The court had gathered early.
Too early.
Seraphina felt it the moment she stepped into the grand hall—the shift in the air, the silence that followed her entrance, the way conversations died mid-sentence. Hundreds of eyes turned toward her, sharp with curiosity and something far uglier.
Judgment.
She kept her back straight, chin lifted, every step measured. Kael walked beside her, close enough that his arm brushed hers now and then—not accidental. Never accidental.
He wanted them to see.
They reached the dais, and only then did the murmurs begin.
"She doesn't look strong enough." "She's human." "She won't last the season." "She's already doomed."
Seraphina's fingers twitched, but before she could retreat into herself, Kael's hand settled over hers—warm, solid, possessive.
A ripple of shock swept the room.
Public affection from the Devil's son was unheard of.
Kael leaned slightly toward her, lips close to her ear. "Do not flinch," he murmured. "They feed on it."
Her breath steadied. "And if they provoke me?"
His thumb brushed the inside of her palm, slow and deliberate. "Then let me handle the consequences."
The council elder rose, his gaze cutting. "Princess Seraphina," he said smoothly. "You wear the crown of a realm that barely exists. Tell us—what makes you worthy of standing here?"
The hall went silent.
Seraphina felt Kael's grip tighten—not to stop her, but to support her.
She stepped forward.
"I am not here because of where I come from," she said clearly. "I am here because your prince chose me."
A murmur—sharp, offended.
She turned slightly, meeting Kael's eyes. Something unreadable passed between them.
"Did he not?" she asked.
Kael smiled.
It was slow. Dangerous. Beautiful.
He rose from his seat and faced the court. "She speaks truth," he said. "And anyone who questions her place here questions my judgment."
Gasps echoed.
Then—he did something no one expected.
Kael pulled Seraphina close, one arm wrapping firmly around her waist, drawing her against him. The contact was intimate, undeniable, electric. She felt every line of him, the strength, the heat, the restraint barely held.
"She is mine," he declared. "By oath. By choice. By desire."
Seraphina's heart slammed against her ribs.
The hall erupted.
Shock. Fury. Fear.
Kael lowered his voice, but it carried. "And I will not tolerate disrespect toward what belongs to me."
His hand lingered at her waist a moment longer than necessary—long enough to send a very clear message.
Later, when they were finally alone, Seraphina pressed her back against the chamber doors, breath unsteady.
"You marked me," she said softly.
Kael approached her slowly, eyes dark. "I protected you."
"You claimed me."
He stopped inches away. "Is that what it felt like?"
Her voice dropped. "Yes."
The tension between them snapped—not into chaos, but into something heavier. Intimate. Dangerous.
Kael lifted a finger, tilting her chin up. "If you belong to me," he said quietly, "the entire realm becomes your enemy."
Seraphina met his gaze without fear. "Then stand with me."
For a long moment, he didn't move.
Then he leaned in, his forehead resting against hers again, breath warm, voice rough. "You have no idea what you've just asked for."
Her hands curled into his coat. "Neither do you."
His lips hovered near hers—close enough to promise, far enough to deny. He didn't kiss her.
That restraint was worse.
"I will burn this world down for you," he whispered. "But once I do… there is no turning back."
Seraphina smiled softly. "Good."
Because deep down, she knew:
She had just become the most dangerous woman in the Devil's court.