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The Serpent’s Curse & Reborn Queen - Full HD #stor
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00:04When the first king rode to war, he met a great serpent on the road and cut it into eight
00:09pieces
00:09with his sword. From that day forward, every prince born of royal blood carried the curse.
00:14A spirit serpent would mark them at birth as a tattoo on their skin, visible only to certain
00:19eyes. On their 20th birthday, the tattoo would wake, take living form, and drain the prince of
00:25his life. The only way to break the curse was to marry a serpent tamer, and in every generation,
00:31there was only one. In my previous life, the queen arranged my marriage to the crown prince.
00:37After we were joined, the tattoo faded. The crown prince survived, but my half-sister Seraphine had
00:43been in love with him for years. When he did not choose her, she was married off to a brutal
00:47lord
00:48and died under his cruelty. My father blamed him. To make amends for what he felt he owed her,
00:53he poisoned my mother and took Seraphine's mother, Lady Sura, as his new wife. On the anniversary of
01:00Seraphine's death, the crown prince had me thrown into the royal punishment chamber. I was sewn into
01:05a sack. 99 rats tore at me for 10 days. That is how I died. You call yourself a serpent
01:12tamer? Why
01:12didn't you call the serpents to devour the rats? You were nothing but a fraud who wanted to attach
01:16yourself to the crown prince. You caused Seraphine's death for your own gain. I will make you suffer a
01:21thousand times what she endured. When I opened my eyes again, I was in the past. It was the day
01:27the queen had summoned me to the palace. I knelt. Your majesty, I ask you to reconsider. I have not
01:33yet developed the gift of foresight. I'm afraid I cannot tame the serpent for the crown prince.
01:38Only a serpent tamer could see the tattoo. That sight was a gift. Anyone who could not see it was
01:43no
01:44serpent tamer at all. The queen frowned and was quiet for a moment. But the oracle's prophecy has never
01:49been wrong. Perhaps your gift has not yet surfaced at your age. Go to the crown prince's residence
01:53first. The doors burst open. The crown prince strode in. Caelan knelt and Seraphine beside him.
01:59I will not marry Alara. I want to marry her half-sister Seraphine. Mother, please give us your
02:04blessing. The queen rebuked him gently. Caelan held his ground. Mother, Alara bribed the oracle to
02:09fabricate the curse. Our royal bloodline is blessed by heaven. No serpent can touch me. The queen pressed two
02:14fingers to her temple. You foolish boy. I was the serpent tamer of my generation. Do you think
02:20your father would have survived if he hadn't married me? Your uncles, every single one of them
02:24died at 20. I watched it happen with my own eyes. Her eyes had gone red. She came down from
02:31the throne
02:31and lifted Caelan to his feet. I drove the oracle day and night to read the stars before I found
02:37her.
02:37Your 20th birthday is five days away. There is no time left. Caelan set his jaw. Star readings can
02:45be wrong. The oracle may have confused the two sisters. Seraphine has the gift of foresight as
02:49well. She is the serpent tamer. I want her. The queen paused and looked at Seraphine. Can you see
02:55the tattoo on the crown prince? Where is it? Seraphine stared at Caelan for a long moment. The tattoo is
03:02on his right arm. A white serpent. The crease between the queen's brows smoothed. The same as
03:08what I see. Then you are the serpent tamer. I kept my face still and laughed inside. Before I even
03:14reached the palace after waking into this new life, I told Seraphine exactly one thing. Before
03:20the crown prince turned 20, there would be a white serpent tattoo on his right arm. That was all she
03:25needed to know. But once Caelan turned 20, the serpent would wake and move. And Seraphine, who had no gift
03:31at all, would have nothing left to say. This was how I planned to escape the fate that had killed
03:35me.
03:36In my first life, the queen had forced the marriage based on the oracle's word, and Caelan had blamed
03:40me for Seraphine's death. When I died, the rats had torn through every vein in my body. The pain felt
03:46like it had never left. A chill crawled up my spine, and I shuddered. The queen thought for a moment.
