Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 126 126: Hunter Vale

Seraphina's POV

The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of the gates of the Elmerian palace, and as soon as the door opened, I stepped out and gasped, unable to contain my awe.

The palace was breathtaking. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. Back when I was Seraphina Hook, I'd visited the palace of Aldoria once as a child, and at the time, I'd thought it was the most magnificent thing in the world, but now, standing before the Elmerian palace, the Aldorian palace seemed modest, almost old-fashioned in comparison.

Servants came in and out of the doors carrying trays and decorations, and cars pulled up in a stream, dropping off guests dressed in the finest clothes I'd ever seen.

As I took a deep breath to steady myself, I caught the movement of the palace guards at the gates. They bowed their heads in unison, and one of them addressed me with a respectful, "Your Highness."

My heart skipped a beat, and my stomach twisted into knots. Your Highness. No one had ever really called me that before, maybe except Electra, but she was only ever being sarcastic.

Hearing the title now, spoken with such reverence, felt surreal, like I'd stepped into someone else's life—which, of course, I had.

I adjusted the black gown I was wearing, smoothing down the silk fabric nervously. The dress was elegant and sophisticated, hugging my figure in all the right places before flaring out slightly at the hem.

A pair of black satin gloves covered my hands, and a diamond necklace adorned my neck, completing the look. It was the kind of dress I'd never have dreamed of wearing as Seraphina Hook.

You can do this, I told myself as I made my way toward the palace entrance, trying to ignore the guards' gazes on me.

'You're supposed to be Seraphina Vale now. Act like her.'

But saying it was easier than doing it, and my nerves were on edge. As I passed through the palace doors, the horror of my situation hit me. This wasn't just about fooling a handful of people at school.

I was about to enter a room full of royals, nobles, and dignitaries, all of whom would expect me to carry myself with the poise and grace of a princess. The thought made my stomach churn.

"Your Highness," a servant said softly, bowing as they approached. "The banquet hall is just ahead. Would you like me to escort you?"

I nodded, too nervous to trust my voice, and followed the servant as they led me through the halls of the palace. I tried to channel Electra's advice—act bold, take up space, make them notice you—but all I wanted to do was shrink into the shadows and avoid everyone's gaze.

The servant stopped in front of a set of double doors. "The Queen's banquet has already begun," they said softly. "You may enter at your leisure, Your Highness."

I nodded again, taking a deep breath as the doors swung open. The sight that greeted me was both dazzling and overwhelming.

The banquet hall was massive, and at the far end of the room, seated at a raised dais, was Queen Jella, and the only reason I was able to recognize her was thanks to an hour of Electra showing me pictures of the queen, as well as telling me what to expect at the banquet.

The moment our eyes met briefly, a chill ran down my spine. She was intimidating to say the least, and I almost felt compelled to keep gawking at her, but I wasn't here to stare at her like everyone else in the room seemed to be doing.

No, I had a task—a risky one at that. I was about to see just how far I could push the boundaries.

My gaze swept across the banquet hall as I searched for the king. Electra's words echoed in my mind again: Don't bother looking for him. He never shows up to her birthday banquets.

At the time, I'd thought it was bizarre. Why wouldn't the king attend such an important event? When I asked Electra, she'd given a casual shrug and added, Let's just say the queen doesn't like to share attention.

That simple explanation had spoken volumes. The dynamics between Queen Jella and the rest of her family were more complex than I could have imagined, but my curiosity had only grown since then.

I wasn't just here to enjoy the banquet—I was here to understand what it truly meant to be Electra Vale, purely out of curiosity that grew even more after I admitted who I really was to Electra. And so far, it seemed as though I needed to start by understanding the woman who was now supposed to be my mother.

I glanced back at Queen Jella, my thoughts racing. She was composed and entirely unreadable. If I was going to figure her out, I'd have to take the more daring route—Electra's "stay in her face" suggestion.

Hiding in the background wasn't going to cut it tonight. I needed to draw attention to myself, and in doing so, hopefully learn something about the woman who raised a nutcase like Electra.

The problem was, I had no idea how to pull it off.

The hand tapping my shoulder startled me out of my thoughts, and I turned around abruptly, my frown already forming as a defense mechanism.

Standing in front of me was a boy around my age, perhaps a little older, with striking blue eyes. His confident posture and the slight smirk on his face told me he expected me to recognize him. The problem? I had no idea who he was.

For a moment, we just stared at each other, and his expectant look deepened. He clearly knew Electra—me, but I didn't know him, and I had to hide my lack of recognition fast.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.

I quickly schooled my features and switched to a glare. "Who are you?" I snapped, doing my best to lace my words with Electra's signature rudeness.

If there was one thing I'd learned while acting like her, it was that being brash and dismissive was often the safest way to hide uncertainty.

The boy rolled his eyes, an exaggerated gesture that felt almost rehearsed, as though he was used to my antics. "Still as rude as ever," he said, his tone dripping with mock exasperation. "You haven't changed at all, little sister."

Sister?

My thoughts raced as I processed what he'd just said. Electra didn't have a brother, and I knew this for a fact. She was an only child, which meant that I was supposed to also be an only child.

But here he was, standing in front of me, claiming to be her brother.

"Brother?" I echoed, narrowing my eyes at him as though I didn't believe him. "Since when did I have a brother?"

The boy frowned at me, clearly unimpressed, as if I had just said the most ridiculous thing in the world. His posture shifted slightly, and he crossed his arms over his chest, giving me a look that could only be described as skeptical.

"Really?" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Are we doing this again? Pretending you don't know who I am? That's a bit stale, don't you think? Boring, even."

I kept my frown fixed, forcing my features into the picture of annoyance while trying to keep my thoughts from spiraling.

"Either walk away," I snapped, keeping my voice dismissive, "or introduce yourself. Because I have no idea who you are."

For a moment, he didn't respond. He just stared at me, his expression shifting from disbelief to amusement. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head, and it made me even more anxious. He thought I was joking—or worse, toying with him. If only he knew I wasn't.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he let out a dramatic sigh and rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said, his voice dripping with mock irritation. "If you want to play dumb, I'll indulge you."

He gave a mock bow, his lips twitching into a smirk. "Allow me to introduce myself, Your Royal Highness. My name is Hunter Vale, and I'm your elder brother, the one you should've learned to respect by now, but unfortunately, you still haven't."

My mind raced. Hunter Vale. I repeated the name in my head, desperately searching for a connection, for any mention of him in Electra's life, but there was nothing. No brother, and certainly no mention of anyone named Hunter.