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The Serpent’s Curse & Reborn Queen HD storyreel
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00:05When 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
00:48lord
00:48and died under his cruelty. My father blamed me. 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
02:04your blessing. 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
02:14two fingers 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 twenty. I watched it happen with my own eyes. Her eyes had gone red. She came down from
02:31the
02:31throne and lifted Caelan to his feet. I drove the oracle day and night to read the stars before I
02:37found her. Your twentieth birthday is five days away. There is no time left. Caelan set his jaw.
02:44Star readings can be wrong. The oracle may have confused the two sisters. Seraphine has the gift
02:49of foresight as well. She is the serpent tamer. I want her. The queen paused and looked at Seraphine.
02:54Can you see the tattoo on the crown prince? Where is it? Seraphine stared at Caelan for a long moment.
03:01The tattoo is on his right arm. A white serpent. The crease between the queen's brows smoothed.
03:07The same as what I see. Then you are the serpent tamer. I kept my face still and laughed inside.
03:14Before I even reached the palace after waking into this new life, I told Seraphine exactly one thing.
03:19Before the crown prince turned twenty, there would be a white serpent tattoo on his right arm. That was
03:24all she needed to know. But once Caelan turned twenty, the serpent would wake and move. And Seraphine,
03:30who had no gift at all, would have nothing left to say. This was how I planned to escape the
03:35fate
03:35that had killed me. In my first life, the queen had forced the marriage based on the oracle's word,
03:40and Caelan had blamed me for Seraphine's death. When I died, the rats had torn through every vein
03:45in my body. The pain felt like it had never left. A chill crawled up my spine, and I shuddered.
03:50The queen thought for a moment, Very well. Seraphina will marry the crown princess. The wedding
03:56will take place in five days, on his twentieth birthday. Caelan's eyes lit up.
03:59Seraphine bowed her thanks and turned to look at me.
04:02Sister, you fabricated a lie trying to take
04:04my place and get close to the crown prince. What punishment do you deserve for that?
04:08Caelan's voice was cold. Alera is vain and greedy. He paused, then softened slightly.
04:14Since this is a first fence, corporal punishment, a small lesson. The queen smiled and waved for all
04:21three of us to rise. Elora just refused that proposal herself. You have both misunderstood her.
04:26A flash of frustration crossed Seraphine's face. Caelan looked at me with confusion and suspicion.
04:32Are you still planning something? Congratulations to the crown prince and his bride. I bowed to them
04:38both. Since this was all a misunderstanding, I'll take my leave. The queen sighed. The oracle has never
04:45been wrong, but something still unsettles me. Alara, stay at the prime minister's estate for now. If
04:52Seraphine cannot tame the serpent, you will be taken as a concubine. I breathed in, bowed my thanks and
04:59turned to go. The moment my back was to them, the heat left my face. In this life, I would
05:04not let them
05:05move me like a piece on a board. When I walked back to the prime minister's estate, Caelan and Seraphine
05:10had already arrived ahead of me by carriage. Lady Sura looked at me once and gave a cold laugh.
05:15You tried to climb above your station and ended up a laughing stock. Using your body to court the
05:20powerful, you are lower than a street rat. My father's voice was stern. You committed an offense
05:26against the royal household. If Seraphine had not come forward, you would have dragged the entire
05:31family down with you. He stopped, then issued orders immediately. Elora did all of this at her
05:36mother's direction. Move her mother to the servants' 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 had not
05:46visited her once. Now that Seraphine had secured the crown prince, he dropped all pretense. The
05:52servants went to take my mother away. I panicked and ran after them. My father caught me. You are also
05:58punished. You will serve dinner tonight. I had no choice but to stay. I served dishes, poured water,
06:04and carried the wash basin. After the meal, I was taking the plates to the kitchen when I turned a
06:09corner and nearly walked into Kaylin, coming back from the courtyard, his guards behind him. I tried
06:14to go around him. He moved fast and blocked my way. Elora, in the previous life, you caused Seraphine's
06:21death and paid with your own. That debt is settled. But in this life, do not think for a moment
06:25about
06:26interfering with anything between me and Seraphine. His next words came out like charity. If you conduct
06:31yourself properly, I may consider making you a compime, as my mother suggested. You will show
06:35Seraphine the respect she is owed. Every morning, you will bow to her and prepare her tea.
