Slowburn | Enemies to lovers | dark romance | false prophets | Space Opera | triangle | strong femme characters | eventual Romance | Eventual smut |
A desperate Baron.
A yearning Duke.
A woman who weaves destruction with an army of fire.
In the m...
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Eidan struggled against the weight of the world come to rest upon his shoulders. One on side of the makeshift throne stood Caros, eyes forward and gripping his sword. On the other, Collette leaned into his ear and whispered war.
"You have no idea what you have done today," Collette said, prideful, resilient despite her bandaged flesh. "A second bridge has been made. A woman that belongs to you, with a fearsome army and the blood of the mother."
It was spoken too lightly for Caros to hear, a tenor that did not reach mans ears but resounded inside their memories. With every sentence composed, Eidan saw more of the world pouring out before him. The trials, the fire and brimstone.
Hawk flittered in and out of consciousness on the cushion below. The mother had been taken away to be cremated by her people. A lack of gallery made the temple halls feel hulking, as if he could grasp the moon together and hang her from the rafters with space left over.
"She is not my woman," Eidan replied, "not my slave."
"Slave?" Collette asked, "of course not. She is is her own being, with choice and volition. You can assist her in making those choices."
"You've been here a matter of days and I am already starting to regret it," Eidan replied, "I rescued you because you raised me, but every word you spew sounds of more deceit."
Collette crossed her arms, leaning in closer to straighten the curls atop his head with her palm. "Why are you so certain that my endeavors do not match your own?"
"You want me to overtake the current order and plant the Moritani flag atop the Golden Lion throne. Whereas, I aim to begin a new order, one that does not bow to any man but harkens the decrees of all that is fair."
Collette pursed her lips, "Semantics. You need power and I will light the way to it."
Eidan pushed her hand aside and stood. He stepped to where Hawk slept, head lulled and peace upon her eyelashes. "She will get her army back and will find that I am gentle with her. I will not make her bow and fight for me, but she will, because she will see that I am good."
Collette dropped down as well, "You screamed at her, threatened to take her hands. That is not gentle, nor something she will react to. She sees you as an adversary, a means to an end at best."
"So what would you have me do?" Eidan gritted his teeth, her presence was weighing on him. He felt like a boy again, with a mother floating as an ornithopter over his every move. "Order her to heed me?"
"Marry her," Collette said. It was a preposterous position to take, but her eyes were serious and marked with sincerity.
Eidan stifled a laugh, "What good will that do?"
"You'll be bound by the marriage bed. Once you do take the order, or form your own, it is even more incentive for her to stand beside you. There is no army greater than the Galicine. You require it and though you may think your grace will keep her tethered to you, mens pride often says the same. Love outweighs fear."
