"Please! I swear it on my life, it's the truth!"

"No."

"But I'm being sincere!"

"I'm glad to know."

"Eat. Them. Now."

I rose an unimpressed brow.

The Fae Princess who had been pleading and pouting in front of me for the past thirty-two minutes seemed to have reached her limits. I bit back a smile as she glared at me.

"You need to taste them! You will love them, it's the best!" She pushed the plate of lemon delicacies in front of me. 

Not going to lie, the biscuits did look appealing and quite soft but right now, watching her beg was more fun. Plus I got to learn just how long she could keep the cute act on.

I sighed and blinked innocently. Sera's bottom lip quivered and her eyes widened.

"If you don't eat it then I will lock you in a room with Katherine." Her words were frail and weak, eyes watering. "You know I'm capable of that. And I'll also get her talking about Arion before I do that."

The impact of her threat was instant as I grabbed a biscuit.

God knows that would be a disaster. Gah, no, ugh. I can't even imagine.

The quiver and the pout and the watering wide eyes all vanished and I could't help but chuckle.

"See I knew you'd come around." Sera dusted her dress and grinned at me. I shook my head in incredulity but she only chuckled. 

I gave in and bit into the heavenly delight, Sera accompanying me.

We both moaned.

"Oh my god, that tastes so good! They're now my favorite." I told Sera and she nodded understandingly.

"They already were." She chuckled but the words didn't slip my observant mind, I just chose to not comment on that because....it wouldn't really get me any answers so now why other?

But it was not a joke. The lemon biscuits I mean. They were so soft that they melted in my mouth like cloudy delight and tasted the perfect kind of tangy and sweet.

I smiled as I ate my third biscuit and sipped the tea with the Fae Princess. She was truly unbelievable.

"I'm glad you're here, Cara."

I looked at her from the rim of my teacup. Though I didn't answer her, I knew in my hearts of hearts that I agreed.

"So, did you know that we have a female Minister in the Council?"

I rose a curious brow and swallowed the remnants of the biscuit in my mouth. "Truly?"

She nodded, her almond eyes staring into mine. "She handles the textile business within and outside the kingdom." She frowned. "Initially, everyone opposed Lady Isla but Arion had stayed silent." She glanced back at me as she grabbed another biscuit and mischievously slipped one into my plate making me chuckle.

"Then what?" I inquired, genuinely interested.

Sera put up a finger and went to the door when someone knocked. She opened it and bit her lip when Leon bowed, eyes lowered. I settled in with a smile and watched the small show.

"The grapes, your Majesty."

She blinked and nodded, chuckling as her cheeks heated. "Right, yes, of course." She pushed a strand of hair behind her arched pointed ear but it slipped out again.

Sera looked at the bowl of red grapes and took it from Leon. 

Before she closed the door, he leaned forward and she stilled as he tucked the curled ocher strand back in its place, faces slightly close. His face was still expressionless, set in stone but handsome.

I think I internally squealed. I covered my mouth with the back of my hand to hide the grin there.

"Well, please enjoy. I'll be right outside." Leon bowed again.

The door closed and she stood there staring at the grapes, biting on her lip and her cheeks red. I cleared my throat and her eyes flew to mine.

"Yes!"

I arched a questioning brow and laughed. "Yes, what, Sera?"

She blushed and then threw a pillow at me that I dodged. "Nothing, forget it."

She offered me some grapes. After all, grapes of all sorts were delicacies in Valeryn considering how rich they were because of Fae wines of all sorts. Grapes obviously played a major role in that.

True to the name it made for itself in this field, the grapes were juicy and not at all squishy. Quite firm and pretty sweet. I was enjoying them as well. This was an unlikely scenario but something Seraphima was enjoying much more than any other time she would spend with the other Court ladies and a tea party.

Sera swallowed her grape and took another lemon biscuit, making me narrow my eyes at how quickly she was gobbling them up.

"Lady Isla, despite being highborn, wasn't meant for any place in the court besides someone to be marrying a man just like the other females. But she wanted to be a part of the Council and serve her kingdom." She shrugged, "It was pure luck for her that my brother didn't have the tunnel vision most of the council members or overall males had. Arion hasn't been someone who stands for male supremacy in....ever. Perhaps it's because of me."

That was new. I spoke my mind, "You mean because you could be Queen someday, he understands that a female is just as capable, if not more, of leading and ruling a kingdom?"

Seraphima nodded, "Exactly. And one other...thing he doesn't even know much about...." She mumbled, making a face before smiling again and staring into my eyes. 

"So he put a test week for Lady Isla to manage the textile business. Of course she excelled at it. The import and export not only increased but corruption in that field decreased significantly since she monitored everything and changed most of the middlemen who were loyal ones. He gave her the position of a textile Minister on the Council based on her capability and she has always been grateful." She smiled widely.

I was quite taken aback by the end of it. "Huh." 

Sera nodded. "Mhm."

I didn't think that way about Arion at all. I would like to think this story was fabricated but something told me it was't. I was definitely seeing the russet haired, grey-eyed king in a different light now. 

"She's the one I want you to meet but she's out of the kingdom at the moment. When she'll be back, I'll introduce you two. I can only tolerate Minister Isla. She is one hell of a stubborn woman but she's sweet too."

