CHAPTER 243: _UNTIL WE’RE READY

Aurora’s POV

*****

"Here we are." Seraphyne stretched out her arms, gesturing at the dimly lit bar of the Howling Wolf Hotel when they stepped in.

Aurora scanned her eyes around, noticing some odd things.

Multiple claw marks scraped the walls. A few pieces of broken glass still littered the floor, crunching under her boots. The air still smelt faintly of death and blood despite the presence of workers cleaning up.

"You know I mentioned the Dark Hand sending an Umbra beast to attack..." Sera spun around to explain. "... Some moments after you left yesterday."

The princess couldn’t help feeling guilty, letting out a heavy breath. "If... If I hadn’t gone around poking my nose into their business, they wouldn’t have—"

"Hey, hey, hey..." Seraphyne rushed to her, grabbing her hands and forcing her to look into her eyes. "Under no circumstances and in no universe was it your fault."

Aurora scoffed, looking away from her.

But Seraphyne didn’t let her dwell on the guilt.

"If anything," she grabbed Aurora’s chin, slowly bringing her gaze back to her. "They might’ve sent it here for me. You know... With my past dealings with them and all."

Oh, right.

Aurora managed a smile but before either of them could say anything else, a male voice barked from the counter.

"Sera, darling!"

Aurora glanced only to see a man in his late fifties walking around the counter with his arms spread out in a hug. He had a grey moustache, wore an ash vest on top of a white shirt and looked like your typical bubbly uncle.

"Movik." Sera beamed, walking past Aurora and heading for the man. "Oh, thank the gods you’re okay."

They hugged, leaving the princess standing there awkwardly like a third wheel.

"Thank the gods for me? I should be thanking them for you!" The man, Movik, shouted dramatically, pulling out of the hug. "After the attack last night you just left. It’s nighttime again, and you’re just coming back. Do you know how—"

"Take it easy, Movik." Seraphyne cooed gently, patting his partially bald head. "One thing at a time. We don’t want you getting a heart attack."

"Young lady, I’ve got several decades ahead of me." Movik swatted her hand away, causing her to giggle.

Aurora stood silently, not knowing if she should be relieved that he didn’t seem to notice her presence or annoyed. On second thoughts... Why the heck would she be annoyed at avoiding a man’s attention?

’Sera seems close to him.’ she thought to herself, her eyes fleeting between them.

Movik’s eyes finally trailed to Aurora, squinting suspiciously at first before glinting with surprise. "Goddess! P–Princess Aurora?"

Sigh... So much for no attention.

Aurora smiled faintly, glancing around. Looks like the workers left already. She’s never been more thankful for a room being empty.

Movik bowed slightly, placing one hand on his chest. "Forgive me for not noticing you. Sera here can be a wild card. I’m just overjoyed seeing my favourite worker again."

Worker?

Oh... He must be the owner of the hotel.

She nodded, about to speak when Seraphyne grunted. "Ugh, please. So you’re only worried that your favourite worker wasn’t here to serve customers?"

"What customers? The ones who ran or the ones who got killed?"

Gods, the banter between them was getting a tad bit... Annoying?

Aurora pressed her lips awkwardly, forcing herself not to say anything. Until—

"Where are my manners?" Seraphyne hit her forehead with a frustrated sigh, walking back to Aurora’s side. "Actually, I’ve been away today because our dear princess kept me company."

Aurora’s face heated up with a violent blush, almost choking on her own saliva. Keep her company? Why did that sound scandalous in so many ways?!

Movik nodded once, giving Aurora a single glance again. "Company... So, you’re friends with the royals or...?"

Shit. There it is. The moment of truth.

No one else knew. No one else, other than her family, knew Seraphyne was her mate. Nor did they catch any signs that she was dating again after Magnus.

To the whole Empire, Aurora was still just a sad single pumpkin... Or, at least, that’s what she thought.

"Something like that." Seraphyne wrapped an arm around Aurora’s shoulders, pressing her closer to herself. "We went for a little shopping and a lunch date too."

The forced smile on Aurora’s face right now was so uncomfortable that her cheeks felt like it was going to fall off. Gods above, could Seraphyne just—

"That’s... Nice." Movik still squinted but didn’t say anything beyond that, turning to the entrance of the bar. "Well, if you two are sleeping here tonight, you can use the usual room. Alpha Prince Lucian is about to start his live broadcast and I don’t want to miss it."

He paused, bowing slightly in front of Aurora again. "It was really lovely meeting you. Please, don’t get pestered by little Sera’s... Excesses."

Seraphyne made a dramatic sound while Aurora stifled a chuckle. But Movik already walked past them, a holographic screen flickering to life in front of him.

"Can you believe him?" Seraphyne rolled her eyes, tugging at Aurora slightly. "Am I pestering you?"

Aurora blinked at her, genuinely not knowing what to say.

But she did know one thing in her head though.

This was going to be one long night...

.

.

