Thalion had known many noblewomen.
It came with the title. He had met daughters of merchant dynasties, aristocrats trained to flatter, and diplomats' children raised on strategy. Some had sharp minds. Some had polished manners. A few even had both. But most tried too hard to be what they thought royalty wanted.
They smiled because it was expected. They said a lot without saying much. Their loyalty was always wrapped in vague promises and forgettable compliments.
None of them stayed with him. Not for long.
But Seraphina D'Lorien did.
The moment she walked into the Solar, something shifted. Not dramatically. Not like thunder. But like a change in the air before a storm. You couldn't see it, but you felt it settle in your chest.
She didn't walk in demanding attention. She didn't speak first. She didn't need to. The room adjusted to her presence. Not the other way around.
She didn't radiate rage or desperation. She didn't act defiant or hungry for praise. She wasn't trying to be anything. And that, in itself, made her stand out.
Seraphina moved with a kind of quiet control. Like someone who had learned to survive by being smart, not loud. She was focused. Grounded. Clear.
Thalion watched her from across the room. Not because he was supposed to. Not because it was strategic. But because he wanted to.
He had grown up around power. But this was something else entirely.
When she spoke during the court proceedings, she never raised her voice. She didn't posture. She didn't try to sell a version of herself. She just presented the facts and let the silence carry the weight.
He admired that.
More than admired it. It steadied him.
He had been tasked with watching the whole room. He was supposed to gauge the reactions of nobles, assess the risks, and interpret the subtle shifts in loyalty. But his eyes kept returning to her.
Caelan stood beside her, unreadable as ever. A soldier through and through. Loyal, calm, disciplined.
But Thalion barely noticed him. That alone surprised him. He usually noticed everyone. But not this time.
There was no jealousy. No sense of rivalry.
Just clarity.
Seraphina had his full attention, and she had not asked for it. She wasn't trying to earn anything. She wasn't even aware of it.
He found her beautiful, but not in a polished, arranged way. Her hair wasn't styled to seduce. Her clothing wasn't designed to reveal. Yet somehow, every movement she made felt intentional. Calm. Assertive. Unshakably herself.
There was elegance in that. There was control.
She didn't try to take up space. But space bent around her anyway.
When she passed close to him and their hands brushed briefly, something clicked into place.
It wasn't nerves. It wasn't some court-trained spark of flirtation. It was real.
It felt like magic. Not in the dramatic sense. Not something explosive. But in the way a note resonates when struck in perfect harmony with another.
Warm. Low. Steady.
He had felt magic many times before. It was part of his training. But this wasn't taught. This wasn't measured. It wasn't someone else's system imposed on them.
It was instinct.
Her magic didn't flare. It didn't lash out. It recognized his. Like a door quietly clicking open between two rooms that had always shared a wall.
Thalion hadn't moved. He hadn't pulled back. He had simply accepted the moment for what it was.
Seraphina had noticed it too. He had seen the way her breath caught, just for a second. The way her spine straightened. Her eyes had flicked to him, uncertain but aware.
She had masked it quickly. Gone right back to composed and in control.
But he had seen the shift.
It mattered.
She hadn't meant for it to happen. Neither had he. But it had. And it stayed with him.
Not because it was loud.
Because it felt honest.
If Thalion was ever going to fall for someone, this was how it would happen.
Not with grand speeches or court-approved matches.
With quiet alignment. With shared ground.
She made him feel focused. Not distracted. Not overwhelmed.
Just steady.
And he realized something that startled him more than anything else.
He didn't want to possess her.
He wanted to be worthy of standing beside her.
That thought stuck with him even now, as he waited just outside the Solar, pacing only once before stopping himself. He wasn't a man who fidgeted. But this moment felt different.
Eleanor had told him she was speaking to Seraphina first. He had respected that. It was the Empress's right.
But now the doors were opening, and the steward gestured him forward.
He entered the Solar.
Seraphina stood near the long table, her hand resting lightly on the velvet case. She wasn't holding the ring. But she wasn't avoiding it either.
Eleanor had stepped back, letting space open between them.
The crown prince crossed the room with even steps. No rush. No hesitation.
Seraphina turned to face him fully.
"Your Highness," she said.
"Seraphina," he replied. "You don't have to use the title."
Eleanor gave them both a brief glance and turned toward the exit.
"I've said what I needed to say," she told them. "I'll leave you two to speak freely."
When she was gone, the Solar felt quieter, though no less serious.
Seraphina looked back at Thalion.
"I assume you already know what she offered."
Thalion nodded. "I do. It was my proposal."
Seraphina kept her tone steady. "Then you've already made your decision."
"I have," he said. "Not out of obligation. I believe the Empire needs someone who doesn't just hold power, but understands how to carry it. That's you."
She studied him for a moment. "So this is about more than appearances."
"It's about what comes after all of this. And who I trust to shape it with me."
She crossed her arms, not defensively, but as if bracing for something direct.
"And what does standing beside you mean?" she asked. "Is it a partnership? A crown for convenience? Or something else?"
"It means exactly what we agree it means," Thalion said. "I will not dictate that to you."
That made her pause.
"You don't want a wife in name only," she said.
"No," he replied. "I want someone who matches me. Someone who brings strength, not obedience."
"And Caelan?" she asked.
Thalion's jaw tightened for a moment. Just enough to catch.
"I know he's important to you," he said. "I've seen it. And I won't insult you by pretending it doesn't matter."
Seraphina watched him closely. "But it's not something you're comfortable with."
"I'm not competing with him," Thalion said. "But I also won't ignore what's real. If I'm offering you a place at the center of this empire, I need to know you're choosing it fully."
She held his gaze. "That's fair."
His voice stayed even. "Whatever you decide with him, just be honest about it. Not for the court. For me."
There was weight behind that request. Not jealousy. Not weakness. Just a man drawing his own line.
Seraphina tilted her head. "You've really thought this through."
"I don't offer rings lightly," Thalion said.
She gave a low laugh. "You're remarkably composed for someone walking into a political firestorm."
He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "That's how I survive them."
Silence settled between them again.
Seraphina looked at the ring case, then back at him.
"I haven't made a decision," she said.
"I didn't expect you to," he replied. "But I meant what I said. I think you belong at the center of this court. Not as a symbol. Not as a token. As yourself."
She nodded slowly. "And if I decline?"
"I'll still support you," Thalion said. "Because the truth you brought forward matters more than any alliance. I'd rather stand beside you as an ally than lose your integrity to make a match work."
She didn't expect that.
He meant it. She saw it in his eyes. He had already committed to the bigger picture.
Thalion stepped closer. Not too close. Just enough that she could see the quiet steadiness in him.
"You don't have to give me an answer today," he said. "But I want you to know this wasn't about power. It was about trust."
She looked at him carefully, her mind turning through the implications, the risks, the possibilities.
And she realized something.
He wasn't trying to fix her. He wasn't trying to use her.
He was offering something solid.
Not perfect. Not easy.
But honest.
She could work with that.