Submission in the Stars

Chapter 40: The Finale

Weeks passed, and the palace stood tall once more, restored to its former glory after the chaos that had nearly torn it apart. The skies, once darkened by the shadow of war, were now a deep, serene blue. The threat of invasion had long faded, leaving behind a peace that had once seemed impossible. Within the palace walls, life had resumed its rhythm, though for Valentin, everything had changed.

He had found his place, not just in the palace, but in the hearts of the two princes who had saved him—Aleron and Kaelis. The bond between them, once defined by duty and survival, had transformed into something far deeper, something Valentin had never thought he would find in this life.

It was more than loyalty. It was love.

Valentin had never believed that love could be a part of his world. His past had taught him to survive, to endure, and to obey. The years he spent fighting for his life had hardened him in ways he didn't think could ever be undone. But here, in the sanctuary of the royal chamber, lying between Aleron and Kaelis, he realized that love had found him—gently, quietly, and completely.

The room was bathed in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the tall windows, casting silvery light over the delicate tapestries and elegant furnishings. The sounds of the palace had faded into the background, leaving only the soft hum of the night and the steady breathing of the two men beside him. Aleron lay close, his strong arm draped protectively over Valentin's waist, his breath warm against Valentin's skin. On his other side, Kaelis's hand rested on Valentin's chest, his fingers tracing slow, thoughtful patterns as though the prince was memorizing the feel of his heartbeat.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Valentin felt at peace. Not the tentative peace of fleeting moments, but the deep, enduring peace that comes when someone finally finds where they belong.

As he lay there, cocooned in warmth and safety, Valentin's mind wandered back to how far they had come. When he had first been brought to the palace, he had been little more than a shell of a man—trained to submit, conditioned to obey without question. He had been lost, broken, convinced that his life would never be more than the sum of the pain he had endured. But Aleron and Kaelis had seen something in him, something worth saving. They had nurtured him, not just as their pet but as their equal, as someone who mattered to them in ways he hadn't been able to understand at the time.

Now, he understood.

Aleron shifted beside him, his lips brushing softly against Valentin's temple. The touch was tender, filled with affection, and it sent a warmth through Valentin that he still wasn't entirely used to, but one he welcomed all the same.

"You're quiet tonight," Aleron murmured, his voice a low rumble in the peaceful stillness of the room.

Valentin smiled, turning his head slightly to meet Aleron's gaze. His heart swelled as he looked into the prince's eyes, which glowed faintly in the moonlight, filled with the same tenderness that Valentin had come to cherish. "I was just thinking," Valentin replied softly. "About how much has changed. About how different everything is now."

Kaelis, ever observant, stilled his hand on Valentin's chest, his gaze shifting to meet Valentin's. The sharpness that usually defined Kaelis's demeanor softened in the dim light. "It's more than just different," Kaelis said, his voice steady, yet filled with a quiet depth. "You've become someone, Valentin. You're not the man we first brought to the palace."

Valentin's smile widened, his heart swelling with gratitude and something deeper—something he had once feared he would never feel again. He had changed, and not just in the ways Kaelis and Aleron had noticed. He had found his strength again, but more than that, he had found himself. "I know," Valentin said, his voice steady. "And it's because of both of you."

Aleron's eyes gleamed with emotion, and his hand came up to gently caress Valentin's cheek, his thumb brushing against his skin with infinite care. "You were always someone, Valentin," Aleron said, his voice filled with a fierce tenderness. "You just didn't see it yet."

Valentin closed his eyes for a moment, allowing those words to settle deep within him. There had been a time, not so long ago, when he hadn't seen anything of worth in himself. He had been nothing more than a tool, a vessel for others' needs. But now... now he had found a part of himself that had been buried beneath the weight of his past, beneath the pain and the fear. He had found the part of him that could love, that could be loved.

He opened his eyes and looked between the two princes who had come to mean everything to him. Aleron, with his steady strength and unyielding love, and Kaelis, with his sharpness that hid a heart filled with passion and care. They had given him a place to belong, a place to heal, and in return, they had asked for nothing more than his trust, his loyalty, and—eventually—his love.

"You've given me so much," Valentin whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "More than I ever thought I deserved."

Kaelis leaned closer, his hand cupping Valentin's chin, tilting his face gently so their eyes met. "You deserve everything, Valentin. You always have." There was no hesitation in his voice, only certainty.

Aleron nodded, his gaze unwavering as he echoed Kaelis's sentiment. "You're not just a part of our world, Valentin. You're part of us. And you always will be."

Valentin's heart felt so full it was almost too much to bear. But it wasn't the painful fullness of before, the suffocating weight of fear or uncertainty. It was the kind of fullness that comes from being loved completely, from knowing that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

As they lay there together, the quiet night stretching on, Valentin realized that this was what he had been searching for all along. A place to belong. A place where he wasn't just a pet or a servant, but someone who mattered, someone who was loved.

The moonlight bathed the three of them in its soft glow, and Valentin let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. For the first time in his life, he knew that he was truly home.

And in that moment, he knew that this was where he was meant to be—forever entwined with Aleron and Kaelis, not just in duty, but in love.