The Velvet Oath Beneath The Moonlit Citadel

The moon hung low over the Citadel of Valeria, its pale glow wrapping the ancient towers in silver quiet. The city below slept, unaware that fate was shifting in the corridors of power and in the quiet beating of two distant hearts. For Seraphine Lytell, daughter of a disgraced noble house, the night marked another reminder that she lived in the shadows of her past. Her family had once held great influence in Valeria, known for their loyalty to the crown. But after a failed rebellion led by distant relatives, her family name had been dragged through mud and rumor until only whispers remained. Seraphine lived in exile within the city, her days spent teaching literature to children and her nights spent wandering the silent outskirts of the Citadel walls.

She stood near one of the old marble fountains, her cloak tight against the crisp air. Her dark hair fluttered gently with the breeze as she watched the rippling water, lost in thoughts she had never spoken aloud. A lantern flickered near the fountain steps, casting a faint glow that traced the soft curve of her cheek. Though she lived quietly now, she carried a fire within her that no humiliation could extinguish. And tonight, without knowing it, she would be thrust into the heart of a secret that could destroy her or save her kingdom.

The sound of quick footsteps approached. Seraphine tensed, stepping back into the shadow of a pillar. Valeria’s streets were not dangerous, but caution had become second nature to her. A cloaked figure rushed into the courtyard, clutching something against his chest. He paused near the fountain, scanning the surroundings. For a moment, the moonlight revealed his face and Seraphine drew in a sharp breath.

It was Prince Aldren Varyn, the heir to Valeria’s throne.

His hair was windswept, his cloak torn in several places, and there was a bruise forming along his jaw. He looked nothing like the elegant prince she had seen only from a distance during parades or ceremonies. Tonight he looked raw, desperate, and painfully human.

Seraphine stepped forward before she could stop herself. Your Highness Are you hurt

Aldren spun around, eyes wide. For a split second his hand reached instinctively for the dagger at his belt, but he relaxed when he saw her. His chest rose and fell rapidly.

It is not safe here, he said in a low voice. You should not be wandering this part of the city.

Seraphine lifted her chin slightly. I could say the same to you.

A faint smile ghosted across his lips despite the tension in his body. Fair enough.

She approached slowly, noticing the way he clutched his side. Your Highness, what happened

Aldren hesitated, his gaze drifting toward the entrance of the courtyard as if expecting someone to burst in at any moment. Then he said quietly, There was an attack.

An attack On you

Yes. And it was no accident. It was planned. Coordinated. They knew exactly where I would be tonight. And they nearly succeeded.

Seraphines pulse quickened. She looked down at the object in Aldrens hand. It was a velvet bound scroll case, decorated with faded gold embroidery.

What is that

Aldrens grip tightened. Something that was never meant to leave the Citadel vault. Something that cannot be allowed to fall into the wrong hands.

Before she could ask more, the sound of armored boots echoed faintly in the distance. Aldrens eyes widened.

They found me. We need to leave.

Seraphine froze. We

Aldren met her gaze with a fierce intensity. If they see you with me, they will think you are involved. You need to move now. Come with me.

He reached for her hand. Seraphine hesitated only a heartbeat before placing her fingers in his. His grasp was warm and firm, grounding her in the midst of chaos.

He pulled her into the narrow alley behind the courtyard just as the sound of boots approached the fountain. They moved quickly through shadowed paths, weaving between old stone walls and empty market stalls until they reached a small abandoned stable.

Aldren closed the door behind them, leaning heavily against it. Seraphine guided him to a wooden bench.

Let me see, she said gently. You are injured.

It is nothing, he muttered.

You are bleeding, Your Highness.

He exhaled sharply, then surrendered to her insistence. She pushed aside his torn cloak carefully, revealing a shallow slash along his ribs. It was not deep, but the blood had begun to soak through his tunic. She tore a strip from her inner sleeve and pressed it gently against the wound.

Aldren winced. I suppose you are used to tending injuries

Hardly, she said softly. I taught children before fate decided otherwise. But I have dealt with my share of cuts and bruises.

Aldren studied her face, as if trying to memorize it. You know, I have seen you before.

Seraphine blinked. I doubt that, Your Highness.

At the harvest festival two years ago. You wore a blue cloak and stood near the musicians. You looked lost in the music.

