"You’ve finally awakened."
Rosearia opened her eyes within the misty, ethereal depths of her own subconscious. Floating in the endless void was a woman who looked identical to her—same cascading jade-green hair, same delicate, breathtaking features—except her eyes burned with an ancient, terrifying crimson radiance that made the very air vibrate.
"Who are you?" Rosearia whispered, her voice echoing into the darkness.
"I am you," the woman replied smoothly, her voice carrying a resonance that rattled Rosearia’s soul.
"Why don’t I remember?"
The figure floated closer, her dark, tragic smile curving upward as she looked down at Rosearia with a mixture of pity and absolute majesty.
"You will remember soon enough. Long ago, I was born to the heavenly realm, only to be cast down, stripped of my divinity, and labeled a Cursed Rose. Cruel, isn’t it?" The woman’s translucent hand hovered over Rosearia’s chest, where the faint, glowing outline of a cracking golden seal rested. "Now that you have reconnected with the three soul bonds tied to your fate, your dormant power is surging. Your fragile physical body fainted because it could not contain the feast. But soon, fragment by fragment, your past will flood back."
The woman began to dissolve into a swirl of glowing crimson rose petals that floated lazily on an invisible breeze.
"Wait!" Rosearia reached out into the fog, her fingers grasping at nothing. "I don’t understand! What past?!"
The crimson petals danced around her, whispering a final, chilling command into her ear before vanishing entirely into the dark.
"Soon enough, you will... Remember, Rosearia. You have to bloom."
GASP!
Rosearia’s eyes snapped open to reality.
Her vision cleared instantly, her senses overwhelmed by an intoxicating, suffocating heat. Hovering directly over her was Aldric. His lips were pressed firmly, possessively over hers, forcing a warm, liquid silver elixir down her throat. His slitted golden dragon eyes were glowing inches from her face, his broad chest pressed flush against hers, and his large hand was pinned tightly around her waist, holding her still on the dark silk mattress.
What in the world is he doing?!
Panicking, Rosearia’s reflexes took over. She slammed her palms against his broad, muscular shoulders, channeling every ounce of her newly awakened strength.
"Get off me!" she gasped against his mouth, shoving him back with violent force.
Aldric caught himself on his elbows, a lazy, breathless smirk touching his lips despite his heavy, ragged breathing. He didn’t move far, remaining hovering over her, his golden eyes burning down at her with a dangerous, dark satisfaction. Slowly, he raised the back of his hand, wiping a stray drop of glowing nectar from his lip.
"Relax, Rose," he said, his voice dropping into a low, smoky rasp that made her skin tingle. "I wasn’t taking advantage of your helpless state. I was saving your life. Though... I wouldn’t mind a proper thank you for the gesture."
"He’s telling the truth," Adrian’s deep, thunderous voice rumbled from the shadows near the foot of the bed.
Before Rosearia could process the lingering dragon heat burning on her lips, a sudden, blinding migraine stabbed directly behind her eyes.
BZZT!
The world tilted. Fragments of memories slammed into her brain like shattered glass, cascading in a brutal, unstoppable wave—the horrific betrayal of her bloodline, the execution, the corrupt royal court, the bloody gallows at dawn, the magic that stole her name, and the absolute truth of her origin. The foggy veil that had kept her mind trapped in darkness fractured into a thousand pieces.
"I remember," she thought, her pulse hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
I remember every single thing. Find the original chapter at g.com.
She squeezed her eyes shut for a split second, taking a single, silent breath to lock her emotions away. When she opened her eyes again, her expression was completely blank—the picture-perfect image of a confused, fragile victim who didn’t know up from down.
"Are you okay?" Aldric asked softly, his golden eyes searching her face with rare, concern as he finally shifted off her, sitting on the edge of the mattress.
Rosearia forced her body to relax against the pillows, making her breathing seem shallow and hesitant. She looked up at the men standing in her chamber.
"Do you remember anything?" Adrian demanded, stepping out of the shadows. His massive, imposing frame towered over the bed, his icy-blue eyes locking onto hers with a suffocating, possessive intensity that demanded absolute truth.
Rosearia hesitated for a precise microsecond—just long enough to make her act believable—before softly shaking her head, letting her lower lip tremble slightly.
"No... everything is still as blank as usual," she whispered, her voice laced with subtle, delicate fear. "I just... my head hurts."
Directly behind Adrian, leaning casually against a stone pillar, was Asmodeus.
Their eyes met in the dim, candlelit room. The dark Demon God didn’t utter a single word, but his void-black gaze pierced straight through her fragile facade, peeling back her layers until he was looking directly at her calculating soul. A slow, dangerous, smirk touched his pale lips.
He knew. He knew she was lying. And he was immensely amused by her deceit.
"Since she is out of danger," Asmodeus rasped, his voice smooth and cold as liquid silk, "I will take my leave. The atmosphere in this room is becoming far too domestic for my liking."
With a subtle flick of his dark wrist, a vortex of shadow magic erupted around him, and he vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the faint scent of ozone, dark magic, and brimstone.
Rosearia’s gaze lingered on the empty space where the Demon God had just been standing. A cold shiver ran down her spine. Of the three men in the Dark Triad, Asmodeus was the one who unnerved her the most. He was an enigma—silent, lethal, and far too perceptive.
She sat up slowly, clutching the dark silk sheet against her chest, making herself look small and vulnerable.
"Where did he go?" Rosearia asked softly, her voice carrying a touch of timid curiosity. "He... he always looks at me like he wants to break me. Why is he even here with you two? He seems so different from the rest of you."
