Kael's POV
The wine glass slips from my hand.
I catch it just before it falls. Wine sloshes dangerously close to the rim.
Careful, darling, Celestia says beside me.
But I barely hear her. I can't stop staring at the woman across the table.
Aria Winters. The lawyer Celestia hired to negotiate our trade deal.
She's eating. Just eating. But the way she holds her fork
My chest tightens.
Kael? Celestia touches my arm. Are you listening?
What? Yes. Sorry.
I was asking about next week's gala.
Whatever you think is best.
Celestia's smile sharpens. She knows I'm not paying attention.
But I can't help it. My gaze drifts back to Aria.
She's talking to Lord Marcus about trade routes. Her face is calm. Confident. She gestures as she speaks.
And that gesture the way she moves her right hand in a small circle when making a point
I've seen that before.
Five years ago.
No. Impossible.
I take a long drink of wine. I'm seeing ghosts. Five years of grief have broken my brain.
Except something about Aria pulls at buried memories.
She's pretty, isn't she?
I turn. Celestia is watching me with cold eyes.
Who?
Ms. Winters. You've been staring all night.
I haven't
Don't lie, Kael. I have eyes. Celestia sips her wine. I know that look. You used to look at my sister the same way. Before she died.
The mention of Seraphina makes my throat tight.
Relax. I'm not jealous. Our engagement is political, not romantic. She leans closer. But be careful. Ms. Winters is here to work. Not to be your new obsession.
She stands, clinking her glass for attention.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us tonight. Please enjoy your meal.
Polite applause. People return to eating.
I should network. Should be the dutiful prince.
Instead, I watch Aria.
She's eating again. The way she cuts her meat small, precise cuts, always exactly the same size
Seraphina used to do that.
I shake my head. Stop seeing her everywhere.
But then Aria reaches for water, and her sleeve pulls back. I see a small scar on her wrist. Barely visible.
Seraphina had a scar in that exact spot. From falling off a horse when she was twelve.
My heart starts pounding.
No. Just a coincidence.
Aria looks up suddenly. Our eyes meet across the table.
For a moment, something flickers in her expression. Recognition? Fear?
Then she looks away quickly.
I need to know.
The dinner feels endless. Finally, people start leaving.
I see Aria slip away toward the garden doors.
I follow her.
The garden is quiet. Moonlight makes everything silver. I spot Aria by the fountain.
Ms. Winters.
She jumps, then turns. Your Highness. You startled me.
I apologize. I wanted to speak with you. Privately.
Her jaw tightens. About the trade negotiations?
No. About you.
I don't understand.
Have we met before? The question comes out desperate. Before tonight?
Aria's face is perfectly calm. Too calm. No, Your Highness. We haven't.
Are you sure? Because I can't shake the feeling that I know you.
Perhaps I have one of those faces.
I step closer. She doesn't move, but her hands clench.
It's not your face. It's the way you move. The way you hold your fork. The way you gesture when you speak. Even that scar on your wrist.
Aria's hand covers her wrist immediately. Lots of people have scars, Your Highness.
Not like that one. Not in that exact spot.
I don't know what you're suggesting
I'm asking. I'm close enough now to see her eyes clearly. Violet. Not blue. Who are you really?
I'm a lawyer. Here to negotiate a trade deal. That's all.
Then why do you look at me like you know me?
I didn't
You did. I saw it. My voice drops. You reminded me of someone. Someone I lost.
Aria's expression softens. I'm sorry for your loss, Your Highness.
Are you?
Of course.
We stand in silence. The fountain burbles. Crickets chirp.
You remind me of her, I finally say. The person I lost. She used to stand exactly like you're standing now. Chin up. Shoulders back. Ready to fight even when she was scared.
Maybe she and I would have been friends.
Maybe. I study her face. What happened to your wrist? How did you get that scar?
Aria hesitates. Just for a second.
A childhood accident. I fell.
From what?
Does it matter?
It matters to me.
She looks away. It was a long time ago. I barely remember.
She's lying. I know she's lying.
Goodnight, Your Highness. She starts to walk past me.
I catch her wrist. Gently. Right where the scar is.
She freezes. I feel her pulse racing.
I will figure out who you are, I whisper. I promise you that.
Aria pulls free. Her eyes meet mine, and for just a moment, I see something. Longing. Fear. Grief all mixed together.
No, she says quietly. You won't.
She walks away.
I stand alone in the garden, staring at my empty hand.
I'm going to investigate Aria Winters. Everything about her. Where she's from. Where she studied. Every detail.
Because something is wrong. Something doesn't add up.
And I won't rest until I know the truth.