Chapter 118

The air in the throne room was thick with tension before Seraphina even stepped inside.

She had spent the past three days preparing for this conversation, rehearsing what she would say, anticipating every possible way her father might react. And yet, despite all of that preparation, despite the fact that she had stood before war generals and court advisors without blinking, this moment-**this confrontation-**made her heart pound like nothing else.

Because Tharx was not just an emperor.

He was a force.

And telling him she intended to leave the empire was going to be like setting a match to dry kindling.

Seraphina squared her shoulders as she entered the chamber.

Her father sat upon his throne, a figure carved from power itself. His golden eyes were like molten fire, sharp and assessing, watching her approach with the same unwavering intensity he always had.

Beside him, Aeliana sat in silence.

Unlike Tharx, her expression revealed nothing.

She already knew what Seraphina was about to say. She had seen the conflict brewing in her daughter's eyes the moment she had asked about Earth. But she had not stopped her. She had not warned her away.

She had simply waited.

Seraphina came to a stop at the base of the dais and bowed her head slightly. It was the first and last formality she would offer.

"Father," she said, keeping her voice steady, calm. "I wish to discuss my future."

Tharx's gaze sharpened slightly, but his expression remained unreadable. "Your future has already been decided."

Seraphina expected that answer.

She forced herself not to hesitate.

"I intend to visit Earth before I take the throne."

The words fell like a hammer into the silent chamber.

Tharx did not react immediately.

The quiet stretched.

And then, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the arms of his throne.

"No."

Seraphina's hands curled into fists at her sides.

"You didn't even-"

"No," he repeated, sharper this time, final. "This is not a debate."

Seraphina stiffened. "It should be."

She never spoke to him this way.

Never challenged him like this.

Tharx's eyes narrowed, golden light flickering behind them like embers ready to ignite.

"Your place is here," he said, voice low but carrying through the chamber with unmistakable authority. "Not on some insignificant, fragile planet that has no use to us."

Seraphina's breath hitched.

She had known he would resist. She had prepared for anger.

But not this.

Not this absolute dismissal.

"Earth is not insignificant," she said, her voice tightening. "It is part of me. Part of my blood."

Tharx's hands clenched.

"You are not human," he said.

The words landed like a blade.

Aeliana shifted beside him, her expression unchanging, but her fingers tightening slightly against the armrest of her throne.

Seraphina inhaled, steadying herself against the quiet fury in her father's voice.

"I am both," she countered. "And I have spent my entire life only knowing one side of what I am. That is not balance."

Tharx stood suddenly, a motion so fluid and deliberate that the power behind it was impossible to ignore.

"You are my heir," he said, stepping toward her. "You are the ruler this empire will follow. You do not need balance. You need strength."

Seraphina did not move.

She met his gaze, held it.

"And you think strength means denying half of who I am?"

A muscle in Tharx's jaw ticked.

Seraphina could feel it now-the storm inside him beginning to rise, the collision between his iron will and her defiance.

"This conversation is over," he said, his voice colder now, dismissive.

Seraphina's breath came shallow and quick.

She had thought he would argue with her.

She had not expected him to refuse to even consider it.

"You don't understand," she said, and for the first time, emotion cracked through her voice.

Tharx froze.

It was slight-barely noticeable-but Seraphina saw it.

Aeliana saw it too.

Seraphina took a step closer.

"You don't understand what it is like to be split between two worlds," she said, her voice quieter now, but no less powerful. "You don't understand what it feels like to look in the mirror and not know what part of you belongs to which side."

Tharx's eyes darkened.

"I know what it means to belong to no one," he said. "And that is a weakness you cannot afford."

Seraphina felt the words settle into her chest like stones.

He was wrong.

He had to be.

"That is not a weakness," she said, voice sharp. "It is knowledge. And it is knowledge I will have before I take the throne."

Tharx's expression hardened.

He exhaled once, a slow, controlled breath that did nothing to dim the fire raging in his golden eyes.

When he finally spoke, his voice was calm. Controlled. Dangerous.

"If you leave," he said, "you will return as my heir-or not at all."

Silence.

Aeliana's fingers tightened against the armrest of her throne.