03:52Very well. Seraphina will marry the crown princess. The wedding will take place in five days,
03:57on his 20th birthday. Caelan's eyes lit up. Seraphine bowed her thanks and turned to look
04:02at me. Sister, you fabricated a lie trying to take my place and get close to the crown prince.
04:06What punishment do you deserve for that? Caelan's voice was cold.
04:10Alera is vain and greedy. He paused, then softened slightly. Since this is a first fence,
04:16corporal punishment. A small lesson. The queen smiled and waved for all three of us to rise.
04:22Alera just refused that proposal herself. You have both misunderstood her. A flash of frustration
04:28crossed Seraphine's face. Caelan looked at me with confusion and suspicion. Are you still planning
04:33something? Congratulations to the crown prince and his bride. I bowed to them both. Since this was all
04:39a misunderstanding, I'll take my leave. The queen sighed. The oracle has never been wrong, but something
04:46still unsettles me. Alera, stay at the prime minister's estate for now. If Seraphine cannot
04:53tame the serpent, you will be taken as a concubine. I breathed in, bowed my thanks and turned to go.
05:00The moment my back was to them, the heat left my face. In this life, I would not let them
05:05move me
05:05like a piece on a board. When I walked back to the prime minister's estate, Caelan and Seraphine had
05:10already arrived ahead of me by carriage. Lady Sura looked at me once and gave a cold laugh. You tried
05:15to
05:16climb above your station and ended up a laughing stock. Using your body to court the powerful,
05:21you are lower than a street rat. My father's voice was stern. You committed an offense against
05:27the royal household. If Seraphine had not come forward, you would have dragged the entire family
05:31down with you. He stopped, then issued orders immediately. Alera did all of this at her mother's
05:36direction. Move her mother to the servant's quarter. Lady Sura and Seraphine will take the main
05:41rooms. My mother had broken both legs years ago and had been bedridden since. My father
05:46had not visited her once. Now that Seraphine had secured the crown prince, he dropped all
05:51pretense. The servants went to take my mother away. I panicked and ran after them. My father
05:56caught me. You are also punished. You will serve dinner tonight. I had no choice but to stay.
06:02I served dishes, poured water, and carried the washbasin. After the meal, I was taking the
06:07plates to the kitchen when I turned a corner and nearly walked into Caelan, coming back from
06:11the courtyard, his guards behind him. I tried to go around him. He moved fast and blocked
06:16my way. Alara, in the previous life, you caused Seraphine's death and paid with your own.
06:22That debt is settled. But in this life, do not think for a moment about interfering with anything
06:27between me and Seraphine. His next words came out like charity. If you conduct yourself properly,
06:32I may consider making you a compime as my mother suggested. You will show Seraphine the respect
06:37she is owed. Every morning you will bow to her and prepare her tea. Your highness, when did I say
06:42I wanted to marry you? I know you were also reborn. You deceived my mother in the previous life.
06:48You wanted to be crown princess. You gave that up today. It must be guilt. You and Seraphine
06:53belong together. I have no intention of getting in the way. I met his eyes. Caelan's face flushed with
06:59anger. Don't be ungrateful. Offering you a place as Cubgyne is already far more than you deserve.
07:04If my mother issues a royal decree, you will come even as a servant. I will not say this twice.
07:10In
07:10five days, I will come for Seraphine. I will carry her into the Pelcaine myself. Don't stand there
07:15weeping and blaming me for leaving you behind. Seraphine had come to find him. She found him
07:20and settled into the curve of his arm. A breeze carried the scent of roses into the courtyard.
07:26Seraphine sneezed. That smell is unbearable. If I have to breathe it every day after I move into
07:31the main rooms, I won't be able to stand it. Simple enough. Caelan turned to his guards.
07:35Pull them all out. Those roses were my mother's life's work. Before she came to this estate,
07:40she had run a flower shop that was known throughout the region. After marrying my father, she had spent
07:45years cultivating rare varieties and giving them to him as gifts. When she lost the use of her legs,
07:51looking at those flowers through the window was the only comfort she had left. If they were destroyed,
07:56those varieties would be gone forever. No one would ever grow them again. Stop! This is the
08:01Prime Minister's estate. You dare touch anything here without his permission? The guards hesitated
08:06and looked at Caelan. My father came over at the sound of my voice. Do as his hide-mise commands.