"We haven’t really discussed a lot of things about our relationship." Aurora began when she and Seraphyne stepped into the hotel room.

It was similar to the one she slept in that other night when she crashed the hotel with the boys. But it was still a room in a tier one hotel nonetheless.

A hotel which was still within Moon Haven city. Which still had the palace and all its drama in it.

"A lot of things?" Seraphyne closed the door behind them, carrying a few bags they’d taken from the aether craft. "Like... What? And why do I feel like I’m about to be lectured?"

Aurora froze, arching a brow and crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"A lecture?" she repeated, a wry smile twitching on her lips. "Not exactly. I just..."

She exhaled, glancing around the room. The polished marble floors, the velvet curtains, the faint city glow bleeding through the balcony doors.

"I’m not sure I’m ready to announce to the world that I’m no longer single."

Seraphyne blinked, caught off guard. "You mean the broadcast? Or Movik’s little jab?"

"Both," Aurora replied quickly, setting her bag on the armchair by the bed. "And that look he gave us downstairs? I’m pretty sure he suspects something."

Sera chuckled under her breath, her voice low and teasing. "Movik? Please. He’s too busy gossiping about other people’s lives to care about mine. And even if he noticed anything, he won’t tell anyone."

She kicked off her boots and sprawled onto the couch, eyes glinting in the lamplight. "He’s chill like that."

Aurora frowned slightly. "Still... It’s not just about him." She hesitated, fiddling with her necklace. "I just don’t want it to look like I’m hiding you."

That made Seraphyne pause mid-stretch.

She sat up, studying Aurora carefully.

"Wait. Are you saying you are hiding me? Like..." She gestured vaguely, her tone turning sharp with sudden insecurity. "You’re trying to make me your little secret?"

Aurora’s eyes widened. "What? No! That’s not what I meant." She moved closer, kneeling beside the couch so they were eye level.

"I don’t want to keep you a secret, Sera. I just... I don’t want the attention. From anyone. Not the royal court, not the media, and definitely not the Dark Hand."

At that, Seraphyne’s expression softened. The tension in her shoulders melted, her posture loosening. "Aurora—"

"It’s not fear," Aurora added quickly, her voice quieter now. "It’s exhaustion. Every time something happens with me — even the tiniest thing — it gets twisted into headlines or court rumours. I’m not ready to give them this. Not yet."

Seraphyne’s lips parted, but no words came out. She looked at Aurora for a long, still moment. Then she reached out, brushing her thumb across Aurora’s cheek.

"I get it," she murmured. "And... for what it’s worth, I don’t mind waiting."

Aurora met her gaze, the warmth in her chest almost enough to burn away the unease lingering there. Almost.

"Are we staying here long?" she asked after a moment, needing to change the subject before the emotion in Seraphyne’s eyes made her melt completely. "When I said I wanted to move out, I didn’t exactly imagine a hotel still inside Moon Haven."

Seraphyne sighed, leaning back into the couch. "Yeah, I know. It’s temporary." Her gaze drifted toward the window.

"I’m finalising a new place in Solrune City. Smaller and quieter. It’s not ready yet — security wards still need reinforcing, and I don’t want to risk anything with the Dark Hand sniffing around."

Aurora hummed thoughtfully. "Solrune... that’s a few hours away by aether craft."

"Exactly." Sera’s lips curved in a faint smirk. "Far enough for peace, close enough for trouble to still find us."

That earned a small laugh from Aurora.

She sat beside Seraphyne, their shoulders brushing lightly. For a while, neither spoke. The quiet between them wasn’t heavy, just... fragile. Intimate.

Seraphyne’s hand found hers. "You know," she whispered, voice softer now, "for someone who doesn’t want attention, you have a way of pulling all of mine."

Aurora’s cheeks heated. "You’re impossible."

"Mm. And you love it."

Before Aurora could come up with a retort, something caught her eye — movement by the window. Her head turned instinctively.

There, perched on the windowsill, was a bird.

Blacker than night, its feathers rippled faintly under the moonlight seeping through the glass.

Its eyes glowed with a deep, pulsing red light that made Aurora’s stomach twist.

"...Sera," she said quietly. "Don’t move."

Seraphyne frowned, following her gaze. "What is—"

The bird cawed sharply, the sound slicing through the silence like a blade. Aurora stood slowly, drawn toward it, every instinct screaming that something wasn’t right.

It tilted its head, watching her with uncanny stillness. Almost as if it knew her.

Then, before she could reach the window, it spread its wings and flew off into the night, leaving a faint trail of red sparks behind it.

Aurora’s heart pounded. She exhaled shakily and stepped closer, her gaze falling on the sill.

There — in the dim light — lay a single black feather.

Its tip shimmered faintly crimson.

And even before Seraphyne reached her side, Aurora could feel it. The residue of something dark watching and waiting.

"Looks like," Seraphyne whispered, voice tight with realization, "we’ve been found."