Celestine and her stillborn son had left the realm in a state of mourning, its grief felt deeply within the stone walls. For thirteen long months, the castle had remained closed off,

child of the late queen. No. That child's death had sealed the fate of Aldric's bloodline, leaving only Seraphina, the king's illegitimate daughter, as the true heir to the throne. Dorian had known from the moment Celestine had passed that Seraphina would be the key. She had been overlooked by many, dismissed as an outsider, but she carried the blood of both the king and the vampire houses. Her potential could not be ignored. It was time for Dorian to act. He turned sharply from the window, striding across the room with purpose. The flickering light of the candles reflected off the polished stone, casting shadows on the walls. Dorian's thoughts were razor-sharp, his mind already working through the next steps in his plan. He would have to convince the king. Aldric's grief had left him fragile, but he was not without reason. In the absence of a legitimate heir, Seraphina was the only viable option. And if the king were to accept this reality, if he were to name Seraphina as his heir, the power dynamic in the kingdom could shift dramatically. Dorian had already considered his approach. He would speak to the king privately, of course. The words would be carefully chosen, the arguments shaped with precision. There could be no hesitation, no room for doubt. Seraphina had the blood of both the vampire houses and the royal human line. She was the perfect candidate to unite the factions of the realm, the perfect candidate to end the power struggles that had torn the kingdom apart. But there was another problem to address. Once Seraphina was named heir, she would need a suitable match-a powerful marriage alliance that would ensure her claim to the throne was unchallenged. Dorian had already begun searching for potential suitors. Noble families, influential houses, those who could lend their strength to Seraphina's rule. But the challenge lay in finding a match that would not only secure Seraphina's claim but also ensure that her bloodline would remain strong. Dorian would need to carefully navigate this delicate balance, choosing a husband who could support her, while also ensuring his own position in the kingdom. The king, of course, would never agree to such a match without convincing. And so, Dorian