Seraphina's POV
Ice-cold fingers wrapped around my throat, jerking me awake.
I gasped and my eyes flew open to find Elise leaning over my bed, her face twisted with rage.
"Good morning, dear sister," she hissed.
I tried to scream, but her hand squeezed tighter. Ice magic burned against my skin like frozen fire.
"Not a sound," Elise warned. "Or I'll freeze your vocal cords permanently."
She released me, and I fell back against the pillows, coughing and gasping for air. My throat throbbed where her fingers had been.
"What—what are you doing here?" I choked out.
Elise straightened up, smoothing her perfect dress. But her face wasn't perfect anymore. Her eyes blazed with fury, and her hands trembled with barely controlled magic.
"I couldn't sleep," she said, her voice dangerously sweet. "I kept thinking about how he was supposed to choose me. How I spent years preparing to be the Winter King's bride. How I practiced my magic and studied everything about his kingdom and his curse."
She walked to the window where I'd seen Caspian last night.
"I was perfect for him," Elise continued. "The most powerful ice mage of my generation. Beautiful. Royal. Everything a Winter Queen should be."
She spun around, and ice exploded from her hands, covering the wall behind her in sharp frozen spikes.
"But he chose YOU!" she screamed. "The worthless one! The broken one! The one without any power at all!"
I pressed back against the headboard, my heart hammering. I'd seen Elise angry before, but never like this. Never this out of control.
"I didn't ask him to choose me," I said quietly. "I don't want this, Elise. I don't want to die."
"DIE?" Elise laughed, high and cruel. "You think that's the problem? You think I care if you die?"
She crossed the room in three quick steps and grabbed my hand. Before I could pull away, ice magic shot from her fingers.
Pain exploded through my hand as ice formed around it. Not gentle ice. Sharp, burning ice that felt like a thousand needles stabbing into my skin.
I screamed.
"This is nothing compared to what his curse will do to you," Elise said, watching my pain with cold satisfaction. "But I wanted you to have a preview. A taste of your future."
Tears streamed down my face as the ice burned deeper. "Please, Elise, stop—"
"You've stolen everything from me," she hissed, leaning close. "My position. My future. My perfect match."
The ice spread up my arm, and I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood, trying not to scream again.
"But don't worry, dear sister." Elise's smile was poison. "When his curse kills you—and it will, probably on your wedding night—I'll be there. I'll comfort him in his grief. I'll show him what real power looks like. And eventually, he'll forget all about you and choose me like he should have done from the beginning."
She released my hand, and the ice shattered. I clutched my arm, gasping. My hand was red and raw, like I'd been burned.
"Two days left," Elise said cheerfully, walking toward the door. "Try to enjoy them."
"Why do you hate me so much?" The words burst out before I could stop them. "I never did anything to you."
Elise paused at the door and looked back at me. For just a moment, something other than anger flashed across her face.
Jealousy? Fear?
But then it was gone, replaced by cold hatred.
"You existed," she said simply. "You were born first. If you'd been normal—if you'd had magic—Mother would have made you heir instead of me. Every day of my life, I've had to be perfect just to prove I deserved what should have been yours by birth. And now you're taking something else from me. Something I actually wanted."
I stared at her, shocked. I'd never thought about it that way. Never realized Elise felt threatened by me.
"But if you even think about running away," Elise continued, her voice turning deadly, "I'll make sure everyone you ever cared about suffers. That little kitchen girl you saved yesterday? Lily? I'll have her whipped until she can't stand. The stable boy who gave you extra bread last winter? The old seamstress who smiled at you? I know every single person who ever showed you kindness, Seraphina. And I'll destroy them all."
She started listing names. People I'd helped. People who'd been kind to me. Guards. Servants. Cooks.
My blood turned to ice.
"So you'll marry the Winter King like a good little bride," Elise finished. "You'll die quietly. And you'll make sure everyone believes you went willingly. Understand?"