Seraphina's stomach twisted, but she did not falter.

She stared at her father, stared at the warlord who had carved an empire out of nothing, at the ruler who had never once accepted weakness or hesitation.

And she understood.

He wasn't stopping her because he didn't care.

He was stopping her because he was afraid.

Afraid of what she would learn. Afraid of what she might bring back. Afraid of losing her to something beyond his control.

Seraphina lifted her chin.

"Then I will return with answers," she said.

Tharx did not speak.

He did not argue.

He only turned away.

And walked out of the throne room without another word.

The moment the doors slammed shut behind him, Seraphina let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

Aeliana finally moved, standing from her throne.

Seraphina turned to her, waiting.

Waiting for her mother to tell her that she had gone too far.

That she should apologize.

That she should give up this foolish idea before it shattered something that couldn't be repaired.

But Aeliana only watched her.

And then, after a long pause, she said, "He will not stop you."

Seraphina swallowed.

"But he will not accept it either."

Aeliana nodded once.

"No," she said quietly. "Not yet."

Seraphina exhaled slowly, her hands still curled into fists.

Her father had left.

The conversation was over.

But the decision had already been made.

She was going to Earth.

And nothing-not even the Emperor of the most powerful empire in the galaxy-was going to stop her.

119: Courtly Opposition

The court had always been a nest of whispered ambitions, of veiled threats hidden beneath carefully measured words. But now, those whispers had sharpened into something dangerous.

Seraphina had expected resistance from her father.

She had not expected the nobility to react as if she had just declared war upon her own empire.

It had only been a day since her confrontation with Tharx, but the news had already spread through the palace like wildfire.

Every hallway she walked down was lined with watchful eyes, every chamber filled with hushed voices falling silent the moment she entered.

Seraphina kept her posture steady, her chin high. She had spent her life learning how to command a room, how to demand respect with only a look.

But this was different.

This wasn't fear or admiration.

This was doubt.

And she hated it.

She knew where she had to go.

The council chamber was already full when she arrived. The gathered nobles stood in clusters, their robes of crimson and gold shifting as they murmured among themselves.

At the far end of the chamber, Lord Vexis stood near the grand table, his hands clasped behind his back.

He had always been her father's most trusted advisor, a man whose words carried weight no matter how softly he spoke them.

The moment Seraphina stepped inside, the murmuring died.

She did not hesitate.

She strode forward, the echo of her boots against the marble floor the only sound in the vast chamber.

"How quickly the court moves when something displeases them," she said smoothly, folding her hands behind her back.

A few of the nobles shifted.

Vexis did not.

"Your Highness," he greeted her. "We have heard troubling news."

Seraphina arched a brow. "Troubling?"

Vexis tilted his head slightly. "You intend to leave the empire."

The words rippled through the room, followed by a few scattered whispers.

Seraphina forced herself not to clench her fists.

She had always known that her choice would be met with resistance.

But she had not expected them to treat it like a betrayal.

"I intend to understand my people," she corrected, keeping her voice measured, even. "I intend to visit Earth, to see the world that shaped half of my bloodline. That is hardly treason."

Vexis regarded her carefully.

"Your people are here," he said simply. "Your duty is here."

Seraphina felt a sharp flare of frustration.

"Do you truly believe that understanding my mother's world will make me incapable of ruling my father's?" she asked.

Vexis did not answer immediately.

Instead, another voice cut through the room.

"It makes us wonder if you know who you are at all."

Seraphina turned sharply, her gaze locking onto Lord Elaric, a noble who had always been one of her father's most loyal supporters.

He stepped forward, his gaze cool and assessing.

"A ruler does not question their place," Elaric continued. "A ruler does not search for meaning. They are meaning."

A few murmurs of agreement stirred through the room.

Seraphina inhaled deeply, evenly.

"If you believe questioning oneself is a weakness," she said, "then you have never ruled."

Elaric's expression did not waver, but his eyes sharpened.

"You are meant to be more than a human girl searching for lost roots," he said. "You are meant to be an heir to an empire. You are meant to be like your father."

Seraphina stiffened.

There it was.

The true concern.

They did not fear her leaving.