06:41Your Highness, when did I say I wanted to marry you? I know you were also reborn. You deceived my
06:46mother in the previous life. You wanted to be crown princess. You gave that up today. It must be
06:52guilt. You and Seraphine belong together. I have no intention of getting in the way. I met his eyes.
06:57Kaylin's face flushed with anger. Don't be ungrateful. Offering you a place as Cubgyne is
07:03already far more than you deserve. If my mother issues a royal decree, you will come even as a
07:08servant. I will not say this twice. In five days, I will come for Seraphine. I will carry her into
07:13the Pelcaine myself. Don't stand there weeping and blaming me for leaving you behind. Seraphine had
07:18come to find him. She found him and settled into the curve of his arm. A breeze carried the scent
07:23of
07:23roses into the courtyard. Seraphine sneezed. That smell is unbearable. If I have to breathe
07:29it every day after I move into the main rooms, I won't be able to stand it. Simple enough.
07:34Kaylin turned to his guards. Pull them all out. Those roses were my mother's life's work.
07:38Before she came to this estate, she had run a flower shop that was known throughout the region.
07:43After marrying my father, she had spent years cultivating rare varieties and giving them to
07:48him as gifts. When she lost the use of her legs, looking at those flowers through the window
07:53was the only comfort she had left. If they were destroyed, those varieties would be gone forever.
07:58No one would ever grow them again. Stop! This is the Prime Minister's estate. You dare touch anything
08:04here without his permission? The guards hesitated and looked at Kaylin. My father came over at the
08:09sound of my voice. Do as his hide me's commands. Once Lady Sura moves into this courtyard, keeping those
08:15flowers will only displease her. After my mother lost her legs, my father had done everything he could
08:20to make her happy. He had tended those flowers himself. He used to carry her out to the garden
08:25so she could smell them and watch the stars. But years of her illness had changed him. My eyes were
08:30burning. I kept my voice quiet. Give me one day to move them to the building where my mother is
08:35staying.
08:35Can you do that? Both my father and Kaylin hesitated. Then Seraphine screamed. Something bit me!
08:40Her hand had been stung, a red welt rising on the skin. Kaylin caught the insect and waved his hand.
08:46What are you all standing there for? Do it now. My father nodded. They hurt my daughter. Those
08:53flowers should go. I threw myself into the rose beds, desperate to save just a few roses. But a
09:00dozen guards and servants were already tearing every plant out by the roots, ripping them into pieces.
09:05I knelt in the mud, unable to move, unable to do anything. What are you grieving for? Those flowers
09:11mean nothing. Your 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. Be quiet. I understood then. He had already known. That was why he had
09:51been 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.
10:08Maybe she resents me for taking you. Kaylin kicked me hard in the stomach. I tasted blood.
10:13You claim you have no interest in me, yet you hurt her at every opportunity. I'm gonna give you a
10:19lesson you won't forget for the rest of your life. Take her out. A feast display in the town square.
10:24Use her as the offering. You dare. I will appeal directly to the queen. Your mother is alone in
10:29the servant's quarters. If something were to happen to her, she would not survive it. What would you do
10:33then? I heard what the threat actually meant. Don't touch my mother. If enduring my own
10:39humiliation would keep her alive, I would endure it. I let the guards drag me away. Before they
10:44pulled me out, I saw it for the first time. The spirit serpent coiled around Kaylin, opened its
10:50crimson eyes. Then it shifted position and went back to sleep. I was still frozen from that moment of eye
10:56contact when my clothes were stripped and I was thrown into the town square. My body arranged with food as
11:02the 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
11:20to be a serpent taker deceiving the royal family. When her scheme was exposed, she tried to harm the
11:25crown princess. She deserves no mercy. I curled into myself and screamed with a raw voice.
