Chapter 1

The High Priest once prophesied that a daughter of House Ashbourne would be born with the gift of seeing the future.

I hide the pale mark between my brows, while Ivy paints one there every morning.

Everyone believes she is the Seer, and the royal family matches her with Crown Prince Lucian. I choose his younger brother, Adrian.

For five years, I use my visions to help Adrian fight his way to the throne.

On the night I finally make him King, I wipe the powder from my forehead.

“Adrian, I’m the Seer.”

He sees my mark.

His face twists with disgust.

“You dare copy Ivy?”

He has me restrained and cuts the mark from my forehead himself.

“If you hadn’t chosen me, Ivy would never have married Lucian. She should have been my Queen!”

Blood runs into my eyes.

Hours ago, the kingdom bowed to the King I made.

Now he looks at me like I’m filth.

“Every time I touched you these past five years, I felt sick.”

“You stole her life. Now pay for it with yours.”

That night, I die at the hands of the man I made King.

I open my eyes again on the day the true Seer is supposed to be named.

Before the High Priest can speak, Adrian cuts him off.

“A mark alone proves nothing.”

He drops to one knee before the King.

“Father, I want to use the royal favor Mother left me to ask for permission to marry Ivy Reed.”

The hall goes silent.

Now I know.

Adrian remembers our previous life too.

The High Priest tries to speak, but I stop him with a look.

The King granted Adrian one royal favor after his mother died.

In our previous life, Adrian saved it for his fight for the throne.

This time, he spends it on Ivy.

The Queen seems more than happy to let him.

She turns to me.

“Lady Serena. What do you say?”

I bow.

“If Prince Adrian wishes to marry Ivy, I have no objection.”

Adrian studies me, clearly surprised by how easily I agree.

Then he turns back to the Queen.

“This has nothing to do with the throne. I love Ivy. That is all.”

The Queen frowns.

“But everyone in the capital knows you and Serena grew up together. We all assumed you would marry her.”

Adrian doesn’t hesitate.

“Serena has always been like a sister to me. Everyone else misunderstood.”

A sister.

Just like that, he erases everything we were.

Even the five years we spent as husband and wife.

If Adrian wants Ivy badly enough to spend one of his greatest political advantages on her, I won’t stop him.

This time, I want to see how far he gets without me.

I barely make it out of the hall before one of his attendants stops me.

“Lady Serena. His Highness wishes to see you.”

I am taken to a private room.

Adrian keeps me waiting while cup after cup of tea is forced on me.

When he finally appears, his first words are:

“How does it feel?”

I remember that day.

I made Ivy wait because Adrian’s army was walking into an ambush.

My warning saved his army.

Apparently, all he remembers is that Ivy had to wait.

He closes the door.

“I know you came back too, Serena.”

I look at him.

“So did you.”

“You were jealous of Ivy in our previous life. But we were married for five years. I won’t kill you this time.”

How generous of the man who murdered me.

“If you still can’t let me go, I can make a place for you at court after Ivy and I marry.”

I set my cup down hard.

“You chose Ivy. I accept that. From now on, you live your life, and I’ll live mine.”

I stand and walk past him.

Adrian catches my wrist.

“Your death went too far. I admit that.”

I almost laugh.

He carved the mark from my forehead and had me killed.

Now he calls it “too far.”

“But if you hadn’t copied Ivy’s mark and tried to steal her identity, I never would have lost control.”

I stare at him.

Even now, he thinks I caused my own death.

“Behave this time,” Adrian says. “When I become King again, I’ll take care of you. You don’t need to be Queen.”

“You still think I want you?”

His face stiffens.

I pull my wrist free.

“I don’t want your crown. I don’t want your court.”

I meet his eyes.

“And I would rather die again than become your mistress.”

I leave without looking back.

By the time I return to Ashbourne Estate, a royal messenger is waiting.

My father smiles and waves me forward.

“Serena. Come.”

He clearly expects the royal betrothal to name me.