The Seal of the Viper

...The messenger did not walk; he glided. He was a young priest with hollow cheeks and eyes that judged everything they touched. He stopped at the foot of the table, holding out a scroll sealed with white wax and stamped with the sigil of the Church: The Weeping Eye....

..."For the Duchess," the messenger repeated, his voice oily....

...Valerius did not move, but the air in the room grew heavy. The silver fork in his hand bent slowly under the pressure of his grip, the metal groaning. Shadows beneath the table seemed to stretch, curling around the legs of his chair like agitated snakes....

..."Since when," Valerius growled, "does the High Priest send messages to my wife before she has even finished her morning tea?"...

..."The Church is concerned, Your Grace," the messenger said, though his eyes were fixed on Seraphina’s low neckline with disdain. "A marriage conducted in secret? Without the blessing of the Holy Father? It raises... questions. Questions regarding the sanctity of the union."...

...Seraphina felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. She knew that seal. In her first life, a letter just like this had summoned her to the questioning that eventually led to her execution....

...She stood up....

..."Seraphina, sit down," Valerius commanded softly. "I will handle this."...

..."No, husband," she said, her voice steady. She walked around the table, the heels of her shoes clicking ominously on the stone. She stopped in front of the messenger and snatched the scroll from his hand....

...She broke the seal without hesitation....

...“To the Daughter of Vance. Your sudden elevation to the Ducal seat is a miracle. We wish to verify this miracle. Present yourself at the Grand Cathedral in three days’ time for a purity inspection. Failure to appear will be considered an admission of spiritual corruption.”...

...A purity inspection. It was a trap. They would claim she was impure, annul the marriage, and toss her into a convent—or worse....

..."Well?" the messenger sneered. "His Holiness awaits your reply."...

...Valerius stood up. The chair scraped violently against the floor. He towered over the room, dark energy radiating off him in waves. "Tell the High Priest that if he wants to inspect my wife, he can come here and face my blade. She goes nowhere."...

..."Treason," the messenger whispered, a gleam of triumph in his eyes. He had what he wanted: a reaction. "Refusing a summons is heresy, Duke Thorne."...

..."Valerius, stop."...

...Seraphina stepped between the raging giant and the smug priest. She placed a hand on Valerius’s chest, pushing him back. He was immovable as a mountain, but at her touch, the dark shadows receded slightly....

..."We would be delighted to visit," Seraphina lied smoothly, turning to the messenger with a dazzling smile....

..."Seraphina!" Valerius barked....

..."However," she continued, ignoring her husband. "You seem to be under a misconception, Brother. You speak of 'sanctity' and 'purity' as if our marriage is a delicate, spiritual thing."...

...She took a step closer to the messenger, invading his personal space....

..."The Duke and I did not marry for politics. And we certainly didn't marry for purity."...

...She turned back to Valerius. Before the Duke could process what was happening, Seraphina climbed onto his lap....

...The servants gasped. The messenger choked on air....

...Valerius froze, his hands hovering uncertainly in the air before instinct took over and he gripped her waist to steady her. He looked at her with wide, panicked eyes....

..."Wife?" he rasped....

...Seraphina wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her fingers in his black hair. She looked at the messenger over Valerius’s shoulder, her eyes cold and challenging....

..."My husband is a possessive man," she told the priest. "He cannot bear to be apart from me for even an hour. If the High Priest wishes to inspect me, he must understand that where I go, the Duke goes. And if you try to separate us..."...

...She leaned down and pressed a kiss to the corner of Valerius’s mouth. It was a chaste kiss, but the intention behind it was blazing hot. Valerius let out a low, shuddering breath, his grip on her waist tightening until it bruised....

..."...If you try to separate us," Seraphina finished, "The Iron Duke might burn the Cathedral down to get me back. Isn't that right, darling?"...

...Valerius stared at her. He saw the calculation in her eyes, the desperate play she was making. She was using his reputation as a monster to shield herself, while simultaneously acting the part of a love-struck fool to confuse the Church....

...He decided to play along....

..."Yes," Valerius said, his voice dropping to a terrifying growl. He looked at the messenger, his red eyes glowing. "She is mine. Tell the High Priest that if he touches a hair on her head, I will forget my vows to the Emperor."...

...The messenger turned pale. The display was too raw, too scandalous for his pious sensibilities....

..."I... I will deliver your message," the priest stammered, backing away. "Three days. Do not be late."...

...He turned and fled the dining hall, the heavy doors booming shut behind him....

...As soon as the door closed, the strength left Seraphina’s legs. She slumped against Valerius, trembling....

..."Clear the room!" Valerius roared....

...The servants, sensing the volatile mood, vanished instantly. Silas was the last to leave, closing the door softly....

...Silence returned to the great hall. Seraphina was still sitting on Valerius’s lap, her face buried in the crook of his neck....

..."You are shaking," Valerius murmured. His large hand rubbed circles on her back, awkward but soothing. "You put on a brave show, Seraphina, but you are terrified."...

..."I know what happens in that Cathedral," she whispered. "I know the cells beneath the altar."...

...Valerius stiffened. He gripped her chin and forced her to look at him. "You have been there?"...

..."In a nightmare," she evaded. "A very long, very real nightmare."...

...Valerius studied her face. He wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. The contact sent a spark through him....

..."I meant what I said," he told her, his voice solemn. "You are under my protection. The contract... it has changed."...

..."Changed how?"...

..."It is no longer about politics," Valerius said. He looked at her lips, then back up to her eyes. "You defended me. You stood between me and the Church to stop me from committing treason. No one has ever tried to save me before. Usually, they pray for me to die."...

...He lifted her easily, setting her down on her feet, though he seemed reluctant to let go....

..."We will go to the Cathedral in three days," Valerius declared, standing up and adjusting his coat. "But we will not go as lambs to the slaughter."...

...He walked to the wall where a decorative sword hung. He pulled it down, testing the weight....

..."If they want to inspect the Duchess," he said, a ruthless smile cutting across his face, "then they will have to deal with the Duke. Teach me what you know, Seraphina. You seem to know the future. Tell me how to defeat them."...

...Seraphina smiled, wiping her eyes. The fear was receding, replaced by the thrill of the game....

..."I won't just tell you how to defeat them, Valerius," she said. "I'll show you how to break them."...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***