I smiled. "I'd like that I think."

She nodded like that was a given already. "Of course, no doubt about that."

After some more time of us talking and gossiping and having fun, she said she had to go for something and that I was free to do as I pleased. 

I smiled thankfully and she patted my shoulder before she left with Leon.

Seraphima was definitely breaking down my walls and maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. But I was getting attached and that wasn't the plan. Either way, I knew that my lilac corner wasn't going to be my destination for today.

No, that was already planned.

•○•

As I stood in front of the ominous room, I licked my lips anxiously. 

Something told me that if I entered, I would leave different for sure. But that was a risk I was willing to take. If no one would give me answers, then the only option was to find them myself. I was done being kept in the dark and if the darkness of this room would enlighten me then so be it.

I touched the wall and then stepped inside. There was no door after all, it was just another direction.

It was dark but as I walked on, I could see well since my eyesight adjusted to the darkness and I could make out what was ahead of me. My heart skittered like a nervous horse and I tried to ease my breathing.

With one hand feeling the wall and the dust on it, I finally reached the true destination within a couple minutes.

There were three large windows that were allowing the sunlight from the backyard to flow in like a waterfall. Golden light illuminated the large space obviously meant for training purposes. 

I wonder why it was so isolated and unused then.

The light's color reminded me of Alpha while the big windows reminded me of the Celeran Palace where I used to clean with Keely. I hope she's doing well. But of course, one can't be sure.

Undoubtedly thinking of Celera reminded me of Damien and Lucien but I had other things to focus on right now.

I sucked in sharp breath as my eyes fell onto the shelves in the back. I cautiously walked towards the weapon laden shelves and again questioned why such high quality weapons were left here. The structure was a bit like that of the training room I'd seen Arion in a few days prior but something about this room seemed private.

Unlike that dark dungeon where Minister Gallum had cornered me, this room was full of light once you got past the lobby. But the sense of familiarity and those whispers snaking over the walls were still giving me the same chills.

There was a sword that was kept in the front, separately. I gulped, my throat going dry as I saw that it basically stood out from the rest.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I approached it, resting vertically on a raised platform of blocked wood or such.

The metal was absolutely flawless. It seemed like it was in perfect shape. 

I touched the hilt, it was like a perfect fit as I lifted the sword up. I gasped softly, admiring the beautiful object. The weight felt comfortable and the sharpness of the sword, the beauty of the surface reflecting the sunlight unceremoniously....it all drew an entrancing picture for me.

I turned the sword in my hand where I saw a hole big enough to fit a stone. By the looks of it, this seemed quite a costly sword. I shouldn't be touching it, oh no. But it wasn't like I could resist it when it felt natural. 

When I blinked again, I saw a disoriented image of two people in front of me. 

Ah, this is a vision.

They smiled and I felt myself doing the same. One of them held something out and I took it, there were sounds I couldn't discern as usual but once I had the thing extended towards me, I recognized it. The similarity was uncanny, the feeling was scary. 

My heart skipped a beat and I had a hard time breathing in.

It was this sword. That sharpness, that clarity, that comfortable fit. It was undoubtedly the sword I'd found.

"Rubin...."

My eyes widened - internally, of course - as I tried to see up again but of course, failed to do so considering I could never control this body.

In any case, this was the first ever word I'd heard in a vision.

Was it the sword's name?

Someone whose figure was definitely a man's seemed to remember something and pointed to my neck. What I saw next made me shiver internally.

I nodded and then took off a familiar weight from my neck.

In front me was the ruby necklace Micah had just returned to me prior in the week. The body I was in clicked some clasps and the ruby was detached. She turned the sword and as expected, there was the empty hole I'd just myself discovered.

And of course, that ruby was a perfect fit.

Everything felt so surreal.

When I felt myself come back to the world of the living, I gasped loudly. Blinking furiously I looked down slowly to the sword still in my hand.

I felt the ruby between my breasts with the other hand and then kept the sword back. 

I took in a deep breath, my pulse quickening as I unclasped the necklace and with shaking hands did the same as I'd gathered in the vision. 

The ruby became a single entity.

I noticed how the hole was in a teardrop shape - the same as my ruby - and then ever so slowly, I dropped the stone into the hole.

It fit. It got attached like it's missing part was glued back and I took in a couple of short breaths to calm down at the absurdity of it all.

Fear sunk its claws in and anxiety rippled within me. Yet familiarity shone above them like the sun and vanquished them to the recesses of my mind.

As I properly held the sword, the lessons with Arion not so much of a help than what I was feeling. Like this was nothing new for me.

I took up a stance and then slashed the sword through the air, cleaving it in one clean motion, the sound like the whoosh of dragon wings perhaps. 

Rubin was indeed a sword meant for warriors.

I set my jaw. This was just the start. I had one question and one question alone that was my priority now.

Who am I?

•○•

AN~

Heya guys! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter? Are we liking Seraphima? I hope she's a lovable character lol. And well her and Leon hehe.

Besides, what are your thoughts on the sword and the ruby? The vision?

Anyways, have fun and please do vote and comment to let me know! If you've read then don't be a silent one and press that star on all chapters! I look forward to it! Again, thank you so much for your support!

~Skyler