They feared she would come back different.

That she would not become Tharx.

That she would not rule as he did.

Seraphina tilted her chin slightly, her voice turning cold.

"I will never be my father," she said. "And I was never meant to be."

The air in the chamber grew taut, like the pull of a blade before a strike.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then Vexis sighed, stepping forward, his hands still clasped behind his back.

"Your Highness," he said, his voice calm, measured. "This is not about your father. It is about the empire. You are its future. If you question your own place within it, then how do you expect your people to follow you?"

Seraphina exhaled slowly.

They thought this was about doubt.

They thought this was about weakness.

They were wrong.

"I do not question my place," she said, her voice strong, unwavering. "I claim it. And to do that, I will learn what was kept from me."

Elaric scoffed.

"And if the people do not accept you when you return?" he challenged.

Seraphina tilted her head.

"Then they were never truly mine to begin with."

She left the council chamber with fire in her chest.

The nobles would fight this.

She knew that now.

They would push back, whisper their doubts, speak of her as though she was something fragile, something breakable.

But they did not know her.

Not truly.

She stalked through the hallways, barely noticing the palace guards stiffening as she passed.

She needed to speak to someone who would understand.

And she knew exactly who that would be.

Her younger brothers were in the training grounds.

Kieran was already shirtless, his body covered in sweat as he sparred with one of the royal guards.

Malik, in contrast, stood to the side, watching. Calculating.

Seraphina stepped into the arena just as Kieran knocked his opponent to the ground.

Kieran turned, grinning.

"Come to finally take me on, sister?"

Seraphina didn't smile.

Kieran's grin faded immediately.

Malik stepped forward, his expression unreadable.

"You look like you're ready to kill someone," he said.

Seraphina let out a slow breath, her shoulders tense.

"The nobles are turning against me."

Kieran snorted. "When are they not?"

Malik's gaze sharpened.

"Explain."

Seraphina crossed her arms.

"They believe that because I question my place, I am unfit to rule."

Kieran rolled his eyes.

"Idiots," he muttered.

Malik, however, was still watching her, his golden eyes unreadable.

"They see hesitation as a flaw," he said.

Seraphina scoffed. "I see it as strength."

Malik nodded once. "Then you must prove it."

Seraphina exhaled.

"I know."

Kieran leaned against the wall, shaking his head.

"They're afraid of you, you know," he said. "Not because you're weak. But because you're not predictable."

Seraphina paused.

Not predictable.

Not like Tharx.

Not like the rulers before him.

She felt a slow, steady fire ignite inside her.

"Good," she murmured.

Malik tilted his head. "Then what is your next move?"

Seraphina turned toward the horizon, her pulse steady now.

"I leave."

Malik nodded once, approving.

Kieran grinned. "Then let's make sure you come back stronger than ever."

Seraphina took a deep breath.

The court would fight her.

The nobles would whisper against her.

Her father would rage.

But she would leave.

And when she returned, she would not be the heir they wanted.

She would be the ruler they feared.

120: Malik’s Warning

The moon hung low over the palace, casting pale silver light through the towering glass windows that lined the eastern corridor. The halls were quiet, the court retired to their chambers, but Seraphina was restless. Sleep eluded her, her mind racing with thoughts she couldn't shake.

She had stood before the court today and seen the doubt in their eyes.

It wasn't outright rebellion. Not yet. But it was there, simmering beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to spread.

She should have expected it.

She should have been ready.

She had always known that leaving wouldn't come without consequences-but she hadn't expected the weight of their judgment to settle so heavily upon her chest.

Footsteps broke the silence.

Seraphina turned sharply, already reaching for the dagger at her hip, her body coiled for a fight-

But it was Malik.

He stepped from the shadows, his movements calm, deliberate.

Seraphina exhaled, her fingers relaxing against the hilt of her blade. "You could have announced yourself," she muttered.

Malik tilted his head, his golden eyes unreadable. "I didn't want to risk being overheard."

Something in his tone made her pause.

She studied him, noting the tension in his shoulders, the way he glanced down the hallway before speaking again.

This wasn't just a passing conversation.

Something was wrong.

"What is it?" Seraphina asked.

