Chapter 3: A Dance of Shadows and Cruelty

The days following the crown prince's arrival stretched into an eternity of torment for Seraphina, a commoner trapped within the gilded cage of the royal court. Each encounter with Alexander, the crown prince, was a harrowing reminder of her lowly status and the cruel machinations of fate that had brought her to this place.

One evening, as Seraphina made her way through the palace corridors, she found herself face-to-face with Alexander, his presence casting a dark shadow over her already troubled existence. His eyes, cold and calculating, bore into her with a disdain that made her skin crawl.

"Well, well, if it isn't the little commoner," Alexander sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "What brings you to my palace, I wonder?"

Seraphina clenched her jaw, her fists trembling with suppressed rage. "I am here at the behest of my superiors, Your Highness," she replied through gritted teeth, refusing to cower under his gaze.

Alexander's lips twisted into a cruel smile as he circled her like a predator sizing up its prey. "Ah, yes, of course," he said mockingly. "A lowly servant, doing the bidding of those who hold power over her. How pathetic."

Seraphina's blood boiled at his words, her nails biting into her palms as she fought to maintain her composure. She despised him, this man who reveled in the suffering of others, who wielded his authority like a weapon to crush those beneath him.

But even as she seethed with hatred, Seraphina knew that she could not show her true feelings. She had a mission to fulfill, a vendetta to exact, and she could ill afford to let her emotions cloud her judgment.

As Alexander turned to leave, his laughter echoing through the empty corridor, Seraphina's resolve hardened like steel. She would endure his cruelty, she would weather his scorn, but she would never forget the injustices he had inflicted upon her and her people.

And when the time came, when her moment of reckoning arrived, Seraphina vowed that Alexander would pay dearly for his sins. For she was a commoner with nothing to lose and everything to gain, and she would stop at nothing to see justice served.