08:12Once Lady Sura moves into this courtyard, keeping those flowers will only displease her. After my
08:17mother lost her legs, my father had done everything he could to make her happy. He attended those flowers
08:22himself. He used to carry her out to the garden so she could smell them and watch the stars. But
08:28years of her illness had changed him. My eyes were burning. I kept my voice quiet. Give me one day
08:33to move them to the building where my mother is staying. Can you do that? Both my father and Caelan
08:38hesitated. Then Seraphine screamed. Something bit me! Her hand had been stung, a red welt rising on the
08:43skin. Caelan caught the insect and waved his hand. What are you all standing there for? Do it now.
08:49My father nodded. They hurt my daughter. Those flowers should go.
08:55I threw myself into the rose beds, desperate to save just a few roses. But a dozen guards and
09:01servants were already tearing every plant out by the roots, ripping them into pieces. I knelt in the
09:06mud, unable to move, unable to do anything. What are you grieving for? Those flowers mean nothing.
09:11Your mother should die sooner. You want to know how her leg was broken? On the mountaintop,
09:15my mother pushed her. I couldn't breathe. My mother had been healthy once. Since that fall,
09:21she had never been the same. Half of her life had been taken from her. I lost control. I slapped
09:26Seraphine hard across the face. Her cheeks swelled immediately. She fell and started crying. My father
09:32walked over at once, had two guards pin my arms, and struck me across the face ten times. My head
09:38was
09:38splitting. Through the pain, I shouted at him. Lady Sura did this to my mother. My father's expression
09:45shifted into something strange. You're quiet. I understood then. He had already known. That was
09:51why he had been so attentive to her afterward. Guilt. My poor mother. All those years she never knew.
09:57Kaylin had already pulled Seraphine to her feet. You hurt her again? You never change. I only wanted
10:03to help my sister up, and she did this to me. Maybe she resents me for telling the queen the
10:08truth.
10:09Maybe she resents me for taking you. Kaylin kicked me hard in the stomach. I tasted blood. You claim
10:14you have no interest in me, yet you hurt her at every opportunity. I'm gonna give you a lesson you
10:19won't forget for the rest of your life. Take her out. A feast display in the town square. Use her
10:24as
10:24the offering. You dare. I will appeal directly to the queen. Your mother is alone in the servant's
10:29quarters. If something were to happen to her, she would not survive it. What would you do then?
10:34I heard what the threat actually meant. Don't touch my mother. If enduring my own humiliation would
10:40keep her alive, I would endure it. I let the guards drag me away. Before they pulled me out,
10:45I saw it for the first time. The spirit serpent coiled around Kaylin, opened its crimson eyes.
10:51Then it shifted positions and went back to sleep. I was still frozen from that moment of eye contact
10:56when my clothes were stripped and I was thrown into the town square. My body arranged with food
11:02as the display. Hundreds of people surged forward. Knives and forks cut into my skin. People scratched
11:08me with their fingernails in the scramble for food. I was shaking. Eyes red, covered in blood and sauce.
11:14Kaylin addressed the crowd. This is Alara, daughter of the prime minister. She fabricated lies and claimed to be
11:20a serpent taker deceiving the royal family. When her scheme was exposed, she tried to harm the crown
11:26princess. She deserves no mercy. I curled into myself and screamed with a raw voice. I didn't lie
11:33to the queen. I struck Seraphine to avenge my mother. Rotten eggs, garbage and stones flew from
11:41every direction. A woman like this, thinking she could be queen? What a joke. We'll punish her for the crown
11:47prince, for the crown princess. I was bruised everywhere, bleeding from a dozen places. I wrapped my arms
11:54around my head and sobbed. I never tried to compete with Seraphine for that position. Why are you doing
12:00this to me? In our previous life, we were husband and wife. I carried your child. The child had never
12:07been
12:07born. When Kaylin learned of Seraphine's death and had me executed, the child died with me.