I couldn't speak. Could barely breathe.
Elise smiled. "Good. See you at the wedding, sister. If you survive that long."
She left, closing the door softly behind her.
I sat there clutching my burned hand, shaking uncontrollably.
She meant it. Every word. If I tried to escape, innocent people would suffer because of me.
I was trapped. Completely, utterly trapped.
Hours crawled by. I didn't move from the bed. Couldn't move.
Then, in the afternoon, I heard scratching at the door.
Not knocking. Scratching.
"Sera?" A whispered voice. "It's me. Mira. Can you unlock the door?"
My heart jumped. "Mira? How did you—"
"I bribed a guard. Please, hurry!"
I stumbled to the door and unlocked it with my good hand. Mira slipped inside quickly, looking terrified.
The moment she saw me, she gasped. "Your hand! What happened?"
"Elise," I said simply.
Mira pulled me into a fierce hug, and I broke down. All the tears I'd been holding back since Mother's visit, since Elise's threats, came flooding out.
"I'm so sorry," Mira whispered, crying too. "This is all so wrong. You don't deserve any of this."
"I have to marry him," I sobbed. "If I don't, Elise will hurt everyone. She knows all the names, Mira. Everyone who was ever kind to me."
"Then we'll find another way." Mira pulled back, her jaw set with determination. "I've been researching the curse. There has to be a way to break it. Maybe you won't die. Maybe—"
"There's no maybe," I interrupted. "Everyone who gets close to him dies. That's the curse. That's what it does."
"But what if you're different?" Mira grabbed my shoulders. "What if there's something special about you that we don't know yet?"
I wanted to believe her. Wanted to hope.
But hope was dangerous. Hope hurt more than anything when it died.
"I'm not special," I said quietly. "I'm just a powerless girl who's finally found her purpose—to die and make everyone's life easier."
"Don't say that!" Mira shook me gently. "You're the kindest person I know. You're strong and brave and—"
"It's okay, Mira." I gave her a weak smile. "Maybe this is what I deserve. Maybe I was always meant to die young. At least this way, it'll be quick."
Mira's face crumpled. "Sera, no—"
"Promise me something," I interrupted. "After I'm gone, take care of Lily and the others. Make sure Elise doesn't hurt them. Promise me."
"I can't—I won't—" Mira was crying hard now.
"Promise me!"
"I promise," she whispered finally.
We held each other for a long moment, both crying.
Then guards started shouting in the hallway.
"Someone's in there with her!"
"Check every room!"
Mira's eyes went wide with panic. "I have to go. They'll punish us both if they catch me."
She rushed to the door, then looked back one last time.
"Don't give up," she said fiercely. "Please, Sera. Don't give up yet."
Then she was gone, slipping through the door just before guards appeared at the end of the hallway.
I locked the door and stumbled back to bed, my burned hand throbbing.
Two days left.
Two days until I became the Winter King's bride.
Two days until the curse ended everything.
I lay down and stared at the ceiling, feeling hollow and empty.
But then I remembered something. Caspian's words last night through the window: I'm sorry.
Why would he apologize if he was just a heartless monster?
And why did the frost on his arms retreat when he looked at me?
Maybe Mira was right. Maybe there was something more happening here that I didn't understand.
But before I could think about it more, the door burst open.
A servant stood there, her face pale.
"His Majesty the Winter King has arrived at the palace," she announced. "He's requesting to see you. Now."
My heart stopped.
Caspian was here. Now.
A full day earlier than expected.
"Why?" I whispered.
The servant swallowed hard. "He says he needs to speak with you before the wedding. Privately. The Queen tried to refuse, but he... he froze three guards who tried to stop him."
My blood ran cold.
"He's waiting in the garden," the servant continued. "Alone. He says if you don't come willingly, he'll tear down the palace to get to you."
She looked terrified. Everyone looked terrified.
But all I could think was: What does he want?
Why would he risk coming here early?
And why did he need to see me alone?