11:32I didn't lie to the queen. I struck Seraphine to avenge my mother.
11:38Rotten eggs, garbage and stones flew from every direction. A woman like this, thinking she could
11:44be queen? What a joke. We'll punish her for the crown prince, for the crown princess.
11:49I was bruised everywhere, bleeding from a dozen places. I wrapped my arms around my head and sobbed.
11:55I never tried to compete with Seraphine for that position. Why are you doing this to me?
12:01In our previous life, we were husband and wife. I carried your child.
12:06The child had never been born. When Kaylin learned of Seraphine's death and had me executed,
12:11the 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.
12:22He hadn't finished speaking when several stones struck the back of my head.
12:26As I was losing consciousness, a figure came close. A cloak was laid over me. Someone stood
12:32over me, shielding me from the stones and flying debris. Then, everything went dark. When I woke,
12:38I was lying in the crown princess's chambers inside the palace. A man stood at my bedside. He was tall
12:44and composed with a sharpness in his features and eyes that were steady and clear. There was a black
12:49serpent tattoo on his neck. Dorian, the second prince, son of the queen consort.
12:55In my first life, on the day of Kaylin's wedding, Dorian had given me an heirloom bracelet of the
13:00royal family as a gift. After Kaylin had me subjected to the rat punishment, Dorian found my body in the
13:06pauper's cemetery. He buried me himself, crying until he couldn't speak. After that, he opposed Kaylin at
13:13every turn, pushing close to outright rebellion. But he never found a serpent tamer. He died at 20.
13:19You're awake.
13:20Before I could answer, the queen consort came in and took both my hands.
13:24Miss Allara, I beg you, marry my son and save his life.
13:28The tips of Dorian's ears went red. He glanced at me sideways and quickly looked away.
13:33I accept. I didn't hesitate. But I have one condition. The terms were settled quickly.
13:39The king then summoned Dorian to the throne room. I cleaned up and took the second prince's
13:44carriage back to the estate. I went to the building where my mother had been moved.
13:49Seraphine 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
14:02prime minister's wife. How dare you give her something like this? The two of you deserve
14:07to eat whatever the dogs leave behind. Anger rose in me, but I didn't want to make a scene
14:11in front of my mother. I pushed it down. Your mother doesn't know yet. Father is planning
14:16to throw her out of the house entirely. And you, her daughter, were put on display in the
14:20town square as a feast offering. Now you're wanted throughout the city for deceiving the
14:24royal family and conspiring against the crown princess. Who would ever marry you? That's enough.
14:29I rubbed her back and told Seraphine and Lady Sura to get out. Seraphine smiled. Something wild
14:34in it. Letting you stay alive has always been a problem. If the queen discovers I'm not the real
14:40serpent tamer, she'll order the crown prince to have me eliminated. You have to die. Only then will
14:46she let it go. She pulled out a small vial and reached for my mouth. Lady Sura grabbed
14:52both my wrists. The pill was nearly forced between my lips when my mother lunged towards
14:56Seraphine. Seraphine stepped aside. My mother lost her balance and fell. Footsteps sounded
15:02outside. Lady Sura let go of me. Kaylin and my father walked in. Seraphine ran to Kaylin and
15:08tucked herself against him, her eyes bright. These are medicinal herbs. I came personally to bring
15:15them for her. She wouldn't take them. My sister told her they were poison and she attacked me
15:19trying to kill me. I lifted my mother from the floor as gently as I could and helped her back
15:24to
15:24the bed. Kaylin 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
15:36me of things? My mother and I pray for your mother's recovery every single day. Father knows this
15:41better than anyone. Kaylin looked at my father. My father gave a firm nod. Seraphine and Lady Sura
15:47are kind-hearted women. They would never hurt anyone. Kaylin believed it without hesitation.
