The Great Hall of the Draven household was a sight that never failed to take my breath away. Every time I stepped inside, I had to pause for a moment just to absorb the sheer grandeur of it all. It was as if the entire room was designed to overwhelm the senses, a testament to the Draven family’s need to outshine everyone else.

Massive columns of polished obsidian lined the walls as the ceiling soared high above, a vast expanse of shimmering crystal panels that caught the light and scattered it in a dazzling array of colours.

The floor was a mosaic of rare gemstones, each piece perfectly placed to form a grand tapestry underfoot. Enormous chandeliers hung from the ceiling, crafted from the finest metals and encrusted with precious stones, casting a brilliant light that illuminated every corner of the hall. Along the walls, enormous tapestries depicted the Draven family’s victories and conquests.

The Great Hall was more than just a room; it was a statement. A declaration of the Draven family’s unmatched wealth and influence. Every visitor who entered was reminded of their place in the grand hierarchy, and the Dravens could bask in their own glory.

Someone once told me that each house’s great hall was a room similar to a pissing contest. Each person wanted to be seen as the best. I wasn't sure who had told me. But they had hit the nail square on the head.

As I stood at the entrance, staring in. My hand kept shaking at the thought of what was to come. Everything I had been working towards would either play out as planned or crumble. I looked around for where Jax had gone. I found him standing at the side. He wasn't stupid enough to behave as I allowed him here. Not with so many different houses waiting in the hall. I noticed the figure I knew all too well stand beside me. I felt the weight of his hand land on my shoulder.

The room felt suffocating as the reality of the moment began to press down on me. The banners of House Valerius were draped across the walls in a grand display as I looked down the length of the hall. I clenched my hand, trying to get it to stop twitching.

I noticed the golden armour of the Emperor’s guard gleaming beneath the immense chandelier above, at the far end, just as my adoptive father nudged me forward, and I felt my feet move almost on instinct. The eyes of the ruling houses were on me—Dukes, Grand Dukes, Lords, and their entourages. I caught a few of their stares. Each one evaluating and weighing my potential. It was as if they were all measuring how a boy like me could possibly have warranted a gathering like this. Emperor Valerius stood at the far end of the hall, his presence alone commanding silence. His face, carved with the years of galactic rule, was unreadable. I’d seen him in holos before, but seeing him here, the gravity of the galaxy in his gaze, was something else entirely.

"Today, we honour duty," the Emperor’s voice rang out, deep and unwavering. "Duty that transcends the individual, that binds us to the stars, to our families, and to the very galaxy we serve."

I tried to steady my breath. His words cut through the silence like a blade. Each syllable felt like it was directed at me. Duty. Sacrifice. Those were words I thought I knew—but now, in the face of the Emperor, they felt like chains being fastened to my soul.

"It is this duty that calls upon us to make sacrifices," the Emperor continued, his gaze sweeping across the chamber before settling on me. "The sacrifices of youth, of personal desire, for the greater good."

I swallowed hard. The murmurs in the room had died completely. My heart was pounding. The tremble that I hadn't gotten to stop came back in full force.

"And today," he said, his tone shifting into something more formal, "we name Alexander Draven, son of House Draven, as Baron of Drakara."

The words hit me harder than any blow I’d taken in training. *Baron of Drakara*. Drakara—a world I knew little of, but it would be mine. Responsibility weighed down my shoulders, heavier than my father’s hand had ever been.

"You will serve your house, your emperor, and the galaxy," Emperor Valerius said, his piercing gaze locking with mine. "Drakara is now yours to govern, to cultivate, and to protect. You will do so with the honour of House Draven."

I felt my father’s pride like a force beside me. My heart, though, was entirely somewhere else—buried beneath the confusion, weight, and sense that I was losing something precious.

"And with this title," the Emperor continued, "comes an alliance."

The air seemed to thicken around me. I’d heard rumours about political marriages before, but I never thought—no. I struggle to stay standing. I was meant to go to the academy. Marriage was not something I had planned for. I had no idea how to even interact with a woman.

"Lady Seraphina Valtor, step forward." said the Emperor.

I turned my gaze to where the Emperor’s voice carried, and for the first time, I saw her. Lady Seraphina.

