way decided seduction would be easier than steel. How much were you paid?
What's the price on a princess's head these days?"
The words were cruel, designed to wound, but Kael didn't flinch. Instead, he lowered his sword, his shoulders sagging with defeat.
"Fifty thousand gold pieces," he said quietly. "More than I'd ever seen in one place. Enough to buy my way out of this life forever."
"And yet here you are, still breathing while I remain very much alive." I tilted my head, studying him like a predator sizing up prey. "Either you're the worst assassin in the seven kingdoms, or something changed your mind."
"You know what changed my mind?" His voice was raw, honest in a way that made my chest ache. "The
The first time you looked at me, it was like I was worth something. The first time you trusted me enough to let me see you without your armor. The first time you said my name like it mattered."
Aldric watched our exchange with growing understanding, his political mind working through the implications. "You fell in love with her."
"I fell in love with her," Kael confirmed, never taking his eyes off me. "And that's why I can't let this wedding happen. Not to him, not to anyone. She deserves better than being a pawn in our father's games."
"Our father is dead," Aldric said simply.
The words hung in the air like a death knell. Both Kael and I stared at the prince, processing this new revelation.
"What?" Kael's voice was barely a whisper.
"Lord Cassius died three days ago. Poison, administered by one of his servants who'd been bribed by enemies of the crown." Aldric's expression was grim. "I've been trying to find a way to tell you, Seraphina.
The man who killed your mother is already dead. His sins died with him."
I felt the skull relics at my throat grow cold, the spirits of the dead stirring with this news. Justice had been served, but not by my hand. The revenge I'd been planning, the careful orchestration of Lord Cassius's downfall—all of it was meaningless now.
"Then why?" I asked, confusion making my voice crack. "Why go through with this wedding? Why maintain the alliance?"
"Because war is coming whether we want it or not." Aldric's voice carried the weight of responsibility beyond his years. "The neighboring kingdoms see weakness in divided rule. They're already mobilizing their armies. If we don't present a united front—"
"Fifty thousand people will die," I finished, the political realities crashing over me like a wave. "Maybe more."
Through the soul-bond I shared with Aldric, I could feel his genuine anguish over the situation. He no more wanted this marriage than I did, but he was willing to sacrifice his happiness for the greater good.
Just as I was.
But Kael—Kael was still looking at me like I was worth burning the world for.
"There has to be another way," he said desperately. "Some solution that doesn't require you to sacrifice everything."
"This is the way," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "This is how kingdoms survive. Through alliances built on sacrifice and duty."
"And what about love?" Kael stepped closer, his hand reaching for mine. "What about the promises we made to each other?"
I looked at his outstretched hand, remembering the feel of his fingers intertwined with mine, the gentle way he'd traced patterns on my skin in the darkness. Then I looked at Aldric, seeing the same longing in his eyes, the same willingness to suffer for duty.
"Love is a luxury I can't afford," I said, stepping back from both of them. "I am the Princess of Skulls. I speak for the dead, and they whisper of the living who will join them if I choose selfishly."
But even as I spoke the words, I felt something breaking inside me. The careful control I'd maintained, the ruthless efficiency that had made me fear—it was cracking under the weight of having to choose between two different kinds of love.
"The wedding will proceed as planned," I continued, my voice carrying the authority of royal decree. "Lord
Cassius's death changes nothing. The alliance still serves our purposes."
Kael's face went pale, but he didn't argue. Instead, he sheathed his sword and gave me a bow that was somehow more formal and devastating than any passionate declaration.
"As you wish, Your Highness."
Then he turned and walked away, leaving me alone with my betrothed and the wreckage of my heart.
Aldric waited until Kael was out of sight before speaking. "You're making the right choice."
"I know," I said quietly. "That doesn't make it hurt any less."
Through our bond, I felt his understanding, his pain at the situation. We were both trapped by duty, both sacrificing our hearts for the greater good. At least we would face that sacrifice together.
But as I looked toward the castle where wedding preparations were already underway, I couldn't shake the feeling that choosing duty over love was going to cost me more than I could imagine.
Aldric's when I truly looked held a mixture of fury and pain that made my chest tighten.
"Brother," Aldric said quietly, his voice carrying none of the surprise I felt. "I wondered when you'd finally show yourself."
"Don't." Kael's sword was already in his hand, the blade that had tasted so much blood trembling with barely contained rage. "Don't you dare call me that. Not after what your father did to us."
"What our father did," Aldric corrected, stepping closer despite the weapon pointed at his chest. "The bastard son, he acknowledged with a coin instead of a name. The legitimate heir he tried to mold into his perfect weapon. We're both his victims, Kael."
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. Every stolen moment with Kael, every kiss, every whispered confession—all of it had been built on lies. The man I'd given my heart to was the brother of the man I was meant to marry. The cruel irony wasn't lost on me that in trying to choose between duty and desire,
I'd somehow managed to choose the same bloodline twice.
