Aliena had barely caught her breath from yesterday’s chaos, being carried across the training grounds by the Crown Prince himself when the next trial appeared, her stepsisters.
She had hoped that after the private archery lesson, the embarrassment would fade.
She was wrong.
The moment she stepped onto the main field, Lydia and Helena were already waiting, preening like hawks circling a fledgling prey.
Lydia wore silver embroidery on her dark dress, standing tall, chin high, with the faintest glint of calculation in her eyes.
Helena, always the more dramatic, was in deep crimson, hands on her hips, lips curved in a smile that could curdle milk.
Aliena let out a soft sigh.
Here we go.
Hermia hovered beside her, pale and anxious.
“I don’t like this… they’re going to start something.”
Aliena adjusted the bow she had been practicing with and tilted her head.
“I think I might survive.
Or they’ll faint first.
We’ll see which happens.”
The sisters made their move almost immediately.
“Oh!
There you are,” Lydia said sweetly, though her eyes glittered with malice.
“I was wondering if you’d actually show up today.”
Helena gasped dramatically.
“We heard about your little… ride with the Prince.” She put a hand over her mouth, though her eyes sparkled with amusement.
“Everyone was watching, you know.”
Aliena raised an eyebrow.
“Was it fun?”
Helena blinked.
“Excuse me?”
Aliena shrugged innocently.
“Being the center of attention.
It must have been thrilling for you to watch from the sidelines.”
Hermia snorted quietly, trying to hide her laughter.
Lydia’s jaw tightened, and Helena sputtered.
“You… you insolent girl,” Lydia hissed.
“Do you think this is funny?”
Aliena tilted her head, smirking.
“I think it’s funny that you think scaring me will help your social standing.
Spoiler: it won’t.”
Hermia stepped forward.
“They—”
“Don’t,” Aliena whispered fiercely.
“I can handle them.”
The sisters froze, exchanging a glance that would have been threatening if Aliena didn’t find it slightly ridiculous.
And then, like a shadow cutting across the sun, Sebastian arrived.
He did not walk.
He did not ride.
He merely appeared at the edge of the grounds, standing perfectly still, like a statue carved from midnight and steel.
His gaze scanned the sisters with precision, sharp enough to slice through stone.
The effect was immediate.
Lydia’s hands trembled slightly.
Helena’s smirk vanished.
Even the nobles standing nearby stiffened.
There was something about the Crown Prince when he was displeased, it didn’t need to shout.
You just knew.
“Aliena,” Sebastian said, his voice ice sliding over velvet, “join me.”
Aliena hesitated, then stepped forward, bow in hand, shoulders squared.
Sebastian’s eyes flicked once toward her stepsisters.
The air seemed to thicken.
“You,” he said slowly, deliberately, “step back.”
Lydia and Helena froze.
“You,” he repeated, voice low and dangerous, “do not speak unless spoken to.
Or I will ensure the next bow you see impales your ego first.”
Hermia nearly doubled over laughing, and Aliena had to bite her lip to hide a grin.
Some of the nobles muttered under their breath, trying not to chuckle at the display.
Lydia’s jaw tightened, Helena’s smile disappeared entirely.
“Your Highness—” Helena began, but Sebastian’s gaze cut to her like a blade.
“Your Highness,” he said evenly, “I suggest you reconsider what constitutes courage.
You appear to have none.”
The sisters shrank back.
Aliena could barely contain her laughter.
It was, without exaggeration, the best day of her life.
Once the threat, or humiliation was complete, Sebastian turned to her.
“Archery,” he said simply, gesturing toward the target.
“You will focus.
Nothing else matters.
Ignore them.”
Aliena saluted mockingly.
“Yes, Master Instructor,” she whispered, eliciting a fleeting smirk from him.
She stepped into position, bow in hand, taking a deep breath.
Her first arrow wobbled dangerously, nearly falling to the ground before she even drew the string.
“It’s like they enjoy watching me fail,” she muttered.
“Focus,” Sebastian said, voice low and cold.
“Breathe.
Anchor.
Draw.”
Aliena obeyed.
She aimed.
She released.
