The General’s Forgotten Daughter
Description
"Make sure you don't embarrass him," hissed Lady Mirelle. Seren Veris planned the perfect celebration for her husband, Calyx Darion-only to watch him enter the ballroom with another woman and announce his engagement. To someone else. "She's prettier," they said. "You'll be forgotten by morning." But Seren didn't break. She walked out-and took everything with her. Because Seren wasn't just the discarded wife. She was the hidden daughter of Magistrate General Veris, heir to one of the most powerful names in the Dominion. "You were never the right fit," Calyx told her. "Then I want a divorce," she replied. The moment she signed her name, their empire began to fall. And watching from the shadows? Riven Talen-Vireya's cousin. A political heir, sent to support the enemy. But he sees Seren for who she really is. Watches what they did to her. "She didn't destroy you," Riven says. "She survived you. And somehow, she's still the most beautiful thing in the room." Now, Seren's the woman holding the power. And she's done playing by anyone else's rules.
Chapter 1
May 30, 2025
“Make sure you don’t embarrass him,” Lady Mirelle hissed, and Seren knew the knife was already in her back.
The ballroom glowed under golden chandeliers, alive with soft candlelight and the rustle of silk. Seren moved slowly, gracefully, her eyes checking every table, every folded napkin, each flickering taper. She had spent weeks perfecting this night. It was Calyx’s celebration—his victory in securing a new trade accord—and she had crafted every inch of it with care. Her gown was silver-blue and flawless, the embroidery delicate and quiet like her. Her smile stayed fixed, polished and polite, every motion elegant and silent, as if she had trained all her life not to be noticed.
Behind a fluttering fan, Kaelenna’s voice broke through the buzz of the room.
“At least the help looks decent tonight,” Calyx’s sister whispered, not whispering at all.
Her mother, Lady Mirelle, didn’t even bother to glance in Seren’s direction. She simply leaned close and spoke in a low, clipped voice meant to wound.
“Make sure you don’t embarrass him,” she said, and walked away before Seren could respond. As if she ever would.
She stood alone, surrounded by laughter, waiting. She kept her back straight, her fingers curled softly at her sides, pretending not to hear the whispers or notice the glances. She stared toward the arched entrance, where Calyx should have entered long ago. The music played on, smooth and graceful, filling the space between her heartbeat and her hope.
Then the herald’s voice boomed across the room. “Lord Calyx Darion, heir of House Darion, and Lady Vireya Talen of the Talen Dominion.”
The music faltered. A note screeched. The silence was sudden, electric. Heads turned. A breath was held by everyone at once.
Calyx appeared, dressed in black and gold, tall and composed. His arm was around a woman none of them expected. She was beautiful in a cruel, stunning way. Vireya Talen wore deep green silk that clung to her like it belonged to her, like she belonged to Calyx. Her smile was bright and blinding as they entered the room like royalty. The air shifted.
Calyx lifted a goblet, not once looking at Seren.
“Tonight marks not just a success for House Darion,” he said, voice smooth and distant, “but a new alliance. The future of our house must be secured with the strongest of bonds. I am honored to announce my engagement to Lady Vireya.”
Seren did not breathe. She couldn’t.
Applause broke out, hesitant at first, then louder, a ripple of forced celebration. Her hand trembled as she lifted her wineglass, gripping it too tight. A crack split the stem. Her knuckles went white. The noise drowned her. Her face was still, trained, frozen into place. She couldn’t move.
Kaelenna walked past again, her fan closed now, voice soft and sharp. “You should thank him,” she said with a smirk. “She’s prettier.”
Seren turned and walked before her legs betrayed her. Her heels clicked quietly against the floor. She did not run, but her steps were fast and clean, cutting through the crowd that parted without a word. No one stopped her. No one even tried.
The terrace doors swung open. The breeze tugged at Seren’s gown as she stood by the stone balustrade, fingers tight against the cold marble. Her chest ached, but her eyes remained dry. Not even tears dared to fall.
“You built the night,” came a voice behind her, low and quiet—unfamiliar, but certain.
She didn’t turn.
“And he used it to erase you,” the voice continued.
The words sliced deeper than they should have, not just for their truth, but for the ache behind them.
“I watched you,” he said, stepping closer. “You worked for weeks. Every detail—your hand touched all of it. And he gave it all to her.”
Still, Seren said nothing. Her breath came slow and sharp, held together by fragile threads of will. One wrong word might break her.
“This wasn’t a mistake,” the man added. “It was deliberate. He wanted you to know. Wanted everyone to know.”
Her voice finally came, low but firm. “He made sure it would be public. He wanted the humiliation to stick.”
Behind them, the ballroom pulsed with false joy: music, laughter, the chime of glass against glass. As though nothing had fractured.
“He didn’t even look at me,” Seren whispered. “Not once.”
“He doesn’t deserve to.”
That made her turn, just slightly—enough to meet his eyes.
He stood a pace away. Tall and lean, his frame sharp-angled like a shadow drawn in ink. Midnight hair curled near his jaw, tousled from the wind. His eyes, a stormed silver, watched her with a quiet intensity that burned like a confession. He wore black, not as statement, but as if night had chosen him.
“Who are you?” she asked, not unkindly. Just tired.
“I’m Riven,” he said, voice softer now. “Vireya’s cousin. I came to support her, actually. I didn’t know… I didn’t know Calyx was already married. I wouldn’t have stayed silent if I had.”
Seren blinked, surprise cracking faintly through the numbness. “You’re her cousin?”
He gave a small nod. “I stayed on the edges. It wasn’t my place. But I couldn’t watch it happen from the shadows. Not again.”
Her hands curled into fists.
“I gave him everything,” she said. “Every piece of myself.”
“You don’t deserve this,” Riven said. “No one does.”
She looked at him then, really looked. And for one dizzying moment, she hated how beautiful he was. How calm. How close.
His fingers brushed hers. Barely a touch, but it lit through her like a spark.
Seren swallowed hard. “You should go.”
His eyes searched hers for a long second, then he stepped back—just enough to let the air between them cool again.
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
The General’s Forgotten Daughter
30 Chapters
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