The icy wind swept across the battlefield, carrying the scent of snow and blood.
Seraphina couldn't take her eyes off the man standing before her.
This was King Lucien Draven.
The ruler every kingdom feared.
The man they called the Cursed King.
Yet instead of the bloodthirsty monster she had imagined, she saw a calm and composed king whose silver eyes held an exhaustion that no one else seemed to notice.
"I'm... fine," she answered quietly.
Lucien gave a single nod.
"Good."
He turned to one of his knights.
"Search the bodies."
A tall man in silver armor stepped forward.
"At once, Your Majesty."
Within minutes, the knight returned carrying a small bronze emblem.
Lucien's expression darkened.
"As I expected."
Seraphina frowned.
"You know who attacked us?"
Lucien looked at the emblem for a long moment before closing his hand around it.
"It doesn't matter."
"It does to me."
For the first time, he looked directly into her eyes.
"If you know too much now, you'll die sooner."
His words sent a chill down her spine.
---
An hour later, the journey resumed.
This time, however, Lucien rode beside her carriage instead of disappearing.
Neither of them spoke.
Inside, Mira peeked through the curtain.
"He doesn't look like a monster."
Seraphina remained silent.
She had noticed something else.
Not once had Lucien looked at her with desire or affection.
Nor with hatred.
He treated her like...
Someone he was responsible for protecting.
It made no sense.
---
By sunset, the towering walls of Blackthorn Castle came into view.
The fortress rose from the snowy mountains like a sleeping giant.
Its black stone walls reached toward the clouds, while countless blue flames burned along the battlements instead of ordinary torches.
"It looks haunted," Mira whispered.
The massive gates slowly creaked open.
Hundreds of soldiers knelt the moment Lucien entered.
"Welcome home, Your Majesty."
No one greeted Seraphina.
Not with smiles.
Not with flowers.
Only wary, fearful glances.
She could almost hear their thoughts.
Another bride.
How long will this one live?
---
That evening, a grand banquet was prepared.
The dining hall glittered with crystal chandeliers and silver decorations, yet the atmosphere remained tense.
Noblemen and ladies watched Seraphina in silence.
Some looked sympathetic.
Others looked... disappointed.
As if they expected her to die before the wedding.
Halfway through dinner, an elderly duke stood.
"Your Majesty."
Lucien raised his eyes.
The duke bowed respectfully.
"Perhaps postponing the wedding would be wise."
Several nobles immediately agreed.
"Yes."
"The curse has already claimed seven brides."
"We cannot risk another tragedy."
Lucien calmly placed his wine glass on the table.
"The wedding will proceed."
The hall fell silent.
The duke hesitated.
"But, Your Majesty—"
"I wasn't asking."
His cold voice ended the discussion.
No one dared speak again.
Seraphina studied him carefully.
He wasn't angry.
He almost sounded...
Determined.
As though canceling the wedding would be far worse than continuing it.
---
Late that night...
Unable to sleep, Seraphina wandered onto the castle balcony.
Snow drifted gently from the sky.
She wrapped her cloak tighter around herself.
"You should be resting."
She turned.
Lucien stood in the shadows.
"I couldn't sleep," she admitted.
He stepped closer, stopping several feet away.
"The cold here isn't forgiving."
"I've noticed."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Seraphina gathered the courage to ask,
"Did all those women really die because of your curse?"
Lucien's expression became unreadable.
"No."
Her eyes widened.
"No?"
"They died..."
His voice grew quieter.
"...because someone wanted them dead."
Seraphina stared at him in shock.
"If that's true, why doesn't anyone know?"
A bitter smile crossed his face.
"Because it's easier to blame a cursed king than to search for the real murderer."
Before she could ask another question, a deafening roar echoed through the castle.
The ground trembled violently.
Servants screamed.
Soldiers rushed through the corridors.
A guard burst onto the balcony, his face pale with terror.
"Your Majesty!"
"What is it?"
"The seal..."
The guard struggled to catch his breath.
"...the seal beneath the castle has begun to crack!"
Lucien's face lost all color.
Without another word, he drew his sword and ran toward the ancient catacombs beneath Blackthorn Castle.
Seraphina watched him disappear into the darkness.
She had come to marry a cursed king.
Instead...
She was about to uncover a nightmare buried beneath his kingdom for centuries.