Chapter 94

The palace had never been quieter, yet Aeliana could feel the whispers coiling through the halls like smoke, curling into the dark corners where courtiers and nobles gathered just out of sight. They were careful, always careful-no one would dare to voice their doubts openly. Not in Tharx's empire. Not with the weight of his golden gaze upon them.

But Aeliana had always been good at hearing the things people did not say.

Seraphina had been born into a world that did not know what to make of her. A child of two legacies, neither fully of one nor the other. Half-human. Half-Tharxian. The first of her kind.

And that terrified them.

Not because they saw weakness. No, it was never about weakness.

It was about power.

What would she become? Who would she favor? Would she carry the strength of her father, or would she falter beneath the weight of her bloodline?

Would she be Tharx's true heir?

Or would she be something else entirely?

Aeliana had seen the way they looked at Seraphina, their expressions carefully schooled, their voices tempered, but their unease unmistakable.

They did not know what to do with a child like hers.

And that infuriated her.

She sat beside Seraphina's bassinet, one hand resting lightly against the soft silks that lined it, watching as her daughter slept. So small. So innocent. So utterly oblivious to the doubts surrounding her very existence.

Aeliana exhaled slowly, letting her fingers graze against Seraphina's tiny hand.

"You are more than they will ever understand," she whispered.

A movement in the doorway caught her attention.

Tharx.

He leaned against the frame, arms crossed over his chest, his golden eyes locked on her, unreadable.

She lifted a brow. "You are lurking."

His lips tugged upward slightly. "I do not lurk."

Aeliana smirked. "You do when you are listening for something."

Tharx pushed off the doorway, stepping inside. Even now, even in the stillness of their chambers, his presence filled the space completely.

She knew he had heard the whispers, the doubts, the silent challenges woven into the court's careful words.

But Tharx had never cared for whispers.

He only cared about what he could crush beneath his boot.

"They are fools," he said simply, coming to stand beside her.

Aeliana hummed. "And yet, they are fools who rule within your court."

He frowned. "That will change."

She turned her gaze back to Seraphina, who stirred slightly in her sleep, her small features delicate but unmistakably strong. "And how will it change, Tharx? Will you silence them the way you do all who oppose you?"

His jaw tensed, but he did not answer immediately.

Aeliana looked up at him then, really looked at him.

He was angry.

Not at her.

Not even at the nobles.

At the idea that anyone would dare question his daughter's place in this empire.

"You do not need to fight them," Aeliana said softly. "Not like this."

Tharx arched a brow. "They doubt my heir."

"They doubt what they do not understand."

"Then I will teach them to understand."

Aeliana sighed, shaking her head. "You cannot rule an empire through fear alone."

Tharx's gaze darkened slightly. "It has worked thus far."

"For you," she countered. "But Seraphina will not rule as you do."

His expression did not change, but she knew she had struck something within him.

She softened slightly, reaching for his hand. He let her take it without hesitation, though his fingers still held tension beneath her touch.

"She will be powerful," Aeliana murmured. "But she must be more than that. She must be loved."

Tharx exhaled, his shoulders loosening just slightly.

"And she must be seen as more than just a weapon."

His lips pressed into a thin line.

He did not like it.

But he understood it.

Aeliana knew him well enough to see it in the way he finally let his gaze drop to their daughter, to the soft rise and fall of her small chest.

To the way his fingers unconsciously tightened around Aeliana's, as if grounding himself.

"We will shape her future," Aeliana said quietly. "Not them."

For a long moment, Tharx said nothing.

Then, finally, he gave a slow nod.

"She will inherit more than just war," he murmured.

Aeliana smiled. "Yes."

Tharx exhaled deeply, as if releasing something he had been holding onto.

"Good."

The court did not expect what came next.

The following day, Tharx called a gathering.

Aeliana sat beside him, Seraphina in her arms, visible to all.

The nobles did not dare look at her too long, but Aeliana could feel their unease.

They were waiting.

Waiting to see how Tharx would address the uncertainty they whispered behind closed doors.

He did not make them wait long.

Tharx stood, the weight of his presence enough to still the room completely.

And then, his voice rang out.

"Let me be clear."

A pause.

"There will be no question of my heir's place in this empire."

Aeliana felt the way the tension in the room tightened, how the nobles straightened in their seats.

"Seraphina Velka Tharxian is not an experiment. She is not a mistake. She is not a half-blood to be measured against your expectations."

His golden eyes swept the hall, unyielding.

"She is my daughter. And that is all that is required."

Silence.

Not a single noble dared to speak.

Aeliana let her gaze drift across the room, watching the way some of them lowered their heads in acceptance, while others struggled to keep their expressions neutral.

She had no doubt that some still doubted.

But now?

They would not speak of it.

Not openly.

Because no one questioned Tharx's word and lived to do so twice.

Still, Aeliana knew that silence did not mean understanding.

That would take time.

That would take more than just Tharx's decree.

As the court dispersed, Aeliana felt Tharx's hand rest lightly against her lower back, guiding her from the hall.

They did not speak until they were alone again, Seraphina nestled safely in her bassinet.

Tharx turned to her, golden eyes sharp, considering.

"You think it is not enough," he murmured.

Aeliana sighed. "They will obey. But will they accept?"

Tharx scoffed. "That does not matter."

Aeliana gave him a knowing look. "It does if Seraphina is to be more than just a ruler in name."

Tharx studied her for a long moment.

Then, slowly, he nodded.

Aeliana felt a small victory settle in her chest.

This was just the beginning.

The empire was watching.

Seraphina's future was already being shaped.

And Aeliana would make sure it was shaped with more than just fear.