12:13Alara, you hate Seraphine. I cannot allow any harm to come to her. This lesson will teach you to stay
12:19in your place. Once you come to the palace, you'll learn to be afraid of her. He hadn't finished speaking
12:23when several stones struck the back of my head. As I was losing consciousness, a figure came close.
12:29A cloak was laid over me. Someone stood over me, shielding me from the stones and flying debris.
12:35Then, everything went dark. When I woke, I was lying in the crown princess's chambers inside the palace.
12:41A man stood at my bedside. He was tall and composed with a sharpness in his features and eyes that
12:47were
12:47steady and clear. There was a black serpent tattoo on his neck. Dorian, the second prince, son of the
12:54queen consort. In my first life, on the day of Kaylin's wedding, Dorian had given me an heirloom bracelet
13:00of the royal family as a gift. After Kaylin had me subjected to the rat punishment, Dorian found my
13:05body in the pauper's cemetery. He buried me himself, crying until he couldn't speak. After that, he
13:12opposed Kaylin at every turn, pushing close to outright rebellion. But he never found a serpent
13:17tamer. He died at 20. You're awake. Before I could answer, the queen consort came in and took both my
13:23hands. Miss Allara, I beg you, marry my son and save his life. The tips of Dorian's ears went red.
13:30He glanced at me sideways and quickly looked away. I accept. I didn't hesitate. But I have one condition.
13:37The terms were settled quickly. The king then summoned Dorian to the throne room. I cleaned up
13:43and took the second prince's carriage back to the estate. I went to the building where my mother had
13:48been moved. Seraphine and Lady Sura were already there. What are you doing here?
13:56I brought food. One look was enough. She was being indulged as always. My mother is the prime
14:02minister's wife. How dare you give her something like this? The two of you deserve to eat whatever
14:07the dogs leave behind. Anger rose in me. But I didn't want to make a scene in front of my
14:12mother.
14:12I pushed it down. Your mother doesn't know yet. Father is planning to throw her out of the house
14:17entirely. And you, her daughter, were put on display in the town square as a feast offering.
14:22Now you're wanted throughout the city for deceiving the royal family and conspiring against the crown
14:26princess. Who would ever marry you? That's enough. I rubbed her back and told Seraphine and Lady Sura
14:31to get out. Seraphine smiled. Something wild in it. Letting you stay alive has always been a problem.
14:38If the queen discovers I'm not the real serpent tamer, she'll order the crown prince to have me
14:43eliminated. You have to die. Only then will she let it go. She pulled out a small vial and reached
14:49for my mouth. Lady Sura grabbed both my wrists. The pill was nearly forced between my lips when my
14:55mother lunged toward Seraphine. Seraphine stepped aside. My mother lost her balance and fell.
15:01Footsteps sounded outside. Lady Sura let go of me. Kaelin and my father walked in. Seraphine ran to Kaelin
15:07and tucked herself against him, her eyes bright. These are medicinal herbs. I came personally to
15:14bring them for her. She wouldn't take them. My sister told her they were poison and she attacked
15:19me trying to kill me. I lifted my mother from the floor as gently as I could and helped her
15:23back to
15:24the bed. Kaelin grabbed me by the throat. You're too afraid to cause trouble yourself so you use your
15:29mother to do it? Those are poison. Seraphine was trying to kill me. Sister, why do you always accuse me
15:36of things? My mother and I pray for your mother's recovery every single day. Father knows this
15:41better than anyone. Kaelin looked at my father. My father gave a firm nod. Seraphine and Lady Sura
15:47are kind-hearted women. They would never hurt anyone. Kaelin believed it without hesitation.
15:52He snatched the pills from Seraphine's hand and forced them into my mother's mouth.
15:57No! She'll die!
16:04Punish me! Don't hurt her!
16:07My mother had no strength to resist. The poison was already inside her. I broke free of the guards
16:12and pressed my fingers to her throat, trying to make her bring it back up. It was useless.
