Wings Of Fate

The Trial

Eugene squirmed in Riven's lap, chuckling as he swatted at him. "You're terrible, you know that? I feel like I'm practically under siege here!"

Riven only grinned, pulling Eugene close for another lingering kiss. "You don't seem to mind it that much, Crown Prince," he teased. "In fact, last night, you were the one practically begging me-"

"Oh, shush!" Eugene blurted, smacking Riven lightly on the shoulder, though his cheeks flushed bright pink. "That was... last night was..." He trailed off, unable to hide his shy smile. "You're making me sound ridiculous."

"You make yourself ridiculous," Riven chuckled, his hand lazily brushing through Eugene's hair. "It's one of the reasons I like you."

Unbeknownst to them, Princess Lira had entered, holding a small, hand-stitched gift she had prepared for Eugene. She froze, eyes widening in absolute horror at the sight of her betrothed-her future husband, no less!-entwined in the arms of his so-called bodyguard. Her face turned a shade of crimson as she watched, horrified, as Eugene leaned closer to Riven, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek, then the lips.

Eugene had no idea she was there, entirely wrapped up in his playful banter. "Honestly, Riven, you could've at least pretended to be innocent. Or is that just too much to ask?"

"Oh, innocent? Me?" Riven chuckled and nuzzled his nose against Eugene's. "As if you didn't practically pull me into bed."

"Stop making things up!" Eugene huffed, laughing despite himself.

At that moment, Princess Lira, unable to bear another second, let out a strangled gasp before dashing out of the room in utter shock and fury.

Meanwhile, Eugene still hadn't noticed anything and continued teasing Riven. "You're terrible, really. And here I thought you'd at least try to be chivalrous."

"Chivalrous?" Riven snorted, giving Eugene a mischievous smirk. "You're the one who wouldn't let me go, Your Highness."

Eugene rolled his eyes. "Oh, sure. As if I could hold you down if I tried."

Their laughter was cut short when a loud knock thundered against the door. Before either of them could even process what was happening, the door burst open, and in stormed the king himself, flanked by guards-and an indignant Princess Lira, who looked as if she'd swallowed a lemon.

Riven and Eugene's playful expressions fell instantly. The king's face was a storm cloud, his voice low and laced with anger. "How dare you ruin my son, Riven? What have you done to him?"

Eugene quickly stood, placing himself between his father and Riven. "Father, Riven hasn't done anything! I love him."

The king's eyes flashed with fury. "You don't know what you're talking about, Eugene. This... this nonsense with a wild fairy? It's unacceptable. You are royalty. You have a duty to marry Princess Lira, to continue our bloodline!"

Eugene's eyebrows shot up, a sarcastic edge creeping into his voice as he folded his arms. "Oh, really? So that's it? Marry the princess, produce some heirs, and pretend like my own feelings don't matter?"

The king's jaw clenched as he glared at his son. "Yes. Because you are the crown prince. You have responsibilities beyond yourself."

Eugene scoffed. "Oh, I have responsibilities? And what about my happiness? Just because you're king, you think you can control every aspect of my life?"

The king's eyes narrowed. "Enough of this tantrum, Eugene. Guards, seize Riven and take him to the dungeons. For manipulating my son and endangering the kingdom's reputation, his wings will be removed."