Throne of Ash and Shadows

Chapter 3 Katya Vasiliev

Green eyes filled with concern gazed into mine, those ocean-blue depths that always seemed to betray my every thought. "Are you alright?" Ometz asked softly, his arms open, inviting me into his embrace. I bit down on my bottom lip, the taste of blood filling my mouth as I stepped into his arms, allowing him to comfort me the way only he could.

"I didn't want to hurt him," he murmured against my temple.

"I know," I whispered into his chest. Deep down, I understood why he had to do what he did. I could see it in his eyes. Even as he struck my brother, I could feel his hesitation, the way his thoughts wavered, always circling back to me. He was holding back for my sake, sparing my brother more suffering than he would have otherwise inflicted.

Despite being powerless, Ometz was the most powerful man I had ever known. I had seen him fight, watched him cut through enemies with a precision that was almost elegant. Battle after battle, he'd proven himself, facing opponents who wielded magic far greater than his own. Yet, here he stood, victorious, without a drop of magic in his blood.

He pressed a kiss to the top of my head before lifting me effortlessly into his arms, carrying me up the stairs as though I weighed nothing at all. "Can I make it up to you?" he asked, smiling down at me, his left dimple showing in that charming way it always did.

I brushed a lock of blond hair away from his face, tracing the edge of his jawline. "You don't have to make anything up to me," I said softly, my fingers lingering over the lips that had so often found mine. The lips of the man I loved more than anything.

He shook his head, his smile widening as he kicked open the door to the main hall, his steps quiet on the deep blue carpet. "I'm still going to," he insisted, his voice filled with that playful determination I loved so much. I didn't press into his mind, not wanting to spoil whatever surprise he had in store for me.

We stepped outside into the gardens, where the scent of roses and lavender filled the air. And there, standing beneath the twilight sky, was a white gazebo, its elegant arches gleaming in the fading light.

"Oh, Ometz..." I breathed, slipping from his arms to walk toward it, my fingers trailing along the smooth wood. The soft hum of a record player reached my ears, and a moment later, the familiar melody of our first dance filled the air.

"Ten years ago," he began, his voice filled with nostalgia, "the day I met you, we danced to this song. It was the masked ball, remember? You snuck out of your castle with your maid's help, despite the rivalry between our kingdoms."

I smiled up at him, memories flooding back. I had been only ten, and he twelve, both of us too young to understand the weight of the world we lived in. "I remember," I said, poking the dimple in his cheek. "We kissed without even knowing each other's names."

He chuckled softly and brushed his lips against mine, recreating that first kiss—the one that had forever etched itself into my soul. "Just like that," he whispered against my mouth.

I smiled and placed my feet atop his, letting him lead me in a slow, familiar dance. His movements guided mine, just as they had that night so long ago. "I was so surprised," he murmured, his voice tinged with laughter. "A princess who couldn't dance."

I laughed quietly. "I knew it surprised you," I said. "I knew everything you thought that night." Even then, I had sensed it—that spark of connection, the silent understanding between us. It had been love at first sight, something neither of us could have anticipated, but something we couldn't ignore.

Despite what my brother thinks, I do love Ometz with all my heart. I am not being controlled, nor am I under some spell. I love him deeply, and he loves me in return. More than I ever imagined anyone could.

Eight years ago, when the world believed I had died, Ometz saved me. It was in the middle of a battle. I had followed my brother to the front lines, envying his strength, his powers, wanting to prove myself capable. But I was only a girl, untrained and naïve, and it didn't take long for the enemy to pick me out.

I remember falling, the pain of a blade tearing through me. My brother's voice had been the last thing I heard before the darkness took me. He had been running toward me, screaming my name, begging me to stay with him. I had never seen him like that before. In that moment, I saw something I couldn't understand then—fear. My brother, the immortal prince, was afraid. Not for his own life, not for his kingdom, but for me.

I passed out in his arms and awoke in another's—Ometz's.

At that point, we had been meeting in secret for two years. Under the cover of night, we would sneak into the city, disguising ourselves to blend in with the common folk. We walked together, laughed together, dreamed of a life free from the chains of our kingdoms. During the day, Ometz would train to become king, while I was taught how to be a queen. But politics meant nothing to me. The war that raged between our lands was senseless. I had learned that both sides sought the same thing—peace. If only the two men I loved most could see that.

Hiding from my brother for eight years had been agony. There were so many times I wanted to run to him, to tell him that he didn't need to search for me anymore. To tell him that I was alive, that I was happy. But I couldn't. Because I was terrified of losing Ometz—the man I loved with all my heart.

As we danced, my thoughts flickered back to Vlad. I couldn't deny the pain it caused me, knowing how much he must be suffering. But how could I choose between the two men who held my world in their hands?

I knew what it looked like—that I had betrayed my family, my kingdom. But how could I explain to anyone that I had never felt safer than when I was with him? That the love I felt for Ometz was stronger than the loyalty I was supposed to have for Avernia? He wasn't the enemy they made him out to be. He was kind, gentle, and in those moments when I had been lost and broken, he was my anchor.

As the months turned into years somewhere in the middle of it all, I found myself torn between the two worlds. But when it came down to it, I had chosen Ometz because I knew him. I knew his heart. He wasn't some ruthless king bent on destruction, as my people believed. He wanted what I wanted—a future where we didn't have to fight anymore.

Ometz's fingers tightened slightly around mine, drawing me back to the present. He smiled down at me, his eyes filled with nothing but love and warmth. "Are you thinking about your brother again?" he asked softly, his voice gentle, but knowing.

I didn't have to answer. He knew. He always knew. Ometz had never been jealous of Vlad. He understood the bond between siblings, especially one as strong as ours had been. But he also knew that my love for him was different, deeper. The years we spent together, the moments we shared in secret, were something no one—not even Vlad—could take from us.

Still, I nodded, resting my head against his chest. "He'll never understand, will he? That I chose this. That I chose you."

Ometz's hand brushed through my hair, his touch soothing. "No," he whispered. "He won't. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that we have each other."

I closed my eyes, letting the rhythm of our dance and the beat of his heart calm the storm inside me. No matter what came next, I knew one thing for certain—I had chosen this path. And I would see it through, no matter the cost.

But deep down, a small voice whispered—a voice I couldn't silence.

What will happen when Vlad learns the truth?

For now, I pushed that thought away, holding tightly to the love I shared with Ometz, praying that it would be enough to protect us both from the storm I knew was coming. I just prayed that when the storm came, I would be strong enough to face it.