𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

Chapter 5

The palace halls were quiet in the early morning light, but the tension between Fourth and the queen had reached a boiling point. Fourth had chosen Gemini, made it clear where his loyalties lay, and Queen Sirikanya had not taken the rejection lightly. Fourth knew she was furious, but he hadn’t expected her next move.

As Fourth and Gemini rested in one of the palace’s private chambers, catching their breath after the chaos of the previous night, they were completely unaware of the storm brewing outside their door.

Fourth sat beside Gemini on the bed, gently brushing a finger over the bruise on Gemini’s cheek. The anger from last night still simmered inside him, but being with Gemini calmed the tempest in his chest, at least for now.

“You should rest,” Fourth murmured, his voice soft yet firm.

Gemini shook his head, smiling through the lingering pain. “I’m fine, really. I’ve been through worse.”

Fourth’s heart ached at that statement. Gemini was always so strong, so resilient, but it only made Fourth more determined to protect him. He had vowed that no one would hurt Gemini again—not while he was by his side.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the chamber as the door burst open. Fourth jumped to his feet, his body tensing as a group of guards flooded into the room. Their faces were hard, their weapons drawn, and they clearly had no intention of backing down.

“What is the meaning of this?” Fourth demanded, stepping protectively in front of Gemini. His eyes blazed with fury, his fists clenching at his sides.

The captain of the guards, a tall, imposing figure, stepped forward. “The queen’s orders, Your Highness. You are to be detained.”

Fourth’s jaw tightened. “Detained? For what?”

“For betraying your duty to the crown and consorting with an unsuitable partner,” the captain said coldly, his gaze flicking to Gemini. “You’ve disobeyed the queen’s wishes, and now you’ll face the consequences.”

Fourth’s eyes darkened with fury. His mother had gone too far, again. She couldn’t stand to lose control over him, and now she was resorting to violence to force him back into line. He wasn’t about to let that happen.

“I won’t go with you,” Fourth said, his voice deadly calm. “And if you try to force me, you’ll regret it.”

The captain’s expression hardened. “We have our orders. If you resist, we have no choice but to use force.”

Without warning, two guards lunged at Fourth, aiming to restrain him. But before they could even reach him, Gemini sprang into action.

“No!” Gemini shouted, stepping in front of Fourth, his body moving with surprising speed. He threw a punch at the first guard, catching him off guard and sending him stumbling back. The second guard tried to grab Gemini’s arm, but Gemini twisted out of his grip and delivered a swift kick to his side, knocking him to the ground.

The captain’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’ll pay for that,” he snarled, drawing his sword and stepping forward.

But Gemini wasn’t backing down. His eyes were fierce, his body coiled like a spring ready to strike. He might not have had the formal training the guards did, but he had something they didn’t—an unshakable determination to protect Fourth, no matter the cost.

Two more guards charged at Gemini, swords drawn, but Gemini ducked beneath their swings with agility. He grabbed a nearby chair and swung it at one of them, smashing it across the guard’s chest. The guard crumpled to the floor, groaning in pain. The other guard tried to tackle him from behind, but Gemini elbowed him in the ribs and spun around, knocking him down with a swift uppercut.