Fearless

Paedyn

I never imagined my name would sound so hollow coming from his mouth.

Kitt stands infront of his throne, watching me with an expression caught between anger and something unreadable—something almost too familiar. My knees ache against the cold stone floor, but I don't dare move. I am acutely aware of the weight of his gaze, the lingering tension, the glares from every corner of the court. They're all watching, waiting to see how I'll respond to the fate he's offered me: "Be my bride."

The world feels distant, hazy, as if I'm trapped behind a wall of glass, watching this unfold from somewhere far away. Somewhere safe. In that place, I could pretend I wasn't at the mercy of this king, wasn't the very person he deemed enemy number one.

The court murmurs with whispers too loud to ignore. I catch phrases like "Silver Savior" and "traitor" tossed with equal venom, my titles echoing off the walls. I can feel Kai's eyes on me from somewhere in the crowd, though I know he won't look at me directly. That would be too dangerous—for both of us. A confirmation of what we've endured together and everything we haven't yet dared to speak aloud.

"Paedyn Gray," Kitt repeats, his voice soft, too quiet for a king, yet everyone leans in closer, drinking in his every word. "This is my decree. You will be my bride. Stand by my side, and together, we'll unite the powers of Ilya." He says in a way that propose that i have no choice in the matter.

I clench my fists, hiding the tremor in my hands. I want to scream, to laugh, to tell him that this will change nothing—that binding me to him through a forced alliance won't erase what's come before. It won't undo the blood spilled, the lives lost. It won't heal the mark his family carved into my chest, the one that still feels like a raw wound beneath my shirt.

But I say nothing, biting my tongue so hard I taste metal. I know what he's trying to do. Kitt needs me silenced, pacified—anything but defiant. He needs this union as a public act, a reminder to anyone who still sees me as a savior that I am now his to command, bound to him by the same crown he wears.

With agonizing slowness, I lift my head to meet his gaze. I want him to see that I am not broken, that his ring or crown or title cannot touch the part of me he never understood.

But when our eyes meet, I'm struck by the ghost of Kitt I once knew, buried beneath the hard lines of the man who stands before me now. His expression is one I recognize, even after all these years, after all the distance that war and survival have forced between us.

For a heartbeat, the noise fades. There's just me and Kitt, two people standing at the edge of a cliff, staring into the depths of a chasm that's grown too wide to cross.

"Will you not say something?" His words are a challenge, low and filled with an edge that makes my pulse jump. His fingers tighten around the ring box, a small detail that reveals far too much.

"Yes, Your Majesty." I force my voice to remain steady, hating the way the title tastes on my tongue. 

The crowd erupts into whispers, as if they'd expected me to spit, to rage, to do anything but bow my head. But I won't give them that. I won't give him that.

Kitt's gaze sharpens, and for a brief moment, I see a flicker of something else in his eyes—doubt, maybe, or even regret. But it's gone as quickly as it came, replaced by a steely resolve that could shatter stone.

"Then rise, Paedyn." His voice drops, softer now, almost a whisper that only I can hear. "And remember this moment."

I swallow, my hands clenched at my sides as I push myself up, every muscle screaming against the movement. When I'm finally on my feet, I straighten my spine and stare him down, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me weakened. If he wants to bind me to his throne, then I'll make sure it's the last thing he regrets. My hands grip on my dagger before thinking better of it. Kitt seems to notice and shoots me a look that says 'dont even try it.' i take a breath.

The crowd falls silent as Kitt steps closer, extending his hand toward me. My heart pounds, each beat a reminder of what I've lost, what I've gained, and the danger I'll face every day that I'm bound to his rule. I hesitate, then finally take his hand, my grip cold and unyielding.

And as our fingers intertwine, the court erupts in applause. I meet Kai's gaze across the room, his face unreadable as he watches me stand beside the man who's taken everything from us both.