Aldric let out a low, amused chuckle, leaning back on one hand, his slitted golden eyes tracking the way the silk sheet draped over her shoulders.
"Asmodeus?" Aldric drawled, a dark smirk playing on his lips. "Don’t mind him, sweetheart. He’s a fallen Demon God who lost his throne to an imperial coup centuries ago. He doesn’t care about anything in this realm except reclaiming what was stolen from him. He stays in this abyssal fortress because his dark mana aligns with ours—and because Adrian promised him a war when the time is right."
"He is a creature of shadow," Adrian added, his voice cold and hard as iron. "He doesn’t trust anyone, and he expects everyone to betray him. Do not wander into his wing of the fortress alone, Rosearia. His magic is unstable, and if your seal flares near him again, his demon core will react violently."
Rosearia nodded weakly, taking mental notes. A fallen Demon God seeking a throne. A Lycan Crown Prince preparing for war. A Dragon Duke looking for entertainment. They were all monsters with their own dark agendas. And she was going to use every single one of them.
Adrian took two heavy steps forward, his boots clicking against the floor. The sheer pressure of his Lycan aura filled the room, making the air feel heavy, almost impossible to breathe. He reached out, his gloved fingers gently but firmly catching Rosearia’s small chin, tilting her face upward so she had no choice but to look into his blazing blue eyes.
"Since your core is stabilized," Adrian ordered, his voice dropping into a low, possessive growl that vibrated straight into her chest, "you are coming with me tomorrow night."
Rosearia blinked, keeping her wide, innocent act completely intact. "Where?"
"To the Royal Palace," Adrian declared coldly. "The Emperor—my father—is hosting a grand imperial banquet. He has invited every major noble house in the continent for one purpose: to force a political marriage alliance between me and the Suncrest Princess."
Before she could speak, Aldric let out a loud, mocking laugh from the side of the bed. He sat up straight, his golden eyes glittering with pure, unadulterated mischief.
Aldric purred, crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh, please tell me you’re taking our Rose there to ruin that arrogant woman’s entire existence, Adrian."
Adrian’s jaw tightened, his grip on Rosearia’s chin remaining firm, though his thumb brushed lightly against her soft cheek. "I have no intention of marrying her. The court thinks they can chain me to an imperial bride to control my beast."
"She has been parading around for months, acting as if she already owns the Crown Prince’s title," Aldric said, turning his sharp, golden gaze toward Rosearia. His smirk widened into something wicked and lethal. "She’s spoiled, insufferable, and thinks no woman in the empire can match her beauty or bloodline. She asked for this alliance thinking Adrian had no choice."
Aldric leaned closer to Rosearia, his dragon heat radiating off him in waves.
"Imagine the look on that princess’s arrogant face," Aldric whispered, his tone dripping with dark, malicious excitement, "when Adrian walks into the grand ballroom with a woman who looks like a goddess descended from the heavens, wearing his mark, and sitting right beside him on the high dais. You won’t just break her ego, Rose... you’ll shatter the entire court’s political game in a single night."
Rosearia looked between the two men. Aldric was practically vibrating with the desire to watch the court burn, while Adrian’s gaze was pure, unadulterated possessiveness.
"Taking an unregistered woman into the Royal Palace is dangerous, isn’t it?" Rosearia asked, lowering her eyes nervously, playing her part to perfection. "What if they... what if they question who I am?"
"Let them try," Adrian said. "You will be under my protection. You will wear my crest, eat at my table, and stand by my side. Anyone who dares to question your presence will answer to my claws."
"And if they get too loud," Aldric added with a wink, "I’ll personally turn their armor into melted slag before they can even draw their swords. It’ll be a lovely evening."
Rosearia let out a soft, delicate breath, looking up at Adrian with wide, trusting eyes—the eyes of a woman who believed her savior was protecting her from the world.
"If you think I should go... then I will go with you, Adrian," she said softly, her voice sweet as honey.
Adrian’s gaze darkened, his breathing hitching slightly as she used his name so softly. He released her chin, his large hand lingering near her neck for a second longer than necessary before he pulled back, straightening his posture.
"Get some rest," Adrian commanded, though his voice was noticeably rougher than before. "The imperial tailors will arrive at dawn to prepare your gown. Tomorrow night, the empire will know who you belong to."
With one final, lingering look, Adrian turned on his heel and strode out of the chamber, his heavy mantle sweeping behind him.
Aldric remained seated on the edge of the bed for a moment longer. He reached out, his warm, rough fingers gently tucking a strand of jade-green hair behind her ear, his slitted eyes searching her face with a mixture of amusement and deep, dangerous fascination.
"You play the timid little rose very well, sweetheart," Aldric murmured softly, his voice so low only she could hear it. "But try not to look too innocent tomorrow night. The palace is a nest of vipers, and vipers love to bite."
"I’ll be careful," Rosearia replied softly, offering him a frail, gentle smile.
Aldric chuckled, standing up and stretching his long, muscular frame like a lazy predator. "I’m sure you will. Get some sleep, Rose. Tomorrow is going to be magnificent."
As the heavy doors clicked shut behind Aldric, leaving Rosearia completely alone in the quiet, dim chamber, the gentle, timid expression melted off her face instantly.
Her eyes turned cold, sharp, and lethal as polished steel.
Rosearia leaned back against the headboard, her lips curving into a slow, dark, villainous smile that would have terrified anyone who saw it.
Rosearia looked down at her hands, feeling the cold, dormant power vibrating beneath her skin, ready to break through her seal.
"Remember, Rosearia. You have to bloom."
She closed her fists tight, her eyes burning with pure, unyielding vengeance.