She stepped forward with a grace that seemed almost unnatural, her slender frame moving with a confidence that I could only admire. Her long, dark brown hair was swept back into an intricate braid, revealing the sharp lines of her face—delicate, yet powerful. Those emerald green eyes… they caught me, locking onto mine with a kind of intensity I wasn’t expecting.

There was no emotion in her face, nothing to reveal what she thought of this moment. She had learnt to hide her emotions and feelings well. I swallowed. I couldn’t draw my eyes from hers. I noticed there was a stillness in her posture, something that seemed like it was calculated and measured.

"Lady Seraphina," the Emperor said, "shall be your wife, Baron Alexander."

The words echoed in my head. Wife. Marriage. Seraphina Valtor. All I could do was stand there, trapped between the eyes of the court, my father’s pride, and this future that had just been thrust upon me.

I stepped forward, feeling the cold stare of the ruling houses at my back. My father’s grip tightened on my shoulder for a moment before he released me as if pushing me out to face the wolves alone. My heart was hammering in my chest like a crazed mount. I had trained for years—endless drills, rigorous studies, hours of physical conditioning—all with one goal: to attend Valerius, the finest military academy in the galaxy, and earn the military NeuroCore Nexus. But now, with each passing second, it became clear that that future was gone.

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The Emperor’s gaze bore down on me as I approached, standing beneath the immense throne. His presence was like a weight pressing the air from the room, his posture straight, his face hard, and his voice colder than I had imagined. “Duty requires sacrifice, Alexander Draven,” he said, his voice echoing through the chamber. "You will not be attending Valerius Academy as you may have expected."

“You will also not receive the standard NeuroCore Nexus designed for military personnel,” he added, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Instead, you will be fitted with a Nexus that is more suited to your new role as Baron. Its enhancements will aid you in governance, diplomacy, and the management of planetary affairs.”

I could feel the blood draining from my face. The Nexus I had trained for—dreamed of—wasn't just a tool, it was a symbol of strength, of honour. And now I was being denied that. Instead, I was to receive something else—something lesser, something for rulers who hadn’t trained for war. The room seemed to tilt, the weight of disappointment and confusion pressing against my chest. As I struggled to breathe.

Movement In the corner of my eye caught my attention. My adoptive brother Cedric stood near the back of the crowd, his lips twisted into a smug smile. Livia and Thalia were beside him, snickering behind their hands. I could almost hear their taunting voices in my head… ‘Look at him. A baron? He's not even one of us. Father must have plans to use him.’

They had always treated me like an outsider, a tool my parents had adopted out of duty, not love. And now, their glee was unmistakable. I clenched my fists, trying to ignore the burning humiliation rising in my throat. They must have implemented this plan months ago or even years ago.

“Lady Seraphina,” the Emperor’s voice commanded, pulling my attention back to the ceremony. The Emperor’s voice droned on about duty and sacrifice. All I could think was, What the hell am I supposed to do now?

I shook my head slightly. It wasn't just me who was affected by this announcement. I had forgotten about her. What were her thoughts on this? She was being told that she was to marry a stranger. Someone she didn't even know. For a split second, I wondered if she felt as blindsided as I did. Or if she had known all along.

I stared at her out of the side of my vision, unsure what to say or feel. My future was unravelling before me in ways I hadn’t expected. I wasn’t going to be a soldier. I wasn’t going to Valerius. I wasn’t even getting the Nexus I had spent my life training for. And now, I was going to marry someone I had never met, rule a planet I knew nothing about, and somehow manage to live up to the expectations of an empire.

Everything I had planned was gone. I could feel the part of me that had hoped for a future I could control slowly fading away. The Great Hall seemed to close in on me, its grandeur now a suffocating weight.

The Emperor’s words echoed in my mind, and I struggled to process the sudden shift in my fate. Baron of Drakara. A title that carried both privilege and burden. I had dreamed of military glory, of earning my place at Valerius Academy, but now those dreams were shattered.

