Chapter 4- Serrina

Serrina shot up from her position in bed, stared at the door for a moment, turned her head to Logan giving him a look of “occupy him until I come back” and then quicker than she had ever been she walked to her dressing room. From outside, she heard Logan say, “He can come in” and then she heard her doors open while Azriel’s footsteps rang in her ears.

“Greetings my prince.”

“Good morning Logan. Where’s Serrina?”

“Changing into something other than her robe.” Serrina rolled her eyes at that, and she could almost see the clear image of Azriel doing the same as a response to Logan.

She then took out a dress from inside her closet, the simplest she could find, and tried to put it on without the help of her maids. She was lucky that a while back she’d ordered a change of wardrobe, and that she had told her tailors to make her dresses that did not have corsets. Serrina had nothing against them, just that situations like this could easily be avoided if needed. She’d been quite lucky for it.

She put the dress on, tying the ribbons on its sides together to give the fabric more support without any other piece of clothing. When she was done, she looked at herself in the mirror, checking to see if she was truly ready to face the young prince. She stared at herself, at her slim, tiny figure and at the blue forest green fabric of her dress. She then looked at her face, there were dark circles under her eyes because of last night. Her hair was a complete mess, and she was not sure what to do with it. But overall, she was presentable, maybe not to Azriel as the crown prince but surely to Azriel as her friend.

She heard the two boys laughing at something, probably a joke of Logan’s. When she was ready, her hands moved on their own to turn down the handle. She exited the dressing room, stepping into the light. There, in the middle of her chamber, was Azriel, his right hand on Logan’s shoulder. They looked so…simple there. Two boys, two friends laughing at a joke. And if they were not who they were, if they were not a lord and a prince then maybe Serrina and Azriel would have already been engaged with Logan as their closest friend.

“Ah there you are.” Logan spoke. “I was just telling Az that you change your clothes for him and not for me! That is clear discrimination!” He protested. A smile formed on Azriel’s lips and Serrina felt warmth crawling under her skin. But before that warmth could reach her cheeks- showing Azriel exactly how embarrassed she was- Azriel himself came to her rescue. “That’s because everyone knows a woman can walk naked right in front of you and yet you will not even give her a slight glance.”

This time it was Serrina’s turn to smile.

“You’re both despicable.” Logan whispered as he walked to the main door of her chamber that led outside. “I’m leaving. See you both in the council meeting this afternoon?” Serrina nodded while looking at him. And just like that, he left; and she became alone with the prince.

Azriel’s eyes drifted into the box beside her bed, and Serrina looked worriedly at his face. She was hoping to read his expression. Was he angry that she had not opened it yet? Was he…disappointed? Or maybe he was sad. But neither Azriel’s features, nor his dark eyes revealed a single emotion.

“I was hoping to be here when you opened it.” He admitted with a whisper, turning his eyes on her. This time she had no control over the rush of heat inside her veins and the redness that coloured on her cheeks. His gaze stayed on her face for a moment, and then it was back on the box. He walked to it, picked it up and placed it in her hands. “Unwrap it.” He demanded. She did.

She slowly opened the wooden box itself and hoped that her last night’s assumption was right. She gasped as the gift revealed itself and she did not know if she was crushed or relieved. Inside, on another blue fabric, was a silver necklace decorated with tiny drops of blood jewel. But it was not just any necklace. It was symbol; three triangles forged to each other by their ends, thorn shaped blood jewels all over them.

It was the symbol of her house, her bloodline. A token presented to the king of Elwaira tens of years ago by women of her house in exchange for a place in his court. It must have remained in the king’s treasury for more than two centuries. Legend claimed that the kings of Elwaira treasured it, that they did not even let it see a glimpse of sunlight in fear of it being stolen from them. Now, it was in her hands, and a boy of the same bloodline of kings had given it to her.

He slowly came behind her and took the necklace out. His hands brushed her neck, holding her hair up and the braiding it only to place it on her chest. The warmth of his body was pressed on Serrina’s as his fingers worked behind her neck to put the necklace on her. When he was done, he slowly led her into her dressing room, facing the mirror. They locked a solid through their reflections.

“I believe this belongs to you.” He whispered under her ear. And despite everything, despite the warmth of his body or his breath on her skin, Serrina could not take her eyes off the necklace. The dressing room was not dark, and the jewels on the triangles were only jewels. But she could have sworn they had started to shine the moment they’d touched her skin.