The price of peace

The grand banquet that followed the wedding was a spectacle of wealth and power—a feast to celebrate a sacrifice.

Seraphina sat at the head of the long, gilded table, her three husbands seated beside her. The hall was filled with nobles, warriors, and envoys from every corner of the kingdom, their voices weaving a symphony of hushed gossip and veiled curiosity.

“Three Alphas for one Omega. This union is unnatural.”

“Perhaps. But the alternative was war.”

“Would war not have been kinder to her?”

Seraphina’s fingers tightened subtly around the golden goblet in her hand, though her expression remained serene. They speak as if I am not here. As if I am already dead.

A king’s bride. A pawn in a game far greater than herself.

And yet, she refused to be an idle piece.

At the far end of the table, Duke Aldric Vale, her father, stood to address the gathered lords. His voice was smooth, calculated. The voice of a man who had won, though it was his daughter who had paid the price.

"For over a decade, this kingdom has been split, torn by three rival factions. Each of these Alphas holds dominion over their own lands, their own people, their own power. Alone, they are formidable. Together, they are unstoppable."

Murmurs rippled through the hall. The people knew this already, yet hearing it spoken aloud carried a heavy finality.

Seraphina kept her gaze forward as her father continued.

"The war has cost us too much. Families torn apart, villages burned, trade routes severed. It was clear that no single ruler could defeat the others. And so, a truce was formed. A truce that required…sacrifice."

She felt Darius shift beside her, his presence as heavy as the steel of his armor. Cassian merely smirked, swirling the wine in his goblet, as if all of this amused him. And Lucien? He was watching her. Always watching.

Her father gestured toward the three kings. "And I decided to take responsibility of it my marrying my precious daughter to the formidable Alphas. With this marriage, the war ends. The three factions will unite under a single rule. The kingdom will be whole again."

A nobleman stood, his face pinched with disapproval. "And who, precisely, will rule? Three kings cannot sit on one throne."

Cassian exhaled a soft chuckle. "Why not? The three of us have shared everything else before. Why not a kingdom?"

Seraphina lifted her goblet just enough to hide her smirk. ‘Liar.’

They would never share. Not power, not territory. Not even her. It's in their blood.

Darius leaned forward, his golden eyes hard. "The ruling seat will be at Ebonhold. The three of us will govern from here, with Seraphina as our Queen."

Another wave of whispers.

“A single Omega ruling beside three Alphas? Unheard of.”

Seraphina remained silent, her mind already working through the layers of deception. ‘I am not a ruler. I am a leash. A way to keep them bound to each other.’

But leashes could be slipped. And chains could be broken.

Lucien grinned suddenly, his voice lazy but sharp. "Of course, some would say the true test of our union begins tonight."

A ripple of laughter. A flicker of heat in the air. Seraphina set her goblet down with a quiet clink, lifting her chin.

‘Let them think tonight will be their victory. Let them believe they own me.’

She had already chosen her battlefield.

And it would not be in the sheets.

It would be in their minds. Their hearts.

Their obsessions.

Ebonhold Castle had long belonged to Darius Blackmoor, its towering blackstone walls as impenetrable as the warlord himself. Now, it would house not just one Alpha King, but three.

A single residence. A single throne. A single Queen.

It was a recipe for disaster.

The logistics of their cohabitation were clear:

Each Alpha retained control over their original territories but would reside in Ebonhold for governance.

Seraphina’s chambers would be in the east wing, overlooking the city below. Her husbands’ quarters were placed strategically—separate, but never far.

A shared war room, a shared council, and most unsettling of all—shared rights to their Queen.

The very thought sent a silent war through the three men.

Darius had already claimed dominance over security and military affairs—the iron fist that kept order. Cassian had effortlessly slipped into handling the kingdom’s economy and trade, ensuring prosperity. Lucien had taken an unpredictable role—handling foreign relations, enforcing law within the untamed northern regions.

But none of them had claimed her.

Not yet.

And as she walked the long corridors toward her new chambers, flanked by the three most dangerous men in the realm, she realized something:

They weren’t just fighting for the kingdom.

They were fighting for her.

The moment the heavy doors of her chamber closed, Seraphina exhaled slowly.

