The door of the Adam Chambers opened, and they finally entered their chambers after several arguments with Serena’s father, the king, and the queen.
Adam and Rhynera stepped inside first, Behind him drifted Serena, her head slightly bowed but her eyes glinting with secret satisfaction. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on NoveI~Fire.net
"Welcome, Your Highness," the servants murmured as one. Their voices wavered.
They could sense the tension before them. The news had spread ever since word reached the palace that Serena would bear the Crown Prince’s child.
For years, the household had respected Rhynera despite her temper and her endless sparring with Lumina now someone else threatened to take her place.
Rhynera stood at the far end of the chamber. Her fingers, pale and slim, tightened around the edge of a carved chair.
She had always prided herself on keeping the household running smoothly, never letting her quarrels with Lumina spill into rudeness with the staff.
Adam moved closer, his boots sounding like strikes of judgment on the marble floor. "You may go to the guest room where you were living before," he said quietly. "I will... sort this out with the king tomorrow."
"Excuse me?" Serena let out. But he did not answer her. He simply walked past her, the weight of his presence brushing her shoulder as he left the room.
Serena lingered a heartbeat longer, her lips curling into a faint, mocking smile. She turned to Rhynera, not letting Adam’s ego ruin that of hers.
"He may be angry now," she said, "but trust me, he will not be angry for long. He only wants you to feel like a woman, so you do not stray from him outside these walls."
Rhynera’s eyes flashed. "I never asked for your opinion, Serena. And I certainly do not need your counsel about my husband."
"Why?" Serena tilted her head, the jewels at her throat catching the light.
"Because the Crown Princess cannot stand that her husband finally has someone else who is pregnant? After all, he was mine from the beginning."
"Please," Rhynera snapped, her composure slipping. "You heard the king say I was betrothed to him from birth. You are the one trying to take my place. You may be his mistress, but I am and will always be the Crown Princess of this realm. Excuse me."
She swept past Serena, her skirts swishing like the hiss of a snake.
Serena stood alone in the echoing chamber, her smile gone. For a moment she saw herself reflected in the silver mirrors of the young girl who had loved Adam and believed his promises. She pressed her nails into her palms until her eyes stung. I have become this, she thought bitterly. I have become the woman who breaks another’s marriage.
With a long, shuddering breath, she left the chamber and made her way to her own inner chamber. But when she pushed open her door, Adam was already inside, sitting on the edge of her bed as though he owned it. His expression was unreadable in the dim lamplight.
"Why are you here?" she demanded, closing the door sharply behind her. "Is this the only place you can prove you belong to me?"
"I am not here for games." His voice was low, clipped. "You must not provoke her again. She is the Crown Princess. Through her, two realms are bound together."
Serena laughed, but there was no humor in it. "I do not care what you say. I am carrying your child. I will not give birth without the father at my side. I am not dragging the Crown Princess’s position... though it should have been mine but I will secure my child’s place. That, at least, I can do."
Adam’s eyes narrowed. "How did you get pregnant?" he demanded. "I... I have been giving you... " He cut himself off, realizing too late what he had nearly confessed.
She stared at him, her voice suddenly sharp. "You have always given me pills, Adam. Pills that were supposed to help me conceive, you said. Why are you surprised now?" She stepped closer, her scent of rose oil rising like a challenge. "You take me every time you see me. Did you truly believe I would never carry your seed?"
"Serena..." he began, but she silenced him with a finger against his lips. Her touch lingered there, trailing down the edge of his jaw.
She leaned in, her breath warm against his ear. "You have made me wait for scraps of your attention. You have made me hide. Now look at me, Adam. Look at the woman who carries your heir." Her words slid like honey but burned like fire.
For a moment he forgot his anger. His hands found her waist, pulling her close.
Their mouths met in a bruising kiss, a clash of want and resentment. She yielded just enough to let him taste victory then pushed him hard against the bedpost, breaking the moment.
"Stop it," she said sharply.
He reached for her again, his control slipping. "Serena..."
Her hand cracked across his cheek, the sound echoing through the chamber making him freeze.
"You will not take me like that," she said, her eyes flashing. "Not after you treated me that... I am carrying your child and you still try to force yourself on me?"
"Get out." She pointed to the door, her voice low but deadly. "This is my chamber. You will not enter again without my permission."
"I am sorry," he muttered, but the words sounded thin.
She turned away, biting her lip so hard she tasted blood, forcing the tears back. I am a fool, she thought.
A fool for thinking you were a better man. A fool for loving you. Her shoulders shook once, but she straightened them before looking at him again.
"I said you should leave." she let out again. He hesitated at the threshold, his face shadowed, then left without another word.
Alone, Serena pressed her palms to her eyes. Her body trembled with the echo of their encounter, the heat, the humiliation, the anger.
A soft knock came at the door. She drew in a sharp breath, wiping her face. "Who is it?"
"The king has sent for you," came Adam’s voice from the other side. "You are to appear at the palace early tomorrow morning."
She rolled her eyes, though he could not see her. "Of course," she murmured bitterly, after some seconds his footstep faded
"Little one," she whispered hands pressed on her stomach, "we will make him regret it."