Malik hesitated for only a fraction of a second, then sighed.

"There are those who believe you shouldn't return."

The words landed like a blade to the gut.

Seraphina felt the air shift around her, the silence stretching too long.

She had known the nobles disapproved of her decision. She had known they would doubt her.

But this?

She narrowed her eyes. "Explain."

Malik crossed his arms. "The court has already been shaken by your hesitation. Some see it as a weakness. They think that if you're uncertain about your place here, then maybe you shouldn't rule at all."

Seraphina clenched her jaw.

This was exactly what she had feared.

"I am not uncertain," she said, voice sharp.

Malik arched a brow. "A ruler who has to say that is already losing."

Seraphina's fingers twitched, resisting the urge to snap at him.

Malik was blunt, but he never spoke without purpose.

He was warning her.

She exhaled slowly, forcing her anger down. "Do you think they'll try something?"

Malik hesitated. That hesitation told her everything.

"I think," he said carefully, "that if you leave, you will return to an empire that is different from the one you left."

Seraphina stilled.

Not an outright coup.

Not yet.

But a shift.

A slow turn of the tide, where power began slipping from her grasp before she even realized it.

And if enough people believed she wasn't fit to rule-if enough nobles rallied behind someone else-

Seraphina pressed her fingers to her temple.

"You're saying that if I go, I might not have an empire to come back to."

Malik's golden eyes met hers.

"Yes."

She turned away from him, staring out one of the massive glass windows overlooking the city below.

It stretched endlessly, the towers and streets illuminated by the soft glow of lanterns and the distant pulse of the empire's power grids.

She had spent her entire life preparing to rule this place.

And now she was risking losing it.

Malik stepped closer, his voice quieter now. "I know why you want to go, Seraphina. And I don't think you're wrong to want answers."

She let out a slow breath, her hands clenching at her sides.

"But you think I'm wrong to leave."

Malik exhaled. "I think leaving will give your enemies exactly what they need to make their move."

Seraphina pressed her lips together.

She knew that.

She had always known that.

She wasn't naïve enough to think that power was something freely given. It was something held onto with blood and fire.

But there was one thing she knew with absolute certainty.

If she stayed-

If she let fear keep her here-

She would never be the ruler she was meant to be.

She turned back to Malik, meeting his gaze with unwavering conviction.

"I am leaving," she said. "And when I return, there will be no doubt about who I am."

Malik held her gaze for a long moment.

Then, slowly, he nodded.

"Then make sure you return strong enough to take back what's yours."

Seraphina inhaled deeply, steadying herself.

She had always known this path would not be easy.

But she was ready.

No matter the cost.

Malik remained silent, his golden eyes fixed on her, as if waiting for her to waver.

She didn't.

Instead, she turned from the window, walking past him toward the entrance of the hall.

"Seraphina."

She stopped.

Malik's voice had softened, just barely.

She glanced over her shoulder.

"Do you trust them?" he asked.

Seraphina frowned. "Who?"

"The humans," Malik said simply. "The ones you're going to meet."

Seraphina hadn't considered it in such simple terms.

She had spent so much time wondering about Earth, wondering about its people, about its cities, its culture, its history.

She hadn't considered that trust was another matter entirely.

She had spent her entire life surrounded by warriors, by scheming nobles, by people who would stab her in the back the moment she showed weakness.

Would Earth be any different?

She wasn't sure.

Seraphina sighed. "I don't know."

Malik watched her.

"That's what worries me," he admitted.

Seraphina let out a soft, humorless laugh. "You're worried about me?"

Malik shrugged. "I have to be. Kieran is too reckless to be concerned about things like politics. That leaves me."

Seraphina smirked.

It was true.

Kieran would follow her to the ends of the universe without hesitation. But Malik was the one who thought ahead, the one who saw what others didn't.

That was why she was listening to him now.

"I will return," she said firmly.

Malik nodded once, his expression unreadable.

"Then I'll make sure no one forgets who you are while you're gone."

Seraphina felt the warmth of gratitude settle in her chest.

She had expected opposition from the nobles.

She had expected resistance from her father.

But at least she still had her brothers.

And she would not fail them.