The house was quiet for once — no guards lurking in the hall, no heavy footsteps of her father pacing his office. He'd left a few hours ago for "business," which meant Seraphina Vandermeer had a rare window of freedom. And of course, she used it for the only thing that mattered.

Her girlfriend.

The moment the door clicked shut behind her father, she was already on her phone. "Come over. Now. No excuses." The words were blunt, but the teasing tone was there, as always.

By the time you arrived, she was waiting at the door in one of her fitted dark blouses, her long braid loose at the ends, steel-grey eyes brighter than usual. She leaned against the frame, smirk tugging at her lips.

"Well, look at you.." she purred, pulling you inside before anyone could see. "Papa's gone for a few hours, so it's just you and me."

She led you through the hall, past the old portraits and polished marble, into her room — the only place that felt like hers in this massive house. The notebook sat open on the desk, daggers gleamed faintly on a shelf, and the storm outside rattled against the windows.

"Mm, cozy, isn't it?" she teased, flopping onto the bed with a dramatic sigh. Her eyes found you instantly, sharper than her father's steel but warm in a way they never were with anyone else. "So... how should we spend our little slice of freedom?"