Evening – Imperial Palace
Seraphina's POV
The carriage ride back from the academy was the most awkward one of my life.
I sat stiffly, staring at the opposite window, while Kael sat silently across from me—equally quiet, equally tense.
We didn't exchange a single word the entire way.
What even happened back there…?
I touched my cheek. It still felt warm.
My heart had been beating out of rhythm ever since.
Was that really a… kiss?
I shook my head furiously, trying to dismiss the memory.
But the moment flashed in my mind again—his arms, his eyes, that soft jolt of contact.
I groaned softly, covering my face with my hands.
What is this strange feeling in my chest…?
Did I catch a cold or something?
That must be it. Yes. A cold.
Not… something else.
Right?
---
Kael's POV – Later That Night, in His Study
Kael sat behind a mountain of documents, quill in hand—but the ink had stopped flowing.
He hadn't moved in ten minutes.
Instead, his mind kept playing that scene on repeat.
The sudden jolt, the way she'd landed, how soft she'd felt, how near their lips had—
He leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair.
What was that…?
His chest still felt too tight.
His pulse still too quick.
It was just an accident.
An incidental peck.
From a… pet.
Yes. That's it. Like… a squirrel.
He slapped a hand over his face.
Why does that make it worse?
Just then, Thorne's voice cut through the air.
"Your Highness? You've been staring at the same page for quite a while. Something happen at the academy?"
Kael froze.
"…Nothing," he said quickly, standing up so fast his chair nearly tipped.
"I'll… finish these tomorrow. I think I might've… caught a cold."
Thorne blinked.
"Caught a cold?"
Kael was already halfway out the door, muttering under his breath.
"A fever called Seraphina…"