THRONS OF THE CROWN

Chapter 7 : Under the Moonlit Sky(kale's POV)

Chapter 7: Under the Moonlight Sky 

(Kael's POV)

I've fought many battles, each one harder than the last. But not for the throne, not for my father. I fought for recognition. I fought to prove myself worthy of something—anything—that might give me the validation I always longed for.

But my father never saw me.

I spent years chasing a ghost—hoping that one day, he might look at me and say, "Well done, my son." I remember being a child, standing in the shadows of the great hall, watching him hold court as if I didn't exist. He never had time for me. Not when he had his ministers, his advisors, his endless plans to secure the crown. I was just another heir, another duty he didn't want to acknowledge.

Then came my mother's death.

I didn't understand it at the time, but I was old enough to feel the weight of it. The coldness that spread through our house, through my father. The way he shut down when she was gone. She was the only one who ever made me feel like I mattered. But the crown came first. Always.

He sacrificed her for his throne, and I couldn't—wouldn't—accept that. My mother, the only person who ever loved me unconditionally, was discarded like a pawn in his pursuit of power. I wasn't old enough to understand it then, but now? Now, I know. She wasn't just another queen to him. She was a tool, a step in his ascent to the throne.

And I—his son—was never enough to make him choose differently.

I remember standing by her grave, my heart heavy, but the real weight was in my chest, the understanding that my father never cared enough to fight for her.

Maybe I never mattered. Not to him.

After she was gone, I stopped caring about his approval. I stopped hoping for his love. I fought not for him, not for his throne, but because I wanted something more. I wanted respect. I wanted to show him that I wasn't just some heir to be forgotten. I wanted to prove to myself that I could be something beyond the bloodline I was born into.

But then, there was Seraine.

It started out so awkward. She was so reserved, so quiet. At first, I had no idea what to make of her. She was different from everyone else in the court. She wasn't impressed by my title, by my name. And honestly? That was a relief.

She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, even if she hesitated at times. I remember when we were first paired for a mission together. We were investigating gold smuggling, a simple mission at first glance. But the way she approached it... it wasn't about the mission to her. It was about something more—something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

We were sitting by the fire one night, after a long day's travel. The wind was biting, the night cold and unforgiving. She sat across from me, eyes cast downward, unwilling to look me in the eye. There was a tension in the air that neither of us could ignore.

"Prince Kael..." she started hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. She had never addressed me casually, and it was as if the formality in her words kept us at a distance. She was always careful, never crossing that line, never letting herself forget who I was.

I could see the struggle on her face, the way her lips parted like she wanted to say more, but held back. "You don't have to be so formal with me, Seraine," I said, trying to ease the tension. "You've earned the right to call me Kael."

Her eyes flickered to mine, and she stiffened. "But you're the prince, I can't just—" She paused, biting her lip. "I don't want to offend you."

I sighed, leaning back, trying to relax. "Offend me? You couldn't offend me if you tried."