knight's Royal Duty || Gonkillu ||

...?

The next day, Killua noticed the first real sign of the impending conflict. The palace was abuzz with quiet activity. Military leaders were summoned to private meetings with the queen, and soldiers were seen moving in and out of the palace at all hours. Supplies were being stockpiled in secret chambers, and the entire atmosphere of the kingdom seemed to shift.

It wasn't just Killua who noticed the change. The servants, the guards, even the nobles—all of them seemed to sense that something was coming. But no one dared speak openly about it. The queen's grip on the palace was too tight, her influence too powerful.

Killua's mother had mastered the art of keeping people in the dark, feeding them just enough information to keep them loyal while hiding her true intentions. But Killua could see through her game now. He knew what she was planning, and it terrified him.

That evening, after another tense day of pretending to play the obedient prince, Killua met Gon in their secret passage beneath the palace. The urgency in their conversations had grown as the reality of the situation became more apparent.

"I saw them today," Killua said, his voice tight. "The soldiers. They're preparing for something big. They're keeping it quiet, but the palace is already shifting into wartime mode."

Gon's expression hardened. "It's real, then. War is coming."

Killua nodded, his chest tight with fear. "And we're not ready for it. No one is."

Gon leaned back against the stone wall, his arms crossed. "We need to figure out who her allies are. If we can expose her plans, maybe we can stop this before it spirals out of control."

Killua wanted to believe that they could stop it, that they could prevent the coming conflict. But the more he thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. His mother's grip on the kingdom was ironclad, and her alliances were already in place. The war wasn't just coming—it had already begun in the shadows.

"I don't know if we can stop her," Killua said quietly, his voice filled with doubt. "She's too far ahead of us, Gon. She's been planning this for too long. And if she goes through with it, I don't know what will be left."

Gon turned to him, his eyes filled with determination. "We'll find a way, Killua. Even if we can't stop the war, we'll find a way to survive it. Together."

Killua looked at Gon, his heart aching with both fear and hope. He wanted to believe Gon, wanted to trust that they could face whatever was coming together. But deep down, Killua knew that this was bigger than anything they had ever faced.

And the storm was about to break.

Two days later, the queen called Killua to a private audience. He had expected this. She had been watching him closely, and he knew she suspected that he was aware of more than she wanted him to know.

When Killua entered the throne room, his mother sat at the head of the room, her face calm but her eyes sharp with calculated intent. She was dressed in royal finery, a symbol of power and authority that seemed to radiate from her.

"Killua," she said softly, gesturing for him to sit. "We need to talk."

Killua obeyed, sitting across from her, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew this was more than just another conversation about the marriage.

"You've been restless lately," the queen began, her tone deceptively gentle. "I understand that the weight of your duties is heavy, but you must trust that everything I do is for the good of the kingdom."

Killua's jaw tightened. "What are you planning, Mother?"

The queen's eyes gleamed, her smile widening ever so slightly. "You've always been perceptive, Killua. It's a trait I admire. But there are some things you are not yet ready to understand."

"Like a war?" Killua's voice was sharp, cutting through the false calm in the room.

The queen's smile didn't falter. "War is sometimes necessary to secure peace. Our enemies are growing bolder. Our alliances must be strengthened, and the kingdom must be prepared. The marriage is one such alliance. But there are other matters—larger matters—that require your cooperation."

Killua's hands clenched into fists at his sides. "You're going to drag this kingdom into war. And for what? Power?"

"For survival," the queen corrected, her voice like ice. "You will understand in time. But for now, your duty is clear. You will marry Lady Sylva. You will take your place by my side. And you will ensure that this kingdom stands strong in the face of what's to come."

Killua felt his heart racing, his mind spinning with anger and fear. He could see now that there was no reasoning with her. She was too far gone, too consumed by her desire for control.

"And if I don't?" Killua asked, his voice trembling with defiance.

The queen's expression darkened, and the coldness in her eyes deepened. She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "If you don't, Killua, you will not only lose the favor of this kingdom—you will lose everything. Your position, your allies, and most importantly... your life. I have tolerated your resistance for long enough."

Her words hung in the air like a death sentence, and Killua felt his blood run cold. He had always known his mother was ruthless, but hearing her speak so plainly about destroying him was something else entirely. She wasn't just threatening him—she was laying out his future, a future where there was no escape from her control.

The queen continued, her voice smooth and calculated. "If you defy me, the people will see you as a traitor. You will be labeled a coward, someone who abandoned his duty to the kingdom in its most crucial hour. I will make sure of it. And as for Gon..." She paused, letting the threat linger in the air before continuing. "His fate will be far worse than yours."

Killua's heart seized in his chest. He had expected her to bring Gon into this, but the way she did it, so casually, made his skin crawl. She was reminding him that she could destroy everything he cared about in the blink of an eye. And if he didn't fall in line, she would.

"You can't control me forever," Killua said, his voice low but defiant. "One day, people will see you for what you are."

The queen's smile didn't waver. "Perhaps. But not today. Today, you will do as you're told. The marriage will proceed, and the kingdom will march toward the future I have secured for it. You may think you have a choice, Killua, but I assure you, you do not."

Killua felt the walls closing in around him, the crushing weight of her control suffocating him. He had never felt more trapped, more powerless. But even as his mother's words filled him with dread, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was shifting. War was on the horizon, and no matter how much his mother tried to control him, she couldn't control everything.

"I won't forget this," Killua said quietly, his voice trembling with barely contained fury. "I won't forget what you're doing."

The queen's smile widened, cold and predatory. "Good. I wouldn't want you to."