Queen Aethelred, famed across kingdoms for her breathtaking beauty, chose *me* of all people to be her Consort Queen. Every time I returned in my armor from battle, she’d look at me with utter disdain, “Why aren’t you dead yet?” Then, after eight years, I found myself clinging to life by a thread. She glared at the woman holding me, her eyes filled with chilling malice. “You’re abandoning me for *this* beast-kin?” she fumed, her voice dripping with fury. Yup, because a younger woman is just incredibly enchanting. 0 On the day of Queen Aethelred’s ascension, dignitaries arrived from every corner of the realm. Royalty from neighboring kingdoms flocked, eager to witness her famed beauty. As her newly crowned Consort Queen, I had barely finished my coronation ceremony before she dispatched me to the front lines that very night. My wedding night was spent alone, in a cold war tent. But at that moment, I regretted nothing. Marrying the woman I adored while also fulfilling my family’s legacy? It felt like winning the grandest lottery. With a fierce surge of strength, I dominated the battlefield, returning victorious soon after. The entire court roared, “Long live the Queen! All hail the Consort Queen!” Queen Aethelred merely scoffed, casting a contemptuous glance at me, still kneeling in the grand hall. “That scar on your neck is hideous,” she sneered, then turned and swept into her private chambers, leaving me to the buzzing whispers of the court. She wanted beauty, didn’t she? Back in my royal apartments, I diligently followed the royal physician’s orders, taking elixirs and applying salves every single day. “My Queen, look.” I eagerly showed Queen Aethelred my neck, now bearing only a faint line. “Ugly people always make a scene,” Queen Aethelred said, without even a glance. With a dismissive wave of her hand, she sent me back to the battlefield. That perfect profile uttered such a callous remark. I pouted, but still donned my armor to expand her kingdom’s borders. With the Consort Queen herself on the front lines, and the granddaughter of the famed Thorne family, a founding pillar of the kingdom, morale soared. Victory reports poured in. On the day of my triumphant return to the capital, the palace walls were adorned with festive lights and banners. Daisy, my personal attendant, was even more excited than I was. “My Lady, look! The Queen still cares for you!” Just as I thought I had finally warmed Queen Aethelred’s heart of stone, I drew closer and realized – this wasn’t a celebration of *my* triumph. This was Queen Aethelred taking a new bride. 0
On the high platform, Lyra Vane was radiant, dazzling in a magnificent ceremonial gown that outshone even my own wedding dress. Except for a full queen’s diadem, her attire and the surrounding rituals were practically identical to a new Consort Queen’s. In stark contrast, I was still in my full battle armor, dust-stained and disheveled, with fresh, unhealed scars on my hands. I looked more like a mere subject than a royal consort. My sudden interruption of the ceremony seemed to shock Queen Aethelred more than me. She blurted out, “You’re not dead yet?” All the questions, all the hurt, choked in my throat, unable to escape. The gazes of the entire assembly turned to me, and in that instant, I felt like I was standing utterly alone against the world. Seeing my silence, Queen Aethelred waved for someone to escort me away to rest, while her other hand clasped that of her ‘true love,’ Lyra Vane. Lyra Vane lowered her delicate fan, a smirk playing on her lips as she smiled at me. How dared this child of a disgraced traitor provoke me so openly? I drew my sword and pointed it directly at her, eliciting a sharp shriek. Chaos erupted in the great hall as guards dragged me out, half-coaxing, half-forcing. I watched as Lyra Vane, tucked safely in Queen Aethelred’s embrace, smugly raised an eyebrow at me. As fireworks burst into bloom outside my chambers, confined within the palace walls, I felt the first stirrings of doubt. Was the one I loved truly so despicable? Or was it *me* who wasn’t good enough? Yet she had once been so gentle. When we first met, I had fallen into the river, and she, heedless of danger, had rescued me. Those dark eyes, filled with the sparkle of a starlit night, were an incomparable memory. Daisy’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Alright, My Lady, you’ve told that story for eight years now. I could recite it by heart.” I was about to retort when urgent alarm bells suddenly rang out from beyond the palace walls. Assassins had infiltrated the palace! “She’s in danger!” I grabbed my sword, not even bothering to change, and scaled the high walls in just my sheer nightwear, rushing to Queen Aethelred’s aid. There were far more assassins than I imagined. By the time I reached Queen Aethelred’s private chambers, I found it littered with fallen guards. A blade flashed directly at Queen Aethelred’s throat; I rushed forward to block it. Turning, I saw Queen Aethelred comforting Lyra Vane, who was nestled in her arms behind me. Distracted for a moment, my left arm was pierced. More assassins quickly arrived, and I gradually found myself overwhelmed. “Aethelred! Call the guards!” Silence stretched behind me. I looked back, and Queen Aethelred was already at the chamber door, Lyra Vane clutched in her arms, fleeing. A cold dread seized me. I looked down to see blood dripping from the sword impaled in my chest. As I fell, I thought I saw Queen Aethelred shouting something from a distance. The world plunged into darkness, but through the fading silence, a furious female voice echoed in my ears: “Who told you to hurt *her*?!” 0