As the ceremony continued, I felt the eyes of the court upon me—the assessing glances, the whispered speculations. I was no longer just Alexander Draven, the ambitious young man with a promising future. I was Baron Alexander, bound by duty and tradition. And now, Lady Seraphina Valtor was part of that equation—a stranger, yet my future wife.

Her last name wasn’t lost on me either. I knew who she was only from her last name. The third daughter of the Nobel house of Valtor. She was a duke's daughter. They had been trying to align themselves with the Draven house for years.

The Emperor’s voice droned on, but my attention wavered. I scanned the room, searching for Jax. But after a few minutes of searching, I gave up. He was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he had slipped away, knowing that this moment would change everything.

As the Emperor’s speech concluded, I found myself dismissed. Stepping back, I quickly escaped from where the throne was, away from the weight of expectation. The assembly of nobles began to break up, and I saw Lady Seraphina again. She stood in the same place she had been for the announcement, composed and regal, her gaze steady, never wavering. I wondered what she thought of all this—of me, of our forced union.

Before I could dwell on it further, Jax appeared at my side. His eyes held a mix of concern. He knew what this would mean for all the plans I had laid. “Alex,” he said, his voice low, “what’s our next move?”

I glanced around, ensuring no one was eavesdropping. “Plan C,” I whispered. “Enact it now. I will have the nexus I was meant to have. They still owe me that much.”

Jax nodded, slipping away into the crowd. I watched him go, knowing he would carry out our contingency plan. But then, as I turned to leave, I noticed her—Lady Seraphina—walking beside me. I hadn’t even noticed her presence until now. She moved silently, her steps graceful, and a lady in waiting followed closely behind.

I turned to her, keeping my voice low once we were out of the hall. “Lady Seraphina,” I said, “are you happy with this arrangement? Did you know it was going to happen?”

She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak, her lady-in-waiting stepped forward. Her stern expression bore into me. “Baron Alexander,” she said sharply, “Lady Seraphina is not something to be pushed around.”

I frowned, taken aback by the reprimand. “And who might you be?” I asked.

I am Lady Seraphina’s lady-in-waiting.” Came her reply. “Her right-hand woman, if you like. You can call me Lady Elara.”

I looked at Lady Seraphina. Her face was calm, but her hands trembled slightly. She was not unaffected by this forced marriage. I needed to know more.

“Lady Seraphina,” I said, my voice softer, ignoring the murderous eyes Elara was giving me, “do you accept this arrangement?”

She hesitated, her gaze flickering to Elara before returning to me. “Acceptance is irrelevant,” she replied. “We have a duty to our houses, to the empire. Our personal feelings are inconsequential.”

I wanted to argue, to protest that we were not mere pawns. But the weight of tradition and expectation was pressing down on me just as much as it would be on her. I sighed as I looked into her eyes. I saw something there—a vulnerability, a flicker of fear. Perhaps she was not as unaffected as she claimed.

“Lady Seraphina,” I said, “do you know anything about the planet Drakara?”

She blinked, surprised by the question. “Only what I’ve read in reports,” she admitted. “It’s a remote planet, rich in resources but plagued by political unrest. Our marriage is meant to stabilise the region.”

“And what of us?” I asked quietly. I could shake the growing pit of fear that had become my stomach. “Are we meant to stabilise each other?”

Her lips curved in a wry smile. “Perhaps,” she said. “Or perhaps we’ll both drown in the undertow.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You have a way with words.”

She nodded. A small smile on her lips. I turned, motioning for her to follow. Elara looked like she was about to explode, but I noticed Seraphina make a small hand movement, and she nodded before stepping back.

As we walked together, I noticed her trembling again. This time, it wasn’t just fear. It was something deeper, something raw. I reached out, my fingers brushing against hers. She flinched, surprised by the contact.

“Seraphina,” I said, using her name for the first time, “we may not have chosen this path, but we can choose how we walk it. Let’s find a way to make this alliance work—for our future together. But I would not force you if you are not willing.

Her tears welled up, and for a moment, the façade cracked. “I never wanted this,” she whispered.

“I know,” I said. “But sometimes, duty demands sacrifices we never anticipated.”

Just as I was about to turn, a crazy idea popped into my head. Without thinking, I leaned down and kissed her—a soft, tentative press of lips.