روايات بقلم R.so

The air in the private dining chamber was thick with the scent of aged mahogany and the cloying sweetness of honeyed wine. Bernard sat at the head of the long table, his fingers steepled, his eyes two chips of flint catching the flickering candlelight. Across from him, Kael felt the phantom weight of the silver goblet sitting on the lace tablecloth."You haven't touched your wine, Kael," Bernard noted, his voice a smooth, calculated melody. "It is a vintage from the southern estates. Very light. Very clarifying."Kael didn't flinch, though his pulse thrummed a frantic rhythm against his collarbone. "I’m on duty, Councilman. I find the spirits make the edges of my perception… dull.""Duty is a commendable cloak," Bernard murmured, sliding the goblet toward him with a slow, deliberate movement. "But look at you. You are exhausted. The strain of the Silver Spire, the burden of the Prince’s… constitution. A man of your station needs support. Consider this a medicinal draught. I took the l

The weight of Bernard’s gaze felt like a physical hand pressing against Kael’s stomach, cold and invasive. For a heartbeat, the air in the banquet hall seemed to vanish, leaving Kael suffocating amidst the scent of roasted pheasant and expensive perfumes. He didn't blink. He couldn't. If he looked away, he felt like the wizard would reach out and pluck the secret right out of his marrow."Sir Kael," Bernard purred, his voice barely a whisper over the clinking of silverware. "You look... different. More radiant than usual. Has the Prince been feeding you from his own table?""Just the usual barracks slop, Councilman," Kael replied, his voice raspy but steady. He forced a stiff, practiced bow, feeling the specialized leather corset Marisa had crafted digging into his ribs. It was meant to hide the slight rounding of his abdomen, but right now, it felt like a cage. "If you’ll excuse me, the heat in here is a bit much. I’m going to check the perimeter."He didn’t wait for an answer. Kael

The herald’s knees did more than just tremble; they practically performed a rhythmic percussion against the marble floor. He looked between the Prince, who was radiating a terrifyingly possessive aura, and Kael, who was currently trying to figure out how to fold himself into the stone wall and disappear."S-sire," the herald stammered, his eyes darting toward the door as if calculating his chances of survival if he bolted. "The King... the King was quite specific. He said the bed is only 'occupied' if there is an official consort, and since the Council still maintains the sterility decree—""The Council can take their decree and use it for Kindling," Julian snapped. He didn’t let go of Kael’s arm. If anything, his grip tightened, his thumb brushing against the fabric of Kael’s tunic in a way that was definitely not 'standard knight-commander protocol.'Kael cleared his throat, his voice a frantic octave higher than usual. "What the Prince means, Herald, is that he is... very busy with

Marisa didn't move immediately. She stood her ground for a heartbeat, her eyes darting between the Prince’s frantic, sweat-streaked face and Kael’s trembling hands as he fumbled with the buttons of his tunic. She was a healer first and a subject second, and the look she leveled at Julian was one of stern warning—the kind of look usually reserved for unruly children who had just broken a vase."Your Highness, he needs rest, not an interrogation," Marisa said, her voice like flint."Out, Marisa," Julian repeated, his voice dropping an octave, vibrating with a raw, jagged edge that made the glass vials on the nearby shelf rattle. "I will not ask a third time."Marisa sighed, giving Kael a final, lingering look of sympathy before she gathered her supplies. She brushed past Julian, purposely bumping his shoulder with her medical bag as if to remind him that he was being a royal pain in the backside, and pulled the heavy oak door shut behind her. The click of the latch sounded like a guillo

Kael didn’t see the Prince’s reaction. He only saw the King looking directly at him, his brow furrowing in confusion. Kael knew, with a terrifying, absolute certainty, that if he didn't move in the next three seconds, he was going to decorate the royal carpet in a way that no one would ever forget.With a desperate, strangled noise that sounded suspiciously like a dying goose, Kael spun on his heel. He didn’t bow. He didn’t ask for dismissal. He simply bolted, his hand clamped so hard over his mouth that his knuckles were white.He moved with the frantic speed of a man dodging an arrow, weaving past the startled courtiers. He caught a glimpse of Joni, the young page, staring at him with dinner-plate eyes as he nearly bowled the boy over. Kael burst through the heavy oak doors of the throne room, his heavy boots clattering against the marble of the corridor. He didn't stop until he hit the side exit leading toward the gardens, where he doubled over a stone balustrade and lost the battl

Chapter 6: Frail ShieldThe world didn’t stay dark for long, but Kael really wished it had. When his eyelids finally flickered open, the first thing he saw wasn’t the sky, but Julian’s face hovering inches from his own. The Prince looked like he was about to burst into tears or execute every guard on the field—possibly both.“Kael? Speak to me. If you’re dead, I’m going to kill you,” Julian hissed, his voice a frantic whisper that barely carried over the wind. His hands were gripping Kael’s shoulders with enough force to bruise the leather of his spaulders.Kael groaned, the sound grating in his throat. He could feel the eyes of the entire court on them. Especially Alex’s. The rival knight was standing two paces away, his practice sword lowered, looking between the Prince and his guard with an expression that shifted from confusion to a very sharp, very dangerous curiosity.“I’m… I’m fine, Highness,” Kael managed to rasp, shoving Julian’s hands away with more force than was strictly p