Her breath caught. She remembered that night, the first time in years she had allowed herself to feel joy. She had believed no one had noticed her.

I did not know anyone saw me, she whispered.

Aldren smiled faintly. I did. And tonight, it seems fate has crossed our paths again for a reason.

She looked away, feeling her cheeks warm. Why were you being attacked

Aldren opened the velvet scroll case and handed her the parchment inside. It was old, the ink faded but still legible. It depicted a map of the Citadel and strange markings beneath it.

This is the Velvet Oath, Aldren explained. It is an ancient treaty forged between Valeria and the forgotten House Rythall. A pact sealed by magic and sworn beneath the moon at the founding of our kingdom. For centuries it kept our realm unified. But the treaty was hidden because of the price required to uphold it.

What price

A bloodline sacrifice every generation. A life offered willingly to maintain peace. The last sacrifice was a century ago. Since then, the pact has weakened. And now enemies seek to claim the treaty and use its power to divide Valeria.

Seraphine felt a chill. Who attacked you

Aldren hesitated. He clenched his jaw. Members of the Council.

Seraphine gasped. The Council They serve the crown.

They serve themselves more, Aldren said bitterly. They want to overthrow the throne and control the kingdom by breaking the Oath and reshaping it for their own desires.

Seraphine stared at the map. And you are the next sacrifice, arent you

Aldrens silence answered her.

Her breath trembled. But that is unfair. You did not choose this.

No one chosen for sacrifice ever has, Aldren replied. But I will not surrender my life to a tradition born of fear and blood. The Oath needs to be undone, but not by death. There must be another way. And the enemies who know this want the treaty to remain as it is, because as long as a prince must die, the kingdom will remain vulnerable.

Seraphine felt her heart twist. What will you do now

Aldren met her gaze. I need to find the Sanctuary of Luna, the place where the original Oath was sworn. The treaty can be broken only where it was created. But I cannot go there alone. The Council has spies in every corner of the Citadel. I need someone they would never suspect. Someone with courage. Someone who knows what it means to lose everything yet still stand tall.

Seraphine inhaled sharply. Why me

Because you are the only one who saw me tonight, and you did not turn away, Aldren said quietly. And because fate has woven your path with mine long before this night.

She felt the weight of his words settle deep within her chest. A part of her longed to refuse, to retreat into the quiet life she had carved for herself. But another part, the part that still burned fiercely beneath the layers of hurt, refused to step away.

What must we do she asked finally.

Aldrens expression softened. Tomorrow night when the moon reaches its highest point we must leave the city and cross the Moonlit Pass. It is not a safe journey. If you come with me, you risk everything.

Seraphine nodded. Then I will go. Whatever the danger, I will stand by you.

Aldren exhaled as if a great weight had lifted. Thank you, Seraphine.

She gathered herself. You should rest. We will leave at dusk tomorrow. Until then, stay hidden.

Aldren rose slowly. He paused before her. You have given me hope in a night filled with fear. That is no small gift.

Seraphine lowered her gaze, feeling her heartbeat quicken. Be careful, Your Highness.

He stepped back, his eyes lingering on her face a heartbeat longer than necessary. Then he disappeared into the shadows of the stable.

Seraphine waited until the quiet returned, then stepped into the moonlit street. Her mind swirled with fear, uncertainty, and something she dared not yet name. She knew that the decision she made tonight would change everything.

The next night arrived with cold winds sweeping across Valeria. Seraphine stood at the outskirts of the city, her cloak drawn tight, her breath turning to mist. She paced nervously, scanning for Aldren. When at last he appeared, she felt a strange mix of relief and dread.

He wore a dark traveling cloak and carried no crest or royal sign. His hair was tied back loosely, and a dagger hung at his side. He looked nothing like a prince. Yet there was an undeniable presence in his gaze, a determined fire that made her heart flutter.

You came, Aldren said softly.

Seraphine nodded. I said I would.

Together they left the safety of the city and stepped into the rugged terrain of the Moonlit Pass. The narrow path wound through towering cliffs that glowed faintly beneath the moon. The air grew colder with every step, carrying whispers of old magic that seemed to seep from the earth itself.

As they walked, Aldren told her more about the treaty, the bloodline sacrifice, and the hidden power that the Council sought to seize. Seraphine listened intently, each revelation deepening her resolve to protect him.