15:53He 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. Kaylin 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. No! I'll take all the pain for the rest of my life. Just stay.
16:45Please, 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 Kaylin's wedding, he rode to the estate on horseback.
17:04He lifted Seraphine into the palanquin himself, then looked toward the servant's building.
17:09He saw the red flowers at the door.
17:11I sent a crown princess gown to Alera yesterday. Is she dressed? Tell her to wait.
17:16Once I've seen Seraphine inside, I'll come for her.
17:18He had sent Seraphine 100 boxes of gifts and me one box.
17:22The gown had been inside it. Before the steward could answer,
17:25Dorian walked out of the servant's quarters with me on his back.
17:29I was wearing a finely embroidered wedding dress, not the one Kaylin had sent.
17:34The steward leaned close to Kaylin and said haltingly,
17:37Your Highness, last night Miss Alera burned the gown you sent,
17:40and left word that your gift should be returned to you after the wedding.
17:43Kaylin didn't move. As Dorian passed him, he reached out to stop him.
17:47Brother, Alera is only marrying you to spine me.
17:51Do you still want her?
17:55I have admired her for years.
17:57I had planned to ask the king's permission to court her myself,
17:59but the queen consort moved first.
18:02As luck would have it, my brother mistook glass for a pearl and handed her over,
18:06and that gave me my chance.
18:07A sharp sound came from inside the palanquin.
18:10Seraphine had hurt herself compared to broken glass.
18:13Rapid stomping followed.
18:14You knew I intended to make her a combine, and you went behind my back and did this.
18:18When I take the throne, you will pay for it.
18:22By then, you won't be able to protect yourself, let alone her.
18:26Through the veil, I could see clearly.
18:28The spirit serpent on Kaylin had woken, barely alive, but awake.
18:32Its tongue was moving.
18:33It was waiting for the moment of his birthday to consume him.
18:36I gave a cold laugh.
18:37Whether you survive tonight, Your Highnesses, we'll see.
18:41Seraphine couldn't hold herself back any longer.
18:43She burst out of the palanquin.
18:46The crowd gasped.
18:47She stepped out of the carriage before the ceremony.
18:49That's no good omen.
18:50Seraphine didn't care.
18:51Sister!
18:52You invented a story and convinced yourself it was true!
18:56The crown prince will be perfectly fine tonight!
18:59Looking at the woman who had destroyed my mother's life,
19:02I felt my hands clench tight, my nails cutting into my palms.
19:06You say I'm lying.
19:07Then let's make a wager.
19:08If something happens to the crown prince tonight,
19:10you and your mother drink the poison.
19:12The same kind you fed my mother.
19:14Kaylin's voice came out mocking.
19:17Accusing Seraphine of poisoning again.
19:19Your mother is alive and living in the servants' quarters.
19:22Seraphine's eyes sharpened.
19:23She changed her mind.
19:25Fine.
19:26Let's wager.
19:27If you lose,
19:28you and the second prince crawl into a dog cage
19:32and parade through the streets three times as pen and teeth before the crown prince.
19:36The crowd erupted.
19:37People rushed forward to place bets.
19:39And every single one of them backed Seraphine.
19:42Kaylin's voice rang out with satisfaction.
19:44I wager a thousand gold coins.
19:47Seraphine wins.
19:48Dorian had his guard produce a note worth ten thousand.
19:52I wager on my bride, Alara.
19:54Brother, you'll be in tears by tomorrow.
19:57Your estate will be eating scraps.
20:00His guards laughed at him.
20:01Dorian paid them no attention.
20:03He lifted me into the carriage and took me to his estate where the wedding was held.
20:07The crowd gathered outside the palace gates, waiting for the outcome.
20:11After the wedding guests had gone, Dorian and I drank together.
20:15He lifted me and carried me to the bed and said quietly in my ear,
20:18Don't be afraid.
20:20This is just warm wine.
20:22It won't hurt.
20:23The curtains fell.
20:24In the dark, the bed made a soft sound.