The arrow landed in the outer ring, far from the center.
“Progress,” Sebastian said flatly.
“Barely.”
Aliena couldn’t help the twitch of her lips.
I’ll take it.”
Sebastian’s gaze narrowed.
“Do not take it lightly.
You will either improve or leave the target in one piece.”
Aliena hid her laugh, but it escaped anyway.
The absurdity of it all, him teaching her, with her sisters glaring daggers from a safe distance was too much.
Helena leaned toward Lydia, whispering, “Do you think he’s… mad?”
Lydia whispered back, voice trembling, “He’s more than mad.
He’s terrifying.”
Aliena muttered under her breath, “Best.
Day.
Ever.”
Several arrows later, she finally hit near the center.
She gasped in delight.
“Yes!”
Sebastian’s expression remained unreadable.
“Do not celebrate prematurely.
Aim again.”
Aliena turned to him.
“You’re no fun.”
“Fun is optional.
Survival is not,” he said.
Hermia snorted quietly, nearly drawing Sebastian’s attention, but she ducked quickly.
Aliena tried another arrow.
This time, it wobbled slightly, then flew straight into the bullseye.
A cheer went up from a few nobles in the back.
Lydia’s mouth fell open.
Helena blinked.
Hermia whooped.
Sebastian finally allowed a tiny, almost imperceptible nod.
“Better.”
Aliena grinned, triumphant.
“Finally!
Someone believes in me.”
Meanwhile, Lydia tried everything she could to regain Sebastian’s attention.
She curtsied with exaggerated elegance, fluffed her hair, batted her eyelashes.
She leaned forward slightly, tossing a few charming words his way.
Sebastian ignored her.
Completely.
Not a flicker of acknowledgment.
Helena huffed.
“How rude.
The prince cannot pretend to notice us?”
Aliena leaned over to Hermia, whispering, “I think he’s doing it on purpose.”
Hermia giggled.
“It’s glorious.”
Aliena’s next arrow hit dead center again, perfectly.
The nobles gasped audibly.
Sebastian’s eyes, dark and unreadable, finally met hers.
Approval.
Quiet.
Steady.
Then, without a word, he turned to the stepsisters.
“And you,” he said, voice low and deadly, “will refrain from volunteering others without consent.
Or I will ensure your next public appearance is… unforgettable.”
Lydia paled.
Helena’s jaw dropped.
Both bowed quickly, defeated.
Aliena could hardly contain her laughter.
“Oh, don’t worry,” she muttered to Hermia.
“I’m sure they’ll get their next chance.”
Hermia shook her head, laughing.
“You are impossible.”
Aliena’s grin widened as she picked up another arrow.
The sisters were plotting furiously in the corner, whispering, glaring, trying to regain their footing in a world where Sebastian’s attention was already firmly elsewhere.
And from the edge of the training field, Sebastian’s eyes never left her.
One thought pulsed through his mind, precise and dark:
Let them try.
The palace corridors were unusually quiet that afternoon.
Light spilled in through the tall windows, illuminating the marble floors and the intricate tapestries depicting generations of Nacrifa’s royal lineage.
Yet in one of the northern wings, three figures leaned against the railing overlooking the gardens, voices low but sharp enough to slice through the still air.
Prince Miquel, Princess Raina, and Prince Lusander had gathered, each with a very different expression.
“I cannot believe it,” Raina said softly, eyes sparkling.
“After all these years, he actually shows interest in someone.
A girl, no less.”
Lusander chuckled, leaning casually against the railing.
“I’ve been waiting for this.
Sebastian has always been… cold.
Too cold.
If anyone could melt him, it would be a girl like her.”
Miquel’s arms crossed, his brow furrowed.
“I do not understand why this is anything to celebrate.”
Raina’s head tilted, a teasing smile on her lips.
“Of course you don’t, Miquel.
You never understand him.”
Lusander nudged her shoulder.
“And yet… it’s refreshing.
To see him act human, finally.”
“Human?
Don’t flatter yourself.
This is dangerous.
He is our Crown Prince, not some lovesick boy.