16:17I've always said Seraphine would never poison anyone. Look at her. She's perfectly fine.
16:22He put his arm around Lady Sura. Kaelin held Seraphine. They walked out without looking back.
16:28Get the doctor!
16:29I shouted at my maid. She stumbled out of the room.
16:32I couldn't protect you. Look what they've done to you. I don't think I'm going to make it.
16:39She coughed up dark blood.
16:40No! I'll take all the pain for the rest of my life. Just stay. Please stay!
16:47The doctor is coming!
16:48Her hand went still. I pressed my ear to her chest. Her heartbeat was gone. My mother was dead.
16:55The woman I had let myself be used as a feast offering to protect was gone forever.
17:00On the day of Kaelin's wedding, he rode to the estate on horseback. He lifted Seraphine into the
17:06palanquin himself, then looked toward the servant's building. He saw the red flowers at the door.
17:11I sent a crown princess gown to Alera yesterday. Is she dressed? Tell her to wait. Once I've seen
17:16Seraphine inside, I'll come for her. He had sent Seraphine one hundred boxes of gifts and me one
17:21box. The gown had been inside it. Before the steward could answer, Dorian walked out of the
17:26servant's quarters with me on his back. I was wearing a finely embroidered wedding dress,
17:32not the one Kaelin had sent. The steward leaned close to Kaelin and said haltingly,
17:36Your Highness. Last night, Miss Alera burned the gown you sent one night and left word that your
17:41gift should be returned to you after the wedding. Kaelin didn't move. As Dorian passed him, he
17:46reached out to stop him. Brother, Alara is only marrying you to spine me. Do you still want her?
17:55I have admired her for years. I had planned to ask the king's permission to court her myself,
17:59but the queen consort moved first. As luck would have it, my brother mistook glass for a pearl and
18:05handed her over, and that gave me my chance. A sharp sound came from inside the palanquin.
18:10Seraphine had hurt herself compared to broken glass. Rapid stomping followed. Knew I intended
18:15to make her a combine, and you went behind my back and did this. When I take the throne,
18:20you will pay for it. By then you won't be able to protect yourself, let alone her.
18:26Through the veil, I could see clearly. The spirit serpent on Kaelin had woken, barely alive,
18:31but awake. Its tongue was moving. It was waiting for the moment of his birthday
18:35to consume him. I gave a cold laugh. Whether you survive tonight, your highnesses, we'll see.
18:41Seraphine couldn't hold herself back any longer. She burst out of the palanquin. The crowd gasped.
18:47She stepped out of the carriage before the ceremony. That's no good omen.
18:50Seraphine didn't care. Sister, you invented a story and convinced yourself it was true.
18:56The crown prince will be perfectly fine tonight. Looking at the woman who had destroyed my mother's
19:01life, I felt my hands clench tight, my nails cutting into my palms. You say I'm lying? Then let's make
19:08a wager. If something happens to the crown prince tonight, you and your mother drink the poison. The
19:13same kind you fed my mother. Kaelin's voice came out mocking. Accusing Seraphine of poisoning again?
19:19Your mother is alive and living in the servants' quarters. Seraphine's eyes sharpened. She changed her
19:24mind. Fine. Let's wager. If you lose, you and the second prince crawl into a dog cage and parade
19:32through the streets three times as penalty before the crown prince. The crowd erupted. People rushed
19:38forward to place bets, and every single one of them backed Seraphine. Kaelin's voice rang out with
19:43satisfaction. I wager a thousand gold coins. Seraphine wins. Dorian had his guard produce a note
19:50worth 10,000. I wager on my bride, Alara. Brother, you'll be in tears by tomorrow. Your estate will be
19:59eating scraps. His guards laughed at him. Dorian paid them no attention. He lifted me into the carriage
20:05and took me to his estate, where the wedding was held. The crowd gathered outside the palace gates,
20:10waiting for the outcome. After the wedding guests had gone, Dorian and I drank together. He lifted me
20:15and carried me to the bed, and said quietly in my ear. Don't be afraid. This is just warm wine.