"Victims?" Kael's laugh was bitter. "Is that what you call it when you get to inherit kingdoms while I'm left to scrape by as a hired killer? When you get to marry the woman I—" He stopped, his gaze flicking to me with anguish that made my heart crack.
"The woman you what?" I stepped forward, my blade sliding free. "The woman you were hired to kill? The woman you've been lying to from the moment we met?"
Both men turned to me, but I only had eyes for Kael. The assassin who'd stolen into my heart with gentle touches and whispered promises. The killer who'd been paid to end my life.
"Seraphina," he said, my name a prayer on his lips. "I need you to understand—"
"I understand perfectly." My voice cut through the morning air like ice. "You took a contract on my life, and somewhere along the way decided seduction would be easier than steel. How much were you paid?
What's the price on a princess's head these days?"
The words were cruel, designed to wound, but Kael didn't flinch. Instead, he lowered his sword, his shoulders sagging with defeat.
"Fifty thousand gold pieces," he said quietly. "More than I'd ever seen in one place. Enough to buy my way out of this life forever."
"And yet here you are, still breathing while I remain very much alive." I tilted my head, studying him like a predator sizing up prey. "Either you're the worst assassin in the seven kingdoms, or something changed your mind."
"You know what changed my mind?" His voice was raw, honest in a way that made my chest ache. "The
The first time you looked at me, it was like I was worth something. The first time you trusted me enough to let me see you without your armor. The first time you said my name like it mattered."
Aldric watched our exchange with growing understanding, his political mind working through the implications. "You fell in love with her."
"I fell in love with her," Kael confirmed, never taking his eyes off me. "And that's why I can't let this wedding happen. Not to him, not to anyone. She deserves better than being a pawn in our father's games."
"Our father is dead," Aldric said simply.
The words hung in the air like a death knell. Both Kael and I stared at the prince, processing this new revelation.
"What?" Kael's voice was barely a whisper.
"Lord Cassius died three days ago. Poison, administered by one of his servants who'd been bribed by enemies of the crown." Aldric's expression was grim. "I've been trying to find a way to tell you, Seraphina.
The man who killed your mother is already dead. His sins died with him."
I felt the skull relics at my throat grow cold, the spirits of the dead stirring with this news. Justice had been served, but not by my hand. The revenge I'd been planning, the careful orchestration of Lord Cassius's downfall—all of it was meaningless now.
"Then why?" I asked, confusion making my voice crack. "Why go through with this wedding? Why maintain the alliance?"
"Because war is coming whether we want it or not." Aldric's voice carried the weight of responsibility beyond his years. "The neighboring kingdoms see weakness in divided rule. They're already mobilizing their armies. If we don't present a united front—"
"Fifty thousand people will die," I finished, the political realities crashing over me like a wave. "Maybe more."
Through the soul-bond I shared with Aldric, I could feel his genuine anguish over the situation. He no more wanted this marriage than I did, but he was willing to sacrifice his happiness for the greater good.
Just as I was.
But Kael—Kael was still looking at me like I was worth burning the world for.
"There has to be another way," he said desperately. "Some solution that doesn't require you to sacrifice everything."
"This is the way," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "This is how kingdoms survive. Through alliances built on sacrifice and duty."
"And what about love?" Kael stepped closer, his hand reaching for mine. "What about the promises we made to each other?"
I looked at his outstretched hand, remembering the feel of his fingers intertwined with mine, the gentle way he'd traced patterns on my skin in the darkness. Then I looked at Aldric, seeing the same longing in his eyes, the same willingness to suffer for duty.
"Love is a luxury I can't afford," I said, stepping back from both of them. "I am the Princess of Skulls. I speak for the dead, and they whisper of the living who will join them if I choose selfishly."
But even as I spoke the words, I felt something breaking inside me. The careful control I'd maintained, the ruthless efficiency that had made me fear—it was cracking under the weight of having to choose between two different kinds of love.
"The wedding will proceed as planned," I continued, my voice carrying the authority of royal decree. "Lord
Cassius's death changes nothing. The alliance still serves our purposes."
Kael's face went pale, but he didn't argue. Instead, he sheathed his sword and gave me a bow that was somehow more formal and devastating than any passionate declaration.
"As you wish, Your Highness."
Then he turned and walked away, leaving me alone with my betrothed and the wreckage of my heart.
Aldric waited until Kael was out of sight before speaking. "You're making the right choice."
"I know," I said quietly. "That doesn't make it hurt any less."
Through our bond, I felt his understanding, his pain at the situation. We were both trapped by duty, both sacrificing our hearts for the greater good. At least we would face that sacrifice together.
But as I looked toward the castle where wedding preparations were already underway, I couldn't shake the feeling that choosing duty over love was going to cost me more than I could imagine.
End of Princess Of The Skulls Chapter 51. Continue reading Chapter 52 or return to Princess Of The Skulls book page.