The halls of House Dorne were quiet.
Too quiet.
Even as servants bowed and whispered, no one dared look me in the eye. Not anymore.
I wore a silk robe Seraphina once used to seduce noble sons. Today, it was my armor.
"My lady, His Grace requests your presence in the drawing room," said a trembling butler.
"Tell him I'll be there when I'm ready," I replied without turning.
A moment of silence. Then retreating footsteps.
I walked to the mirror. Stared at the unfamiliar face.
Sharp cheekbones. Crimson lips. Eyes like frozen honey.
Seraphina Dorne was beautiful, yes. But no one had ever looked at her and thought:
She could destroy kingdoms.
That would change.
A box sat unopened on the vanity. Black lacquer, sealed with the royal crest.
I hesitated only a second before prying it open.
Inside: a folded parchment, a pressed violet, and a pendant I remembered too well.
The chain was gold. The gem—midnight blue, cut like a dagger.
A gift from Prince Kael. The same he gave me, Elira, on the Night of Stars.
Why was it here? Why send it to Seraphina?
I opened the parchment.
"Lady Dorne,
Attend the Crown's banquet in three nights. Wear the necklace.
You are being watched."
—K.
The ink was sharp. Cold. Like his voice the day he sentenced me to burn.
And yet, a piece of me shivered. Not from fear. From something far more dangerous.
Curiosity.
"You never forget the voice of the man who killed you," I murmured. "Even if it still makes your heart betray you."
The prince wanted to see me again.
Good.
Because this time, I wasn't the Saint.
This time, I was the villainess.