knight's Royal Duty || Gonkillu ||

Lies

Later that evening, Killua met Gon in one of the palace's hidden passages. The dimly lit corridor was familiar to them both by now, a place where they could speak freely without the threat of prying eyes. But tonight, the shadows seemed to press in closer, as if they were being watched.

"We need to move fast," Killua said, his voice tense. "My mother's planning something big, and she's going to make sure I'm part of it, whether I like it or not. Whatever she's doing—it's happening soon."

Gon nodded, his face serious. "Did she say anything about what's coming?"

"Not directly," Killua muttered, his brow furrowed in frustration. "But it was clear from the way she talked that she's putting everything into motion. I think she's going to use the marriage as a cover for something much bigger. Maybe to seize more power—maybe to force the court to bow to her completely. I don't know."

Gon leaned against the stone wall, his eyes scanning the darkness. "We need proof. Something solid we can use against her."

"I know," Killua said, his voice tinged with desperation. "But I'm running out of time. She's expecting me to fall in line soon. And if I don't..."

Gon placed a reassuring hand on Killua's shoulder. "We'll figure it out. We've faced worse before."

But as Killua looked into Gon's eyes, a sense of dread crept over him. This felt different. Bigger. More dangerous.

He could feel it in his bones—the storm was coming.

The days moved faster than Killua could control. The marriage, the meetings, and the tension in the palace grew to an unbearable level. It was as if everyone in the court sensed that something was coming but didn't dare speak of it. The queen was moving her pieces into place, and Killua was beginning to feel like a pawn in her game.

One night, as Killua lay in bed, staring up at the dark ceiling, the dread that had been gnawing at him for weeks finally solidified into a clear, terrifying thought.

Whatever is coming... we might not survive it.

The realization sent a shiver down his spine. He had always believed that he and Gon could find a way out, that they could stop his mother's plans if they were clever enough. But now, as the pieces began to fall into place, Killua wasn't so sure.

The queen was too powerful, too calculating. And Killua was starting to fear that no matter what they did, the storm that was coming would sweep them away.

But even in the face of that fear, one thing remained clear in Killua's mind.

He couldn't lose Gon. No matter what happened, no matter how dark things became, he would do whatever it took to protect the person who mattered most to him.

Even if it meant defying the entire kingdom.

The days that followed were like a blur for Killua. His conversations with Gon grew more urgent, more strained. The undercurrents of tension in the palace were no longer just about the marriage or the queen's control—they had transformed into something far more dangerous. The shadows of the palace seemed darker, the whispers among the court more sinister. And through it all, Killua could feel the truth lurking beneath the surface.

War was coming.

At first, it had been just a flicker of a thought, an instinct Killua had been too afraid to fully acknowledge. But now, with every passing day, that instinct became sharper, clearer. The strange diplomatic meetings his mother had been hosting, the secretive alliances she was forging—they were all pieces of a larger puzzle.

She wasn't just consolidating her power. She was preparing for conflict. A conflict that would engulf the entire kingdom.

And Killua knew that he was being positioned as a key piece in her plan. The marriage to Lady Sylva wasn't just about political power anymore—it was about creating alliances that could tip the balance in a coming war.

The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. His mother was positioning him not just as her puppet but as a pawn in a much larger game of control and destruction. She intended to use him and the marriage to ensure that when war broke out, the kingdom would stand unchallenged—and she would be the one holding the reins.

Killua met with Gon late that evening, his mind racing with everything he had pieced together. They sat in their usual spot, hidden in the depths of the palace, away from prying eyes. But tonight, the tension between them was palpable. Killua's heart was heavy, his thoughts dark with the knowledge he had uncovered.

"Something's happening, Gon," Killua said, his voice low but filled with urgency. "This isn't just about me or the marriage anymore. It's bigger than that."

Gon frowned, leaning forward, his eyes searching Killua's face for answers. "What do you mean?"

Killua took a deep breath, trying to organize his thoughts. "I think my mother is preparing for war. She's been making alliances in secret, setting things up behind the scenes. I overheard some of the guards talking about military movements—about preparing troops."

Gon's expression darkened. "War?"

Killua nodded. "She's been using the marriage as a way to secure allies—Lady Sylva's family, for one. And I think there are more alliances we don't even know about. She's planning something huge, Gon. Something that's going to drag the entire kingdom into conflict."

The realization weighed on both of them. War wasn't just a threat to the kingdom—it was a threat to everything Killua and Gon had fought to protect. If the kingdom went to war, Killua would be expected to lead, to stand by his mother's side as she used him to justify her actions. And Gon, as a knight, would be caught in the middle of it all.

"What do we do?" Gon asked, his voice steady but filled with concern. "We can't stop a war, Killua."

"I don't know," Killua admitted, his voice breaking slightly. "I don't know how to stop her. She's too powerful. She has too many pieces in place. And if this happens... I'm afraid everything we've built—everything we've fought for—will be destroyed."

Gon was quiet for a moment, his eyes dark with thought. "If war is coming, we need to prepare. We need to find out exactly what she's planning, who she's working with. And we need to be ready for whatever happens."

Killua swallowed hard, his throat tight. "But how? We don't have enough power to stop her. The court is too afraid to act against her, and if she's building alliances with other kingdoms, we're already outnumbered."

Gon stood, pacing the small space as his mind worked through the problem. "We may not be able to stop the war, but we can find a way to survive it. Maybe... maybe there's a way to turn her plans against her. If we can expose what she's doing, show the court that she's pushing the kingdom toward conflict, we might be able to rally some support."

Killua looked up, his eyes filled with a mixture of hope and fear. "You really think that's possible?"

Gon stopped pacing and met Killua's gaze, his expression firm. "I don't know. But it's the only chance we have."

"You trust me don't you, my Prince?"

Trust Huh...?