20:31When the midnight bell rang, all other sounds stopped.
20:34I lay still, my cheeks warm, and watched in the moonlight as the tattoo on Dorian's skin
20:39dissolved into points of light and disappeared.
20:42I let out a slow breath.
20:43Then someone pounded violently on the bedroom door.
20:46Alara, you are the true serpent tamer, aren't you?
20:49After Kaylin and Seraphine's wedding night, the spirit serpent is still coiled around him.
20:53Come with me.
20:54You have to help him.
20:55The queen consort's command was not something that could be refused.
20:59Dorian and I rode in the same carriage.
21:01We accompanied her to the crown prince's estate.
21:04The crowd outside the palace gates had not dispersed.
21:07The royal observatory had already released a statement.
21:10The crown prince is critically weakened.
21:12His body is failing.
21:14The oracle says this is only the beginning.
21:16The 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?
21:23We beat her because we believed the crown prince!
21:26We were used!
21:27I bet everything and lost it all!
21:30This is our punishment!
21:31The carriage sped past, leaving the noise behind.
21:35When we arrived, we found the crown prince's estate in chaos.
21:38People were rushing toward Kaylin from every direction.
21:41Dorian looked on with confusion.
21:43Why does my brother keep clawing at his own throat?
21:46Something seems to have taken hold of him.
21:48I could see it.
21:49The spirit serpent had fully woken, coiling tighter and tighter around Kaylin's body.
21:54Alert and hungry.
21:56It opened its mouth and began drawing out his soul.
21:59Kaylin screamed.
22:01The queen consort ran to him.
22:03She saw Seraphine standing nearby.
22:06Frozen.
22:07Powerless.
22:08Her fury broke.
22:09You dared to impersonate a serpent tamer!
22:12Look at what you've done to my son!
22:14Seraphine had already collapsed to her knees.
22:17Trembling, she turned her glare on me.
22:19It must be Alara!
22:21She conspired with the oracle to arrange all of this!
22:24It has to be her!
22:25Kaylin heard her.
22:26He grabbed a teacup from nearby and hurled it at me.
22:28You schemed to trap me, mother!
22:30Help me!
22:31I can't breathe!
22:32Dorian caught the cup before it reached me.
22:35The queen consort had already crossed the room to Seraphine.
22:38She slapped her again and again, more than a dozen times, unable to stop herself.
22:42You shameless fraud!
22:44I am a serpent tranker!
22:46I can see the serpent on my own, son!
22:49Are you calling me a liar, too?
22:53Kaylin was drenched in cold sweat, his pupils contracting sharply.
22:57Mother, is it true?
22:59Is the curse real?
23:01He remembered his previous life.
23:03His wedding to me.
23:04The life he had lived before.
23:06Mother, Alara is the real serpent tamer.
23:10Let her save me.
23:11I'll give her the title of crown princess.
23:14I'll give her anything!
23:16The queen consort knelt before me.
23:19The court attendants looked on in horror, their faces drained of color.
23:22I stepped forward quickly and helped her up.
23:25I let out a slow breath.
23:26Your majesty, I have to tell you the truth.
23:29Dorian and I are already married.
23:31You are a serpent tamer yourself.
23:33You know what that means.
23:34I can only tame the serpent once, and only save one prince.
23:39After that, the gift is gone.
23:41The queen consort noticed Dorian for the first time.
23:44She stepped back, her lips parting slightly.
23:46It's over.
23:48The tattoo left Dorian.
23:50He will live.
23:51And my son will die.
23:53Kaylin 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.
24:00No one speaks of what happened here tonight.
24:04Anyone who breathes a word of it will be beaten to death.
24:08Dorian brought me back to the second prince's estate.
24:10I was never entirely certain the curse was real.
24:13When my mother asked me to marry you, I was glad.
24:16But not because I needed to be saved.
24:18Years ago, I saw you once at a royal gathering.
24:20I never forgot you.
24:22I didn't expect that marrying the woman I had always admired would 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.
