They called her the Princess of Tzaland.
But those who knew her whispered a darker name:
"The Widow of Fates."
As the sky darkened over Emerald City, a gleaming white chariot rolled into the university's main avenue — pulled not by horses, but by four snow-white serpents whose eyes glowed blue.
The crowd parted in silence.
From the chariot stepped a woman in a flowing robe stitched with stardust and fire — Princess Kessia.
Her skin was honey-gold. Her lips blood-red. But it was her eyes — one violet, one amber — that made hearts skip.
She didn't smile.
She didn't wave.
She only whispered:
"Jayden Ochieng… my husband."
---
At the Dean's private chamber, high-ranking university officials, political emissaries, and secret clan representatives gathered. The binding marriage contract, sealed in a phoenix crest, had resurfaced.
Jayden stared at the scroll in disbelief.
Comfort clenched her fists.
Maggy bit her lower lip, eyes stinging.
Tielen cursed under his breath.
But Kessia simply said:
"I was promised his heart. And I always collect."
---
That night, a celebratory ball was arranged in Jayden's honor. Unbeknownst to him, every man who had once flirted with Kessia was found dead under mysterious circumstances — each with a black lily on their chest.
Zaria noticed it first.
"This isn't a royal bride," she warned Comfort. "She's a cursed enchantress."
Just then, the lights flickered.
A scream echoed.
The prom king — who'd asked Kessia to dance earlier — collapsed at the foot of the DJ booth, blood running from his nose and ears.
In his jacket pocket?
A lily.
--
Under the ancient lantern trees behind campus, Jayden stood before Kessia.
"You can't just… force a marriage," he said, voice low.
She tilted her head. "It's not about force, Jayden Ochieng. It's about destiny."
He frowned. "And the deaths?"
She smiled — softly, tragically.
"I was cursed at birth. Any man who dares to love me dies… unless he is the one named in the scroll of flames."
Jayden's heart thudded.
"And I'm that man?"
"Yes," she said. "But even you… might not survive me."
---
While all eyes were on Kessia, the city welcomed more dangerous guests:
Lady Anastelle, a billionaire's daughter from Ivory Coast, who threw a party where only trillionaires were invited.
Nova, a dark-skinned model-turned-spy, who claimed to be Comfort's cousin but seemed too close to Jayden.
Admiral Kova's son, Kairos, who publicly mocked Jayden during a speech, challenging him to a multi-campus "Heir Games" — a brutal annual competition of elite families.
Suddenly, alliances shattered, jealousy flared, and Jayden found himself surrounded by eyes—some admiring, others aiming to kill.
---
At midnight, Kessia stared into her golden mirror.
"Shall I tell him what happens after the wedding night?" she whispered to her reflection.
"It's not just lovers who die… it's kingdoms."
And in the glass, a faint figure smiled back.
Her twin sister, Kaira — long thought dead — watching from a parallel dimension.
"She's coming," Kessia whispered.
"She wants him too."
---