In the haze, I saw those dark eyes, brimming with concern. A wave of warmth surged through my chest, and the drowning sensation vanished instantly. I reached out, my fingers brushing against something soft and furry. A clear, melodic female voice spoke: “Seraphina, you haven’t repaid what you owe me yet. You’re not allowed to die.” The voice was utterly unfamiliar. How did she know my name? Through the blur, those dark eyes sharpened into focus. When my senses fully returned, I found myself in an unfamiliar room. Beside my bed sat the General’s wife of the Whispering Woods Tribe. As a child, our families had been close, and my grandfather often brought me to meet the General and his wife. Elder Elara, seeing me awake, was overjoyed. “She truly didn’t deceive me,” she murmured. When I questioned her, Elder Elara simply told me to rest and heal. I would know everything once I recovered. The Whispering Woods Tribe were the humans most deeply connected to nature’s essence. Here, I received excellent care, and my body recovered day by day. Elder Elara also informed me that she hadn’t heard anything about the Queen searching for me. Ignoring Elder Elara’s pleas, I decided to return to the capital. To the rhythm of drums and strings, a masked woman in red danced gracefully. Three fox tails swayed behind her. Beneath her white mask, a pair of upward-tilting eyes shimmered like water. I was mesmerized. Among the beast-kin, foxes were known for their striking beauty, so I presumed she was from the Foxkin tribe. To my surprise, the Foxkin, with whom I’d had no prior contact, presented her to me as a companion for my return journey. Before I departed, Elder Elara gravely advised me: if I ever faced danger, I *must* return with the beast-kin, Elysia. The masked woman silently met my gaze. I nodded, and together, I took the fox-kin back to the capital. 0
Every time I returned to the capital with my forces, the city would be adorned with festive lights and banners, but never once was it for me. This time was no exception. When I appeared, the city guards bowed respectfully, not daring to impede me. I entered the palace unimpeded, only to find this was Queen Aethelred’s grand celebration. She had finally gotten her wish: her ‘true love’ had ascended to the Consort Queen’s throne, to stay by her side. With the new Consort Queen’s ascension and *my* sudden appearance, the grand hall erupted in a commotion. The old ministers whispered frantically, debating how to respond in accordance with ancient laws. Queen Aethelred, a rare look of joy on her face, hurried down from the high platform. She rushed towards me, then reined in her smile, preemptively demanding, “Where have you been all this time? I thought you were dead!” Before I could even open my mouth, Elysia, behind me, let out a disdainful snort. Lyra Vane then approached, observing Queen Aethelred’s expression before turning to me with feigned concern. “It’s good you’re back, Sister. The Queen was very worried about you.” I gazed at the familiar wedding decorations around us, then glanced at the diadem on Lyra Vane’s head. I let out a soft, hollow laugh. “Oh, really?” Our ancestral teachings demanded I dedicate myself entirely to the Queen’s dynasty, just like my forebears. I was to embody the ideal Consort Queen, bringing stability and peace to the people. But now, it seemed I had married the wrong person and failed in my sacred duty. Queen Aethelred, too, glanced at the diadem. Her voice was laced with frantic urgency as she defended, “That’s not *your* diadem.” Elysia seemed to have had enough. “Of course not. Why would a new love wear an old crown? An old flame can’t compare to a fresh one.” I put a hand on Elysia’s arm, my gaze fixed on Queen Aethelred. I spoke just three words: “I want a divorce.” Since the founding of the kingdom, no Consort Queen had ever dared to propose a divorce. Wouldn’t this be a direct affront to Queen Aethelred’s authority? But I, Seraphina Thorne, had served the kingdom and its people flawlessly since becoming Consort Queen. The Queen had no grounds to dismiss me. In the past, Queen Aethelred had abandoned me to die, and today, she disregarded my honor so brazenly, shaming my ancestors. I absolutely would not tolerate it any longer. My declaration sent shockwaves through the hall. The elderly ministers seemed more agitated than Queen Aethelred herself, rushing forward to plead, “No, Your Majesty, you mustn’t!” Lyra Vane, however, watched Queen Aethelred’s reaction with an almost gleeful anticipation. Queen Aethelred froze for a moment, staring at me in disbelief. Once she realized I wasn’t joking, she suddenly looked as though she’d been dealt a crushing blow. She snatched my wrist. “Come back to the palace with me!” 0 A flash of white, and Elysia was between us, pushing Queen Aethelred and me apart. “Are you deaf?” she snapped. “She said she wants a divorce.”
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