24:38About what the curse had done to Dorian when he turned 20.
24:41I hadn't seen how he died.
24:42But the thought of him suffering the way Kaylin had brought attention into my chest that I hadn't been prepared
24:47for.
24:47You saved me.
24:48You gave my mother a proper burial.
24:50I can't begin to repay that.
24:52Without him, she would have been wrapped in straw matting and thrown into the pauper's district.
24:56He drew me gently toward him and wiped away the last trace of tears at the corner of my eye.
25:02That 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.
25:20The queen consort is furious.
25:22She went to the king.
25:23She said,
25:24I encouraged Serafina to deceive the royal family
25:28and demanded that I be stripped of my position and imprisoned.
25:33But I was misled by Serafina's words.
25:36If I had known the truth,
25:38how could I have allowed a prince of pure blood to come to harm?
25:42I gave a short cold sound.
25:45You told everyone my mother was behind my so-called deception
25:49and had her sent to the servant's quarter.
25:52Now you'll suffer what she suffered.
25:57My lady, please, speak to the queen consort on behalf of the prime minister.
26:05Save him, save my daughter.
26:07My poor Serafina.
26:09The queen consort sends some to flag her every day.
26:12No one is allowed to visit her.
26:14Her wounds go untreated.
26:16A faint voice came from outside the door.
26:18Good.
26:19She deserves every bit of it.
26:21Kaelin was carried in on a stretcher,
26:23his body gaunt like a husk of himself.
26:26I looked at the spirit serpent on him.
26:28It had grown to half again the size it was the day before.
26:31Everyone around him dropped to their knees.
26:33My father saw the state he was in and went pale,
26:36then crawled forward, still trying to appear useful.
26:39Your Highness, what brings you here?
26:41Kaelin 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.
26:50You were all part of it.
26:52I will never forgive any of you.
26:55His guards dragged Serafina in and threw her down in the courtyard.
26:58There was not an uninjured inch on her body.
27:01My father and Lady Sera stared at her and began to shake.
27:05Kaelin turned to me.
27:06Alara, I was wrong.
27:07You can save me the way you did before.
27:10I went rigid.
27:10He had just said it out loud, in front of everyone.
27:13I looked around quickly.
27:15The people around him seemed to take it for the curse speaking.
27:18A sign that his mind was breaking down.
27:20No one appeared to understand what he actually meant.
27:23In the previous life you saved me, and I repaid you with cruelty.
27:27I am nose-at-fit to call myself human.
27:30You said you could only tame the serpent once.
27:32That's not true, is it?
27:33You're angry with me.
27:35Divorce Dorian.
27:36Marry me.
27:37Kill me if you want.
27:39Tear me down.
27:39I don't care.
27:40Everything in the crown prince's palace is yours.
27:43Just save me.
27:45A brothera is my lawful wife.
27:47Married 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
27:59the succession entirely.
28:01Please, help me.
28:02Daughter, if you agree, I'll bring your mother back to the estate.
28:06I went to see her before I came here.
28:08The servant's room was empty.
28:09Did you move her?
28:10Prime Minister.
28:12Alara's mother passed away.
28:13I have arranged for remains, placed a headstone, and had her buried in her family's ancestral
28:18grounds.
28:19My father's face drained of color.
28:21That's not possible.
28:22Cailin also couldn't believe it.
28:24I only gave her one pill, a medicinal herb.
28:27That was enough to kill her?
28:29I ordered Lady Sura arrested and searched.
28:32Despite 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.
28:40Whether they are poison will need to be tested.
28:43Cailin's physician was still present.
28:45He examined the pills carefully.
28:47These are poison, without any doubt.
28:51Cailin coughed up dark blood.
28:53His breathing came in short, rapid bursts.
28:55My father's legs gave out.
28:57He collapsed, then crawled toward Lady Sura and closed his hands around her throat.
29:01You and that daughter of yours, use the Hayat!
29:04The Harper-Eight ones used me and destroyed everything!
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