Chapter 15: There’s No Way
“I won’t do it,” I repeat, grinding my teeth.
The thought of going to Ironhold and facing that monster fills me with dread. What if it's a trap? And even if I manage to escape, I’m completely unfamiliar with the treacherous mountain terrain surrounding Ironhold. The risk is too great.
“I’m afraid I can’t accept a refusal,” Alexander says, narrowing his eyes and leaning closer to me.
I pull back, crossing my arms, a flare of annoyance barely contained.
“I don’t see why it’s necessary. It’s a fake engagement after all, why on earth would you have to tell your father?” I try to reason with Alexander, tapping my foot on the floor.
“I’m serious, Princess Seraphina,” Alexander replies coolly. “You must do this, or the deal is off.”
Damn. Can I really afford to deny Prince Alexander’s request? This plan is perfect. Not only would this allow me to get rid of Tristan, but it would also provide an opportunity to observe my enemy up close and learn more about Alexander’s habits and vulnerabilities. Not to mention, spying on Lady Clarissa would be so much easier! Maybe I'm overthinking this. If I can handle being betrothed to the Prince of Ironhold, a brief visit to the King should be manageable.
"Okay… I’ll do it," I finally agree, my voice barely above a whisper. I hate the idea of giving in to him, but I know I don't have much choice in the matter.
"Good," he says, his tone grave. "Now, for my final request."
My breath catches in my throat, expecting the worst.
"We must... date."
"Date?" I nearly choke on the word. "Why?"
"Simple," he replies, maintaining his serious voice. "We need to get to know each other. It would be suspicious if we knew nothing about one another and were never seen together."
As much as I despise the idea, I have to admit it makes sense. "Fine," I agree reluctantly, already planning how I'll make excuses whenever he wants to meet. It shouldn't be too difficult to brush him off.
"Good," he says, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.
He writes it down in our agreement, his arrogance starting to grate on my nerves. I wish I could wipe that annoying smirk off his unfairly attractive face... Oh wait! There's something crucial I almost forgot.
With a deep exhale, I clasp my hands together and look Alexander straight in the eye. "Fine, BUT—" I say with determination. "I have one more rule to add: I can break the engagement at any point, for any reason."
Alexander frowns, stopping his quill in mid-air. His gaze seems lost in the distance and his mouth twitches in an unfamiliar manner, leaving me unsure of what he’s thinking. I expect him to protest against the clause, but instead, he speaks directly to me without even glancing my way.
"I accept," he says begrudgingly, jotting it down on the contract.
"Good," I respond, feeling a small sense of victory. "I think a month should be enough time for this charade. After that, we can go our separate ways."
"Very well," he agrees. "But only if you grant me one last condition."
Suspicion surges within me. "What is it?"
Alexander stops writing and leans close to me across the desk. A cruel expression spreads across his face as he inches nearer, his piercing yellow eyes never leaving mine. "If, during the course of our engagement, you fall in love with me..." His voice drops to a low whisper, sending shivers down my spine. "You must marry me. For real."
My face flushes with indignation, and I struggle to keep my voice steady. "You're joking!"
"Would you rather I take back my agreement?" he taunts, clearly enjoying my discomfort.
"You’re not taking this seriously!" I snap, refusing to let him see how much this unnerves me.
"Are you scared?" Alexander murmurs, leaning even closer. His lips hover near my ear, and his warm breath sends goosebumps down my neck.
"I'm not scared," I lie, my heart pounding so hard I fear he might hear it. "And I will never love you. Not in a million years."
"Then you have nothing to worry about," he declares, finally pulling away and leaving me to regain my composure. His smile is infuriating, and I can't help but think how satisfying it would be to punch him right now.
"If that's the case, then you can agree with my clause easily," he continues smugly.
I clench my fists, trying to contain the fury bubbling inside me. Taking a deep breath, I finally meet his eyes, determined not to let him see any weakness in me. My lips press together as I manage to say, "Okay, I'll agree to your terms."
Alexander's grin widens, making him look even more insufferable. What an idiot, thinking he's won.
He couldn’t be more wrong about me.
As we both reach for the contract, I remind myself of my true goal – revenge for my past life and protecting my kingdom. I sign Seraphina’s name with a flourish like I saw she often did in her paintings, and he does the same, our fates intertwining on the parchment.
"Well," he mutters, extending a hand to me. "We've got ourselves a deal."
You don’t know what you’ve done, I think to myself, a triumphant smile spreading across my face as we shake hands. Without knowing it, the Ironhold Prince has just sealed his own death sentence.
Pulling his hand back, Alexander folds the contract and pockets it carefully.
"Well then," he says, a strange glint in his eyes as he rises from his chair, "I must make some preparations for tonight."
"Preparations?" I question suspiciously.
Alexander grins at me with his perfect teeth. "Yes," he confirms. "Before we attend tonight’s event, I need to... finalize some things."
He looks at me, and I perceive a subtle transformation in his features, signaling satisfaction or perhaps amusement at our hastily crafted agreement. I suppress the urge to slap that pleased expression off his face.
"Finalize some things?" I echo, raising an eyebrow. "Such as?"
"Just some details," he says nonchalantly, moving us towards the door. "I can’t tell you now. Just make sure you arrive there... alone."
My heart skips a beat at his comment. Alone? I cross my arms over my chest and watch him carefully. "Why? Where?"
He pauses by the door, turning slightly to face me. A corner of his mouth quirks up in a small smile as he says, "The Fishes' Fountain in the Palace Gardens. Meet me there in an hour and I’ll explain."
I blink at his response. The Fishes' Fountain is an isolated part of the gardens, seldom visited by anyone save for gardeners tending to the exotic plants around it. It sounds... strange. Perhaps he wants to discreetly discuss details in case people ask questions about us. Or maybe he just plans to kill me.
Whatever. I’m too tired to keep arguing.
"Fine," I agree, my voice laced with exhaustion.
Alexander nods. "I'll see you later," he says as he swings the door open for me.
I leave, throwing a last glance his way. His amber eyes now seem so warm and inviting, his smile so genuine, as he closes the door shut behind me... And yet, he is the man who burned my life. The cruel prince. I sigh deeply.
I hope Lily can prepare me a hot bath to forget about this two-faced, wicked man.
There's no way I can ever fall for someone like him.
Thank you for reading! 🤗 I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The following episode comes next week, but if you really can’t wait, the book is available now!
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