Hours passed. The trail grew treacherous. Frost coated the rocks and the wind howled like a lonely spirit. Then suddenly Aldren halted.

Someone is following us, he whispered.

Seraphine stiffened. Are you sure

Listen.

Through the howling wind she heard it too. The crunch of footsteps. Slow. Deliberate.

Aldren drew his dagger. Stay behind me.

A figure emerged from the shadows of the cliffside. Seraphine felt her blood freeze.

It was one of the Council enforcers. A tall man clad in dark armor, his face partly covered by a metal mask.

Prince Aldren, he rasped. You cannot escape your destiny.

Aldrens jaw clenched. I choose my destiny. It is not yours to command.

The enforcer stepped forward with a deadly grace. Hand me the treaty and surrender. No blood needs to be spilled tonight.

Aldren raised his dagger. You speak of peace yet carry death in your voice.

The enforcer lunged. The clash was swift and violent. Aldren fought with raw determination but the enforcer was stronger, more experienced, driven by a grim purpose. Seraphine watched in horror as Aldren stumbled, the enforcer pressing the advantage.

Without thinking, she grabbed a fallen branch and struck the enforcer from behind. It barely slowed him but it gave Aldren the opening he needed. He swept the enforcers legs out from beneath him and knocked him to the ground. The man dropped his blade.

Aldren pointed his dagger at the enforcers throat. Yield.

The enforcer laughed darkly. You cannot break the Oath. You cannot escape death, prince.

Aldren stepped back, his eyes blazing. We will see.

They left the unconscious enforcer behind and pressed onward, neither speaking until the cliffs opened into a wide plain bathed in moonlight.

Seraphine felt her strength fading but she pushed through. Aldren walked beside her, his steps growing heavier as exhaustion crept in.

At last, near dawn, they reached a hill. At its peak stood a stone arch carved with symbols that shimmered faintly in the moonlight.

The Sanctuary of Luna, Aldren whispered.

Seraphine followed him up the hill. The air vibrated with power. Beneath the arch lay a circular platform of polished stone. The center glowed softly as if pulsing with the heartbeat of the moon.

Aldren held the parchment high. The treaty began here. And here it must end.

He stepped onto the platform. The glow intensified, swirling around him.

Seraphine reached out. Aldren

He looked back at her, his expression soft. Whatever happens next, know that meeting you has been the greatest destiny of my life.

Tears filled Seraphines eyes. Please be careful.

Aldren placed the parchment on the glowing stone. The symbols carved into the Sanctuary flared with blinding white light. The air shook. Seraphine clutched her cloak as the earth rumbled beneath her feet.

Aldren cried out as the light wrapped around him. The scroll ignited, burning without flame. The glow intensified until he was nearly lost within it.

Seraphine ran forward. Aldren

Then everything went silent.

The light faded slowly. The parchment was gone. The carvings dimmed. And Aldren collapsed to his knees.

Seraphine rushed to him. Aldren Please speak to me

He opened his eyes slowly. Seraphine

She caught him as he fell against her. He was alive. Breathless but alive.

The Oath is broken, he whispered. No more sacrifices.

Relief washed through her so powerfully that she trembled. She held him tightly, tears streaming down her face.

We did it, she whispered.

Aldren lifted his hand to her cheek. No. You did it. Without you I would never have reached this place.

She shook her head, laughing through her tears. We did it together.

Aldren drew her closer. Their breaths mingled. The moonlight wrapped them in silver warmth.

Seraphine, he whispered. I do not know what tomorrow holds. But I know what my heart has chosen.

Her heart fluttered violently. And what is that

You, he said simply.

Her breath caught as he kissed her, soft at first but deepening with every heartbeat. In that moment, the weight of kingdoms vanished. The broken Oath, the pursuit, the danger everything faded except the overwhelming truth that fate had bound them long before this night.

When they finally parted, Aldren rested his forehead against hers.

Come with me back to Valeria, he whispered. Not as an exile. Not as a stranger. But as the woman who saved our kingdom.

Seraphine smiled through tears. I will.

Together they stood beneath the fading moon as dawn painted the sky gold. The Sanctuary of Luna shimmered behind them, its ancient purpose fulfilled.

Hand in hand, they began their journey home.

And Valeria, though still trembling with danger, would soon awaken to a new era shaped not by blood sacrifice but by courage and love forged beneath the moonlit citadel.