20:22It won't hurt. The curtains fell. In the dark, the bed made a soft sound.
20:30When the midnight bell rang, all other sounds stopped. I lay still, my cheeks warm, and watched
20:36in the moonlight as the tattoo on Dorian's skin dissolved into points of light and disappeared.
20:41I let out a slow breath. Then someone pounded violently on the bedroom door.
20:46Alara, you are the true serpent tamer, aren't you? After Caelan and Seraphine's wedding night,
20:51the spirit serpent is still coiled around him. Come with me. You have to help him.
20:55The queen consort's command was not something that could be refused. Dorian and I rode in the same
21:01carriage. We accompanied her to the crown prince's estate. The crowd outside the palace gates had not
21:06dispersed. The royal observatory had already released a statement.
21:10The crown prince is critically weakened. His body is failing. The oracle says this is only the
21:15beginning. The spirit serpent will consume what remains of the crown prince's life.
21:20Was the curse the prime minister's daughter ever spoke out real? We beat her because we believed
21:25the crown prince. We were used. I bet everything and lost it all. This is our punishment.
21:32The carriage sped past, leaving the noise behind. When we arrived, we found the crown prince's estate
21:37in chaos. People were rushing toward Caelan from every direction. Dorian looked on with confusion.
21:43Why does my brother keep clawing at his own throat? Something seems to have taken hold of him.
21:48I could see it. The spirit serpent had fully woken, coiling tighter and tighter around Caelan's body,
21:54alert and hungry. It opened its mouth and began drawing out his soul. Caelan screamed.
22:01The queen consort ran to him. She saw Seraphine standing nearby, frozen, powerless. Her fury broke.
22:09You've dared to impersonate a serpent tamer. Look at what you've done to my son!
22:14Seraphine had already collapsed to her knees, trembling. She turned her glare on me.
22:19It must be Alara. She conspired with the oracle to arrange all of this. It has to be her!
22:25Caelan heard her. He grabbed a teacup from nearby and hurled it at me.
22:28You schemed to trap me, mother. Help me. I can't breathe.
22:32Dorian caught the cup before it reached me. The queen consort had already crossed the room to
22:37Seraphine. She slapped her again and again, more than a dozen times, unable to stop herself.
22:42You shameless fraud! I am a serpent tranker! I can see the serpent on my own, son! Are you calling
22:50me a liar, too?
22:51Help!
22:53Caelan was drenched in cold sweat, his pupils contracting sharply.
22:57Mother, is it true? Is the curse real?
23:01He remembered his previous life, his wedding to me, the life he had lived before.
23:06Mother, Alara is the real serpent tamer. Let her save me.
23:11I'll give her the title of crown princess. I'll give her anything!
23:16The queen consort knelt before me. The court attendants looked on in horror, their faces drained
23:22of color. I stepped forward quickly and helped her up. I let out a slow breath.
23:26Your majesty, I have to tell you the truth. Dorian and I are already married.
23:31You are a serpent tamer yourself. You know what that means.
23:34I can only tame the serpent once, and only save one prince. After that, the gift is gone.
23:41The queen consort noticed Dorian for the first time. She stepped back, her lips parting slightly.
23:47It's over. The tattoo left Dorian. He will live, and my son will die.
23:53Caelan collapsed and twisted on the floor, as if trying to throw the serpent off his body.
23:58The queen consort's eyes filled with tears.
24:01No one speaks of what happened here tonight. Anyone who breathes a word of it will be beaten
24:06to death. Dorian brought me back to the second prince's estate.
24:11I was never entirely certain the curse was real. When my mother asked me to marry you, I was glad.
24:16But not because I needed to be saved. Years ago, I saw you once at a royal gathering.
24:20I never forgot you. I didn't expect that marrying the woman I had always admired
24:24would also be the thing that kept me alive.
24:28And you happened to win more than a million gold gollars in the process.
24:32He looked at me with warmth I hadn't expected.
24:34Everything at the estate is yours to manage.
24:36I thought about my previous life. About what the curse had done to Dorian when he turned 20.