The game begins now.

Her room was vast—designed to reflect her new status as Queen—but she barely noticed the opulent silks, the golden chandeliers, the roaring hearth. Her mind was elsewhere, focused on the three shadows standing at the threshold.

Her husbands.

Her captors.

Her battlefield.

Darius, Cassian, and Lucien had come for their first claim. Not of her body—not yet—but of something far more dangerous.

Dominance.

And Seraphina knew one thing above all: the one who conquered her first would hold the greatest power.

She would not let that happen.

Darius was the first to move.

He stepped inside, his broad shoulders casting a long shadow across the candlelit floor. His golden eyes, intense and unreadable, trailed over her like a man sizing up a fortress before a siege.

His voice was deep, measured. “You are trembling.”

Seraphina lowered her gaze, letting her lashes flutter just slightly, her hands clenched delicately in front of her as if in nervousness. ‘Its good that he believe I fear him.’

Darius exhaled through his nose, his jaw tightening. “You don’t have to fear me, Seraphina. You are mine to protect.”

To protect? Yeah, right. Not to love or to cherish just to own.

Seraphina lifted her chin, letting her lips part as if struggling for words. Then she did something bold. She reached for him.

Darius stiffened slightly as her delicate fingers traced along the edge of his sleeve, barely touching. A soft, featherlight touch as if she was testing his patience.

Then, pulling away.

His breath hitched almost imperceptibly, but his hand shot out, grabbing her wrist before she could fully retreat. “Careful, Omega.”

His grip was iron. But she only lowered her gaze again, letting him believe she was shy.

Cassian chuckled watching the sight with astonishment.

Leaning lazily against the doorframe, he observed the exchange with sharp, calculating amusement. His silver eyes gleamed as he stepped forward, his silk robe flowing effortlessly behind him.

“If you grip her any tighter, Darius, she might break.” His voice was smooth as velvet, laced with something too knowing.

Darius released her with a quiet grunt, stepping back.

Cassian’s gaze flickered over her, slow and deliberate, before he tilted his head, smirking. “Tell me, little dove…did your father train you for this moment? To stand before three Alphas and pretend you don’t know what we want?”

Seraphina swallowed, letting the faintest flush of humiliation color her cheeks. She has to make them believe that she's innocent.

Cassian laughed softly. “Oh, you’re good at this.”

Her pulse stuttered. Did he see through her?

Cassian moved closer, brushing a gloved hand along her collarbone, a teasing caress that barely touched. His voice was a purr against her ear.

“I do wonder, Seraphina…” His fingers skimmed just under her chin, tilting her face up. “…when you finally beg for one of us, who will it be?”

Her breath hitched. Not from desire—but from the sheer, sharp edge of the game she was playing.

A slow clap echoed through the chamber.

Lucien.

He was lounging against the far wall, watching her as if he already owned her. Unlike the others, he hadn’t tried to touch her yet.

Which made him the most dangerous of all.

“You’re wasting your breath, Cassian,” Lucien drawled, stretching lazily before pushing off the wall. “Seraphina isn’t going to beg.”

The way he said her name made her stomach tighten. As if he was tasting it, savoring it.

He moved toward her, a slow, predatory glide, stopping just close enough for her to feel his heat. His scent. Woods and rain. Blood and ruin.

His golden eyes gleamed. “Not yet, anyway.”

Seraphina held her ground. Barely.

Lucien grinned. A slow, wicked curve of lips.

“Shall we make a bet, then?” he mused, looking between Cassian and Darius. “Which of us will have her screaming their name first?”

Cassian laughed. Darius growled.

Seraphina? She smiled. A soft, demure thing. Almost sweet. Almost harmless.

“That would be quite the wager,” she murmured, tilting her head slightly, letting the candlelight kiss the curve of her throat. “But tell me, my lords…what do I get if I win?”

Silence.

Then—Lucien laughed. Loud. Wild. Shocked.

“Oh, I like her.”

Cassian smirked, but Darius’ expression turned unreadable.

Seraphina took a slow step back, retreating toward the bed—but not in surrender. No.

She was setting the stage.

They thought they had come to claim her.

But Seraphina had already begun claiming them.