And her… she’s a Duke’s daughter, yes, but that does not mean she belongs in his world.
Not his attention.
Not his focus.”
Raina rolled her eyes.
“Honestly, Miquel, you sound jealous.”
“Jealous?” Miquel snapped.
“I am not jealous.
I am… cautious.
Concerned.
Sebastian’s interest in her is unexpected.
Irrational.
And I don’t trust it.”
Lusander raised a brow.
“Unexpected and irrational?
That’s Sebastian for you.
Always calculating, always controlled, and yet…” He trailed off, glancing at the gardens below.
“This time he is not in control.”
Miquel’s dark eyes followed the same path.
Across the palace grounds, Aliena walked with Hermia, her head held high, a quiet confidence in her stride.
Miquel’s gaze lingered longer than he intended.
He scowled, quickly looking away, but only to glance back again.
Something about her… drew his attention.
Perhaps it was her composure, or the way she carried herself as though the entire world could watch and she wouldn’t flinch.
Or perhaps it was the way Sebastian’s eyes had followed her all morning.
“I do not like it,” Miquel muttered.
“I do not trust him.
Or her.”
Raina clapped her hands softly, amused.
“You’re impossible, Miquel.
Finally, someone has captured his attention, and you’re not happy.
Our step brother has been cold for centuries…literally, if you recall and now he’s… thawing.
It’s remarkable.”
“Remarkable?” Miquel repeated, voice tight.
“No.
Dangerous.
That girl…she is not aware of the games she has stepped into.
And Sebastian… he will not be predictable with her.
That is what makes this precarious.”
Lusander leaned forward, eyes glinting.
“Precarious, yes.
But fun, isn’t it?
You have to admit, watching Sebastian wrestle with… feelings, however small is entertaining.”
Miquel ground his teeth.
“Fun is the last word I would use.
I do not trust her.
And I do not trust Sebastian’s indulgence.
Yet…” His voice lowered, almost to a whisper.
“There is something about her… something that catches your eye whether you like it or not.”
Raina leaned over the railing, excitement softening her tone.
“Oh, I like her.
She has poise, intelligence, and courage.
I could see why he noticed her at the ball.
Finally, someone not afraid of him.”
Lusander smirked.
“Exactly.
Finally, someone interesting in a sea of bland courtiers.”
Miquel’s dark eyes swept over Aliena again.
She was laughing lightly with Hermia, completely unaware of the discussion unfolding above.
His lips pressed into a thin line.
“Fascinating,” he murmured, almost to himself, trying to suppress the fact that his gaze kept returning to her.
“Annoying, but fascinating.”
Raina and Lusander exchanged knowing smiles.
“You’re secretly intrigued, aren’t you?” Raina whispered.
Miquel stiffened.
“I am observing.
Nothing more.”
Lusander chuckled.
“Observing, yes.
But your eyes linger too long, Miquel.
Admit it.
You are curious.”
Miquel’s jaw tightened.
“Curiosity is different from fascination.
I am not fascinated.
I am wary.”
“Of course,” Raina said brightly, waving her hand.
“We’ll see how long that lasts.”
Above the palace grounds, the three siblings remained, each silently weighing the consequences of Sebastian’s unusual interest in Aliena.
For Raina and Lusander, it was a delight, a novelty that warmed the stiff corridors of their royal lives.
For Miquel, it was a storm of irritation, suspicion, and the faintest trace of curiosity he refused to acknowledge.
And through it all, Aliena laughed and moved with the confidence of someone who had no idea how much attention she had truly drawn, or how dangerous, in her own way, that attention could be.
Miquel’s dark gaze lingered a moment longer, his mind torn between disapproval, mistrust, and much to his annoyance fascination.
“Yes,” he muttered under his breath, “this girl… she is troubling.”
And somewhere in the palace, though he would not say it aloud, that trouble was irresistible.
He remembered the encounter he had with her while she was still Sebastian’s maid, she felt light and at that moment she caught his attention, he allowed a small smile play on his lips as he remembered.
She was no longer Sebastian’s maid, her title had now gone back to being the Duke’s daughter and deep inside Miquel, he was interested in knowing her.