24:41I hadn't seen how he died. But the thought of him suffering the way Caelan had brought
24:44attention into my chest that I hadn't been prepared for.
24:47You saved me. You gave my mother a proper burial. I can't begin to repay that.
24:52Without him, she would have been wrapped in straw matting and thrown into the pauper's district.
24:57He drew me gently toward him and wiped away the last trace of tears at the corner of my eye.
25:01That night, I slept better than I had in what felt like a very long time.
25:06The next morning, my father arrived at the second prince's estate with Lady Sura.
25:11Both of them looked haggard, with dark shadows under their eyes,
25:14as if they had spent the night with something they couldn't put down.
25:17Allura, I didn't expect things to go this far. The queen consort is furious. She went to the king.
25:23She said,
25:25I encouraged Serafina to deceive the royal family and demanded that I be stripped of my position and imprisoned.
25:33But I was misled by Serafina's words. If I had known the truth, how could I have allowed a prince
25:40of pure blood
25:41to come to harm? I gave a short cold sound. You told everyone my mother was behind my so-called
25:48deception and had her sent to the servant's quarter. Now you'll suffer what she suffered.
25:57My lady, please! Speak to the queen consort on behalf of the prime minister! Save him! Save my daughter!
26:07My poor Serafina! The queen consort sends some to flag her every day. No one is allowed to visit her!
26:14Her wounds go untreated!
26:16A faint voice came from outside the door.
26:18Good. She deserves every bit of it.
26:21Kalen was carried in on a stretcher, his body gaunt like a husk of himself. I looked at the spirit
26:27serpent on him. It had grown to half again the size it was the day before. Everyone around him dropped
26:32to their knees. My father saw the state he was in and went pale, then crawled forward, still trying to
26:38appear useful.
26:39Your Highness, what brings you here?
26:41Kalen raised his hand and struck my father twice across the face, almost lazily.
26:46That woman deceived me into thinking she was the serpent tamer. You were all part of it. I will never
26:53forgive any of you.
26:55His guards dragged Seraphine in and threw her down in the courtyard. There was not an uninjured inch on her
27:00body. My father and Lady Sera stared at her and began to shake. Kalen turned to me.
27:06Alara, I was wrong. You can save me the way you did before.
27:09I went rigid. He had just said it out loud, in front of everyone. I looked around quickly. The people
27:15around him seemed to take it for the curse speaking. A sign that his mind was breaking down. No one
27:20appeared to understand what he actually meant.
27:22In the previous life, you saved me. And I repaid you with cruelty. I am nose at fit to call
27:28myself human. You said you could only tame the serpent once. That's not true, is it? You're angry with me.
27:35Divorce Dorian. Marry me. Kill me if you want. Tear me down. I don't care. Everything in the crown prince's
27:42palace is yours. Just save me.
27:44A brothera is my lawful wife. Married under royal decree, I will not divorce her.
27:51You would let me die?
27:53I swear that once I recover, I will renounce the title of crown prince and withdraw from the succession entirely.
28:00Please, help me.
28:02Daughter, if you agree, I'll bring your mother back to the estate. I went to see her before I came
28:08here. The servant's room was empty.
28:09Did you move her? Prime Minister, Alara's mother passed away. I have arranged for remains, placed a headstone, and had
28:17her buried in her family's ancestral grounds.
28:19My father's face drained of color. That's not possible.
28:22Kaelin also couldn't believe it. I only gave her one pill, a medicinal herb. That was enough to kill her?
28:28I ordered Lady Sura arrested and searched. Despite her protests, the guards found a vial of pills on her person.
28:35These are the herbs Seraphane and her mother claimed to be giving. Whether they are poison will need to be
28:42tested.
28:43Kaelin's physician was still present. He examined the pills carefully.
28:47These are poison, without any doubt.
28:51Kaelin coughed up dark blood. His breathing came in short, rapid bursts. My father's legs gave out. He collapsed, then
28:58crawled toward Lady Sura and closed his hands around her throat.
29:01You! And that daughter of yours! Use the Hayat! The Harper Eight Ones used me and destroyed everything!
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