Chapter 1
I was the most noble Phoenix–blooded goddess on the continent of Aetheriel. The King of gods had granted me the right to choose one of our kind to be my betrothed.
He said, whoever 1 chose would become the next King of Gods.
In my past life, I had chosen Aether North, my childhood companion.
In order to help him survive the agonizing trial of flame and ascend to become King of gods, I had even offered him my own Heartflame Core.
But when he ascended and sat crowned upon the Throne of gods, the only thing I received in return was a divine flame–forged sword through my heart.
He held the woman who had once stolen my identity–a refugee from the Feathergale tribe–and, without a shred of hesitation, raised his sword against me.
“If you hadn’t insisted on marrying me,” he spat, “Shael would never have suffered so much!”
“If I didn’t need your Heartflame Core to help Shael undergo rebirth and become a goddess, I never would’ve gone through this farce with you! This throne was mine to claim–with or without you!”
He stripped me of all my divine power and carved out my Heartflame Core with his own hands.
I collapsed into a pool of blood, watching as he reverently offered my Core to that Feathergale girl.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the very day I was to choose my husband.
King Dravon looked at me kindly and asked, “Serin, have you decided who you will choose as your
consort?”
Before I could answer, Aether suddenly stepped forward and dropped to one knee.
“Your Majesty,” he said, “I know Serin has feelings for me, but my heart belongs to Shael. If this
marriage must proceed, I demand that Shael could also be
my wife.”
The hall fell into chaos. The gods and goddess around us turned to me with expressions of pity,
mockery, and disbelief.
The moment our eyes met, I knew–Aether had been reborn too.
Smiling, I looked at King Drayon and calmly made my choice.
What Aether didn’t know was that without me, he would never become the next King of gods.
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That night, on my wedding night, Aether knelt in the snow for an entire night, beggingem back a single decision….
The pain of having my Heartflame Core torn from me had been so intense, it felt as if my body were
set ablaze.
Just when I thought death was inevitable, the pain vanished.
I jolted awake, soaked in cold sweat.
“Serin, have you decided who to choose as your betrothed?”
The familiar question and surroundings shook me to my core.
The Consort Selection Ceremony.
I had been reborn—to the very day of choosing a husband in the Dravon family!
“Your Majesty, I…” I had barely begun to speak.
From among the gathered gods, Aether suddenly dropped to his knees.
He looked straight at the King and declared, “Your Majesty, I know Serin loves me, but my heart belongs solely to Shael! She and I have pledged our lives to each other under the eyes of Heaven! If I betray her, I will be cursed, cast into the path of beasts for all eternity!”
Gasps rang out through the crowd. The King’s expression darkened at once.
Even the most aloof gods turned their heads in shock.
Everyone knew I represented the entire Starfire family. Whoever married me would become the
next King of gods.
Aether’s declaration was as good as renouncing his claim to the throne.
For a moment, the air grew tense, the hall charged with restless energy.
But then Aether added, “I know Serin can’t let go of me, so I’m willing to take her as my secondary
wife. I’ll care for her for the rest of my life.”
King Dravon’s voice thundered across the chamber. “Insolence! That lowly Featherle girl–how dare she presume to stand equal to the goddess of Starfire?”
“She dares seduce you into this foolishness over a mere oath? I will kill her myself, and that
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so–called vow will be broken!
At the King’s threat, a flicker of hatred crossed Aether’s face.
He turned to me, eyes full of contempt. “Why are you just standing there? Didn’t you say you’d rather die than not marry me? I’m giving you your chance—take it already.”
“You’ve taken so much from Shael. If she weren’t so kind and forgiving, I would never let you share
a husband with her.”
His words made me want to laugh.
That Shael–just a wandering Feathergale refugee–had once been mistaken for me and now actually dreamed of becoming a phoenix.
When I was a child, the war between gods and demons had left the Starfire family devastated. All of
the children had been lost. In the chaos, the elders mistakenly took in Shael, who was also a baby at
the time.
A hundred years passed. When my divine powers awakened, my parents realized they had taken in the wrong child.
My mother, ever compassionate, allowed Shael to remain in the palace and enjoy all the privileges of a Starfire goddess.
But she had never been content with that.
In the tenth year after I was found, the King summoned me to reside in the Dravon palace.
The bloodline of the Dravon family was thin, and the ancient divine blood they carried made childbirth exceedingly rare. All future Kings were chosen from cadet branches–those who could
survive the trials.
Marriage to the Starfire goddess didn’t just ensure success in the trial of death; it also greatly purified their bloodline.
None of this was known to the public–only the King understood the true stakes.
All they knew was this: whoever the goddess chose would become the next King.
And now, with one speech, Aether had publicly humiliated the Starfire family.
If this caused a rift between the Starfire and Dravon families, the divine bloodline might dwindle beyond recovery.
The King raised his hand and struck Aether hard across the face.
he Dravons
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“Serin, this foolish boy has brought shame upon us! If it will appease you, I leave him to your
judgment!”
I lifted my eyes and looked directly at the King. “Your Majesty, I have made my decision.”
In that moment, all eyes turned to me–including Aether’s.
Chapter 1
